The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

Mommy's little helper! Meet Gunsen - two days after Gunnar died, one of my 2 pullets from him suddenly sprouted a comb and wattles. Looks just like his daddy did at this age! He's helping Mom with her new clutch. Just like a Silkie to continue brooding her chicks while tending her new nest of eggs! She still has the 2 youngest (Gunsen and Liisa) next to her every night. (Yes - Darth Bator is the one who adopted a whole bunch of chicks that were 2 and 3 weeks older than her own a few days after her own eggs hatched. She's a keeper!

 

[starlingdaly]

Their main source of food is non-medicated Purina Sunfresh Start and Grow (all they had at local feed store - will switch to organic layer feed), but I have supplemented since day 1. I brought chunks of sod into the brooder box with chickweed/dandelions/clover/violets/grass since they were 1 day old. Also have given them ground up muesli/pumpkin seeds/flax. Daily I chop up finely - fresh produce from my garden - spinach, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, pea tendrils and flowers, basil, parsely, dill etc. Yesterday they shared a whole grain blueberry pancake and LOVED it - and then as you can see watermelon was introduced yesterday. They also had an Eco Glow which I think accounts for their great health so far and their early feathering - no lights to upset the natural circadian rhythm - they have put themselves to sleep every night and wake up raring to go in the morning. They actually abandoned the Ecoglow at about 2 weeks old. Well I guess I went a little overboard answering your question

You didn't go overboard at all!
All that supplementing is truly paying off!
I need to get my chicks outside more.
I mix my own chick feed and the growth rate is on par with chicks fed conventional food but I bet they would be growing better with those extra greens!!

I'm attempting to give my momma hen most of my chicks to raise. She has accepted many of them, but isn't so sure about the bigger ones. I figure after a few days they will be one big happy family and I can save my current broody for the chicks arriving in the mail this week and then I've only got to keep the quarantine cage inside. Yay!
That will be the best way for them to get their greens with the least amount of work from me.

 

[starlingdaly]

Bulldogma, I LOVE your Darth Bator! The name, and what an awesome chicken she is.
<3 Silkies.
Can you believe my bf thinks silkies are ugly?????

 

[NanaLynn]

aoxa: Wow, awesome pictures!!! You even captured the water droplets on and around the duckling. I just had to say something.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Mommy's little helper! Meet Gunsen - two days after Gunnar died, one of my 2 pullets from him suddenly sprouted a comb and wattles. Looks just like his daddy did at this age! He's helping Mom with her new clutch. Just like a Silkie to continue brooding her chicks while tending her new nest of eggs! She still has the 2 youngest (Gunsen and Liisa) next to her every night. (Yes - Darth Bator is the one who adopted a whole bunch of chicks that were 2 and 3 weeks older than her own a few days after her own eggs hatched. She's a keeper!

Hmmm do I have to get a silkie to get a broody....

Come on, Stony...give me some encouragement here. What do you put in the water to get those girls of yours to go broody? I need a broody within 2 weeks and I don't have a silkie



Oh...and WONDERFUL, BDM - a Gunnar Boy (Like John Boy... Gunnar Boy)

 

[stonykill]

Hmmm do I have to get a silkie to get a broody....

Come on, Stony...give me some encouragement here. What do you put in the water to get those girls of yours to go broody? I need a broody within 2 weeks and I don't have a silkie



Oh...and WONDERFUL, BDM - a Gunnar Boy (Like John Boy... Gunnar Boy)

or a Sumatra.


in all seriousness buy eggs or chicks from hens born from broody's. It really is just that simple. My BO who is raising ducks was born from a broody, my Runners were all born from broody's, my old RIR's were born from broody's. etc etc etc.

here is your silkie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTc3PsW5ghQ

 

[Sally8]

or a Sumatra.


in all seriousness buy eggs or chicks from hens born from broody's. It really is just that simple. My BO who is raising ducks was born from a broody, my Runners were all born from broody's, my old RIR's were born from broody's. etc etc etc.

here is your silkie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTc3PsW5ghQ

Oh Stony,, After watching the youtube video, I just don't know what to say. lol

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

Was hoping the Hatchery RIR that was broody this winter (when she was 8 mos old) would get in the mood again. Nothing yet. I even stuffed a next full of fake eggs. A baby sfh who was 18 weeks old got on that clutch of eggs and was throwing grass on her back... (way to young, of course...she was just trying things out). A couple of the others kind of sat around in there awhile but nothing serious.

Oh well... maybe it will happen yet.

 

[starlingdaly]

It seems like I've got nothing BUT broodies this time of year!
I think I've just about FINALLY broken my turkey's broodiness and got my gorgeous mutt hen off her nest by putting a chick under her. She will now be a foster mum to ALL my chicks that she accepts.
I'm saving my silkie broody for chicks that are coming in the mail this week.
And my Welsummer broody I will possibly let hatch some eggs (but none of her own because they aren't fertilized despite the bantam roo's best efforts)

 

[Leahs Mom]

A "Natural Animal Keeping" question for you goat people...

Does anyone recommend a good book or resource for NATURAL goat keeping? (No grain, browse & pasture, raising for health with the least chemical input, etc.).