The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

I am so behind- I've been super busy for the past two weeks, and you know how fast this thread moves!

Anyway, I have a question. My broody was due to hatch in the next few days. I don't know if I can't count or what because this happened to me last time, but I got a chick today. Anyway, that's not my question- when I found this chick, it looked dead and was too the side, so I thought it had died so she had pushed it out of the nest. But then I noticed it was breathing, and that the side of the head was bloody. So I picked it up and looked at it and it cheeped. When I tried to put it back into the nest she pecked it. I took it and put it in the brooder under heat, but I don't know if it will make it, the head was pretty beat up and I don't know how long it was cold. Should I be worried about her doing that to the rest of the chicks? One of the eggs at least (I only looked for like 1/2 a second) is pipped, but who knows how long it will take the rest to hatch.

So at the moment I'm camped out right outside her nest box watching. It's going to be a long couple days. Needless to say, if she pecks the next chick her leg band is getting changed from "broody" to "cull." But is this something that she did because there was something wrong with the chick, or do hens just do this sometime? I guess a hen attacking her own naturally hatched chicks never occurred to me. Any advice or experience would be appreciated.

I have seen this many many times. Most often I just trust the broody that there was something wrong with the chick. But I have seen where one hatched really early and the hen kills it. Then is absolutely perfect with the new chicks when they hatch on time. Again I am trusting the broody. If she gets off of the nest to care for one chick she loses all of the rest of the growing chicks.
I always trust the broody. Chickens survived thousands of years without human interaction. IMESHO all we humans done is weaken chickens. Making them too relient on people. So I raise mine the way it would have been done 100 or more years ago.

 

[stonykill]

So, should we candle broody eggs?

Not a should or shouldn't question.

Can? yes, Need to? No.

If you do candle, do it when she is off the nest, or once it's dark.

exactly the answer I was going to give

 

[loanwizard]

Anyone ever had a goose hatch out chicks? Would it work? Would she could she raise them? Wonder if she would drown em.....?

 

[stonykill]

Here's the article about the teflon coated "rough service" bulbs killing chickens:

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/7...light_bulbs_toxic_to_chickens_the_full_story/

my question is, and I probably missed it..... why are we using light bulbs in Natural chicken keeping? Is there a light bulb shrub in nature I should be growing

 

[stonykill]

Anyone ever had a goose hatch out chicks? Would it work? Would she could she raise them? Wonder if she would drown em.....?

I would be afraid she would take them swimming.

 

[Ashdoes]

She doesn't get off the nest, so I'm going to say no. We built a pen for her, so she has room to walk around, but is safe in the barn. Leaving her alone seems to be the best option. She'll kick out bad eggs right? Or will she just leave them for us to deal with at the end?

 

[aoxa]

Anyone ever had a goose hatch out chicks? Would it work? Would she could she raise them? Wonder if she would drown em.....?

I would be afraid she would take them swimming.

Yes exactly. They will too.. Which is why I have never let a duck hatch chicks. I had a broody muscovy that would never stop trying, but I didn't have a drake to fertilize her eggs... so she sat on duds until I discovered her secret nests (which were way clever). I was told by a few duck owners that it was a bad idea.

I am assuming it would be even worse for geese.. Just that weight on chicken eggs would be tough. Duck and goose eggs are so much thicker, and wouldn't break as easily as chicken eggs.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I don't use light either - except for me to see when it's too dark! I was just warning about how fumes from "man-made" items can be toxic and deadly to chickens and this was a really good example of an item that people think is "harmless". People use teflon all the time... hopefully this will make people think twice about the items that are marked as "safe".

Signed: The Plastic Avoidance Queen

 

[loanwizard]

my question is, and I probably missed it..... why are we using light bulbs in Natural chicken keeping? Is there a light bulb shrub in nature I should be growing

WATT!?!?!? Now just wait a cotton pickin filaminute.......!

 

[stonykill]

I don't use light either - except for me to see when it's too dark! I was just warning about how fumes from "man-made" items can be toxic and deadly to chickens and this was a really good example of an item that people think is "harmless". People use teflon all the time... hopefully this will make people think twice about the items that are marked as "safe".

Signed: The Plastic Avoidance Queen

say's the woman typing on a plastic keyboard who drives a car that is most likely 40% plastic.

WATT!?!?!? Now just wait a cotton pickin filaminute.......!

you want in on this light bulb shrub business don't ya loin?!