The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[uglychickens]

Thanks everyone

 

[loveourbirds]

ugly chickens might have some ugly chickens but the pigs and pup sure are cute !

 

[Bulldogma]

ok ill admit it, I am a 250 lb man, and I cried the first time I had to do it. I still don't like to do it.

It's never easy... just sometimes necessary. Had to do a cockerel with an injured leg the day before yesterday.
I'm also a chop-the-head-off kind of girl... I use a machete. Even if it doesn't go all the way through on the first whack, I have been able to at least break the neck every time. The bird dies fast and I don't think they feel anything.

I'll try to get pictures one day of his flock, but it may take awhile as we both seem so incredibly busy much of the time and just see each other occasionally when I go shopping at the local hardware/building supplies where he works. He has a large farm in which he grows potatoes, oats, rye, rapeseed, and sugar beets in addition to his regular job. I meanwhile, have no job except this project of renovating our ancient house (going on 5 years already) plus massive gardening and converting the property into a sustainable 'food forest', with a little time left for my real love which is making sculpture (ceramics & wood).... then even sparer moments here on the net. Lately methinks I've been shirking other areas as I've been sucked into this site.. Not complaining, have you! Anyway, I'll try to get pics of his birds and up here for you as soon as I can...

P.S. American weirdness.....

....to late for that, as the present political scene over there has us 'Mericans' all branded as a bit 'off centered'...

throw in the fact that my sculptural work is more in the surreal genre and I'm sure many wouldn't be surprised if I cut off one ear.

--- rick

Hooray - an artist!
Well - just tell your neighbor you're playing a game of "I'll show you mine - you'll show me his." LOL!
And yes - this is an addictive thread. (Have you seen the NCK blog yet?? See my signature for details... )

thought we were doing good-had not be hit by the bobcat in over 3 weeks-till yesterday. Got 10 new pullets(since flock was down to 6) and cat came all the way in yard and got my only RIR pullet. must have happened around 4 pm. I went to garden to get some basil for dinner and saw a big pile of feathers and followed a trail of dropped feather off over the fence into the woods. had to have been the bob cat. Later when I put the girls in for the nite in their coop and gave them some food, my husband said how nice I was to be fattening-up the hens for the cat! guess a hazzard of free ranging

Sorry for your loss... and that this cat is so hungry...

Pigeon Guy has a recipe on here somewhere. Hopefully someone can link that, because I'm not sure where it is.

White Wash recipe -
See the link to the thing in my signature line and go to the "Recipes and DIY" tab at the top. It's on that page - just scroll down a bit.

 

[Bulldogma]

OK - so Darth 'Bator hatched the single Gunnar egg yesterday... but I didn't want the chick to be an only child so I located a local lady who has Black Copper Marans - since I free range but breed Swedish Flower Hens, my "eatin' egg" layers have to have eggs that can not be confused for a SFH egg, and Marans fit the bill perfectly! Planned on picking up 1-2 chicks for Darth 'Bator and 6 eggs for my growing flock of broodies (currently 2 SFH and and the white Silkie).

Get there and the lady won't sell less than 6 chicks... and I only had a $20 with me.

But she's a chicken person... so after we had talked a while, she ended up giving me 6 chicks and 8 eggs for my $$.

Gave the broodies a few eggs each and gave 'Bator the chicks (4 BCM and 2 Silkies). 'Bator adopted them right away... but she still doesn't like light colored chicks! She pecks the single white baby, but doesn't chase her or anything so I'm leaving her in there.

Gunnar's baby is beautiful, sweet, adorable and happy to have siblings!!


Betcha it's a cockerel from its stance...




You can just see the top of Gunnar's chick's red head - LOL!

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Aww they're so cute!

 

[aoxa]

OK - so Darth 'Bator hatched the single Gunnar egg yesterday... but I didn't want the chick to be an only child so I located a local lady who has Black Copper Marans - since I free range but breed Swedish Flower Hens, my "eatin' egg" layers have to have eggs that can not be confused for a SFH egg, and Marans fit the bill perfectly! Planned on picking up 1-2 chicks for Darth 'Bator and 6 eggs for my growing flock of broodies (currently 2 SFH and and the white Silkie).

Get there and the lady won't sell less than 6 chicks... and I only had a $20 with me.

But she's a chicken person... so after we had talked a while, she ended up giving me 6 chicks and 8 eggs for my $$.

Gave the broodies a few eggs each and gave 'Bator the chicks (4 BCM and 2 Silkies). 'Bator adopted them right away... but she still doesn't like light colored chicks! She pecks the single white baby, but doesn't chase her or anything so I'm leaving her in there.

Gunnar's baby is beautiful, sweet, adorable and happy to have siblings!!


Betcha it's a cockerel from its stance...




You can just see the top of Gunnar's chick's red head - LOL!

Funny, she's a silkie and doesn't like the silkies

Adorable photos! Glad she gave in and sold them to you anyway. Good price for 6 chicks and 8 eggs!

 

[uglychickens]

Somehow this came out like bulldogma wrote that... WTH?

 

[uglychickens]

Ok... Either BYC is messing up or me? I give up

 

[beccasev]

Probably not a good idea when he is home.. Are you even allowed to hunt in residential areas? Aren't you supposed to be quite a distance away from a residence? 

Our neighborhood is in the county,so no city laws on it. Many people hunt in their back yards. It's basically rural living with neighbors. Everyone has their own well, own propane tanks, own septic tanks. Only utility run is power and communications.

 

[pickitfarm]

A few people may have known about this little girl here before me posting the announcement - but here she is! Our alpaca! She is not yet named. She is 3 weeks old right now, so won't be coming home for quite a while yet, but she is ours. My mother bought her for us for our barn warming.
\


With her mother - they live at the zoo. They are currently in the petting area, though they are not tame yet.

She is beautiful. They get you with those eyes!