The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[MumsyII]

Thank you armorfirelady and Sally8. Truly. I sit in a chair with my morning coffee or afternoon iced tea out there with the flock every day. Can't really relax because Hello Kitty the BIR likes to jump into my lap and get her pets. Then there are the twenty or so big RIR boys who dog my every step looking for something to nibble. Ever since I shelled peas for them they think it will be a regular ritual.

I rarely leave home and rarely get company. You all on this thread have seen more of my back garden and barnyard than any of my neighbors and a great deal of my relations. Living on an island has its perks and disadvantages.

You both live in New York State? You can grow every single flower growing in the pictures. I could pm you lists of seeds and plants to collect for next spring. I did nothing special to the soil other than fork it up. I have one rule with gardening. If you don't plant it, it won't grow. The trick is to pick things that bloom at the same or near to same time and plant in threes. Then plant groups of summer blooming bulbs and water. That's all I did with this little patch of color. Because I have been gardening here for going on thirty years, I pretty much know what will do well and what to forget about even trying. Everything in the little patch of color is chicken proof. They will taste things but nobody gets sick. They mostly like to hide and scratch in the cool soil.

Tonight a lady parked her car on the street and was taking pictures of that huge rambling rose going over the cherry tree. It's quite a site right now. No one can see into my property but that rose gets people coming to my garden gate. The lady asked me if she could pick some bouquets tomorrow morning from the street of that rose for a wedding reception. I said sure. All you want. Typical request. Oh...And when she looked out at all the chickens, she smiled and said,"I didn't know there were chickens here!"

 

[FridayYet]

if there is already a dominate rooster, it could take them a while to crow. We had a bird that was almost a year before he would crow because the other rooster were above him in the pecking order. But once he started it was 4:30-4:45 wake up calls.

No roosters here, I live in the suburbs. The Cream Legbars are definitely pullets, so if either or both of the OEs are roosters, they have got to go since they can't be in the city limits.

*sigh* the quote button is not working for me.

Mltowen (sp?) thank you for the kind comment. My *tots* are my first young chicks. I find them very entertaining as you can tell

Mumsy- Beautiful pics. I look at your pictures of your beautiful yard & sigh......I wish someday to have gardens that look like yours. I could so easily pull up a comfy chair and just sit there for days and never get bored of the beautiful sights. It would make a great place for a hammock in there somewhere tho I would be just as happy to nap in the tree house Your chic coop is wonderful as well.

Fridayyet glad to hear you were able to safely remove your belongings

Thank you.

I have 5 roosters. 2 adults. The dominant one crows all the time. I have another that crows occasionally. The other 3 used to until I moved them in with the adults. I think it's all about the pecking order.

Well they are definitely subordinate to the bigger pullets. Guess I just have to wait and see.

 

[FridayYet]

Tonight a lady parked her car on the street and was taking pictures of that huge rambling rose going over the cherry tree. It's quite a site right now. No one can see into my property but that rose gets people coming to my garden gate. The lady asked me if she could pick some bouquets tomorrow morning from the street of that rose for a wedding reception. I said sure. All you want. Typical request. Oh...And when she looked out at all the chickens, she smiled and said,"I didn't know there were chickens here!"

What a nice story - I bet the roses are beautiful!

 

[delisha]

Beautiful pictures Mumsy..I really enjoy them.

Those fires are still raging..keep safe!!

All my males crow. My silkie is the funniest with his crow.
The English Black Orpington is the only male I have behind a fence. He is my newest bird and sent as an adult. I had him in quarantine for a long time. I put my black pullet in with him as a test for quite a long time until she went broody. Than I moved the black male inside the 7 foot fence but in closed in a 5 foot fence in the green building and gave him a few birds for company. My blue English tried to fight with him threw the fence. I am a bit worried about since I also have two other English Cockerels that he never messes with. For now the poor guy is locked up and I do not FR him. I hope that will change in a few more months.

 

[beccasev]

Kassaundra - I'd love to learn how to capture those June bugs like was mentioned earlier as another source of feed!




Seems like we could rig something (like ml said) to capture them...or simply just a shallow pan w/ the alfalfa in it... to draw them in.  Wonder if the chickens would eat them right out of the water pan?


PS:  Also read that putting a pan under a porch light at night attracts them.  They fall into the pan and you can take 'em to the chickens in the morning.  So... maybe even sitting out a small light in the evening could attract them in.

I bought and used a June bug lure. I made sure it wasn't poison, just a lure. It was meant to replace the lures in the bag trap. I attached it to the fence just above the height of a small bucket with a lid. I cut a hole in the lid and put a funnel (really the top of a juice bottle) in the hole. Put water in the bucket. It worked decently well. I still hand picked a ton off my strawberries. My poor berries have been eaten to nothing. I think it may have worked better if it had been higher. I just set the bucket on the ground. If I could have hung it somehow, it may have attracted more. But it was very easy to remove the lid and take the bucket to the girls. They LOVED bobbing for beetles. Dead or alive, they ate them. I really did hate hand picking them though. It was OK for the most part, but every 4th bug would grab my finger and I would shake desperately to get it off and into the bucket. I think beetle season is over now, because the cicadas are starting to sing. Ugh. I hate them even more. Last year was a bumper crop and they were everywhere constantly. Creepy things. And no chickens to feed them to last year.

 

[Sally8]

I'd love to see a list of all your flowers. Some I recognize already. We've lived here nearly 9 years and I've been trying to plant perennials as much as possible. The last 2 years are been tougher to do that. The annual seeds I just scatter but I used to let the chickens just run freely and they would help themselves. I like to get seeds/bulbs from others rather than buy them as it seems more "natural" for a lack of better words. It sure helps the pocketbook. By baby sitting the twins, I've met so many nice people going for walks down in the city. Then we trade plants. So much fun. Thanks again! sue

 

[armorfirelady]

Thank you armorfirelady and Sally8. Truly. I sit in a chair with my morning coffee or afternoon iced tea out there with the flock every day. Can't really relax because Hello Kitty the BIR likes to jump into my lap and get her pets. Then there are the twenty or so big RIR boys who dog my every step looking for something to nibble. Ever since I shelled peas for them they think it will be a regular ritual.

I rarely leave home and rarely get company. You all on this thread have seen more of my back garden and barnyard than any of my neighbors and a great deal of my relations. Living on an island has its perks and disadvantages.

You both live in New York State? You can grow every single flower growing in the pictures. I could pm you lists of seeds and plants to collect for next spring. I did nothing special to the soil other than fork it up. I have one rule with gardening. If you don't plant it, it won't grow. The trick is to pick things that bloom at the same or near to same time and plant in threes. Then plant groups of summer blooming bulbs and water. That's all I did with this little patch of color. Because I have been gardening here for going on thirty years, I pretty much know what will do well and what to forget about even trying. Everything in the little patch of color is chicken proof. They will taste things but nobody gets sick. They mostly like to hide and scratch in the cool soil.

Tonight a lady parked her car on the street and was taking pictures of that huge rambling rose going over the cherry tree. It's quite a site right now. No one can see into my property but that rose gets people coming to my garden gate. The lady asked me if she could pick some bouquets tomorrow morning from the street of that rose for a wedding reception. I said sure. All you want. Typical request. Oh...And when she looked out at all the chickens, she smiled and said,"I didn't know there were chickens here!"

I would never want to leave that paradise!!!

If you would pm a list that would be great. I would be very grateful.

My plan for next year is to plant flowers & veggies around the coop perimeter. I want to make planter boxes to hold the soil & plants & then cover them so that they can grow and get big before the hens can get to them. I know I can do herbs but flowers that are not poisonous to them I don't know. They ate the hostas & day lily leaves and are ok. They really enjoyed being in the shade of the plants yesterday in the veggie garden & I would like them to have their own area next year for more shade. I didn't use all the seeds I bought this spring so I will save them for next year. And I tend to plant perinnials since they are less work for me. My yard is almost an acre and more grass than anything else so I have plenty of room to make a chicken garden for them. I have some drainage issues but I am working on correcting them.


I have been looking around for small trees or bushes to also put in their area. Its been to hot lately to plant trees or shrubs but in the fall I know I can plant them. I would like something will give ample shade for the hens but not something they will eat to the ground. I tend to walk aimlessy around the garden centers for hours looking at different plants & reading their tags to get an idea of what is good for this area.

And the rambling rose sounds beautiful.......I have climbing roses on my deck railing & love to sit in the evenings and enjoy their fragrance.

I would def not get much accomplished in your garden though........I would be to busy just walking around enjoying it & relaxing

 

[midnightroo]

Mumsy love your garden photos as always.

Amor do you have black eyed Susan's, cone flowers, blackberries blueberries? Our chickens love those bushes/ plants. Some provide food for them and some for the birds and you if the chickens share. I have heard pea shrub is another good plant to grow and I think it provides food, but double check. I haven't gotten any for myself yet. If you don't mind a plant spreading I have more then enough Jerusalem artichokes that I could share with you. They grow tall so they would provide shade,.their roots are edible and even if you think you got all the roots, you didn't, so they will come back. Plus in Sept. they flower. I like perennials also so I try to get multi uses out of my plants. Have you looked into permaculture gardening? There is a video and book I borrowed from our library that talks about plants that are perennials that are for food and nourishing the soil. The person in the video has chickens, which is part of permaculture design that I love. Trying to get as much from your yard without much input once it is set up.

With the heat I noticed the chickens weren't eating all the food I put down for them and the feed was going moldy on the ground. So I wetted it down and kept it in bowls. What they don't eat right away I put into the freezer until next feeding time. They seem to like it and it makes me feel like they are getting a cool off by eating cold feed. Plus, I don't have to look at ugly moldy spots in the yard.

 

[NanaLynn]

Your garden and coop area is gorgeous! These pictures look like something from a gardening book or a children's book. I'm sure children would love strolling through, their little imaginations would run wild. Can you pm me the list of seeds too?

Thank you so much for sharing your little oasis! -Lynn

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy love your garden photos as always.

Amor do you have black eyed Susan's, cone flowers, blackberries blueberries? Our chickens love those bushes/ plants. Some provide food for them and some for the birds and you if the chickens share. I have heard pea shrub is another good plant to grow and I think it provides food, but double check. I haven't gotten any for myself yet. If you don't mind a plant spreading I have more then enough Jerusalem artichokes that I could share with you. They grow tall so they would provide shade,.their roots are edible and even if you think you got all the roots, you didn't, so they will come back. Plus in Sept. they flower. I like perennials also so I try to get multi uses out of my plants. Have you looked into permaculture gardening? There is a video and book I borrowed from our library that talks about plants that are perennials that are for food and nourishing the soil. The person in the video has chickens, which is part of permaculture design that I love. Trying to get as much from your yard without much input once it is set up.

With the heat I noticed the chickens weren't eating all the food I put down for them and the feed was going moldy on the ground. So I wetted it down and kept it in bowls. What they don't eat right away I put into the freezer until next feeding time. They seem to like it and it makes me feel like they are getting a cool off by eating cold feed. Plus, I don't have to look at ugly moldy spots in the yard.

I have black eyes susan's in all my perennial beds. No cone flowers or berry bushes though I would like to get some . I think I need to plant the berry bushes in the spring though. I also have what my mom calls snow on the mountain which is ground cover and overtakes wherever it is. But it does get high enough to hide in. I have never heard of Jerusalem artichokes....will need to look that one up. I like, Sally8, like to get perennials from family & friends. Then I know they work in my area and they remind me of those who gave them. I give mine away as well as they overtake beds.

And thanks for the book suggestion. I def need to make a trip to the library