The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

Thank you BDM. Yes you may use any of the images of mine for the thing that you wish. It's funny you mention fairies. My three daughters used to play they were faires all those many years ago. I used to hide miniature fairy houses and tables and chairs that I would make out of twigs and sea shells and out under flowers and roses for them to find. They are probably still out there even now. Sweet memories.

Any little girl would be lucky to grow up with a fairy garden for a back yard!

Hi I'm new to this thread and to keeping chickens and I'm determined to do things the natural way including organic feed. I just got mine from Azure Standard. You will have to see in they have a drop site in your area. I just got a 40lb bag for 28.00

Welcome to the thread!!

My friend sent me this a year ago, and I forgot about it! Those chickens really have a nice life eh?
Hilarious, but really pretty chickens

LOL - the backdrop for that video is pretty amazing!

So, at least as long as I'm doing smaller batches of feed, I think the Vitamix is going to be getting a lot of good use.

The one I have here looks like this:

What nice toys you have!!

 

[delisha]

Can't wait to see how many there are today? How long will she sit on unhatched eggs before she leaves the nest?

Beautiful..no better sight than a mom and chick..Three days is pretty normal. Some a few days more, some less. If you put food and water close she might stay till they all hatch.

 

[MumsyII]

Well...With all the Silkie madness going on and raising the HRIR kids you'd think I had enough to do. But there is a mini tempest happening in my flock. He is only four months old. The only white chick hatched from my Catdance eggs I brought home from Karen Larson's farm. I was hoping he would be my #2 breeding Catdance male. Now I'm not so sure.
He's a pretty boy for four months but is showing some real serious attitude problems. Bathing him for the first time yesterday was a battle. He bit me continually! Made a big ruckus. Blow drying tends to calm them down but not this bird. He just got more agitated. So...I did what I normally do with aggressive males and handled him ALL day yesterday. Carrying him around the yard, gardens, and flock. Then when he was thou roughly tuckered out, put him in a small pen at eye level with me. He sulked and hid in a corner. I didn't leave him alone. Every time I went into the barn, I opened his pen and handled him. Did it all day today too. He screams, acts completely and insanely wild. I had to trim his toe nails to the quick because he scratched me until blood was drawn. I've never seen a Silkie act this wild for so long. I don't want to breed this into my White flock. I'm not giving up on him just yet but if he doesn't come around soon, he will be the most expensive Silkie cull I've ever committed. And I don't mean I'll be selling him.



Looks are deceiving. He's a wild, nasty, mean four month old brat.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[delisha]

My white male silkie from Karen is my biter too. It is quite shocking to be bitten by a bird. I honestly have never been bitten by a chicken in 35 years. He has not bitten me in a few days now. I have stick trained him and hope it sticks. I have picked him up, my DH has picked him up and so far so good. He still has an attitude and it is hard for him not to bite. He is so beautiful I sure hope it is hormonal and he settles. I am going to show him in September and can't have this little *** biting Judges.

 

[MumsyII]

My white male silkie from Karen is my biter too. It is quite shocking to be bitten by a bird. I honestly have never been bitten by a chicken in 35 years. He has not bitten me in a few days now. I have stick trained him and hope it sticks. I have picked him up, my DH has picked him up and so far so good. He still has an attitude and it is hard for him not to bite. He is so beautiful I sure hope it is hormonal and he settles. I am going to show him in September and can't have this little *** biting Judges.

It is shocking. He really puts gusto into his bites! He's lucky I didn't wring his neck right then and there. There are two or three white pens at Karen's that I saw. My cock is from The Shorty Polston cock pen. He is fine. So are the two pullets from pen #2. I banded this cockerel with a number so I want to keep him separate from the flock for a while now and see if I can get him gentled. He's been free ranging since he was turned out of the brooder with the whole Silkie flock. I've never had to 'gentle' a White Silkie before. It surprises me quite a bit.

 

[midnightroo]

That is very nice of you! I got your PM, I'll set some photos to link to you today. I took a lot of 'Before' ones just as we moved in, so we could really see after some years what changes we made. And by all means, if you want to ramble away, I'm all ears. With all your gardening wisdom I think I'd never tell you to stop, that's like shielding off the sun & expecting to grow plants without it - folly! *smile*

That's great with the Silkie eggs, I don't know much about them yet but I've heard their hatch rates are pretty poor. Seems like you're doing everything right.^^

I would love to be cc'd on this if it is possible.

Mumsy, sorry you are having issues with your white male silkie. I hope something works out for you.

Sally8. Lovely mama baby photo. How many hatched out total?

 

[Sally8]

I would love to be cc'd on this if it is possible.

Mumsy, sorry you are having issues with your white male silkie. I hope something works out for you.

Sally8. Lovely mama baby photo. How many hatched out total?

I have 3 chicks so far. 3 unhatched eggs still. Mama got off the nest for a while today and took the kids out (per my husband) They were all back in when I got home. Hopefully pic's tomorrow.

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy- sorry to hear about your mean slkie. He is beautiful & poofy

But if anyone can get him to calm down it would be you

I was puttering in the yard all day today. I was very pleased to see that finally the tots are allowing Lucy to stay with them. They were all laying in the shade today together with no problems. And the big girls are finally giving in as well. They dont spend most of their day chasing the tots. But they still let them know they are the top girls

I snapped a few pics today I thought I would share. I never knew how fast chicks grow !!! Its amazing when you sit and watch them the differences you can see in them.

The 1st pic is Lucy, 16 weeks BCM, the newest addition. I love her copper necklace.
2nd pic is Stella, BR 12 weeks, She honks

and while she wont get to close to me she is very inquisitive. She is quick on her feet when I toss grapes or strawberries to makes sure she is the first to get them & run around the yard with her goodie.
The 3rd pic is Sophie,13 week BCM, very shy & sticks close to Stella & now Sophie. Then Stella then Edie, 16 week EE.
4th pic is Edie again. She is a ham with the camera and will come to me when I am in the coop or forage area. Very inquisitive & talkative. She also tends to photo bomb pictures. And today as I was taking pictures she decided to taste my toe thru the fence

It didnt hurt but she surprised me lol


And today was a 100 days since I planted my potatoes so I decided to see if they were growing. I tried 2 plants in laundry baskets. These 2 potatoes came from one plant. There were tiny ones also. Hopefully that means my big plants in the veggie garden will have more & bigger potatoes

(and the eggs are in the pic to make it chicken related

)

Does anyone know when I can harvest the potatoes? They are 100 day ones but the plants in the veggie garden are still green. Most have already flowered but a couple just started. I think I am suppose to wait till the plants die back? I have looked on the net but get several different answers

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:

Great news on the 3 chicks. I am guessing Momma wont return to the nest when she believes the eggs are not going to hatch?

 

[aoxa]

I've never had a mean silkie before, but I have one white one now. He's very protective of the girls and pecks the air like he wants to bite me, but as soon as I go in he sulks away. He also kicks the air when I am out of the pen. Cocky little bugger! Probably because Jamie dyed him blue? lol

My other white (the best white male) is a real gentleman. He is in with two broodies and their four chicks. He's being a father. I turned them loose free range, but they try to go right back in their pen and look terrified. This is probably because they were penned their entire life. I've started free ranging their offspring and they are doing so well. Free range champs!

Hope you can tame him Mumsy!