The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I guess it's just one of those cultural things...hard for me to think of eating feet

but I could probably use them in a broth

 

[MumsyII]

The Silkie chicks were climbing out their basket dividers waiting for the rest to hatch so I removed five. Nice chicks. Marked their feet with food coloring. Keeping this batch marked and separated by hen and sire for progeny testing. There are two chicks hatched out and drying in the bator and two more pipped. The first five to hatch were by two Sheryl Butler strain pullets. The two late chicks drying are both by Bonney my Catdance hen. Covered by Fluffy Dragon, my Catdance cock by a Shorty Polston breeding pen. None of Dumplings (crippled re-homed hen) eggs have hatched yet but one is pipped.


The first Bonney chick took hours and hours to hatch from pipping. It has a vaulted skull and those feet! So tuckered out. Taking a rest before that final push.


Three chicks by Miss Peggy and two chicks by Miss Posey. Both Sheryl Butler pullets I hatched nine months ago. All five chicks have good feet, foot feathering, black skin, black eyes, and of my seven hatched so far, five have vaulted skulls. It would be fantastic if those five chicks were females.

I brought home around eighteen Sheryl Butler eggs after picking them up at a Fall show Oct 2012. Only four made it. Of those four, three were females.

I lost so many chicks to drowning in the shell in my LG that batch. It was heartbreaking. Nearly every dead chick had a vaulted skull. I think they take so long to break out of the shell is because of the vaulted skull. This hatch is dragging on but they are hatching on their own power so far. Just got to give them more time. How long can they stay in the shell without coming out crippled? So far, seven perfect little ones.

 

[Sally8]

Very good question armorfirelady. You always get me to put my thinking cap on. Vaulted skulls were not an original Silkie trait on the Japanese strains back a time ago. They were introduced into modern strains using Polish. Along with the vaulted skull came silkies with light eyes, light skin, missing toes, messed up combs, and a host of other things I attribute to that polish outcross. It used to be thought that vaulted skulls produced bigger, better, and more luxurious crests. This has been proven wrong though when you put two adult champions side by side. One vaulted and one not. It is nearly impossibe to see the difference. It also used to be thought a vaulted skull was more prevalent on females than males. That has been discounted as well. Although, every vaulted skull Silkie I have ever personally owned or bred was a female. Of the five chicks I have hatched now, three are vaulted. I really hope they are females because that's what I want for my foundation breeding stock.

About the bees. Since the oil they are swarming and very agitated. Haven't left at all. Unfortunately, to remove the porch floor means we would have to remove the porch supports and roof too. My husband will not want to do this. I took a picture of one of these little guys that I caught with a net and then ran for my life!

Very small. And very aggressive. Anyone know melittology and want to identify?

Edited to add: I think it is somekind of ground dwelling hornet.

I was just about to ask the same thing about the vaulted heads. Can you tell me how their heads are vaulted? I guess I don't quite understand. Every farm around here has multiple hives usually put there by someone else. Since I live in a gully, I guess I don't see many here. I just got stung by a wasp 4-wheeling on Sunday. I seem to be a bee magnet.

I DID A STUPID THING.... VERY UNINTENTIONAL BUT STUPID.

I was at someone's house today looking at their goats. They also have poultry of all types. I've been there before. I INTENTIONALLY wear shoes for visiting whenever I go somewhere with animals then "religiously" throw them into the laundry right away when I get home. Never wear them out toward my coop or even on the path to the coop.

UNTIL TODAY

I went to the farm straight from work. Then I was rushing around running errands after I visited the farm, came home, ran into the house, got food for the chickens (hadn't given them anything yet today) and marched right into the chicken coop. Walked right into the litter. Filled bowls. Then had the great idea that I might as well rake/stir the litter while I was out there.

Came back into the house and all of a sudden it hit me.

I HAD WORN SHOES IN THERE THAT WERE FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF MANURE FROM THE OTHER FOLK'S YARD.


Is there anything I should do? I went back out and removed a bit of the litter where I was standing but that's probably not very effective. Anything else you'd do if it were you?

How long do you have to wait before you know that you are "safe" from anything you might have picked up? I'm sorry this has happened. You are always warning all of us to be so careful. Life is just like that. No one is perfect or exempt. We are keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed as well.

 

[aoxa]

The Silkie chicks were climbing out their basket dividers waiting for the rest to hatch so I removed five. Nice chicks. Marked their feet with food coloring. Keeping this batch marked and separated by hen and sire for progeny testing. There are two chicks hatched out and drying in the bator and two more pipped. The first five to hatch were by two Sheryl Butler strain pullets. The two late chicks drying are both by Bonney my Catdance hen. Covered by Fluffy Dragon, my Catdance cock by a Shorty Polston breeding pen. None of Dumplings (crippled re-homed hen) eggs have hatched yet but one is pipped.


The first Bonney chick took hours and hours to hatch from pipping. It has a vaulted skull and those feet! So tuckered out. Taking a rest before that final push.


Three chicks by Miss Peggy and two chicks by Miss Posey. Both Sheryl Butler pullets I hatched nine months ago. All five chicks have good feet, foot feathering, black skin, black eyes, and of my seven hatched so far, five have vaulted skulls. It would be fantastic if those five chicks were females.

I brought home around eighteen Sheryl Butler eggs after picking them up at a Fall show Oct 2012. Only four made it. Of those four, three were females.

I lost so many chicks to drowning in the shell in my LG that batch. It was heartbreaking. Nearly every dead chick had a vaulted skull. I think they take so long to break out of the shell is because of the vaulted skull. This hatch is dragging on but they are hatching on their own power so far. Just got to give them more time. How long can they stay in the shell without coming out crippled? So far, seven perfect little ones.

That's great They are beautiful. I have one white chick with a weird foot. It's getting around no problem. I won't breed it. It hatched on it's own, but was the last one out. It will be a buddy for Margaret if anything.



I'm looking forward to getting these whites outside. There are only five of them. They are 4 and 6 weeks old.

I am opening my pop door this weekend for them. A few of them developed cocci unfortunately and I have been treating them. They are all good now. Tomorrow is the last day of treatment.

This time I saw blood in the poop. I only lost one silkie out of this group from it. Caught it in time.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Aoxa,
I ordered some straight cornish from the hatchery, they are about 5 wks old. 6 pullets and 1 roo. 3 of the pullets and the roo are White Laced Red, and 3 of the pullets are Buff. I originally wanted them all to be white laced red, but they were short and I agreed to the buff. I am hoping to try and breed them into my DP, and my white rock hens... and see if I can beef up the bodies, without reducing the egg laying drastically. If not, than I will just breed them and make some great chicken meals!
I don't have any pics of them currently, but I will take some and let you see them. I don't yet have them in an outside run, raising them on flock raiser, free feed, and they are not little piggies at all, not at all the way you and Vicky have described your crosses. They do seem to grow slowly !
Thanks also on the info you were able to give about Bulldogma, I did send her a pm, so maybe she can fill in the blanks.

Kacey

 

[aoxa]

I was just about to ask the same thing about the vaulted heads. Can you tell me how their heads are vaulted? I guess I don't quite understand. Every farm around here has multiple hives usually put there by someone else. Since I live in a gully, I guess I don't see many here. I just got stung by a wasp 4-wheeling on Sunday. I seem to be a bee magnet.
How long do you have to wait before you know that you are "safe" from anything you might have picked up? I'm sorry this has happened. You are always warning all of us to be so careful. Life is just like that. No one is perfect or exempt. We are keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed as well.

4 weeks would be a good amount of time to be in the clear for CRD or MG - which is what I would worry about most of all. It's very common.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa,
I ordered some straight cornish from the hatchery, they are about 5 wks old. 6 pullets and 1 roo. 3 of the pullets and the roo are White Laced Red, and 3 of the pullets are Buff. I originally wanted them all to be white laced red, but they were short and I agreed to the buff. I am hoping to try and breed them into my DP, and my white rock hens... and see if I can beef up the bodies, without reducing the egg laying drastically. If not, than I will just breed them and make some great chicken meals!
I don't have any pics of them currently, but I will take some and let you see them. I don't yet have them in an outside run, raising them on flock raiser, free feed, and they are not little piggies at all, not at all the way you and Vicky have described your crosses. They do seem to grow slowly !
Thanks also on the info you were able to give about Bulldogma, I did send her a pm, so maybe she can fill in the blanks.

Kacey

They would truly eat themselves to bursting. I want them to have strong bones and organs. I am aiming for a 10 week butcher. Some I may have to do earlier. There are a few boys that are just huge.

I'd like to see some pictures of your straight cornish

 

[Harpy Hawk]

is it just me or...

do these two look strangely alike?
coincidence?

 

[MumsyII]

I was just about to ask the same thing about the vaulted heads. Can you tell me how their heads are vaulted? I guess I don't quite understand.

The bump on top of their head has a soft spot. Its a cerebral hernia. The brain is pushed up into this bump. One of the ways many Silkies with vaulted skulls can become brain injured if taking a blow or sharp peck to the head. Polish and sometimes Araucana are hatched with them.

There are theories and questions about whether genetic suppressors play a role in inhibiting vaulted skulls in the presence of a homozygous crest.

All I know is my Sheryl Butler strain has a high incidence of vaults in off spring. I keep good records, so I really am interested in whether any are male. Some people suggest males with vaults have spectacular crests. I've yet to have a male silkie where I could say that.

 

[hotrodflash]

How big do nesting boxes need to be?

For large fowl at least 12 x 12 inches. Mine are 14 x 16 and two pullets can get in one box comfortably, even though mine don't like to share.