The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Paganrose]

Paganrose - Good to "meet" you! And thank you for that post.

Queston: Do you use ANY legume protein or are you just using the sunflower seeds to bring the protein levels up?

The first couple of winters we used some "conventional" (non GMO) soybeans from a local amish farmer- then we discovered many of my health issues were stemming from a soy sensitivity. Now in the winter I will occasionally add some cooked dry beans or legumes from the kitchen but otherwise no. We moved halfway across the state a couple months ago, and field peas are common here, so they will probably get some- I haven't visited the local co-op here yet, since we purchased a 4 month supply of grains before we moved.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have always been soy-free and really, wish to be legume-free in our feed. I've thought about totally removing the field peas if that is possible as well.

If I had a good, inexpensive animal protein source I would definitely go that way.

I know that the lack of lysine in sunflower seeds is an issue and it's not recommended to be fed at higher than 30% of the feed source for that and several other reasons.

However, I think that between all the other items mine get on a regular basis, I could probably greatly reduce the legumes (field peas in my case).

Maybe I'll experiment in reducing the peas in my regular feed over a period of time and see how it affects the gang

 

[lazy gardener]

Just looking for a little reassurance/advice? One white leghorn began laying last Saturday. The first two were in a little "wallow" underneath the nest box. The last 3 (yep, 5 eggs in 5 days!) have been on the litter in front of the nest box. I have not done anything but pick them up...don't want to discourage her in any way. But this weekend, I'm thinking I'll block off underneath and add some 6 inch boards to the sides to make the next box area more enclosed & "safe" feeling. I'm using dried grass clippings and shavings with the lonely little golf ball. (It's the only one I have.) They seem to be throwing the nesting materials out of the box. Also, second white leghorn squatted for me, today.

Hi from Maine: I had a layer who was laying under the roost. First I tried discouraging her by placing garlic scapes in her "nest". She then layed her eggs beside the first spot. So, I covered the area with a sheet of plywood for about a week. That broke the habit, and she's been a good girl since! Have you ever seen her in the nest box exploring it? If not, you might try sticking her in there. You might also put her egg in the box... perhaps that'll give her the idea. Congrats on the eggs.

 

[Paganrose]

In summer my feed is only 20% BOSS- 2 parts oats, 2 parts barely, 1 Part BOSS- which works out to 15.8% protein- with me adding a touch more sunflowers (up to 25%) and some beans/legumes over the winter it tends to hover around 17% protein.

I am a lot more persnickety about exact feed mixes in the winter- since 2 feet of snow make foraging hard. But I admit in the summer I just eye ball amounts. Also summer feed is more of throwing scratch grains at them once a day so they know where home is. My summer feed is half what my winter feed is even though I usually have double (often more) the amount of birds in the summer/late fall. The birds always come home to roost with full crops, and have time to laze away in their dust baths and under the trees. They do however reach maturity a bit later- I don't expect any eggs from my pullets until late February, and extra birds are butchered in October or November before heavy snowfalls.

 

[aaggjg]

I have Marans..I have a black one who grows broody often, but easy to break. I put her in water and she is all good and goes back to laying after a few days of dunks. My black Orp is a whole other ball game. I have yet to break her. She goes broody after laying 30 eggs or after her chicks are a month old. She is horrible.

Oh Delish you changed your Avatar! I had to do a double take to see who replied to me Yeah I was kind of surprised that the Marans are so broody!

My Black Orp was pretty determined .... and one of my Wheaton Ameraucanas would not break ... she is SO SKINNY now and I think molting ... looks PATHETIC! My oldest Ameraucanas has never gone broody nor one of my bantam cochins .... So I guess its really luck of the gene pool... I have had no luck breaking my hens so I just let them be..... and try to make sure they eat and drink....

 

[aaggjg]

Yes, my Black Copper Marans are very broody, very loud, and not too bright. But they do reliably (when not broody) lay large deep-chocolate colored eggs, which is the ONLY reason I keep them.

Mine is pretty smart .... but she has figured out that I want her to be quiet (ok I'm not sure of that ) but when she is noisy early on weekend mornings I look for activities to distract her .... I know you'd think I was talking about a 2 year old! So I like to turn over rocks and boards for her to look for bugs. No matter where she is in the yard if I make a move she come RUNNING to be the first in line for the bugs.

 

[delisha]

In summer my feed is only 20% BOSS- 2 parts oats, 2 parts barely, 1 Part BOSS- which works out to 15.8% protein- with me adding a touch more sunflowers (up to 25%) and some beans/legumes over the winter it tends to hover around 17% protein.

I am a lot more persnickety about exact feed mixes in the winter- since 2 feet of snow make foraging hard. But I admit in the summer I just eye ball amounts. Also summer feed is more of throwing scratch grains at them once a day so they know where home is. My summer feed is half what my winter feed is even though I usually have double (often more) the amount of birds in the summer/late fall. The birds always come home to roost with full crops, and have time to laze away in their dust baths and under the trees. They do however reach maturity a bit later- I don't expect any eggs from my pullets until late February, and extra birds are butchered in October or November before heavy snowfalls.

Welcome to the group..I also live in Wisconsin

 

[mlowen]

It's hard for me to get a good feel for your nest box from the photo. Can you post a few more from farther back?

Here they are exploring the first day I took the doors off the cabinet/nest box. I have replaced the front board with one that is a bit higher than this one, but nothing else. She started laying the weekend after I opened it up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

In my LIMITED experience...
On the nests, at least my birds seem to like it a little "secluded". I had thought about using a community nest box but ended up putting in dividers. My dividers are removable if I ever want to use it as one big nest, but they really like it more secluded.

You box looks really nice...how deep is it?

Maybe try a divider for awhile and see if that helps. You can just slip in a piece of plywood or whatever is around to divide into 2.

Otherwise, I'd just keep leaving the ball or fake egg. They'll likely get the point before too long. My first kiddos had a few on the floor. And even the successive ones lay an egg or 2 on the floor when they first got started. I actually think those first eggs are somewhat of a surprise to them until they figure out what's going on

 

[armorfirelady]

O Shawn  ....
How is Carla doing with all this?  I hope you 2 have each other to hold on to during all the re-thinking... 

X2 Shawn. ((Hugs)). You know you have friends on here that are always hear to listen

In my LIMITED experience...
On the nests, at least my birds seem to like it a little "secluded".  I had thought about using a community nest box but ended up putting in dividers.  My dividers are removable if I ever want to use it as one big nest, but they really like it more secluded.

You box looks really nice...how deep is it?

Maybe try a divider for awhile and see if that helps.  You can just slip in a piece of plywood or whatever is around to divide into 2. 

Otherwise, I'd just keep leaving the ball or fake egg.  They'll likely get the point before too long.  My first kiddos had a few on the floor.  And even the successive ones lay an egg or 2 on the floor when they first got started.  I actually think those first eggs are somewhat of a surprise to them until they figure out what's going on

My EE has been laying for over a month and I used golf balls at first and she laid where it was. Every once in awhile (I think 3 times so far she has laid one outside and 2 on the floor of the coop. Sometimes I think its because out of 3 nesting boxes the all lay in the same one..........but I've caught her & Lucy in the same nesting box at the same time (its an empty kitty litter bucket) & watched her lay her egg with both of them in there. Soooooo I am completely clueless as to why they lay elsewhere at times. I guess just to drive me,Momma Rooster, crazy

Heck today I got 0 eggs out of 4'laying.........yesterday all 4 laid. No rhyme or reason to their laying lol