The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Quote: No, they have white skin. Black legs with white bottoms of feet and white toe nails. Her/his face is called gypsy because of the dark color and will change when sexually mature. I only have one line that does that.



My other line..very white face.

 

[armorfirelady]

I want to post my favorite Orpington chick this year..

I am still not positive on sex..because I want it to be a girl. All though the breast is double breasted, I know the mother and it will turn nice and round as the chick matures.

Is the double breasted part of the breed? I ask because my Stella,BR, has it also. It was more pronounced like in your pic when she was smaller but not so much now.
(I couldn't post a pic because photobucket is done for maintenance.)

 

[ki4got]

Quote: split breast is common in a lot of soft feathered breeds when young, but if it persists as an adult it's a DQ for most breeds (if not all)

 

[Sally8]

This is Aunt Duckie. She lays a small egg so faithfully everyday.


I finally took the time to take pictures of my new arrivals. She had them outside at 2 days old. They already know how to climb up and down the plank. The are a Silkie mix but have absolutely no idea of the mix. The more yellow chick has black skin under. She's a very good Mom in spite of being quite ugly herself.

 

[BlueMouse]

Well, I stuck my meaties outside with a box full of shavings to nestle down in at night and they all seemed fine this morning, so that's a relief! We have a couple days of warmer weather for them to get acclimated. Hubby says better to bring them in on a cold night than run a light out there, he's worried it might cause a fire.

As far as winterizing, we have to install our roof vent, I need to paint and shingle the nestboxes, and we'll put a tarp over the small run area. Once we've butchered the turkeys and meat birds in november we'll back the two tractors up to the side of the coop where the door is and put tarp over them, there they'll act as a covered run area. I plan on picking up bags of leaves from the curbs in town and dumping them in the runs as well as storing them for winter bedding (if I can get enough) That's really it. With the covered area they'll have enough area to get out and scratch around even in the nastiest weather, and I won't have to shovel. I also want to get a semi automated fodder system going. I'll start feeding fodder as soon as the green is gone and the cold comes.

 

[delisha]

Quote: My one line from my one hen is double breasted when they are young. As soon as that muscle firms up and the crop goes behind the muscle they no longer look double breasted. Having a double breast is a disqualification in Orpingtons. She will look totally different in two months. (I hope it is a she)


Mom..dolly herself

 

[armorfirelady]

They are adorable

My one line from my one hen is double breasted when they are young. As soon as that muscle firms up and the crop goes behind the muscle they no longer look double breasted. Having a double breast is a disqualification in Orpingtons. She will look totally different in two months. (I hope it is a she)



Mom is beautiful ....look at that silhoutte just beautiful Delisha

Here is Stella after I first got her.

And here she is last week. Its no longer visible. She is the youngest pullet but as big as the old girls. Not laying even tho she has been red for weeks. She is still finishing her juvie moult but she is all fluff when you pick her up.

 

[RedRidge]

Roos... let's see, I have quite a few right now not including the extras of each breed that are in the cockerel pen for slaughter.
2 Rhodebars (no names yet)
2 SFH (Dweezle and Vacker)
2 RC HRIR (Carl and Fred)
and then I haven't decided which production roo to overwinter... I keep one to breed to all my production layers each year for replacement chicks. I have Buzz, the 2 year old Buff Orpington, a Buff x RIR, and a nice Gold Laced Wyandotte. On butcher day I will keep the one that behaves the nicest.

As far as winter preps... Other than dropping deicers into waterers and then plugging them into thermocubes I don't really do anything else.
LOVE my thermocubes... best invention ever.
My winter coops have screen doors with a wooden slat door also, so when it's supposed to get much below 25 on any given night I just shut the big door at dusk.

 

[mlowen]

That's a great idea. Can you post some photos of those?

Here's what I got & did:



The first part is smooth and then the screw threads start. I had thought I could just unscrew it a little, but the fit is so tight, water only trickles out unless you pull the plug completely.

Drilled a hole with a 3/8" bit at the height you want your water to stop at. The drain plug is a VERY tight fit. I have to force it in to the screw threads and then when I screw it tight it keeps the water in well enough to get out of the house and to the water pan.



With the top on tight, when you unscrew the drain plug the water will fill to the top of the drain hole and more comes out as they drink. I will drill the hole on the "back" side on my next one, so when it's nearly empty and I carry it inside by the handle, any water left will not pour out on my toes. (As this one does!) This is a rubber pan from TSC. I think I can knock out the ice, put in the warm water jug and the girls will learn to drink early in the morning.

 

[mlowen]

Jaxom, named b/c one of his litter mates was pure white and named Ruth, any Anne McCaffery fans will get the connection

Kassaundra, I had a wonderful time (within the past two years!) re-reading the entire Pern series in chronological order instead of pubished order. My library had every book and I just savored them.