The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[camilleathome]

Though I would share a few photos taken in the last few weeks. Slowly getting better with my DSLR. Im stubborn and refuse to shoot in anything but manual so have to sink or swim with learning my settings lol.

My crested ducks


One of my easter eggers in the old manure pile full of tall weed brush


Gigi our mottled houdan rooster


Turkey and our female crested duck(Though she doesent really have a crest per say only a tiny itty bitty tuft)

Blue Australorp


Turkey in the manure pile




Gigi again


Kalua one of our temporary boarders. Shes so pretty!


Turkeys





Our call drake in the mud

Bear and Spirit snuggling

Our call drake coming in for a landing!

Turkey and Sid vicious(Not really vicious!) the blue australorp rooster

Naked neck turken chicks in the manure pile

My roosters(Either HRIR or Buckeye)

Crowing

Easter egger in the manure pile

One of my hens(I think shes buckeye but could be HRIR as well)

Blue australorps and easter egger in the barn

Rose and Martha with Chiko(Our on loan buck)

Our partrige silkie rooster in the manure pile

Its a boy! Looks like I have a trio of turkeys

 

[Kassaundra]

Am I miss remembering????? I thought Gigi was Aoxa's roo??????

 

[camilleathome]

Am I miss remembering????? I thought Gigi was Aoxa's roo??????

All of aoxa's mottled houdan roos are called Gigi XD Thats where the name comes from since I only have one Roo left lol

 

[fallenangel79]

Though I would share a few photos taken in the last few weeks. Slowly getting better with my DSLR. Im stubborn and refuse to shoot in anything but manual so have to sink or swim with learning my settings lol. My crested ducks One of my easter eggers in the old manure pile full of tall weed brush Gigi our mottled houdan rooster Turkey and our female crested duck(Though she doesent really have a crest per say only a tiny itty bitty tuft) Blue Australorp Turkey in the manure pile Gigi again Kalua one of our temporary boarders. Shes so pretty! Turkeys Our call drake in the mud Bear and Spirit snuggling Our call drake coming in for a landing! Turkey and Sid vicious(Not really vicious!) the blue australorp rooster Naked neck turken chicks in the manure pile My roosters(Either HRIR or Buckeye) Crowing Easter egger in the manure pile One of my hens(I think shes buckeye but could be HRIR as well) Blue australorps and easter egger in the barn Rose and Martha with Chiko(Our on loan buck) Our partrige silkie rooster in the manure pile Its a boy! Looks like I have a trio of turkeys

like the pics

 

[armorfirelady]

Camille I love the pics. The crested ducks look like they have cotton balls on their head

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa: What a wonderful article about the cornish!

Armorfire: Your stella reminds me of an Edwardian lady

Thank you

Aoxa, thank you for shedding light on how to raise chickens intended for the table that can be processed at 9-12 weeks of age because they are at a good weight to process, not because their bodies are crushing their legs and organs.

Exactly what I was aiming for.

Excellent article Justine, should be a real eye opener.

Aoxa, if I survive butchering the roosters next week, I think might just try some cornish x - just cuz you were so convincing!

Thanks for the compliments guys!

here's a newbie breeding question: if you cross a brown egg layer (or white for that matter) with a rooster that is half ameracauna, can you get a blue egg layer? what if the rooster is pure bred? I know this is basic genetics, but I'm at a total loss here.

Nope. Only green eggs (or brown), not blue. White + Blue will = blue or white.

Am I miss remembering????? I thought Gigi was Aoxa's roo??????

Every mottled houdan should be named Gigi lol

 

[4Hgirl]

Tonight I was mowing lawn and my grand daughters came running to me crying that the chick was stuck under the arm. How were we going to get it out? Thankfully, my DIL was taking pictures. lol. A third chick hatched nearly a week after the other 2. I had put the egg in the incubator, so after the chick was fully dry I stuck it under her and so far she's taken to it too. I was worried today, being day 1 that it was too cold for the new born. So far, so good.

These pictures have just made my day! I so want to have natural hatched chicks someday to experience this.

 

[lalaland]

thanks Sally and Justine. I'm having last minute thoughts about which roosters to cull. You know, when they are only 18 weeks, there is still a lot of personality that hasn't come out. I think two of the roosters don't even know they are boys yet.

One is a lav orp, like Camillea's blue orps. He is a huge, gentle doofus! and the other is a little, timid, dark red roo. Neither have crowed yet.

The blue egg question is because I'm second guessing my second choice for a roo -

 

[aoxa]

thanks Sally and Justine. I'm having last minute thoughts about which roosters to cull. You know, when they are only 18 weeks, there is still a lot of personality that hasn't come out. I think two of the roosters don't even know they are boys yet.

One is a lav orp, like Camillea's blue orps. He is a huge, gentle doofus! and the other is a little, timid, dark red roo. Neither have crowed yet.

The blue egg question is because I'm second guessing my second choice for a roo -

Camille has Australorps not Orpingtons. Most people aren't used to seeing the blue variety. They are pretty

Personally I like the top roosters as keepers. I find they are the least likely to lash out. It seems to be the betas or lower in the rooster order that lash out. At least in my flock, but no mean roosters left. Any attitudes were always low on the pecking order, never a head rooster.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - I also am inspired by your meaties. I think we'll have a go at it next spring when I have a housing area for them.