The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[AletaG]

I couldn't find these "breeding threads" you mentioned. Are they under the individual breeds?
Okay. father to daughter is okay, but brother to sister is not very good. Thanks.
I do have a breeder friend nearby, so I can trade roos with her each year. lol

Try here for LF first https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/heritage-large-fowl-thread for your Jersey Giants -
Bantam Cochins go https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/195235/cochin-thread - it seems very active.
It looks like BYC needs help with it's breed discussion "sticky note page" - Of course, since anyone can start a new thread, same topic any time, I think it is probably a windmill chase LOL.
Browse here for other possibilites...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/14/breeds-genetics-showing

You don't have to trade roos every year, just once they start being infertile. You really should sit your breeder friend down, ply him or her with good coffee, set a tape recorder nearby and pump them for information! It's more efficient, really! That's why I'm so excited to have made such a connection with a gentleman south of me that has been breeding single comb heritage, SOP bred RIR's. He's going to help me with pairings, working on traits such as laying and meat production, etc.
Have fun!

 

[aoxa]

Mine aren't molting. I have been told that Leghorns and Comets don't slow down this much (that's the two main breeds that I have). DH has resolved himself to just eating whatever eggs we get and waiting til spring to start eating the chickens. lol

So, it's okay for the new hens to be bred by their own sire??? I know that's okay with some animals, but I know with others it's bad. I wouldn't line breed my dogs, for instance. I just don't want to end up with chickens that have three legs or two beaks or whatever. KWIM?

Father daughter ~ Mother son mating. Try to avoid brother sister, but sometimes you start with what you've got.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hello!

Sorry to hear about the pred losses :| I'm wondering what it will be like around here this year.

In 2012 spring was the first year we had chickens here. I set out traps and caught 15 raccoons, 3 raccon kits, 3 opossums and 1 skunk

.

After that I've left traps out baited for meat eaters with no takers. Last winter there were no footprints at all in the snow. I was very surprised as there had been coyote and fox sited the winter before. I'll be interested to see what it's like this year.

 

[Scott H]

I admit I have a couple times when we decided to stay at a friends.

Maybe the $179.00 + tax investment into an automatic pop door isn't a bad idea. I just wonder how secure they really are.

They are awesome!

 

[Scott H]

Thanks Kassaundra and Aleta, I will show this to my boss (Electrician) when he gets in and see if I can get some help.
May ask him if he could adapt it to use a photocell so it would close when the sun goes down.

Hopefully this did occur once it was dark and that will solve the problem.
If something attacked during the day I'm not sure how we will secure such a large area.

I have the feeling that "removing" one coon isn't going to do it.

I have removed 4 now and I see at least 2 more in my future, probably tonite. God I hate killing coons.....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Awhile back I said I'd post a photo of the shower curtain "tarps" I put up. I wanted to make a wind break for the winter but wanted them to be able to see outside (and me in) so they would be aware of predators. I looked at "clear" tarps but none of them were clear and definitely kept you from seeing through.

Decided to try the heavy CLEAR PEVA shower curtain liners from Lowes. Have had them up for about 2 weeks and they made it through the tornado weather and sustained high winds we had last week. I thought they may tear easily but they did well. Attached them at the top with zip ties, then used medium sized clamps from Lowes to clip them down the edges.

They're making a great wind break when the wind is coming from the prevailing side.

Zip ties through the gromets.




Clamps (find in wood working dept.). $1.99 each.





When I took these photos it was raining so there was water on them. I imagine they may ice up at some point.




The whole gate side has the clear curtains.
(Look, Kassaundra! A sprout bag on a stick )

 

[Leahs Mom]

My electric pop door is from here: http://www.automaticchickencoopdoor.com/

I like it mostly for mornings because I'm gone way before dawn. Keeps them safe until the sun is well up and the night preds are in for the day.

I do check EVERY NIGHT to be sure they're all in.

 

[Kassaundra]

My electric pop door is from here: http://www.automaticchickencoopdoor.com/

I like it mostly for mornings because I'm gone way before dawn. Keeps them safe until the sun is well up and the night preds are in for the day.

I do check EVERY NIGHT to be sure they're all in.

So do we, everynight just to make sure. But we can do it at our time not ness by the sun's time.

 

[Scott H]

Check the time of day at the bottom of the picture...



Easiest and best bait I have found for coons are miniature marshmallows....you can leave a little trail up to the trap and they drop right thu the top around the trigger pan.

This is under our coop at nite...





This one the latch didn't catch so I lubed everything up with Canola oil and got him the next nite....













Wish these idiots would quit feeding them....sigh.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wait. The last photo...did he get out?