The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Scott H]

Oprah is out with the other girls this AM.. feathers still haven't opened up. ..I let them eat their feed for awhile in the AM before lavishing them with a high protein treat such as left over Turkey or egg. Fresh spinach was a hit yesterday where in the summer they looked at me like I was crazy. "Greens. .. really we got all the greens we can eat already out here"
Sub zero temps last night with no wind and the Lake is completely froze over. ...

 

[TeaChick]

Oprah is out with the other girls this AM.. feathers still haven't opened up. ..I let them eat their feed for awhile in the AM before lavishing them with a high protein treat such as left over Turkey or egg. Fresh spinach was a hit yesterday where in the summer they looked at me like I was crazy. "Greens. .. really we got all the greens we can eat already out here"
Sub zero temps last night with no wind and the Lake is completely froze over. ...

So glad she's out and about!!! I hope that means she's feeling better. =)

Yeah, greens in the summer aren't a treat, they're a vegetable. lol

Sub zero temps?!?!? Not me!!!
My DH would be complaining about the lake down the street from us never freezing, etc. He's from up north, so he played hockey and stuff all winter. I do feel sorry for him.

 

[TeaChick]

My mixed flock of EE and NN never bothered a broody or her chicks. I do seperate broodies w/ chicks now, but not b/c of the other chickens, but b/c of cats. I keep them in a covered run.

Oh, yeah, I free range, so maybe predators should factor into my decision to move the broodies or not.... Hmmm

 

[TeaChick]

I do put my broody girl in a separate part of the coop until she hatches but not for her protection.

I have 3 next boxes right next to each other. The broody moms don't always return to the same box when they get up to eat and drink, so I want to be sure that when she goes back to the nest, she doesn't mistakenly go to a different nest and have the eggs get cold and lose a hatch. That's my only reason for moving her.

I wait until it's night time and move her into a box on a side where I can close a door and the others can't get in and she won't get up and go back to the other side and the regular nests. The door between is frame w/hardware cloth. She can see the flock and the flock can see her. She has her own food and water supply.

After the kiddos hatch, I give them about 2-3 days on their side, then I open the door between them and let them work things out.

The first time was nerve-racking as I didn't know what to expect but I had some good advice from Stony and some others here (Stony is the Broody King).

If I had the ability, I'd always separate during setting just to keep her on the right nest.

Wow!!! There are so many considerations when deciding whether to separate or not.
Thank you so much!!! I never thought of a hen returning to the wrong nest.
I'm sure I'll be a wreck the first time I have a broody hen; I'll spend all day out by the hen house watching how the other hens behave. I might talk my DH into buying a game camera or something so I can see what happens overnight.
Thank you!!!

 

[TeaChick]

Never heard of "sweet PDZ".
I use DE and DLM with leaves, pine straw, etc.

 

[TeaChick]

Thanks for the ovation, TeaChick. I appreciate that.

=)

 

[TeaChick]

Newly hatched Tolbunt Polish

Awwww!!!!!
Too cute!
I want some babies!!!

 

[TeaChick]

good news is that Booster the rooster shows no agression to me in the coop - and the coop is where the entire flock has been hanging out for days. feels like forever. For the most part, the oldsters take over the youngsters portion of the coop and the youngsters hang out in the oldsters part, which is sunnier and has more windows. Possibly a few degrees colder too.

Lots of roosting in the DL going on.

Booster has the worst frostbite I've ever seen - he has a huge comb which is pretty much rainbow colored (no green though). I have to imagine it must be painful. It isn't the moisture, as there are no frost crystals in the coop. If anyone has any suggestions for the care of a frozen comb, please chime in. Buster has more of a rose comb and has just a tiny blackened tip, but Booster has horizontal lines of red, purple, white and yellow.

stil subzero for another week, and windchills are predicted for -30 F.

I'ld like to invent a warm nest for them to lay in so there would be a chance of getting eggs that are intact.

I'm from Miami, so I don't know anything about frostbite. Sorry.
Maybe you could make him a little comb cozy to protect it from frostbite????
Maybe that's a bad idea. Maybe he won't keep it on.
Maybe he would and then he'd be alright????
IDK

What about a heating pad under the nesting material?
What about one of those icy/hot pain patches or something like that? Maybe you could stick it to the bottom of the nesting box, lay a piece of fabric over it (just in case they scratch the nesting material off of it), then replace the nesting material???

 

[TeaChick]

I guess I could goop it up, just not sure what that would accomplish. RIght now there is no bleeding, the comb is intact and has just changed color. I imagine it is possible it is still frozen as it has been subzero for days. He has a little color change on the edges of his wattles from drinking, but he couldn't get his head comb in the water without dunking his head.

I did read that article, but agree that bringing him indoors where it is a 70 degree difference isn't going to be helpful to him.

I am keeping a good eye on him. I've read that roosters with huge combs aren't great for cold climates for obvious reasons, and that if it doesn't become infected, the areas may turn black and will just fall off. yuck.

THink the dangerous part for him, if there is any danger, is when the temps go above freezing and he starts to thaw more. I will be sure to nustock him when there appears to be a warmup.

right now, subzero is the new norm and will be for the coming week.

Maybe gooping it up could prevent further damage.

One thing I know about is water. If you want to keep the water out, then use something fat based. If the only problem (for instance) is that he's getting it wet when he drinks, then just coconut oil or vegetable shortening would keep it dry (and the oil/fat would serve as a thin layer of insulation).
IDK, just thinking out loud and hoping to be helpful.

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh, yeah, I free range, so maybe predators should factor into my decision to move the broodies or not.... Hmmm

I live in town w/ lots of cats, pets and feral, and ALWAYS loose chicks to them when left uncovered. Having broody mom or flock w/ roos has never helped, only a covered run has helped.