The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

Hahaha, they get lazy if they don't scratch. I love to sit on my cousins swing set and watch them all clutter around scratching at the ground and leaves hunting for food!


Hahaha, he is an iffy chicken he lets you pick him up sometimes or sometimes he will run away from you. I love when he runs he lifts his chest up and dashes away! Makes me laugh every time!


With chickens there is not many things you can't feed them, though be wary of certain seeds like apple seeds, they contain cyanide with in the seeds that kills birds. SO nothing wrong with the fermented corn at the moment until you can get some scratch or layer.


Hehe, his fluff reminds me of Einsteins hairdo. Most frizzles except for some that are cross bred are, "Cochin Bantams". There are standard breeds with Cochin but I normally hear Cochin when referring to a bantam.

On the feed, what do you suggest for free ranging supplement. I have a "normal" Deep South yard, so there aren't much grains available right now (there will be Baheia grass in the summer and a bunch of other smaller grasses that have grain heads on them, but not now). There are greens available now; I see them eating Spanish Needle leaves and some other leaves I don't know exactly what it is, but it smells good to me, and of course we have more than our fair share of bugs and creepy crawlies of all kinds here. lol

My Frizzle's fluff reminded my husband of a character from VeggieTales (who was supposed to fly, but couldn't until the end of the story), so he named her after the "Snoodle". Okay.
My kids asked who that was (your roo). The recognized that he looked just like Snoodle. lol
Well, IDK where you are, but if you ever have an extra Bantam Cochin roo, please PM me. =)

 

[TeaChick]

If you get a roo for her do not get another frizzle because it can cause some major issues with any offspring from what I have heard.

Thanks for the advice!!! I don't want problems. I heard the babies of two frizzled parents are called frazzles.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I posted some musing on molting earlier on another thread (Managing Your Flock) about observing some molting differences in my flock and we all had the general standard consensus that it is hormone driven and varies with each chicken...usually around 18 months for the first hard molt which usually happens in fall.

But after pondering this a bit, I'm wondering....is that really "natural" or the result of commercial breeding.

In my flock of 20 birds I am noticing molting at what is the expected 18 months/ 2 years and also a number of my 13 month olds molting. Egg count is down...I get it. Those hens are GSL, BSL, Wellie Mixes (RIR/Welsummer...one may be pure Welsummer but off colored per breeder), a couple of mutts (1st generation mix from typical commercial layers with White Leghorn roo), Wyandottes and Delawares (from breeders).

What I am pondering is how natural is the "fall" molt in hens. We all proclaim it is so their bodies can shut down, rebuild and restock for the next year....but why fall. If I were going to lose my feathers, living in the northern hemisphere, I would do that in summer not in the cold of late fall/early winter (November-December). A number of my birds are really naked. They don't seem to "mind" the cold, but then again they don't look particularly happy or healthy...just the "normal" "off-color" during molt....or is that so "normal" in fall?

So...and this is my point....I have several hens (BSL and Wellie mixes) and a Silkie that went broody in Spring....May/June. Since I like to use broodies to actually hatch chicks (amazingly the hens do a better job than I do with heat lamps...go figure!), I have 3 hens who brooded for me in Spring. They each went through a molt after brooding...another "natural" phenomenom. Those hens are all glossy and fat now, and laying eggs for me.

So......I'm wondering....is it really natural for hens to molt in fall to recharge or is that the "normal" we've come to expect since we've tinkered with our bloodlines such to breed out broodiness to get those all important eggs.

If we bred for natural broodiness traits...which tend to occur in spring...would our hens molt in summer and then lay more in winter????

Has anyone manipulated their flock this way? Has anyone read anyone who has done some natural studies with a flock to try to get back to normal brooding patterns?

Just curious.
Lady of McCamley

EDITED: for spelling and clarity (hopefully

 

[TeaChick]

I posted some musing on molting earlier on another thread (Managing Your Flock) about observing some molting differences in my flock and we all had the general standard consensus that it is hormone driven and varies with each chicken...usually around 18 months for the first hard molt which usually happens in fall.

But after pondering this a bit, I'm wondering....is that really "natural" or the result of commercial breeding.

In my flock of 20 birds I am noticing molting at what is the expected 18 months/ 2 years and also a number of my 13 month olds molting. Egg count is down...I get it. Those hens are GSL, BSL, Wellie Mixes (RIR/Welsummer...one may be pure Welsummer but off colored per breeder), a couple of mutts (1st generation mix from typical commercial layers with White Leghorn roo), Wyandottes and Delawares (from breeders).

What I am pondering is how natural is the "fall" molt in hens. We all proclaim it is so their bodies can shut down, rebuild and restock for the next year....but why fall. If I were going to lose my feathers, living in the northern hemisphere, I would do that in summer not in the cold of late fall/early winter (November-December). A number of my birds are really naked. They don't seem to "mind" the cold, but then again they don't look particularly happy or healthy...just the "normal" "off-color" during molt....or is that so "normal" in fall?

So...and this is my point....I have several hens (BSL and Wellie mixes) and a Silkie that went broody in Spring....May/June. Since I like to use broodies to actually hatch chicks (amazingly the hens do a better job than I do with heat lamps...go figure!), I have 3 hens who brooded for me in Spring. They each went through a molt after brooding...another "natural" phenomenom. Those hens are all glossy and fat now, and laying eggs for me.

So......I'm wondering....is it really natural for hens to molt in fall to recharge or is that the "normal" we've come to expect since we've tinkered with our bloodlines such to breed out broodiness to get those all important eggs.

If we bred for natural broodiness traits...which tend to occur in spring...would our hens molt in summer and then lay more in winter????

Has anyone manipulated their flock this way? Has anyone read anyone who has done some natural studies with a flock to try to get back to normal brooding patterns?

Just curious.
Lady of McCamley

EDITED: for spelling and clarity (hopefully

I like your thinking (musing)!!! That makes sense. Maybe it's a natural ("normal") hormonal reaction to what we have unnaturally done with their bloodlines. Maybe, because they don't brood in the spring/summer, then they don't molt in the summer/early autumn (in the warmer places) and then, when their bodies sense the cold of winter coming, they molt to get ready for the "really cold" weather???

Just thinking along out loud, if nobody minds much. =)

 

[Leahs Mom]

I know I'm a horrible chicken keeper to feed them fermented corn

; I'm working on the layer feed.

Fermented corn...alcohol fermented or Lacto-fermented? Many of us feed lacto-fermented feed...it's more nutritious so that's a good thing

Quote:
I don't allow cross ventilation in the winter unless it's at roof height...and then I don't like very much.

I'm of the mind, after reading Open Air Poultry Houses that it is better for WINTER (not speaking of summer here) to have openings only on 1 side of the hen house as much as possible. Again, just my conclusion and who knows, I may change my mind. But if you have openings on 2 sides you have a wind blowing through and nowhere to get out of that wind. It "seems" that having one side open works well and that there is still a natural movement for air to get out. And it also helps keep the interior feeling warmer as you cut down on wind chil

I posted some musing on molting earlier on another thread (Managing Your Flock) about observing some molting differences in my flock and we all had the general standard consensus that it is hormone driven and varies with each chicken...usually around 18 months for the first hard molt which usually happens in fall.

I have always wondered the same thing. I think you may have something there with the natural broody cycle. My boody hatched kiddos on Labor Day weekend and then immediately molted. She is now fat, shiny, and well-feathered while the others are struggling w/molting while it was colder.

If broody mamma's always molt after hatch, I'd say I agree..and the "natural" way to make babies would be in spring or summer so it makes good sense.

 

[TeaChick]

Fermented corn...alcohol fermented or Lacto-fermented? Many of us feed lacto-fermented feed...it's more nutritious so that's a good thing


I don't allow cross ventilation in the winter unless it's at roof height...and then I don't like very much.

I'm of the mind, after reading Open Air Poultry Houses that it is better for WINTER (not speaking of summer here) to have openings only on 1 side of the hen house as much as possible. Again, just my conclusion and who knows, I may change my mind. But if you have openings on 2 sides you have a wind blowing through and nowhere to get out of that wind. It "seems" that having one side open works well and that there is still a natural movement for air to get out. And it also helps keep the interior feeling warmer as you cut down on wind chil



I have always wondered the same thing. I think you may have something there with the natural broody cycle. My boody hatched kiddos on Labor Day weekend and then immediately molted. She is now fat, shiny, and well-feathered while the others are struggling w/molting while it was colder.

If broody mamma's always molt after hatch, I'd say I agree..and the "natural" way to make babies would be in spring or summer so it makes good sense.

I don't know which. I cover it with an inch of water, lay a lid over it (not screwed down) and let it sit for 2-3 days. It has a nice tangy, fermented smell, not a nasty, soured smell. The water gets a little cloudy/not clear, but if anything starts growing or collecting on top, I throw it away (that usually goes with the nasty, soured smell).
Maybe you can tell me whether it's lacto- or alcohol- fermentation. =)

 

[lindz8504]

I have only had one broody since I got chickens this past summer, but as soon as her chicks hatched and started getting feathers of their own, she started molting as well! Unfortunately, she is the one we lost a few weeks ago to a predator.

I think that it makes sense for them to molt earlier. Maybe it has more to do with their body slowing down/quitting laying that triggers the molt, so either being broody or the shorter days can trigger a molt? Just thinking out loud.

 

[Leahs Mom]

If it smells tangy or sour (not yeasty, alcohol-like, or moldy) it is lacto-fermenting. And that's great for them! Here's an article that has some of the research references about the benefits of lacto-fermenting of feed grains. Way better than just dry corn! So you're definitely not a bad chicken keeper!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have only had one broody since I got chickens this past summer, but as soon as her chicks hatched and started getting feathers of their own, she started molting as well! Unfortunately, she is the one we lost a few weeks ago to a predator.

I think that it makes sense for them to molt earlier. Maybe it has more to do with their body slowing down/quitting laying that triggers the molt, so either being broody or the shorter days can trigger a molt? Just thinking out loud.

I also think that the "semi-fast" that they go on when broody is a body-cleansing time too. Then everything is renewed. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[TeaChick]

I have only had one broody since I got chickens this past summer, but as soon as her chicks hatched and started getting feathers of their own, she started molting as well! Unfortunately, she is the one we lost a few weeks ago to a predator.

I think that it makes sense for them to molt earlier. Maybe it has more to do with their body slowing down/quitting laying that triggers the molt, so either being broody or the shorter days can trigger a molt? Just thinking out loud.

I think that makes sense too.
Along the lines of their bodies' natural reactions. =)