The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Leslie - Have you read this book? http://www.nortoncreekpress.com/feeding_poultry.html

Do you recommend it? Anyone else?

I've been reading it free online and I LURVE it!!! I've quoted from it or linked to it in other threads. It hasn't answered my every question, but it sure has gotten me excited about a few things and feeling far more confident about how I feed my birds. I've been thinking a chapter-by chapter online book group for it here would be fun ... I could use some help translating some of the terms and making sense of some of the charts. It is amazing how many nutritional issues with chickens of all ages can be resolved with sunshine, tender fresh green things, liver, dairy products, and/or brewers yeast. Oh, and free-choice calcium on the side ...

Can you share the link again please? Thank you

 

[mlowen]

Well after I forgot again I finally brought a jar upstairs & put I'm some of my grain I use to feed the girls in it with some water to soak. How long do you soak them? And then after they soak, you drain them, shake them and let them sit in the jar? Do they have to sit in a window?

I soak 24-ish hours then rinse well and drain every morning and every night. I tilt the jar in a bowl so it will completely drain in between. Sun flower seeds seem to me to sprout most quickly and easily. I got some "cat oat grass" and it sprouts and grows great in soil, but did not sprout in the jar in over a week.

 

[armorfirelady]

Well after I forgot again I finally brought a jar upstairs & put I'm some of my grain I use to feed the girls in it with some water to soak. How long do you soak them? And then after they soak, you drain them, shake them and let them sit in the jar? Do they have to sit in a window?

I soak 24-ish hours then rinse well and drain every morning and every night. I tilt the jar in a bowl so it will completely drain in between. Sun flower seeds seem to me to sprout most quickly and easily. I got some "cat oat grass" and it sprouts and grows great in soil, but did not sprout in the jar in over a week.

Thanks I will let them soak till the morning then

 

[aoxa]

Oh see, now mine are just the opposite. .. I haven't found anything that will outlay the Reds but more importantly i have never found any chickens as sweet as my Heritage Rhode Islands. The hens are so sweet and calm and the roos are just big babies. .. I never have to worry about turning my back on them. Now the production (hatchery) Rhode Island roos I've had... Now that's a different story - they are mean!

Your Heritage RIR sound just like my heritage BPR

My girls are incredibly tame and curious without being bullies. They are wonderful layers and make great mothers too.. At least MY line does. Love them!

 

[Shan30]

I'm using Kassaundra's burlap bag method. Easy, Easy, Easy Of course, this isn't foraging...Wish I lived in a warm year-round climate where they could go get their own!

Thanks for posting this! Nice video Kassundra, can't believe I hadn't watched this before. Could it be done with window screens? I'm guessing it needs to be done in the house for warmth. Does anyone have a link for different seed sprouting temperatures, times, etc.? I can look it up but thought one of you might have something handy

 

[fenwickchic]

Wow. .. Can't believe no one has mentioned Rhode Island Reds or hatchery Reds.
I've had a lot of different breeds over the years and now have only RIR and Rhodebars. Yoy simply can't beat them for laying and carcass.

RedRidge, I completely agree!!! I got mine from Tractor Supply so I think they are actually Red Sex Links although sign indicated RIR's. I have 2 and out of my 6 chickens, they are my absolute favorites. They are not too timid and will follow me around. They are great egg layers. When I battled lice, they were basically lice free and their combs and wattles haven't suffered any frostbite while the Buff Orpingtons have had a tinge of white on their combs. My BO's are less friendly and more easily scared. The Reds are not as beautiful, but they make up for it in eggs and personality. I read somewhere that they are aggressive. Mine most certainly are NOT. The BO's are more aggressive to my one and only Brahma. No one bothers my Bantam Roo and he is a little gentleman. He dances for the ladies and he stands back while they eat what they want first.
One other thing I will mention for a brand new chick owner. Make certain to get a pan for dusting. I know this failure of mine is how my chickens got lice. It got wet and they had no dry dirt/sand/wood ash to dust bathe in. That is critical. Find a spot and make certain it STAYS DRY. I have finally "licked" my lice by thoroughly hand dusting them (as I watched in a YouTube video) once and then again in about 5 days.
I love to watch "chicken tv". I have the chicken tractor set-up and winterized with deep liter on our patio and I can sit in the dining room and just watch them. They are so soothing to my nerves and funny. When I give the "chicken crack" (scratch) on top of the deep liter they start digging and throwing liter everywhere, even on each other. It's a hoot!
I got the chickens thinking this would be my daughter's thing, but it became mine. My regret this winter is that I would love to let them out to roam more, but we have turkey vultures and hawks (lots of them) and I don't even think they are frightened by me. I let them out once and ended up with at least 6 circling the area. I was yelling at them and had large sticks in my hands. I don't think the sticks would have helped much if they had decided to come after us because those birds were HUGE. Unfortunately, my chickens seemed oblivious; even my Roo. I'm thinking this is because their coop has a clear roof, so seeing hawks is no big thing for them. That's bad! I tractor them during Spring, Summer and Fall, so they get fresh ground every day, but I'd still like to give them a little more room from time to time. I am going to plan a garden area incorporating fencing and netting hopefully.

 

[aoxa]

RedRidge, I completely agree!!! I got mine from Tractor Supply so I think they are actually Red Sex Links although sign indicated RIR's. I have 2 and out of my 6 chickens, they are my absolute favorites. They are not too timid and will follow me around. They are great egg layers. When I battled lice, they were basically lice free and their combs and wattles haven't suffered any frostbite while the Buff Orpingtons have had a tinge of white on their combs. My BO's are less friendly and more easily scared. The Reds are not as beautiful, but they make up for it in eggs and personality. I read somewhere that they are aggressive. Mine most certainly are NOT. The BO's are more aggressive to my one and only Brahma. No one bothers my Bantam Roo and he is a little gentleman. He dances for the ladies and he stands back while they eat what they want first.
One other thing I will mention for a brand new chick owner. Make certain to get a pan for dusting. I know this failure of mine is how my chickens got lice. It got wet and they had no dry dirt/sand/wood ash to dust bathe in. That is critical. Find a spot and make certain it STAYS DRY. I have finally "licked" my lice by thoroughly hand dusting them (as I watched in a YouTube video) once and then again in about 5 days.
I love to watch "chicken tv". I have the chicken tractor set-up and winterized with deep liter on our patio and I can sit in the dining room and just watch them. They are so soothing to my nerves and funny. When I give the "chicken crack" (scratch) on top of the deep liter they start digging and throwing liter everywhere, even on each other. It's a hoot!
I got the chickens thinking this would be my daughter's thing, but it became mine. My regret this winter is that I would love to let them out to roam more, but we have turkey vultures and hawks (lots of them) and I don't even think they are frightened by me. I let them out once and ended up with at least 6 circling the area. I was yelling at them and had large sticks in my hands. I don't think the sticks would have helped much if they had decided to come after us because those birds were HUGE. Unfortunately, my chickens seemed oblivious; even my Roo. I'm thinking this is because their coop has a clear roof, so seeing hawks is no big thing for them. That's bad! I tractor them during Spring, Summer and Fall, so they get fresh ground every day, but I'd still like to give them a little more room from time to time. I am going to plan a garden area incorporating fencing and netting hopefully.

Your pictures are Red Sex Links. Totally my friendliest of any chicken I have EVER had.

I never even handled them and one of the Pennies jumped up on my lap and got comfortable. It was so endearing. I told her she was my favourite Penny... but I can't pick her out again. lol





Here is the original Penny. All after have been named Penny as well. Miss this girl the most out of everything we lost in the barn. She was so special.

 

[RedRidge]

RedRidge, I completely agree!!! I got mine from Tractor Supply so I think they are actually Red Sex Links although sign indicated RIR's.

Sex links are sexable at birth, so what you have is actually "hatchery reds", also known as "production reds", most of the time just referred to as "Rhode Island Reds".
Most of the Rhode Island Reds in the US today were crossed years ago with leghorns to create what the hatcheries now call RIR.
This created a lighter carcass, but heavier laying bird... great for lots of eggs.
However, they continued for all these years to call them Rhode Island Reds, even though most of them have leghorn in them from way back when.
The other "slip of the tongue" that happens a lot with several breeds including the RIR, is that just because a breed is a "heritage" breed, it doesn't mean the birds you receive are from heritage lines. A lot of folks think that just because there were told they were getting RIR, that they were getting heritage birds. In reality, most are not.
I can't tell you the number of people who have said to me, "But I have heritage RIR" - as in "they are RIR and the RIR breed is a heritage bird". If they came from TSC, or a hatchery I assure you they are not heritage birds - which is fine, as they are awesome layers. It's just that the terminology has been so misleading for so long that most folks really don't know.
This has also caused the folks who really do have old, true heritage lines to begin using the term "Heritage" in front of the name.
But be aware, just because the term heritage is there doesn't mean that most folks really know what they have.

But suffice to say, those who have heritage birds know it because they can trace the line back years and years - in my case, 2014 is the 100th year.
But once you see the 2 side by side you will likely think they are very different birds.
This is sometimes taken as snobbery by folks who simply do not know, but I assure you as I have gotten to know the heritage RIR breeders, it is meant as education, not snobbery. They are some of the nicest and most helpful folks I know.
Mostly the HRIR folks really just want the old lines carried on... and without the education of how to do that then those lines will die.

OK... enough RIR history for today... now that I've bored everyone to death.

 

[aoxa]

Sex links are sexable at birth, so what you have is actually "hatchery reds", also known as "production reds", most of the time just referred to as "Rhode Island Reds".
Most of the Rhode Island Reds in the US today were crossed years ago with leghorns to create what the hatcheries now call RIR.
This created a lighter carcass, but heavier laying bird... great for lots of eggs.
However, they continued for all these years to call them Rhode Island Reds, even though most of them have leghorn in them from way back when.
The other "slip of the tongue" that happens a lot with several breeds including the RIR, is that just because a breed is a "heritage" breed, it doesn't mean the birds you receive are from heritage lines. A lot of folks think that just because there were told they were getting RIR, that they were getting heritage birds. In reality, most are not.
I can't tell you the number of people who have said to me, "But I have heritage RIR" - as in "they are RIR and the RIR breed is a heritage bird". If they came from TSC, or a hatchery I assure you they are not heritage birds - which is fine, as they are awesome layers. It's just that the terminology has been so misleading for so long that most folks really don't know.
This has also caused the folks who really do have old, true heritage lines to begin using the term "Heritage" in front of the name.
But be aware, just because the term heritage is there doesn't mean that most folks really know what they have.

But suffice to say, those who have heritage birds know it because they can trace the line back years and years - in my case, 2014 is the 100th year.
But once you see the 2 side by side you will likely think they are very different birds.
This is sometimes taken as snobbery by folks who simply do not know, but I assure you as I have gotten to know the heritage RIR breeders, it is meant as education, not snobbery. They are some of the nicest and most helpful folks I know.
Mostly the HRIR folks really just want the old lines carried on... and without the education of how to do that then those lines will die.

OK... enough RIR history for today... now that I've bored everyone to death.

I feel the very same about Barred Rocks RedRidge. Oh my goodness the difference between hatchery and heritage is insanity!!



Hatchery ( Marge)


One of my Heritage.


I've only had a couple HRIR. This is Ruby. I find them very similar to my Buckeyes.


Buckeye pullet.

I'd say the difference is rate of growth between the two... and the males take longer to sex which sucks.

 

[Sally8]

and even better info:  http://www.communitychickens.com/2013/03/all-about-egg-color.html#.Utbb5VWzKpg


the article mentions a plum colored egg - oh my!

I'm so far behind so I need to stop right here to say that twice we've had a plum/purplish egg. I was so excited the first time and wanted to show my neighbor. Before I rinsed it off I did show it to my hubby because after rinsing some of the mud/poo off, it also rinsed the purplish color off as well. The 2nd time I showed it off as was. Don't know which hen but it did come from one that laid the brown eggs. Now I'll go back and read the article. lol