The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

First hatch of the year... In the basement.
8 eggs, 6 hatched so far, 4 pullets & 2 cockerels.
I always brood in the barn... Have never had chicks in the basement before. So glad I have a tolerant husband since brooding in negative temps would be tough. Will be hatching every 5 days now beginning Feb 2. Wonder how long before he mentions moving back to the barn?

Awesome We are hatching every week starting February 12th.

 

[armorfirelady]

Sounds like you are doing everything you can to keep them amused. Is it possible that they are not getting enough protein? Feather picking can sometimes be a deficiency rather than boredom. Sorry I can't be more helpful, have never actually had this problem!

They are provided free-choice commercial pellets (16%), free choice grit, free choice oyster shells and I give them freshly grown greens daily.... but I suppose it could be that if they are craving more protein.... It has only happened since they have been under "lock-down"... it is so annoying!

I have all the things you list in my coop as well. (Minus the fresh greens) I put the homemade suet in a suet hanger. They can pick at it as they want it. I am guessing if you leave it in there they will eat it. I also threw some on the floor as well. I would also give them meat every few days for a month or so. See if that helps with the feather picking. It might be a protein problem. My girls get meat at least once a week and I have never had a problem with dpfeater picking even after being in their coop for 4 days when our last blizzard came thru.

The temps here have only made it to 10 the last week with below zero temps at night all week. for this weekend lower temps during the day & more snow and possibly another blizzard. Girls got some extra suet and tomorrow I'm going to fluff all that hay from the last blizzard. And toss in some leaves as well. Thank goodness I left the inside plastic flaps up. I put those down tonight to give them a smaller place to roost and stay warm.

I give them credit tho they have been outside all week even if it was just to meet me at the gate or go from the old run to the coop. And walking thru the snow doesn't seem to phase them anymore. Found a squished egg tonight. It coated the other 2 eggs in the nest. I know the egg wasn't in there last night so it's weird to find it that way.

Stay warm everyone who is affected by polar vortex 2.......I think Mother Nature and old man winter are fighting this year with the wacky weather we are having

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
mine are doing it too. They just don't want to go out but are bored inside. It was better when I gave them a cabbage heads to play with. But those have not been on sale recently, and I have avoided going to the large grocery stores for the better part of a month. Mainly just milk stops here and there.

Quote:
Every 6-7 days here too, but small batches. At least until my shipped eggs get here. Unless these shipped eggs hatch well with good growing chickens, it will be my last batch of shipped eggs. Even compared with chicks using express shipping, the eggs still end up costing ME more than chicks.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
if I could remember to remind you, I might not forget the myriad of things that I DO forget daily! LOL

 

[mlowen]

I'm having some feather picking, too. Just the two bottom of the order barred rocks. I give them meat every other day or two and they have never free-ranged, except in my "portable paddock" on weekends in the summer.( They are in the 10' x 20' coop/run.) I have a cabbage "swing" set up and throw some scratch, leftover veggies, sprouts, etc. into the deep leaf litter, so they are busy looking for stuff all day. (They also have layer pellets in a free feeder & I give them a helping of fermented pellets with barley & wheat & scratch & BOSS each morning.) I wonder if I'm giving enough meat? How much do you give "per chicken" at a time?

 

[lazy gardener]

RedRidge: are you doing vent sexing, feather sexing or hatching auto sex or sex-links? Inquiring minds wanna know!

 

[ki4got]

well, I've BEEN setting eggs weekly... but it appears the eggs set the 12th, collected from the 6-12th, must have been frozen worse than I thought. I've been trying to check multiple times per day, but it's not always soon enough apparently... so far still all clear. 4 each blrw and mille fleur bantam cochin. so I've got 2/2 hatched from the group set 3 weeks ago and the second group just went to lockdown. only 1 blrw (the others didn't develop) 2 ee and the rest mfc I think. maybe a couple red dorkings.

and I just got some silver laced cochin eggs today by mail, so my setting routine is a few days off right now. but I set 14 of them (3 were slightly damp but we'll give them a chance), as well as 3 blrw, 4 mille fleur cochin (1 I thought I saw a crack tonight but couldn't find it again, so it got set), 1 red dorking (she finally started laying again after 2 weeks off), 1 ee (only one she hasn't hidden on me!) 6 silver grey dorking (free range group) and 1 ?? possibly from my colored dorking girl or buff orp. also free ranging. oh and 15 mixed color bantam cochins, to see if any of the roos know their jobs. LOL

IF they develop, it should be easy to see who at least one of the parents is... either red, blue mottled or silver laced with 1 buff and 1 blue mottled roo.

oh, and an update on lucky. one thing for sure, he's eating well (aka pooping well...) bad as a broody poop...

he's still wobbly when he walks but I noticed him standing a bit straighter for a few minutes tonight, when I was feeding the babies.

on the floor looking for snacks... he's not a great Columbian cochin (father was buff Columbian so there's leakage) and he's got weak wings (free ranging seems to help that some) but until he finishes growing, I'd like to see how he turns out (presuming he gains some coordination and mobility back).

 

[RedRidge]

RedRidge:  are you doing vent sexing, feather sexing or hatching auto sex or sex-links?  Inquiring minds wanna know!

Oh I'm not that good... ROFL
These are Rhodebars... autosexed

 

[lindz8504]

well, I've BEEN setting eggs weekly... but it appears the eggs set the 12th, collected from the 6-12th, must have been frozen worse than I thought. I've been trying to check multiple times per day, but it's not always soon enough apparently... so far still all clear. 4 each blrw and mille fleur bantam cochin. so I've got 2/2 hatched from the group set 3 weeks ago and the second group just went to lockdown. only 1 blrw (the others didn't develop) 2 ee and the rest mfc I think. maybe a couple red dorkings.

and I just got some silver laced cochin eggs today by mail, so my setting routine is a few days off right now. but I set 14 of them (3 were slightly damp but we'll give them a chance), as well as 3 blrw, 4 mille fleur cochin (1 I thought I saw a crack tonight but couldn't find it again, so it got set), 1 red dorking (she finally started laying again after 2 weeks off), 1 ee (only one she hasn't hidden on me!) 6 silver grey dorking (free range group) and 1 ?? possibly from my colored dorking girl or buff orp. also free ranging. oh and 15 mixed color bantam cochins, to see if any of the roos know their jobs. LOL

IF they develop, it should be easy to see who at least one of the parents is... either red, blue mottled or silver laced with 1 buff and 1 blue mottled roo.

oh, and an update on lucky. one thing for sure, he's eating well (aka pooping well...) bad as a broody poop...

he's still wobbly when he walks but I noticed him standing a bit straighter for a few minutes tonight, when I was feeding the babies.

on the floor looking for snacks... he's not a great Columbian cochin (father was buff Columbian so there's leakage) and he's got weak wings (free ranging seems to help that some) but until he finishes growing, I'd like to see how he turns out (presuming he gains some coordination and mobility back).

Are your cochins bantam or LF? I may be interested in chicks if you decide to sale any..... I am only about 2 hours from Roanoke!

ETA.... I just re-read and saw the "mille fleur bantam cochin"

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
yes, all my cochin varieties are bantam. i'll have Columbian, mille fleur, project red (with buff roo unless I can find a red roo with good type) and project silver laced (just set more eggs and have a roo that will ship to me when it gets warmer to go with my 3 girls). also blue mottled (bbs)