The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ChickChickChicky]

Man, you must not be feeling good at all...health is every thing...when I feel bad I think of the people that will never feel good again...like both my parents felt who died of cancer. They hurt and knew it was never going to get better

Just a few things to add...

When my husband was hospitalized with pancreatic cancer, a very wise nurse told me "No matter HOW bad you think it is, trust me, it can ALWAYS be worse".

And if you're ever feeling sorry for yourself or down in the dumps, do something for somebody else... be of real service to someone or something besides yourself. It's impossible to feel bad when you have a servant's heart.

 

[Turkeytruff]

I need some urgent advice please!
I have a broody who growls a lot - doesn't peck me, but is quite good about keeping other hens away. She has not yet brooded successfully.
I have 2 chicks that just popped in the incubator tonight - yay! I waited til the first one was dry and just brought it out to her and popped it under her.
I waited for about 1/2 hour in the darkness watching and listening. Everytime it pipped under her she growled and a few times tried to peck her wing where the chick was hiding under.
It's very cold out there - just above freezing. I'm worried that she will reject or hurt her. usually my broodies make a lovely clucking noise to reassure their chicks.
Should I go out and rescue her? I have another one I'm leaving in the incubator overnight... because there are hopefully more eggs unzipping...
Any comments will be appreciated cause I'm in knots about this...

 

[RedRidge]

My production roosters were not near as sweet as my HRIR and Rhodebar roos. I suspect part is because of their breeding but the other part is because I have [COLOR=B22222]a zero tolerance rule for nasty livestock.[/COLOR] If you stick to that rule then in several years you no longer have to cull because you are down to breeding good temperment only.

Question for you.
-How do you handle the hens?  Do you remove hens/pullets that are "harassers"?
-If yes, how long to you watch to determine if it's their "character" or them just trying to figure out pecking order?
-What are the criteria..how long do you observe before making the decision?

I've also had this question...
It seems that it "might" happen that when the top harasser is gone that another would move into her place.  Is that true of false?

Everyone gets handled the same. If a hen is getting picked one then one of two things is going on... she is weak and hasa problem or she is not smart. If she is weaki need to cull her. If she is smart she will learn to avoid getting picked on... like my d'uccles for instance. I have 3 that I use for live incubatos but they get picked on. But the are smart, they figured outa place to roost in the coop to narrow for the LF so they spend their time I the coop therebecause they get picked on when they come down. When they ate out they are fine, but they Hey picked on in tight quarters. So, they have their own little feeder up high in "their spot", they squawk somewhat patiently for me to feed them after everyone else each morning, and no one bothers them up there. I rarely make exceptions for "special needs" but these three girls are very useful to me.
If I ever have just one that is truly nasty they go in the freezer. But being top dog and being nasty ate two different things. There will always be a queen bee, but it's the nasty I will not tolerate. I remind everyone periodically that they are all replaceable (except my husband of course).

 

[armorfirelady]

its crazy making! been home sick for a few days, still a little shaky when I went to the coop to gather eggs...and dropped 8 eggs. Now the cats have knocked the egg basket off the table and cracked open a doz and a half eggs on the floor. Did you know you can scoop/sweep broken eggs, yolk and white, onto a newpaper and then pour them into a bowl? Will feed them to the hens in the morning.

Hope you feel better soon. I have dropped eggs the last couple weeks as well. Fingers don't work well in these frigid temps. And some decide to jump out of my pockets The girls don't complain when they get the results scrambled the next day

When my husband was hospitalized with pancreatic cancer, a very wise nurse told me "No matter HOW bad you think it is, trust me, it can ALWAYS be worse".

And if you're ever feeling sorry for yourself or down in the dumps, do something for somebody else... be of real service to someone or something besides yourself. It's impossible to feel bad when you have a servant's heart.

Soo very true Chicky. I tell people that all the time.

 

[lalaland]

I need some urgent advice please!
I have a broody who growls a lot - doesn't peck me, but is quite good about keeping other hens away. She has not yet brooded successfully.
I have 2 chicks that just popped in the incubator tonight - yay! I waited til the first one was dry and just brought it out to her and popped it under her.
I waited for about 1/2 hour in the darkness watching and listening. Everytime it pipped under her she growled and a few times tried to peck her wing where the chick was hiding under.
It's very cold out there - just above freezing. I'm worried that she will reject or hurt her. usually my broodies make a lovely clucking noise to reassure their chicks.
Should I go out and rescue her? I have another one I'm leaving in the incubator overnight... because there are hopefully more eggs unzipping...
Any comments will be appreciated cause I'm in knots about this...

first off I have no experience with broodies.
second, why would she peck at the little chick under her wing? I would take back the chick. can reintroduce it with other hatched chicks if experienced folks here say to do it, but...would worry she will kill it.
JMHguess.

and love that chick pic. adorable. take her away from the broody who doesn't understand she has a chick....

 

[aoxa]

first off I have no experience with broodies.
second, why would she peck at the little chick under her wing? I would take back the chick. can reintroduce it with other hatched chicks if experienced folks here say to do it, but...would worry she will kill it.
JMHguess.

and love that chick pic. adorable. take her away from the broody who doesn't understand she has a chick....

When you say she has not yet brooded successfully do you mean that she has brooded before, but not successfully, or she has never brooded before?

I don't usually give chicks unless they've already hatched one themselves.

Only once have I done it successfully when they didn't hatch at least one of their own. She did a little pecking at first and then seemed to settle in. My suggestion is to watch her, don't leave her until you see she is clucking like a mama to her baby

 

[chicalot]

My one single egg in the incubator has pipped. This is my first, so pretty excited but I worry about it being a single. Please don't let me kill it!. Go chic go.

 

[Leahs Mom]

The question about the second hen becoming mean after the removal of the mean head hen. There are no garuntees either way. The very mean hurtful hens are the exception rather then the rule, so the odds are on your side that the second hen won't be overly aggressive like your current one is.

Thanks!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Everyone gets handled the same. If a hen is getting picked one then one of two things is going on... she is weak and hasa problem or she is not smart. If she is weaki need to cull her.
If she is smart she will learn to avoid getting picked on... like my d'uccles for instance. I have 3 that I use for live incubatos but they get picked on. But the are smart, they figured outa place to roost in the coop to narrow for the LF so they spend their time I the coop therebecause they get picked on when they come down. When they ate out they are fine, but they Hey picked on in tight quarters. So, they have their own little feeder up high in "their spot", they squawk somewhat patiently for me to feed them after everyone else each morning, and no one bothers them up there. I rarely make exceptions for "special needs" but these three girls are very useful to me.
If I ever have just one that is truly nasty they go in the freezer. But being top dog and being nasty ate two different things. There will always be a queen bee, but it's the nasty I will not tolerate. I remind everyone periodically that they are all replaceable (except my husband of course).

So....are you saying that you remove the "lowers" if they don't learn to fight back?

 

[delisha]

Quote: It does not sound like she is broody at all..don't lock her up.
A broody will not get off the nest but to eat and drink.

Man, you must not be feeling good at all...health is every thing...when I feel bad I think of the people that will never feel good again...like both my parents felt who died of cancer. They hurt and knew it was never going to get better

I need some urgent advice please!
I have a broody who growls a lot - doesn't peck me, but is quite good about keeping other hens away. She has not yet brooded successfully.
I have 2 chicks that just popped in the incubator tonight - yay! I waited til the first one was dry and just brought it out to her and popped it under her.
I waited for about 1/2 hour in the darkness watching and listening. Everytime it pipped under her she growled and a few times tried to peck her wing where the chick was hiding under.
It's very cold out there - just above freezing. I'm worried that she will reject or hurt her. usually my broodies make a lovely clucking noise to reassure their chicks.
Should I go out and rescue her? I have another one I'm leaving in the incubator overnight... because there are hopefully more eggs unzipping...
Any comments will be appreciated cause I'm in knots about this...

Do not put a chick with a bird who tries to peck it..
How long has she been broody?

My one single egg in the incubator has pipped. This is my first, so pretty excited but I worry about it being a single. Please don't let me kill it!. Go chic go.

congrats..just don't touch it and leave the cover on the incubator till the chick is dry.