The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

I knew I forgot something. I noticed today Edie's ears are almost the same pale blue as her eggs now. Anyone else notice this in their blue egg layers? They were white a few days ago before she started laying again

makes me want to go takes pics of all the hens, and their earlobes....and write it all down!

and although I have 3 blue/green egg layers, I am a little jealous of pale blue egg layers. still missing those superblue egg layers.....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Interesting on the blue ears. Y'all know how the "standard thought" is that you can tell what color egg by the color of the ear? I was thinking that there probably wasn't anything to indicate blue eggs...

Now I have to go out there and see if I can see Charlie's ears under all that beard.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Interesting on the blue ears. Y'all know how the "standard thought" is that you can tell what color egg by the color of the ear? I was thinking that there probably wasn't anything to indicate blue eggs...

Now I have to go out there and see if I can see Charlie's ears under all that beard.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
what I've been doing on frozen days is mixing the FF with pellets soaked in HOT (tap) water. about 50/50 and it stayed thawed a bit longer... plus the soaked pellets stay crumbly so it's easier to break up for the birds. any left overs in the baby pen go out in the yard the next day and either the loose birds or the horse will eat the leftovers.

 

[mlowen]

Asking for input/advice about feather-picking. I'm not sure if there is really anything else I can do. The leghorns (top of the order) are not missing any feathers, yet. They started with the bottom Barred Rock, progressed to the next in line and just recently started on the Wyandotte. I don't know if it's one culprit or everybody's in on it, or it's self-inflicted.

They get about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of meat of some sort every other day or two, one scrambled egg every great now & then, red wigglers less often, yogurt about the same as eggs.

They have leafy greens of some kind fairly often in a suet cage to peck at, a cabbage "piñata," a "scratch dispenser" from Bulldogma's blog, and a little dried meal worms/scratch/BOSS in the deep litter every day--to have something to do. They are in a 10x20 foot coop & run combo. Today is the first time since we got deep snow that I have put out a path of leaves and let them out into their "play pen" which is about 20x30 around the side of the coop/run.

I have inspected every one of the five and see absolutely no evidence of bugs--no eggs, no crawlies, nothing. I even looked at 11pm with a magnifying glass and nothing. They scratch & preen, but not over much. I'm thinking it's protein/boredom. I work Mon-Fri and feed/water them at about 6:30a and give them whatever extra they're due for and then gather eggs & check them out at 5:30p when I get home. On weekends, I go out there several times a day with things to eat & to do.

Here are some pictures. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Asking for input/advice about feather-picking. I'm not sure if there is really anything else I can do. The leghorns (top of the order) are not missing any feathers, yet. They started with the bottom Barred Rock, progressed to the next in line and just recently started on the Wyandotte. I don't know if it's one culprit or everybody's in on it, or it's self-inflicted.

They get about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of meat of some sort every other day or two, one scrambled egg every great now & then, red wigglers less often, yogurt about the same as eggs.

They have leafy greens of some kind fairly often in a suet cage to peck at, a cabbage "piñata," a "scratch dispenser" from Bulldogma's blog, and a little dried meal worms/scratch/BOSS in the deep litter every day--to have something to do. They are in a 10x20 foot coop & run combo. Today is the first time since we got deep snow that I have put out a path of leaves and let them out into their "play pen" which is about 20x30 around the side of the coop/run.

I have inspected every one of the five and see absolutely no evidence of bugs--no eggs, no crawlies, nothing. I even looked at 11pm with a magnifying glass and nothing. They scratch & preen, but not over much. I'm thinking it's protein/boredom. I work Mon-Fri and feed/water them at about 6:30a and give them whatever extra they're due for and then gather eggs & check them out at 5:30p when I get home. On weekends, I go out there several times a day with things to eat & to do.

Here are some pictures. Any suggestions are welcome.

I was asking about this a while back....I have two that are untouched...three that are barely touched...and one that is picked on the most.....I have been doing many of the things that you are doing. There is no more that I can do for them. I did know who was the main "picker" and I took her out of the coop for a couple of days and then added her back in before bed (while she was out I put some no-pick stuff on the hen that was picked the most that I picked up from Rural King-- might of helped....it's smell is tea tree oil.... I wonder if you could just use that alone?!? She is still bossy but I haven't noticed her picking as much. Now-- when they do it they are doing it to get the others out of their way on the roosting bars. I have finally discovered what is the "desired" spot-- and they will get aggressive over obtaining it. A few days ago I added a infrared baby video monitor to the coop so that I could see them when they do not know I am there-- I did not have to purchase one-- we had one for our boys-- I would not have purchased one. I tremendously enjoy watching them though and seeing who is doing what. Long after dark they are still moving around on the roosts on most nights... they settle for a while and then decide they want a "higher" position and they get at each other. I really wish that I could offer more advice. I did think that it helped when I first put my aggressive hen back in she went to get real bossy to another hen and I gently pushed her back down to the submissive position so I was her "alpha" -- she did seem to pipe down a little after that but still roosted in position 3 that night out of 6.

 

[armorfirelady]

I knew I forgot something. I noticed today Edie's ears are almost the same pale blue as her eggs now. Anyone else notice this in their blue egg layers? They were white a few days ago before she started laying again

I can't really see them from my EEs with beards, but my naked necks have a pale white/blue earlobe. They are super blue layers (have leghorn in them too).

I knew I forgot something. I noticed today Edie's ears are almost the same pale blue as her eggs now. Anyone else notice this in their blue egg layers? They were white a few days ago before she started laying again

makes me want to go takes pics of all the hens, and their earlobes....and write it all down! and although I have 3 blue/green egg layers, I am a little jealous of pale blue egg layers. still missing those superblue egg layers.....

Interesting on the blue ears. Y'all know how the "standard thought" is that you can tell what color egg by the color of the ear? I was thinking that there probably wasn't anything to indicate blue eggs... Now I have to go out there and see if I can see Charlie's ears under all that beard.

Edie has muffs or a beard? I really don't know which is which but where her cheeks would be fluff out lol. Nothing under her chin tho. I can't see my BCMs ears.....but the pr girls have pink ears. If I could get a pick of the blue ears I would. When I get some extra eggs I'm going to see if the inside of her eggs are blue also. I do know that Sophie's eggs are as dark inside as out Oh & I found a way to change a chickens color

Brown hen turned grey just put put some fresh wood ash. Hard to see but her feet our black......I shoveled out the veggie garden so they have been busily digging all morning

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok Lala I decided to take my iPad outside & see if I could get a picture of Edie and her blue ear. Sally8 got the eggs as super blue layer eggs. She also has an Edie or 2 but I don't know if her girls have blue ears or not also. As for super blue? Her eggs are lite blue. You can just see the blue ear. I tried to get a good close up

And a fun picture .....my girls enjoying a winter day. Temp is 30 & it's been snowing off & on all day. I shoveled an area for them & they are quite happy

I give them credit I don't shovel as much as I did last year & they have been walking thru 6 inches of snow when they want to get to their old run

 

[TeaChick]

Morning everyone!
-22 air temps this morning. About -5 in the coop with the heat lamps. Booster's comb looks the same but his wattles are starting to heal up, he might not lose any of those.

Has anyone ever seen a comb regenerate? Remember poor little Angelina, a tiny icelandic hen who is blind in one eye, misformed wing, who was scalped as a chick, and then a couple of weeks ago has a lot of blood at her crest? I nustocked and used rooster pick no more with coal tar and it is all healed up and darned if a little pean comb/rose comb isn't formed! Previously she had a thin skin covering bone - it looked like yellowish white skin over bone and no red there. Now, she has proper comb!

She is a little feisty thing. I'm always picking her up and hand feeding her - her keel is always sharp but she always gives out lots of heat. must be the icelandic thing. Her feathers remain ragged, maybe she has trouble grooming. Not absolutely sure she is blind in one eye, or if the issue is more her muscles are twisted and contort her whole body. She's a loner, roosts by herself. Has just started laying a tiny egg.

Happy for you and for her!!!
Congrats on the egg(s)! =)

the problem is they wont eat it, I left it out all day and it is still out there and they wont touch it. I cant let them go without eating in this weather especially. That would make me feel bad. js

I see. That's what I would have done.
Unless my chickens aren't leaving the yard (taking my definition of "free ranging" way too far), they really must eat what I've put out for them.
But I completely see your perspective, especially if your chickens are in a run/pen. =)

 

[TeaChick]

Speaking of ear color and egg color. My new pullet (Marigold) is Buff Orpington x SLW. Her earlobes are red around the outside and white on the inside, like of a circle (sort of). Anyway, I wondered if that meant anything? Maybe she'll lay bullseye colored eggs.