The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[CourtsCacklers]

I have a large box filled with batteries..all kinds of batteries and they have been in that box for 20 years and collecting. I better do something about it.
Thanks for the video..


My incubator is filled with Wyandotte eggs..I am looking forward to my next group of eggs to hatch..

no problem... yes... we had a large (5 gallon ice cream tub) full of them too.....

 

[CourtsCacklers]

My incubator is full to the max right now.


There are at least 200 eggs in there. Think I may have over done it lol

Stunning barred rocks! Wish I lived closer--- I would love to have a few....

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Oh, gosh, I wasn't talking about too much light in your coop! It's just that seeing you talk about your chickens moving around at night made me think of what I saw in my coop last night, when I did have the heat lamp on. I was just so surprised to see one of them on the floor looking for food at that hour! And I figured it must have been because I had the heat lamp on. Usually I don't, and when I check on them they're all on the roost in the dark. I was talking to myself about one more reason to keep the heat lamp off.

That's what I get when I post when half my mind is trying to answer my daughter's frantic questions about the homework project she's working on - unclear posts. "The printer's not working, Mom!!" "Do we have any CD cases I could use?" - part of her project has to be submitted on a CD (times sure have changed since I was a kid!).

The printer worked as soon as I plugged its USB cable into the computer she was using. Always a relief to have such an easy fix!

Must have been the same snow we got last night. It was truly beautiful!

A little freaky because this morning there were animal (non-chicken) tracks in the run! The run is fully enclosed by 1/4" hardware cloth, including an apron all around it. I'm pretty sure it's a vole or a shrew, but it was still a surprise.

it's okay--- no offense taken.... Heat lamp or not--- so far I haven't seen mine up looking for food at night.... BUT-- It probably does make it a much more appealing thought to them....especially if everyone else is tired and they think they are getting something all to themselves!!!!

Yes.... the snow was beautiful and I enjoy looking at the tracks though sometimes I don't like what I see! --- ohhhh.... scary to have other tracks in the closed run!!!!! We do have voles that get into the run but the girls kill them if they see them. I know they try to frequent it because of the little holes I see in the ground outside the run.... dang things.... I haven't found any prints inside the run but outside it is mostly rabbit prints and an occasional "mystery" print that looks like a cat print but I always wonder if it is a coon print (it could be simply a cat though--- we have a big tom cat that frequents the neighborhood and jumps my fence in one hop).... I know we have coons around here too-- my dog has fended them out of the fenced in yard before. With it being so cold and his hair cut short he has been inside more-- so they are probably taking advantage-- just wait till spring/summer!!!!!

 

[Scott H]

Coon tracks look like little hands....

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Red Ridge ~ do you combine chicks to minimize the number of brooder set ups you have? I am finding that my staggered hatching is demanding a lot more brooder set ups than I planned for. So far I have been able to mix chicks that hatch within a week to 10 days of each other but it would be nice to be able to combine these double batches too at some mid point. I was thinking maybe around 4-5 weeks.

Another question. I'm thinking of getting a used sportsman incubator. Where would be the best place to look for a used one or get an awesome deal on a new one?

 

[aoxa]

Red Ridge ~ do you combine chicks to minimize the number of brooder set ups you have? I am finding that my staggered hatching is demanding a lot more brooder set ups than I planned for. So far I have been able to mix chicks that hatch within a week to 10 days of each other but it would be nice to be able to combine these double batches too at some mid point. I was thinking maybe around 4-5 weeks.

Another question. I'm thinking of getting a used sportsman incubator. Where would be the best place to look for a used one or get an awesome deal on a new one?

I got mine from Incubator Warehouse.

I am not RedRidge, but I do combine my hatchlings once the new ones get their land legs.

I don't usually do more than 3 weeks apart in the same brooder. It does create an issue if you use EcoGlows because the older ones need higher levels of the units...

 

[Leahs Mom]

I was wondering about weasel tracks.




Canids (Canine Mammals) http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/entm/wildlifehotline/pages/TrackID.aspx

Coyote Tracks
front paw: 2.5 x 2 in.
hind paw: 2.25 x 1.75 in.

Dog Tracks
front paw: 2.5 x 4 in.
hind paw: 2 x 2.5 in.

Red Fox Tracks
front paw: 2.25 x 2.1 in.
hind paw: 2 x 1.75 in.
Felids (Feline Mammals)

Bobcat Tracks
front and hind paw:
1.9 x 1.75 in.

Cat Tracks
front and hind paw:
1.1 x 1.1 in.

Mountain Lion Tracks
front paw: 3 x 3.5 in.
hind paw: 3 x 3 in.
Mustelids (Weasel-like Mammals)

American Badger Tracks
front and hind paw:
2 in. x 2 in.

Black-Footed Ferret Tracks
front paw: 1.75 x 1.33 in.
hind paw: 1.75 x .75 in

Long-Tailed Weasel Tracks
front and hind paw:
1.75 x .75 in.

Mink Tracks
front and hind paw: .
9 x 1.4 in.

River Otter Tracks
front and hind paw*:
1.6 x 1.6 in
*images not to scale!

Skunk Tracks
front paw: .75 x .75 in.
hind paw: 1.5 x 1 in.
Rodentia (Rodent-like Mammals)

Beaver Tracks
length: 3.25 - 3.5 in.
width: 2.5 in.

Woodchuck Tracks
length: 2.2 in.

Mouse Tracks
front paw length: .08 in.
hind paw length: .1 in.

Muskrat Tracks
front paw length: 1.5 in.
hind paw length: 3.25 in.

Norway Rat Tracks
length: .25 in.
hind track shown in
resting position

Fox Squirrel Tracks
front paw: 1.0 x .75 in.
hind paw: 1.25 x 1 in.

Gray Squirrel Tracks
front paw: .75 x .5 in.
hind paw: 1.25 x .6 in.

Flying Squirrel Tracks
front paw: .5 x .3 in.
hind paw: 1 x .5 in.

Shrew Tracks
front paw length: .25 in.
hind paw length: .5 in.

Pine Vole
front paw length: .1 in.
hind paw length: .2 in.

Furbearers

Opossum Tracks
image of front paws
front paw: 2 x 2 in.

Raccoon Tracks
front paw length: 2.25 in.
hind paw length: 3.1 in.
Ungulates (Hoofed Mammals)

White-tailed Deer Tracks
length: 2.25 to 3 in.​

Birds

Bald Eagle Tracks
length: 6 in.

Canada Goose Tracks
length: 4 in.

Crow Tracks
length: 2.5 to 3 in.

Duck Tracks
length: 3.25 in.

Great Blue Heron Tracks
length: 6.5 in.

Herring Gull Tracks
length: 3 in.

Wild Turkey Tracks
length: 4 in.

Reptiles/Amphibians

Bullfrog Tracks

Snapping Turtle Tracks

 

[aoxa]

I was wondering about weasel tracks.

Snapping Turtle Tracks

These are adorable!

 

[RedRidge]

Red Ridge ~ do you combine chicks to minimize the number of brooder set ups you have?  I am finding that my staggered hatching is demanding a lot more brooder set ups than I planned for.    So far I have been able to mix chicks that hatch within a week to 10 days of each other but it would be nice to be able to combine these double batches too at some mid point.  I was thinking maybe around 4-5 weeks. 


Another question.  I'm thinking of getting a used sportsman incubator.  Where would be the best place to look for a used one or get an awesome deal on a new one?

I combine within a few weeks and have no problems. I am using 2 Styrofoam bators to set and hatching in an Octagon 20. I have been looking fora used gqf or dickey for months. Would be more than willing to pay shipping even, but just haven't found any.

 

[armorfirelady]

LM you wanted to know how my girls like the cabbage? Well I put it out last week when we had the arctic temps and it froze but since its warmed up they have been picking at it & eating it. Its still sort of frozen but they are still working on it (I never knew cabbage had so much moisture in it......can you tell I don't eat it?

)

Today was a banner day.......5 eggs !!!! 1st time ever for that. hopefully it continues.