The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hotrodflash]

@hotrodflash

Good!

How many times did you have to do the bath? once
How long did you keep her in the bath each time? 15-20 minutes
How long did it take after the bath for the egg to pass? about 30 minutes, I took her back outside, she stayed in a crouch so I put her on the roost, turned around and the plop! the egg hit the floor
Was there any recurrence? no, I watched her carefully for several weeks and she is perfectly fine
How long has she been laying since the binding? (months/weeks/years, etc.) about 6-7 months

 

[delisha]

@delisha ,
What you said about Charlie makes a lot of sense. He was all over the girls today and tonight he attacked me too. I must say that I did not go in talking to them and happy. I was furious at Comcast (so maybe he sensed anger?) Anyway, I guess we will ALL have to take a stick and run him around the yard to a goal, but it will have to wait until our massive snow storm passes and snow goes away. Would you tell me what the stick and running purpose is? In the meantime, I decided to be the "alpha" rooster and gave him a good swat. I did not hurt him but he backed way off. I have to go into that tractor to feed them all and I will NOT be attacked by Charlie. If that will make matters worse, please tell me ASAP!! I went back in about 15 minutes later with BOSS for them and to see how Charlie would react to me after I had swatted him but had calmed down. He didn't attack me this time.
@Leahs Mom ,
About the Sun Oven, just search "Sun Oven" and you will find it. They have an improved American model since I bought mine that supposedly will get to higher temperatures. I really love using it. I feel so good about saving on electric too. It does take a little practice but we have loved most of the food that I've cooked. It doesn't work so well on days where the sun goes in and out behind clouds. I've had to finish the casserole in the oven on days like that. But I do love it. It works best if you are around all day to adjust it to the sun periodically, but I have just set it out in the morning and our dinner out at 5 p.m. I've done stew, baked potatoes, roasts, cookies and other stuff. Is hasn't worked well in winter in spite of what they say though.

Do not attach human emotions to chickens. He is not attacking because of anything you are feeling. He is being aggressive because he wants to be an alpha chicken and he wants you to submit to him. How you respond to him will determine what type of bird he will become. If he understands you are alpha ..there is not a problem. it is when you allow those lines to be crossed Making chickens your friends can sometimes get your eye poked out.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

good luck with your chicks mine were DOA again (i suspect it anyway hubby went the 90 min to pick up the box said it was quite..The sad thing is he took 4 of our 5 kids with him because i am a den mother and had a scout meeting to run.)... chicks shipped 500 miles due west ended up in Saint louis then back to Peoria via Truck...poor little fuzzies never had a chance.. and the USPS tracking still shows that they departed cleveland MONDAY and just stops there i think they lost the poor chicks..

Mine should be in Indianapolis right now. I just hope they are in a heated area. THe time I got them all DOA they had been left in an unheated area of a building for over 3 hours.

 

[fenwickchic]

Do not attach human emotions to chickens. He is not attacking because of anything you are feeling. He is being aggressive because he wants to be an alpha chicken and he wants you to submit to him. How you respond to him will determine what type of bird he will become. If he understands you are alpha ..there is not a problem. it is when you allow those lines to be crossed Making chickens your friends can sometimes get your eye poked out.

Uh oh, I've been treating them like friends/pets. So, is it o.k. to swat him or will that just make him more determined to be alpha and get more aggressive? If I have to get him out of the tractor and chase him around in the snow with a stick, so be it; I'll do it. Can you enlighten me as to how this works and what exactly I do with the stick. I'm sorry I'm so dense...

 

[Kassaundra]

@fenwickchic , I had a human aggressive roo, I chased him, beat him almost to death (literally ) a time or two, and sound beatings more times then I can count, water boarded him regularly, made big loud noises and gestures until he submitted and ran for cover, etc...... He was always good right after, but could NEVER be trusted, EVER. He would get a bee in his bonnet and attack out of the blue w/o warning. IMO and from my very limited experience if they are people aggressive they are always people aggressive. I agree w/ not assigning human emotions or reasons, he is a roo, being a roo. I also agree you should want your roos fear, not his love, if you want pet chickens make the girls your pets, not the roo, it will just embolden him to be aggressive to you. But I think the roo has to already have that dispostition and then be overly confident w/ humans too. I know several that have coddled and "pet" roos that never have become people aggressive.

I now raise the boys very hands off.

I could not kill that roo b/c my husband was his protector, however based on my experience so far, any / all people aggressive boys will be terminated w/ extreme prejudice and enjoyed w/ some wine.





Oh and that boy is no longer w/ us, the dog got him.

 

[aaggjg]

So the other morning I was down with the hens for free play time and they heard a hawk so they went running under a bougainvillea bush near by.... Well there was a squirrel who had taken cover under there too! Faced with all those hens, the squirrel ran off over the fence into my neighbors yard. AS it passed close by my little white silkie got spooked and jumped. Well the squirrel instantly decided that it did not want to be on the other side of the fence... So it went a tiny bit up the hill and jumped back over the fence. Well what do you think happened??? My wee little scrappy white silkie Pickles (the crower) took off after that squirrel!!! Chased it across the yard and up a tree... it was quite a sight & pretty funny!!! Guess the chickens aren't afraid of the squirrels anymore ....

 

[cockoftherock]

This is great....if I only had a saw....anyway, on the topic of them destroying the herbs, I have two oregano plants, and one each of rosemary, thyme, spearmint, and aloe; IDK what all they eat, but I know they eat the oregano and the aloe, and I think they stay away from the rosemary altogether.  Anyway, they hadn't destroyed my plants (there have been up to twelve chickens with access to them since last spring when we got them, and we got them as small plants from Home Depot and/or Lowe's).  I hope that helps you out with something. =)
You might plant them in something else until they're large enough or you might try putting some of that lattice over them such that they're growing up through one of the holes, then the hens wouldn't be able to get to the lowest parts of the plants (thus, destroying the plants' ability to recover if it's over-pecked at some point).



I don't know.

Does anyone have an answer for this????

Thanks fpr trying Teachick. nice project!!! I remember that earthworms carry tje cecal worm and carry the pathogin for blackhead that is devestating to turkeys and wanted some info advise

 

[aaggjg]

Kassaundra your Okie Ice pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Tea Chick: Can you buy or borrow a saw? Do you know anyone who has some equipment you could borrow? I wonder if there are any basic wood working classes at a local Tech School near you???

Re: aggressive roos: I often see cute little pictures of people with their chicks sitting on their shoulders or their arms. Sometimes see folks cuddling a chicken and nuzzling it with their face. That is the perfect training for the bird to think it is higher in the pecking order than the human. IMO, I never let a bird get higher than my chest. I will, with a chick that is lower in the pecking order, raise it up on my hand while in the brooder so it is above the flock mates for a while... but, I'll never allow a chicken to get on my shoulder. Good practice, no matter the gender. How often does that sweet little favorite pullet that you've showered with affection turn out to be a roo?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

good luck with your chicks mine were DOA again (i suspect it anyway hubby went the 90 min to pick up the box said it was quite..The sad thing is he took 4 of our 5 kids with him because i am a den mother and had a scout meeting to run.)... chicks shipped 500 miles due west ended up in Saint louis then back to Peoria via Truck...poor little fuzzies never had a chance.. and the USPS tracking still shows that they departed cleveland MONDAY and just stops there i think they lost the poor chicks..

My chick box is now missing too. Estimated delivery date was this morning but the PO can't find it.