The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Sue (LM) I think your SFH is very cute with her short haircut! She looks like Jennifer Lawrence, now.

Axoa...I changed my avatar, again.

Seriously!.....glad you said it and not me...LOL

Quote:
Indeed....I went the whole 9 yards. I actually started out very conservatively. It was a little more like a mullet that was too long in the front still

Then went back out an hour later and "had at it". I figured that if she was going to see she better see well, by golly.

I actually looked at the other girls which seem to have a bit of skin around the eyes. This kiddo has feathers very close to the actual eye...not as much space around them as the BRs or reds. So...I thought, what the heck.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm with Karen, I would much rather use scissors - but the ones you use make a difference. I have a pair I spent good money on when my son was an infant (22 years ago) - blunt tipped, very small, VERY sharp - still work fantastic and that's what I used to trim the crests I did last week. The blunt tips and sharpness make a huge difference.

That was my problem yesterday. I didn't have any blunt tipped scissors. They were very pointy and sharp and it was very nerve wracking. I think I'm going to purchase some blunt ones for my kit. Any idea where to get them? I'm thinking they still sell the ones for cutting baby fingernails that are blunt like you're talking about.

 

[TeaChick]

You can't feather sex them. They have to be bred very carefully with a fast feathering male and a slow feathering female... Not something that many people do (hatcheries usually the only ones).

LM: I laughed so hard at your scalped girl. You left her a rat tail! HAHAHA

How do you sex chicks?

I posted my thoughts on the next lines..

Great advise..

I sell chicks..
I give the Mareks shots to the chicks I ship. I do not do my own. If my birds are so weak they are going to get ill from something I can bring home from the feed store on the tires of my truck, I am doing something wrong. I want strong healthy birds as naturally as possible. I want them to have a strong immune system. I have imported birds from different country's and they are going to take generations to build the same immunities my American Heritage birds have. Some vaccines help to build immunities that imported birds do not have. My imported birds have vaccines. I am considering continuing vaccinating them one more generation.


I put in soil at day one
I have peeping..they should hatch Monday..I think I have 6..due..

feather sexing for all breeds does not work and cross breeds ? umm possibly?

OMG you scalped her

Oh, I see. What I read about it said it was genetically bred into them, so I figured crossing breed and/or different breeds might be.....different.
What do you think about vent sexing?
How would/do you sex chicks?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just went out and found an egg from Charlie's sister! First one since last November

I always like to encourage them when I see an egg so I was saying 'Yay!!!! Charlie's sister laid an egg!!!! But what was funny was that I started whistling the "chicken dance" song without even thinking. Just came right out my "whistler".... Struck me funny.

Spring is coming!

​

Too bad we can't get some music on here!

(Am I now officially the CRAZY CHICKEN LADY?)

 

[Leahs Mom]

I find it amazing how something so simple as feeding chickens good, chemical free food had made the big producers of eggs and chicken meat have made it so complicated.

People wonder why I want to live away from everyone & enjoy shows like little house & the Walton's. It was a much simpler times then & you didn't have to read the ingredients of everything to see how many chemicals were added.

All I need to do is win the lottery lol

Sigh... I think a lot of us Long for a simpler time.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
I bought mine at a hair style supply store (Sally's or the like) - they have blue rubber around the grips and the blades are only about 4" long. Brand is Fromm and underneath that it says Ice Stainless 356.

Here:

http://www.dog-training.com/4-1-4-Curved-Scissor-Fromm-FRM356-p/frm356.htm

Better price than I paid 22 years ago

 

[aoxa]

How do you sex chicks?
Oh, I see. What I read about it said it was genetically bred into them, so I figured crossing breed and/or different breeds might be.....different.
What do you think about vent sexing?
How would/do you sex chicks?

I don't sex chicks. I'd like to learn vent sexing, but I avoid sexing chicks because I'd be left with all the males... I can give them to the zoo for feeders.. They cut their heads off, so no C02.. But I feel like that is such a waste of life. I'm still struggling with it.

I end up selling mostly chicks and sexed birds late April and after.. The roosters I grow out and eat, sell in pairs/trios, or give away as breeders.

Indeed....I went the whole 9 yards. I actually started out very conservatively. It was a little more like a mullet that was too long in the front still

Then went back out an hour later and "had at it". I figured that if she was going to see she better see well, by golly.

I actually looked at the other girls which seem to have a bit of skin around the eyes. This kiddo has feathers very close to the actual eye...not as much space around them as the BRs or reds. So...I thought, what the heck.

Her rat tail makes me smile. You did a good job, but it is so very dramatic.

How is she acting now? Does she seem like a different chicken? Like she now sees what she hasn't in a very long time?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thank you Pozees!

When I was doing her "hair" yesterday I came back in that second time to see if we had anything that had protected tips or was at least a little less pointy than the ones I had. I found some that were a bit better but I had thought I'd go look for something more suitable to have on hand so I appreciate your link.

Now - do you have any photos of any birds you've trimmed crests on? I'd like to see how you did yours.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - I've only gotten to observe very briefly as I'm having to work on a deadline project for work this weekend. Haven't gotten to be out a lot after I did the deed.

Oh...and I like the tail too

 

[TeaChick]

I don't sex chicks. I'd like to learn vent sexing, but I avoid sexing chicks because I'd be left with all the males... I can give them to the zoo for feeders.. They cut their heads off, so no C02.. But I feel like that is such a waste of life. I'm still struggling with it.

I end up selling mostly chicks and sexed birds late April and after.. The roosters I grow out and eat, sell in pairs/trios, or give away as breeders.


Her rat tail makes me smile. You did a good job, but it is so very dramatic.

How is she acting now? Does she seem like a different chicken? Like she now sees what she hasn't in a very long time?

I understand. That makes sense.
I'm not selling chicks, so it doesn't matter. Plus, it's cold enough we're still roasting chicken, and we have a roast chicken about once a week, so it wouldn't take long to eat all of the few that we have.