The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

The bigger of my CX girls died suddenly the other day. She laid a triple yolk egg right before as well. I am wondering if it was from a heart attack. She was absolutely fine that morning and gone by after work.

Big Bertha is still kicking, though she is too submissive with the roosters.

Wow.

How old are those 2 - if I remember about 1.5 years?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Great idea about the heating pad..but I am a Brinsea lover. I would love a small one of those.(Green House) They have them at farm and fleet for reasonable.

Del - how many Brinsea's do you have? If you were going to buy another/more, would you consider trying the Premier or would you just stick with the Brinseas?

 

[aoxa]

Wow.

How old are those 2 - if I remember about 1.5 years?

No they are 8 months. I am thinking that egg may have really done her over. It was the biggest chicken egg I have ever seen.

I know it was a CX egg because of the colour.

She was quite heavy. I weighed her 10 day old baby today 135 grams. I am not sure if that is good or not. It is the size of the Ameraucanas who are a week older right now.

 

[delisha]

The bigger of my CX girls died suddenly the other day. She laid a triple yolk egg right before as well. I am wondering if it was from a heart attack. She was absolutely fine that morning and gone by after work.

Big Bertha is still kicking, though she is too submissive with the roosters.

Because of your diligent practices she lived through the winter..she was simply too large. Give yourself credit..many people can't get them to live at all. It takes a special knack. They must be free ranged early on and forced to live like a chicken.

Quote: I have two Brinsea..I have never tried the Premier. It looks just like the Brinsea. I would definitely give it a try.It would be nice if you could get them in the states for the price in Ireland. (56) So far I have not found them in the States.

 

[aoxa]

Because of your diligent practices she lived through the winter..she was simply too large. Give yourself credit..many people can't get them to live at all. It takes a special knack. They must be free ranged early on and forced to live like a chicken.

I have two Brinsea..I have never tried the Premier. It looks just like the Brinsea. I would definitely give it a try.

So close to the spring too. They handle the cold okay, but the lack of forage is hard on a chicken with a tendency to be obese.

I'm glad I had the chance to hatch from her. One step in a self sustainable meat bird of my own creation

I know I can just buy the CX, but eventually I would LOVE to hatch my own. The less outside sources the better IMO.

 

[lalaland]

Justine, I've never heard of a triple yolker. no wonder the poor girl passed. it is still sad though -

another of the sulmtalers has gone broody. I wish I had my phone with me, she looks like a giant feather duster on steroids. I kept tossing her out of the nest and finally put the bars down. I don't know why Buster, alpha rooster, has such a hate thing going on with the three sulmtalers. He harasses them - so she kept trying to get back in the barred nest, and he would fly over and yank some neck feathers out and chase her in to the second half of the coop. THen booster would defend her, it was a mess. feathers flying, and she didn't give a rip, she just wanted back on that nest.

It is melting like crazy, we are having a heat wave. 37 today, the snow level dropped a couple of inches. heavy wet. the chickens are eating it like crazy.

keep your fingers crossed for me that I'm thinking clearly enough at 4 am to put the bars on the nest boxes up again so they can lay tomorrow!

 

[Kassaundra]

Justine, I've never heard of a triple yolker. no wonder the poor girl passed. it is still sad though -

another of the sulmtalers has gone broody. I wish I had my phone with me, she looks like a giant feather duster on steroids. I kept tossing her out of the nest and finally put the bars down. I don't know why Buster, alpha rooster, has such a hate thing going on with the three sulmtalers. He harasses them - so she kept trying to get back in the barred nest, and he would fly over and yank some neck feathers out and chase her in to the second half of the coop. THen booster would defend her, it was a mess. feathers flying, and she didn't give a rip, she just wanted back on that nest.

It is melting like crazy, we are having a heat wave. 37 today, the snow level dropped a couple of inches. heavy wet. the chickens are eating it like crazy.

keep your fingers crossed for me that I'm thinking clearly enough at 4 am to put the bars on the nest boxes up again so they can lay tomorrow!

I had one once when my hatchery EE just started laying.

 

[chick rookie]

Justine, I've never heard of a triple yolker. no wonder the poor girl passed. it is still sad though -

another of the sulmtalers has gone broody. I wish I had my phone with me, she looks like a giant feather duster on steroids. I kept tossing her out of the nest and finally put the bars down. I don't know why Buster, alpha rooster, has such a hate thing going on with the three sulmtalers. He harasses them - so she kept trying to get back in the barred nest, and he would fly over and yank some neck feathers out and chase her in to the second half of the coop. THen booster would defend her, it was a mess. feathers flying, and she didn't give a rip, she just wanted back on that nest.

It is melting like crazy, we are having a heat wave. 37 today, the snow level dropped a couple of inches. heavy wet. the chickens are eating it like crazy.

keep your fingers crossed for me that I'm thinking clearly enough at 4 am to put the bars on the nest boxes up again so they can lay tomorrow!

I got one from a mystery hen once. got a pic someplace...???????

 

[misbhaven]

How did you keep your cornish x alive for so long? I have some now at 3 weeks I placed 2 I n with some white rocks the same age. They act more normal chick like than the other piggies who about attack your hand when placing food. My goal is to grow them a little slower so I gan grow them as big as possible.. but keep those 2 for breeding for a few months untill I can get some chicks.

 

[aoxa]

How did you keep your cornish x alive for so long? I have some now at 3 weeks I placed 2 I n with some white rocks the same age. They act more normal chick like than the other piggies who about attack your hand when placing food. My goal is to grow them a little slower so I gan grow them as big as possible.. but keep those 2 for breeding for a few months untill I can get some chicks.

I limited their feed and they foraged from 2 weeks old to winter. They won't go out in the snow.

They did very well until they weren't able to forage. Once that was cut out, they started gaining.. Kind of like many of us during the winter.. I know I pack on a few lol