The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Scott H]

 
Gotta post this somewhere!

I hatched 16 BCMs 3 days ago.  With fear and trembling I put one under an extremely growly broody hen a couple of nights ago, then one the next night, and the 3rd last night.  (having heard pipping and good clucky noises during the day). This morning my heart sank as I  opened the broody cage and saw a dark mass at the end of the cage lying there unmoving. I put my gloved hand in to the very back and picked up - the largest stinkiest most disgusting mass of broody poop I have ever seen or smelt in all my life!

You better give us some photos!

(And I DON'T mean a photo of the poop! 

LOL!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Edited: Duplicate post for some strange reason

 

[Leahs Mom]

We read a lot of stuff about then hens in the winter. We decided not to light them. But they have just laid eggs each day. Once in a while, we get just 3, there are four of them, but I like it when all 4 lay, just so I know they are OK. They have been the best layers ever, and we are just under a year with chickens. Our cats, dog and chickens just live together like they were meant to be. Not that we are without problems. Sweetie Pie got a neck hurt, and thanks to the advise of this panel, she was fine in a couple of days. Then the dog, Bridger, got a stone cut in his paw. My first aid kit is growing.

Spring is coming, and since the hens eat all the bugs, we probably won't have any frogs. I don't really want them to eat frogs, but no control over that. They are so spoiled, because they get meal worm, raw sunflower seeds, a block of seeds, and all the stuff they snack on. I have to fence in my veg. garden etc. They love leftover cat and dog food, which I try not to let them eat a lot of because of salt. I fed them a small piece of chicken, and they loved it, but it is just wrong! At least I feed. They are totally free range, but have to be careful because of predator, and we live within the city limits.

Love to hear how everyone spoils their chickens, we don't have a roo, because we can't. Is there anyone out there in Western CO. Seems like the east and north really love chickens. Too cool. Best wishes and luck, Didymus (Beth).

Good to hear from some new folks on the thread!

How long have you had your chickens? It's wonderful that they get that extra animal/insect protein which is so missing in modern chicken feed And those frogs and bugs are some good stuff!

Great to hear that you let them go "natural" and not add the light. It's very good for them to have that rest during the winter. My girls laid through the winter when they were young pullets but the second year they definitely took their rest. They've now started back up strongly during the longer days.

We need to see some photos of yours too

 

[Leahs Mom]

3. If you want an automatic pop door, and you aren't terribly handy or have parts sitting around, just BUY one. I'm fairly handy, but can't get the dang DIY thing to work right. And I've spent almost as much as I would have just buying one.

That's the way it seems to go for me too. Lots of time and money later and wishing I had just bought the item I decided to make.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
LOL!

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Sorry if I freaked you out with this Court. It could be a cat too. The tracks are very similar. I just knew what ours were as I had seen it. If you see the tracks in mud or anything other than snow you should be able to tell a bit better. If you see claws it's not a cat. For your sake I really hope I'm wrong!

Thanks Shan-- I am not freaked out... I have been very diligent to make sure they are in at dusk. It is an oddity anyhow- We live in a subdivision with a fenced in back yard. I am home almost all the time. Honestly-- we do not have a lot of cats out here at all. There was one hanging out for a while last summer. While I know that cats can and do travel far and in and out of people's yards typically-- it seems ironic that I wouldn't see him at all during the day... Generally... the neighborhood is a little upscale so to have stray cats would be unwanted around here... The other night there were some more of those tracks...

 

[Kassaundra]

There was an article quoted yesterday, but at work I can not post on byc just read. Anyway the article stated that hand feeding or giving the roos treats from people will make them less people aggressive. I can only go by my personal experience. Our first roo we hand fed treats from hatch (well as soon as we got him from the hatchery), we (the chickens and me) would garden together and I would call him over by name (he knew his name and responded to it) and give him bugs I dug up to either eat or give to his girls, most of the time he would give them away. I raised feeder insects I would feed by hand. This is the roo that became very people aggressive. Every roo since then has been raised much more hands off. They get treats but not directly from me, the hens garden w/ me still but the boys are not allowed. Anyway we have not had an aggressive roo since adopting the more hands off approach.

My experience base is small, and could just be a fluke or aberration, but I will keep up the hands off approach until it no longer works.

 

[Leahs Mom]

There was an article quoted yesterday, but at work I can not post on byc just read. Anyway the article stated that hand feeding or giving the roos treats from people will make them less people aggressive. I can only go by my personal experience. Our first roo we hand fed treats from hatch (well as soon as we got him from the hatchery), we (the chickens and me) would garden together and I would call him over by name (he knew his name and responded to it) and give him bugs I dug up to either eat or give to his girls, most of the time he would give them away. I raised feeder insects I would feed by hand. This is the roo that became very people aggressive. Every roo since then has been raised much more hands off. They get treats but not directly from me, the hens garden w/ me still but the boys are not allowed. Anyway we have not had an aggressive roo since adopting the more hands off approach.

My experience base is small, and could just be a fluke or aberration, but I will keep up the hands off approach until it no longer works.

Thanks. I was hoping some more folks would share their experience with this. Since I only have one Mister I have little experience .

I had followed what everyone seemed to be saying and have not been particularly friendly or a foe either one. When I put stuff down on the ground for them to eat, they are all there including him. Haven't had to cordon him off yet and he seems to be okay.

The main problem I've had with him is when I was trying to give him a little extra liver when he had hurt his leg and he kept giving it away. I even put him in a place where the girls couldn't go to give it and he still insisted on trying to get them to come in there and would eat very little of it. I guess that's a good problem to have! Sometimes I wonder when he eats because I very seldom see him eat. But he's a big boy and not lacking for food for sure so he must get it while I'm not there.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
Mine are NN so I can see the crop and know they are eating, but I'm the same, I wonder when and where since they are usually giving it away. Except the capons, they don't give food away! lol I don't have any right now, but am hatching this weekend so in about 4 weeks I should have some more.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: It might of but its the same toes so I am curious if it just became inflammed again? I figured she would be susceptible again. Its is 50 here today & everything is melting again but the temps are suppose to drop again. This weather is nuts this year.

How did Booster make out with his comb? I have a few girls with white tips which I assume is frostbite but I am not going to treat them. Like Lucys toes I am just going to watch them. Especially since spring should be here soon

Handsome boy. I love how he is watching his girls dust bathe