The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Scott H]

Quote:
I only have 2 nesting boxes and they want to use the one on the left...badly. When broody Tina took it over, Oprah crawled in with her, finally gave up, and went in the other box.

I've been home all morning and haven't seen Tina come off her fake eggs yet...I'm going to go out and drag her off to poo, drink and eat. I do that every day to keep her alive. Last year she was broody for way over a month before giving up. Then she started molting....

 

[Scott H]

@Scott H

The reason that I concluded that shipped eggs do better with an incubator is that they are mostly in an upright position and the turners only move them a bit...from side to side. If they have been detached during shipping and don't re-attach, they at least have a better chance than they would being on their side and moved naturally by a broody.

The first shipped eggs - 1 hatched out of 7 under the broody. Eggs were from 2 different sources.

The second shipped eggs - 0 hatch out of 5 shipped; 3 of 3 hatched of non-shipped.

Very frustrating.

Yes, I've read about the shipped eggs frustration. Sounds like I'm trying to hit the lottery by hoping for 3 pullets out of 8 eggs, LOL! I'll PM Chickenhill and ask her about her experience.

 

[RedRidge]

My flock of productions currently have access to the pen with six nesting boxes in it. All 17 of them use the same box - top center. It's funny to see them standing in line and squawking to move it along! When one goes broody everyone tells on her, so I move her to my tiny pen to be alone.

 

[Scott H]

@armorfirelady

Quote:
This is what I was hoping to do. There is an old dog house attached I hoped they'd use for a nesting area but they didn't like it. The entrance is under the poop hammock and maybe the chicks can use it to get out of the way of the hens if they want to.

 

[Scott H]

My flock of productions currently have access to the pen with six nesting boxes in it. All 17 of them use the same box - top center. It's funny to see them standing in line and squawking to move it along! When one goes broody everyone tells on her, so I move her to my tiny pen to be alone.

Yep...I was reading a negative review on the plastic nesting boxes I have and the lady said they were not big enough for LF. I commented to her that I could send her a picture of two large Wyandottes in one box.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes, I've read about the shipped eggs frustration. Sounds like I'm trying to hit the lottery by hoping for 3 pullets out of 8 eggs, LOL! I'll PM Chickenhill and ask her about her experience.

Well...here's some good news..
Of the 3 that hatched in my last brood it was 100% pullet. (Non-shipped eggs.)


Oh...and I just thought I'd say...she'll go out for food and potty on her own if you let her

 

[delisha]

Quote: Same here. I've never bought grit

x3..they have dirt..and my driveway is gravel if they are hard up...lol

Quote:

I only have 2 nesting boxes and they want to use the one on the left...badly. When broody Tina took it over, Oprah crawled in with her, finally gave up, and went in the other box.

I've been home all morning and haven't seen Tina come off her fake eggs yet...I'm going to go out and drag her off to poo, drink and eat. I do that every dy to keep her alive. Last year she was broody for way over a month before giving up. Then she started molting....

Scott, I have three hens with chicks..and one had them in the snow three weeks ago..the other two are Easter hatches and out and about...chickens are amazing creatures..mothers are built to keep baby's warm. They are among the flock..I have cookie behind a fence during the day..baby chicks are too tempting for her.

 

[Scott H]

Thanks!

 

[Scott H]

Had to have this T-Shirt!

 

[armorfirelady]

@armorfirelady

Quote:

This is what I was hoping to do. There is an old dog house attached I hoped they'd use for a nesting area but they didn't like it. The entrance is under the poop hammock and maybe the chicks can use it to get out of the way of the hens if they want to.

Hens are such funny creatures. Some things they have they will not use but other things fascinate them. My girls were fascinated with a plastic dog crate after I had took 1 hen out of it. Nothing in but dirt but all them had to go in there once or twice to check it out

Quote: My girls also wait in line to lay. Even with the new nesting box with the divider out they still wait & complain tho 2 & even 3 could fit in there if they wanted I used to use an old empty plastic box that was narrow & I had seen up to 3 in there at once.