The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

Have you thought about using deep litter in your coop? I only clean out my coop once a year. It's dusty more this time of year because there is hardly any litter material in the coop but I have been adding just cut grass clipping and damp leaves & it cuts the dust way down.

yeah, I do use deep litter. Semi because it never really seems to decompose. In the winter it cakes and ices and freezes, but it gets turned over in the spring when it thaws. It is too early for grass cutting here., but I don't collect the clippings anyway. Had a week straight of rain and it came in the door and ran under the litter...top was dry, bottom stunk. So I got out the wet stuff, left the dry powdery stuff and cleaner hay. Had some very angry hens because their nest boxes were moved.

next to build a broody house for the broody once she hatches her clutch.

 

[Nomibear]

Thought of that, so the kids and I have been searching diligently... still nothing.

We live on one acre, the chickens have free range of it. I Know they are laying somewhere else, as least some of them. I have found a couple nests, but when I start removing their eggs they choose a new place! I am still getting eggs from some steady girls who lay in the coop.

Here's the outdoor portable pen when I tried adding Emma. (Got this pen in 2012 when I first got the chicks...from Craigslist. It folds flat. I bungee a tarp on top for hawk protection and shade. Because I didn't cut back the covering feathers, you can't see the wound..but you can see how it goes down the left over the shoulder.

I love the little portable pen!!! I want one, it would be perfect for my Roo to have timeout in...

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
yup. he already has. LOL itold him he needs to come on here. kid's also basically on a carb-free diet, they already raise cow pig and chicken so that's covered, but the rest of the family is trying to support him on that diet but wants to go healthier (organic/non gmo) and learn all they can otherwise. and I know I saw some good reading mentioned but don't feel like digging back thru the last month or more...

 

[heartsizedfarm]

yup. he already has. LOL  itold him he needs to come on here. kid's also basically on a carb-free diet, they already raise cow pig and chicken so that's covered, but the rest of the family is trying to support him on that diet but wants to go healthier (organic/non gmo) and learn all they can otherwise.  and I know I saw some good reading mentioned but don't feel like digging back thru the last month or more...

When my son was seven he developed asthma and our research into natural remedies transformed our family's life. We thought of him as our "canary in the mine". If he can't tolerate sulphites, MSG, food colouring etc, why should we? Like families who shave their heads for the cancer survivor child, we ALL gave up eating fake food and we all became so much healthier in the process. And by the time he was 11 he hadn't had an asthma attack for a year, and now he's 26, touch wood, no asthma at all for all those years.

 

[armorfirelady]

Another nice day her so I stopped by a local greenhouse & picked up some more veggies. I am hoping my plastic covers protect them since we are still having nights in the high 30s low 40s. I am trying something new this year. I read about starting veggies early by planting them in hay bales. I figured it was a good way to repurpose the ones I used during the winter as wind breaks. I even put some potatoes in the bottom of the bales to see if they would grow as well.
My seeds I put under the cold frames are even starting to grow

And to keep this chicken related.....

Stella doing what she does best........I've cut their food back to 3 cups for 8 hens & tomorrow it will be cut back to 2 cups since there is always leftovers (4 cups is what they get during the winter)

And miss Edie all fluffed up after I gave her a nice back scratch when she came to visit me

Oh and my mom got me a citronella plant today. I planted it next to the coop along with some mint. The mint can take off and run where it is. It's bare dirt since the hens frequent the area '

 

[beccasev]

I've recently introduced 4 rooster chicks to my 10 hens. The chicks are 8ish weeks old. I'm pretty sure they are all boys. The only one else I'm not sure of is the silver laced wyandotte. Anyway, my one barred rock hen is being a total snot today. They've been together for about 2 weeks now. Most of the girls are nice now. But my BR is being a stink. Tonight I went to close up the coop. Stinker BR was roosting in the doorway. All 4 chicks were sitting right outside on the log steps. I tossed stinker back in the coop and she immediately went on the roost. I tossed the other 4 chicks in and shut the door. They settled down in the bedding. I'm hoping she behaves better tomorrow or I might toss her in the tractor for the day.

 

[gevshiba]

We live on one acre, the chickens have free range of it. I Know they are laying somewhere else, as least some of them. I have found a couple nests, but when I start removing their eggs they choose a new place!
I am still getting eggs from some steady girls who lay in the coop.
I love the little portable pen!!! I want one, it would be perfect for my Roo to have timeout in...

This didn't Quote the part I wanted to comment on, but oh well. The pen Leahs Mom is using is an exercise pen for dogs. It's commonly called an ex-pen. You can also buy a top that is made of the same panels. I use trigger snaps to put the top on temporarily and zip ties for a more permanent use.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've recently introduced 4 rooster chicks to my 10 hens. The chicks are 8ish weeks old. I'm pretty sure they are all boys. The only one else I'm not sure of is the silver laced wyandotte. Anyway, my one barred rock hen is being a total snot today. They've been together for about 2 weeks now. Most of the girls are nice now. But my BR is being a stink. Tonight I went to close up the coop. Stinker BR was roosting in the doorway. All 4 chicks were sitting right outside on the log steps. I tossed stinker back in the coop and she immediately went on the roost. I tossed the other 4 chicks in and shut the door. They settled down in the bedding. I'm hoping she behaves better tomorrow or I might toss her in the tractor for the day.

My BRs do the exact same thing - except there are 2 of them. This winter when it was so cold, they would stand inside the coop - one on either side of the pop door like sentries and keep the young'uns out. VERY EXASPERATING. I caught one of them doing it the other night.

I finally took the 2 BRs and put them separate last night and tonight with the roo in a separate little area in the coop. I was ready to shoot 'em.

Quote: I got mine from Craigslist... where did you get the top for yours? Could you post a photo? Right now I'm just zip tying a tarp on it that doesn't fit. Oh...what specifically are trigger snaps?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Guess what I got today

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Guess what I got today

Adorable! What are they?