The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

I think chicken math is exacerbated with broodies.

I like my flock size right now! 17 including a rooster. But then the sulmtaler went broody, and now there are 24, and there are three more hens turned broody, and....feed store has some barred rock and buff orps that someone cancelled on - I could grab a few and put them under each broody but then I would be up to 30 and there are still 4 legbar pullets coming.

Always had hatchery birds before last spring. Hatchery birds will go broody but so easy to break out of broodiness. These icelandics and sulmtalers, forget it. It doesn't matter what you do, they are going to be broody. Right now the two sulmtalers are broody on an empty nest, one looks like a male turkey strutting his stuff - all her feathers are standing straight out from her and she growls continuously.

Its crazy making.

Dorkings and bantam Cochins are like that. LOL and my buff orp too

this round, I gave up and just yanked her off the nest and tossed her (literally) in a pen with babies ranging from 3-6 weeks old. this is what happened.

 

[Scott H]

So just throw some chicks in with your broody to break her?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wish I had a bird that would take my 3 week olds!

 

[ki4got]

So just throw some chicks in with your broody to break her?

rofl... I had planned on giving her chicks since she's always been a good mother, but we had a cold snap and they were getting cold even with the heat bulb... figured she'd take care of it for me. LOL she did.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Cooling off on a hot day.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I don't know why the photo is fuzzy, but if you use a little imagination, you will see an old styrofoam cooler covered in hardware cloth. I put strips of wool hanging down from the top. The two week old chicks slept in it last night, and today they're voluntarily going in there to warm up when they get cold. Two week chicks are doing FINE outside by themselves with no mother hen and no supplemental heat.

 

[mlowen]

@lalaland: I'm with you on the hatchery birds being easy to break from broody. All it took was one full day and night in "the box" and my barred rock is back to regular hen behavior. She's still not laying, but is no longer staying in the nest box and is hanging out with the rest of the flock.

 

[mlowen]

I don't know why the photo is fuzzy, but if you use a little imagination, you will see an old styrofoam cooler covered in hardware cloth. I put strips of wool hanging down from the top. The two week old chicks slept in it last night, and today they're voluntarily going in there to warm up when they get cold. Two week chicks are doing FINE outside by themselves with no mother hen and no supplemental heat.

Brilliant!

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't know why the photo is fuzzy, but if you use a little imagination, you will see an old styrofoam cooler covered in hardware cloth. I put strips of wool hanging down from the top. The two week old chicks slept in it last night, and today they're voluntarily going in there to warm up when they get cold. Two week chicks are doing FINE outside by themselves with no mother hen and no supplemental heat.

I love seeing all these versions of the broody bucket! Great job.

 

[armorfirelady]

Cooling off on a hot day.

I wish it was warm here. I just lit a fire to take the chill out of the house. Mind you was in the 60s today but the winds makes it feel sooooo much colder. Brrr! Scot I love the pictures. Margaretyakoda- I would watch to make sure they can't peck the styrofoam. I see there's hardware cloth over it but my girls still ate the styrofoam thru it. I finally put it in garbage bags (I use it around the exterior of the coop during the winter to keep drafts out. Goofy hens. So my Stella story for the week is: she keeps hoping the fence to get in the veggie garden. Last 3 days she has been in there and keeps laying her egg next to the coop. I need to set up the game cam so I can see which way she is going. I swear if anyone needs a hen to see if their enclosure is secure I will send her over lol. I actually keep telling my Mom she is going to find "her Stella" in her back yard one of these days if she doesn't stop. The funny part is she can't figure out how to get back in where she belongs and as soon as she sees someone out she runs for the gate to be let in. Lucy & Sophie are still sitting strong. No one had any suggestions so I'm going to wipe her stomach off and the eggs. She is a little stinky and I don't know if they broke another egg or someone pooped in there :/. Need to wait till after dark tho to keep her quiet