The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

Thank you, everyone, for all your bumble foot and chicken wrangling advice! I'm thinking of going over and giving her a hand on the weekend with him.

So I went back when I got home and all the grain was eaten and the area all scratched up with a few feathers. Didn't go in the trap but I didn't really expect her to. Spent another hour in the woods looking for either her or a spot she roosts. There was tons of sign, feathers, scratched up spots and poop but no chicken.

Buuuut...I guess she was sick of life in the wild or maybe some food reminded her of the good old days because she was hiding in a nest box in the coop when I went to lock up! I counted over and over thinking maybe I lost my mind but yep we are definitely back up one bird.

Missing tons of feathers, skinny, terrified and has multiple puncture wounds and scratches at varying stages of healing but wow! Cannot believe a chicken could make it that long out there. Now she deserves a name to fit her survivor attitude...and some extra treats and love!

thats wonderful! keep us posted on how she is doing. are you worried about her wounds or do you feel she is on the mend? Now you get to feed her lots of fattening and strenthening food. Is the flock treating her as a "new" hen or leaving her alone?

 

[CherMoz]

Thank you, everyone, for all your bumble foot and chicken wrangling advice! I'm thinking of going over and giving her a hand on the weekend with him.

So I went back when I got home and all the grain was eaten and the area all scratched up with a few feathers. Didn't go in the trap but I didn't really expect her to. Spent another hour in the woods looking for either her or a spot she roosts. There was tons of sign, feathers, scratched up spots and poop but no chicken.

Buuuut...I guess she was sick of life in the wild or maybe some food reminded her of the good old days because she was hiding in a nest box in the coop when I went to lock up! I counted over and over thinking maybe I lost my mind but yep we are definitely back up one bird.

Missing tons of feathers, skinny, terrified and has multiple puncture wounds and scratches at varying stages of healing but wow! Cannot believe a chicken could make it that long out there. Now she deserves a name to fit her survivor attitude...and some extra treats and love!

Great news!

 

[armorfirelady]

So for todays funny......................last night I got home at dusk & the girls were all roosting. I had french fries from take out I had gotten earlier & yelled to the girls and I tossed them in the run.

Out come the big girls........1, 2, 3, Stella.......ran right into the hardware cloth..............guess in her excitement to get a french fry she forgot to make a left turn out of the enclosure. She was not amused with me laughing at her either. I never knew chickens could give dirty looks lol

Chicken entertainment is the the best. I just wish I had a video of her doing it

 

[lalaland]

I can picture her running right into it!


working from home today, and today is the first day in weeks of no broodies. Was checking coop frequently....noticed coco chanel on a nest, later on a different nest, and finally on a third nest with another hen literally standing on her back. I thought, darn, she's going broody, so I grabbed her.

Thought I may as well check her over for lice, etc - flipped her around, looked for her vent, and an egg was halfway out! Poor girl. I put her down pretty fast, the egg clunked to the floor and that was that. talk about bad timing!

haven't done anything for worms other than molly's herbal, garlic, and some shreadded comfrey. I keep forgetting to shred up some carrots for them, I've read that is also a pretty good anti worm thing. Haven't seen anymore worms. Egg laying is up, especially since I found a hidden nest. THe year olds are pretty much laying, I think, except for the three that were broody....the oldest girls are not laying and are definitely molting.

Hawks and eagles everywhere. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hawks have come back around for another try here too. Strange..it was quiet for a week or so then every day almost all day long.

I finally put the 18 week olds out with the rest of the flock for ranging during the day. They have exhibited very good hawk watching and hiding echniques while they were in the grow area of the run and also while out w/the rest of the flock. I'm only letting them out when I'm at home and not first thing in the morning with the others. I'm also changing the times I let the older ones out....sometimes keeping them in the run until I"m home from work just to throw the pattern off for watching hawks.

This morning I kept them in the run and at just about the time they normally go out a hawk came in while I was in the car getting ready to drive away. Got out and made a commotion then headed to work. But it seems obvious to me that this thing knows when they usually go out by his/her timing.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I can picture her running right into it!


working from home today, and today is the first day in weeks of no broodies. Was checking coop frequently....noticed coco chanel on a nest, later on a different nest, and finally on a third nest with another hen literally standing on her back. I thought, darn, she's going broody, so I grabbed her.

Thought I may as well check her over for lice, etc - flipped her around, looked for her vent, and an egg was halfway out! Poor girl. I put her down pretty fast, the egg clunked to the floor and that was that. talk about bad timing!

haven't done anything for worms other than molly's herbal, garlic, and some shreadded comfrey. I keep forgetting to shred up some carrots for them, I've read that is also a pretty good anti worm thing. Haven't seen anymore worms. Egg laying is up, especially since I found a hidden nest. THe year olds are pretty much laying, I think, except for the three that were broody....the oldest girls are not laying and are definitely molting.

Hawks and eagles everywhere. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Shredded carrots are good for worming? I didn't know that. I use shredded carrots often just for the vitamin a content. If they worm too, that's great!

 

[Leahs Mom]

And.....


Some photos of the now 18 week olds Swedes.



3 Sisters:




Black 1. She doesn't have brown in the hackles but has a lot of "blue sheen".






Black Band. She has brown in the hackles.









"Brown"

 

[Leahs Mom]

I am going to re-home 2 of my older flock this weekend. They have both been aggressive to other birds and I don't want to deal with it over the winter.

 

[Leahs Mom]

On the carrots - those of you that have used them... Do you feed them raw or cooked? How well do the birds eat them?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Swedes? Swedish flower hens? They are stunning! Love the feather quality!