The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lazy gardener]

My flock will be moving into new digs, hopefully within the next week. They'll not be moving far, only 40' or so, but it'll be a completely new experience for them. Any suggestions about how to make the move go as smoothly as possible? I'm not crazy about having to relocate them manually after they've gone to bed! I was even considering opening up the door to the new building and letting them "discover it" with a little assistance from some goodies thrown into the litter.

 

[lalaland]

I took the day off work today to get the last minute things done for the barn housing. We were in the 50's and almost 60 yesterday, then 50's today and it's supposed to drop to the teens tonight.

Got everyone rounded up (which wasn't as easy a task as I thought it would be) and into the barn. It was so strange for the rest of the afternoon. They were very quiet. Exploring, but quite. And when it came time for roosting, the just didn't know what to do. They got a little more "talky" then, but still quiet.

Ended up putting one on a roost and then another tried out; then they both jumped down. It is pretty interesting to see them try to figure out what they should do. I think they were all thinking I was going to open the door and they'd all run home.

they are funny, aren't they? Yesterday I had to crawl under the coop to get hens that were afraid of the snow, today everyone made it into the roost just fine. Had to chase them out in the morning for the second morning in a row (snow!) - tomorrow they are on their own.

Had 14 inches of snow, and more coming tonight. Dropping down to 12 above zero. Was snowed in yesteray with drifting but no problems getting out today. Its winter!

 

[Leahs Mom]

My flock will be moving into new digs, hopefully within the next week. They'll not be moving far, only 40' or so, but it'll be a completely new experience for them. Any suggestions about how to make the move go as smoothly as possible? I'm not crazy about having to relocate them manually after they've gone to bed! I was even considering opening up the door to the new building and letting them "discover it" with a little assistance from some goodies thrown into the litter.

That was exactly what I was trying to do. I had the door open whenever we were working on it and the more curious ones would venture in shortly then flitter away.

Today I brought out the mealworms and was trying to coax them in there but as soon as a few would come in, a few more would run out! I ended up having to capture a good number of them and bring them over. I wish I hadn't done it that way actually. It was raining a cold rain and I was hoping they could get in there and I could observe them while was off work which is why I did. If I wasn't working I would have waited until night and brought them over then just observed during the day tomorrow.

It would have been better if I was ready a little earlier so that I could have made it less stressful all around.


@Lacy Blues
Yogurt is a good idea. I also have avian probiotics (AVI-Culutre II) that I can add to feed or water or even the yogurt as well. I will probably put that out tomorrow morning.

 

[Leahs Mom]

they are funny, aren't they? Yesterday I had to crawl under the coop to get hens that were afraid of the snow, today everyone made it into the roost just fine. Had to chase them out in the morning for the second morning in a row (snow!) - tomorrow they are on their own.

Had 14 inches of snow, and more coming tonight. Dropping down to 12 above zero. Was snowed in yesteray with drifting but no problems getting out today. Its winter!

Wow. Flashbacks from last year. Not looking forward to it.

How many birds do you have right now? Any roos left? Everyone in the same coop? And now apparent health issues?


I think I may lose my barred rock soon. Not illness, just obviously slowing down the older she gets. She'll be 3 in March and she's a hatchery girl. When I observe her she just seems "slow". Of course she is in the middle of molt and looked that way last year too. 3 seems young but I guess when you're a hatchery kiddo you may not last quite as long as you might have otherwise.

We'll see. Maybe I'm just observing the molt slow-down.

 

[rowerjen]

@ lazy gardener - I've moved two flocks from my temporary quarantine coop to their permanent homes, and while each explored their new digs once they were allowed to putter about the yard with the rest of the gang, they headed right back "home" at bed time. Moving them at night was easy, and after being confined to the new coop and run for a day, they never looked back. Granted, I was dealing with a small number of birds each time.

 

[islandgirl82]

My flock will be moving into new digs, hopefully within the next week. They'll not be moving far, only 40' or so, but it'll be a completely new experience for them. Any suggestions about how to make the move go as smoothly as possible? I'm not crazy about having to relocate them manually after they've gone to bed! I was even considering opening up the door to the new building and letting them "discover it" with a little assistance from some goodies thrown into the litter.

I moved my flock to a larger coop this summer. I left the big door open while I was working in it and the oldest two would always come in to poke around while I was in there. When it actually came time to move them all in, I hung a dry feeder in it so they all wanted in but it took a while for the hens to let the pullets past the door even with free ranging. I would have to herd the pullets in in the evenings at first but eventually they all worked it out.

 

[mlowen]

I think I may lose my barred rock soon. Not illness, just obviously slowing down the older she gets. She'll be 3 in March and she's a hatchery girl. When I observe her she just seems "slow". Of course she is in the middle of molt and looked that way last year too. 3 seems young but I guess when you're a hatchery kiddo you may not last quite as long as you might have otherwise.

We'll see. Maybe I'm just observing the molt slow-down.

My daughter has a few hens (hatchery birds) aged 6 or 7 who are still living, though not laying.

 

[mlowen]

I was wanting to find something scientific about why hens cackle after laying. This article does not address that question, but it's pretty good general information about chicken behavior.

http://www.extension.org/pages/6617...mall-and-backyard-poultry-flocks#.VGNDob6przI

 

[lalaland]

Wow. Flashbacks from last year. Not looking forward to it.

How many birds do you have right now? Any roos left? Everyone in the same coop? And now apparent health issues?


I think I may lose my barred rock soon. Not illness, just obviously slowing down the older she gets. She'll be 3 in March and she's a hatchery girl. When I observe her she just seems "slow". Of course she is in the middle of molt and looked that way last year too. 3 seems young but I guess when you're a hatchery kiddo you may not last quite as long as you might have otherwise.

We'll see. Maybe I'm just observing the molt slow-down.

I am down to 17, of which 4 are from this year's chicks. No roosters. Health issues? well, poor Angelina, who was the one who was somehow scalped as a chick, is blind in one eye, has a crippled wing and very crooked and scanty feathers, has just developed hypermetria which is when they high step - the knee goes up to the chest and then down each step. It is indicative of brain lesions which is common in a form of mareks.

Funny thing about her - with this years molt most of her feathers came in white!

about your barred rock....I have a 6 year old hatchery ee who is doing ok. And a couple of 4 year old welsummers and astrolorps.

Everyone is in the same coop - hooray!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I have a english black orp who stopped laying for the winter. Her replacement has been ordered.