The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

Hey, BIG question

Someone has asked me to take their 5 pullets that have just started laying. They were vaccinated as chicks against mareks. I can house them in the small coop for quarantine. But....I had that rooster with mareks earlier this fall. Thoughts on adding them?

 

[hennible]

Mareks stick around a few years in the soil doesn't it?
Maybe ask someone like @Nambroth... She has loads of info about it...

 

[ronott1]

Hey, BIG question

Someone has asked me to take their 5 pullets that have just started laying. They were vaccinated as chicks against mareks. I can house them in the small coop for quarantine. But....I had that rooster with mareks earlier this fall. Thoughts on adding them?

You can add them with no problem.There is a short time just after vaccinating them that they are contagious but after that they can be mixed.

 

[lalaland]

Thanks, I think I am going to chance it. Yup, mareks hangs around for years. And vaccines aren't 100% effective.... but this person has to find a place for her chickens and doesn't want them separated. Which is good because it is easier to add a group to a flock versus adding a lone chicken to the flock.

And nambroth is on one of the mareks threads where I also posted the question.

Keep your fingers crossed for me and the chickens.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd say that if you want them, and have the room, go for it. It's great that you have the quarantine space.

 

[delisha]

Hey, BIG question

Someone has asked me to take their 5 pullets that have just started laying. They were vaccinated as chicks against mareks. I can house them in the small coop for quarantine. But....I had that rooster with mareks earlier this fall. Thoughts on adding them?

I would take them if I were you. They are protected from Mareks. If you see one and any one start with early symptoms, just cull.

Thanks, I think I am going to chance it. Yup, mareks hangs around for years. And vaccines aren't 100% effective.... but this person has to find a place for her chickens and doesn't want them separated. Which is good because it is easier to add a group to a flock versus adding a lone chicken to the flock.

And nambroth is on one of the mareks threads where I also posted the question.

Keep your fingers crossed for me and the chickens.

They will be fine.

 

[delisha]

Well I found the lungs !!!

He weighed 3 pounds 3 ounces after he was cleaned up

not much there after cooking but he was very tasty. I don't care for brown meat & my Mom wont take it so the hens will have a nice feast on the carcass & wings & legs after work.

He certainly looked bigger in real life. He was very tall. I am guessing he would of needed a few more months of growing out to give us some more breast meat.

At least I know I can cull if I need to now

Great job!! Try the dark meat..you might be surprised.

Quote:
Thank you ..great article!
Not all hens cackle..each breed and each bird has there very own special announcement. Some you simply do not hear. Some breeds announce for a long time after laying and some simply drop the egg and run out of the box.

Quote: The orp might be in molt or rest. She will probably start to lay in March.

Okay boys and girls. I feel like I'm running a CAFO here. I HATE that these birds are in the barn without current access to outside. I plan on having them wait at least until the weekend before letting them go out. And by then we may be covered w/snow and they may not WANT to go out.

I'm waiting till the weekend as I want them to be confined long enough to know where the new residence is. And that may not be long enough. I guess we'll see.

keep us posted.

Now that I think about it, I haven't read much about long-term flock planning and management. I'll have to look for some articles.

Does anyone want to share their methods?

I keep all layers that lay in the winter. I also keep all layers that start to lay by March. The rest go. I bred for production and I do not want offspring that do not lay correctly. I try to bred from all older layers since the genetics are passed to offspring. The older the better. Right now I have two birds that are over 6 and still laying 3-5 eggs a week. I plan on hatching all the eggs from those two birds for replacements next year. From those hatchlings, I will keep all young birds that fit the closest to the SOP.

 

[armorfirelady]

Big girls are not impressed with the first snow. To bad their food on other side of snow where I shoveled

The babies were under the lean to. Apparently they don't mind the snow from the foot prints I saw around the yard. Guess I need to get the heated dog dishes out and everything plugged in for winter :/

 

[Leahs Mom]

Ah, snow. Why I am using the pole barn. Now that it has snowed I feel a lot better about having them in there.

@armorfirelady
Here is what I did w/the dog bowl and the glass waterer. Not sure how cold it will work but I'm trying anyway. There is a pyrex in the dog bowl. Hoping it will conduct the heat. It's only been in the mid-30s in the barn so I don't know if it will work down cold.





And here's the other "experimental waterer" for winter...horizontal nipples. I won't recommend it until I see how it does in the single digits and teens. I'm concerned that the springs will freeze at those temps. We shall see.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Winter home photos....they moved in Tuesday and are finally getting used to things.








Kale and Cilantro for Emma, The Bar Girl, and the Mamma (Red). Emma will be 2 yo on New Year's day; the other 2 will be 3 yo in March 2015.



Black Bandie (1 yo last September) and the Bar Girl again. @armorfirelady Notice who's at the feeder both times?