The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Jewelwing]

This is fairly normal behavior, though. They tolerate us because we bring the food but the moment they think we might be after them, they're off and running.

Yes, but most of mine will squat when I reach down at them, and I can then grab them if I need to. The two Australorps are the most flighty, and tend to run instead of squat.

My two Brahmas, on the other hand, beg to be held on my lap! When I squat down to fill the food bowls, they'll peck at me until I cuddle them under an arm. Then they'll make little happy noises and fall asleep.

My Sussex is always the first of the flock to come running when she sees me, so I'd been hoping she would teach the chicks to do that too.

 

[slordaz]

trick might have been letting the duckling play momma as she is slightly older or so we thought and wanted too, might try that next time ya get chicks, I didn't have any adult birds though when I started this flock. still have to really watch them closely though when we let them out to free range as the duck calls them to go swimming with her and when we cut them off at the pass she just tries herding them back to the pen then., we have to pick the ducks up and take them to the pond before letting the chicks out for them to be out very long to prevent her from trying to take the chicks swimming.

The week old RIR's are loving their protected box as the ducks and meat birds can't get in it, today were hilarious as they can run around if they choose to in the coop and are they saw the older birds using the water nipples on the hanging waterer so when they came back in from some time in the run with the others they looked like jumping beans using the big kids waterer. they off the heat lamp unless we get a below freezing night which is still possible this time of year snuggle down with the chick in deep straw and it's lights out for the night.

added bonus the duckling keeps the peace and herds them pretty much, she is easy to get to come too as she knows when ducky is called it's veggie time lol

at what age do roosters start to crow? don't really think it's a week old so we may have one in disguise of pullet or a neighbor got one we hadn't heard about lol

 

[COChix]

I doubt it.  Hatcheries are in business to make money.  Most all of them kill all the birds at 18 months of age when they stop laying and start molting because they don't want to feed unproductive birds for 3 months while they grow all new feathers.

Can I ask what you are using to hold your cave up?  

Why of course, I am using a tomatoe cage that I cut and then wrapped in chicken wire as the chicks like to climb on the cave just like they would a hen.

The last picture shows my original design but after trial and error, I decided it all needed to be wrapped in wire as there needs to be support for them to climb and sleep on. I can't find the updated picture of the frame after I re-wrapped it in wire. I also took time to go back through and flatten any sharp edges with pliers. Check out the thread as people are using a variety of different vessels for their cave. I just happened to have a ton of tomatoe cages and that is why I used it. Something to keep in mind is the idea is that the chicks can crawl into the cave to warm up just like they would a hen. The cave should be low enough that their backs can touch or almost touch the heating pad. You can then adjust the height of the cave as they grow, so I flattened the tomatoe cage somewhat and will be raising it as they grow.

 

[Jewelwing]

I tried putting just four of the chicks under my second broody, the Australorp, last night. Again, in the morning as soon as she saw them she tried to peck at them, so I took them away again.

I think I'll try again in a week or so, because there's no harm done to try it (just my loss of sleep) and it would save me much grief trying to build something to keep them separate in the coop. And it would allow them to have a more natural upbringing and let them free range much sooner. So the worst that happens if I try to put them under a broody again is that I end up right where I'm at, raising them myself.

I will have to make some sort of lid for the container they're in now, though, because I'm afraid my Hamburgs (who my husband and son named "Mother Clucker" and "Hamburgler") will try to escape before another week goes by - they're excellent fliers!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Why of course, I am using a tomatoe cage that I cut and then wrapped in chicken wire as the chicks like to climb on the cave just like they would a hen.

Oh! I remember now... you shared that before. What I was wondering about mostly was the black material showing at the front edge of your cave.

I use the same thing... heating pads! Love those things!

 

[JulesChicks]

Hi everyone! It seems if I don't check in everyday, then I don't get emails with my subscription updates, so I just had to catch up on several pages, ugh! Also, if you are talking to someone and want to make sure they see it (in case they aren't getting their updates) may I suggest you tag them by typing the @ symbol and then beginning to type their username, a box should pop up so you can select it. That way they are notified. Thanks!

Soooo...thank you for the feedback on the minerals and vitamins. I do think I will look for some chicken liver today, although the chick in question is acting normal now. Yay for that!

I do have another chick, one of the two youngest whose vent is pink and looks a little inflamed. It did not have pasty butt per se, but had some poo below the vent that I washed off. Also, one of it's little wings looks split - hard to describe. It seems like it's missing a feather where the primaries and secondaries meet (if I'm describing that correctly). This chick seems to be at the lowest of of the pecking order (maybe both for size and how it's feeling?) The other one the same age is right in there with the others that are a week older. This chick is eating and drinking, but maybe not as much as the others. I am sprinkling the crumble over the FF and they still seem not to be consuming it. They are eating the crumble in the other container though.

I love the heating pad brooder @COChix and would love to make one of those. I don't like leaving a light on for them at night, just doesn't seem natural to me.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I wouldn't worry about the vent being pink. If you noticed it when you were washing it off, it may have been caused by the poop being stuck there.

Also, don't worry about the split wing (yes you descried it perfectly) it will grow in. They are still babies yet and will go through a lot of changes.

 

[JulesChicks]

Thank you Lacy, that's exactly what I was hoping. I will keep watching it. This is my first time having chicks/chickens myself, so it's a steep learning curve!

 

[slordaz]

Jules best thing to do is remember to breath, my friend likes to stress and has almost hyper ventilated a couple of times but she over worries, relax and enjoy them watching them as they grow faster than kids. Not sure why but the more stressed you are the more it seems to stress other animals around you. I got the baby RIRs in the coop with the older chicks and ducklings and they aren't under the light after weening for 2 days. unless it's gonna be under freezing and they just barely have wing feathers but the other chicks that were brooder raised are keeping em plenty warm with extra straw in their mini pen. we watched them closely when we changed the brooding pen in there to more like a laying box/mini grow out just made adjustable opening small enough they and the chick that takes care of them can get in but the meat chicks and ducklings cant. They seem quite happy with that setup and the other chicks have already accepted then and everyone's got their pecking order figured out.

 

[COChix]

Oh!  I remember now... you shared that before.  What I was wondering about mostly was the black material showing at the front edge of your cave.

I use the same thing... heating pads!  Love those things!

Oh well the fabric is just an old piece of fabric I found to cover the cave, as it was suggested. The fabric was covered is press n stick so when it gets gross and too poopy you can take it off and recover. Well I found that it made the material kinda slick and I decided to remove the fabric, after all the heating pad will never be used for anything else, I just removed it and covered the pad with straw. Yea love the heating pad brooder, ours are definitely feathering faster now.

What do you all typically do with your broodies? Do you leave them with the flock? I ask because every time our broody is off the nest for food she is getting into frequent squabbles with her flock mates. If anyone tries to mess with her she goes on the attack. I figure she is just setting the stage for when she has a chick to raise, that the flock better not mess with her. Anyway just curious, ours is in one of the smaller nest boxes in the main coop. I am able to get her off for food and treats and sometimes a dirt bath as well, then she goes right back to the nest and her eggs, pretty cool to watch. She is our first broody with eggs. Thanks