The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ShrekDawg]

Ahhh okay, that makes sense! I'll probably do the dirt then! But would it burn wood?

Yeah, we mostly have pine, oak, and mapleand I wanted to rent a chipper but my dad suggested we just go to the dump and get some so may just do that. Worried about not knowing the kinds of trees though hah but under a few inches of leaf litter it shouldn't make much of a difference anyway. Plus those probably would be cured

Yeah, bugs are great. I thought about buying some but they'll come naturally.

Though recently my birds had zero interest in worms, even my normally piggy Orps and laying right on the ground. Even a big fat earthworm and even that one and a smaller one on the ground at once... very weird. But it also wasn't really moving at all. One of the Orps did later eat a decent sized grub later though.

 

[Leahs Mom]

My birds want the worms sometimes and sometimes not.

I have a hunch that they have a different chemistry going on during different times of the year. Not sure on that, but it does happen with plants as well. They are edible during certain time periods and then at other times in their life cycle carry a higher anti-nutrient profile that makes them less valuable as food. I'm guessing it's something like that with the worms. Or perhaps the birds are able to tell if there is an issue with the worms that they shouldn't eat them. (All just theory.)

 

[ShrekDawg]

That all makes a lot of sense!! I never thought of it like that. The weird thing is they just ate them a couple month ago but maybe the nutrients change like you said. Plus a few would always overeat them and get sick so maybe they figure they better not eat any

 

[smokie]

sorry to interrupt very interesting conversation on natural chicken keeping I just had to post photo of one of the Cambodian roos that runing with my hens as I think he real beauty he can fly like pheasant he come in morning then fly away many so beautiful roos hear

 

[smokie]

http://[email protected]

 

[smokie]

 

[smokie]

 

[lazy gardener]

He is gorgeous!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@smokey
Pretty impressive. What kind of temperament does he have? Looks scary!

 

[smokie]

The Roos hear all seem to have a very good temperament as far as people are concerned there are many many Roos about they seem to keep out of each other's way most of the time sometimes they fight they very beautiful to look at they are very vocal the hens are very vicious as far as dogs concerned I have seen three hens attack my dog and would let go this only happens when they have chicks, these chickens all seemed to be owned by somebody they just lead a feral scavenging life hear nearly all people seem to keep chickens all totally free range most do not get fed at all and no doubt over hundreds of generations only the fittest have survived so the gene pool for chickens here must be some hardiest burds in the world I would allso imagine some might have some jungle fowl blood in them