The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Thank you for the photos!

Mine are now in a pole barn as well which has created some challenges. But I don't have the numbers you have!

Are your goats for milk, meat, or friends

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for the photos!

Mine are now in a pole barn as well which has created some challenges.  But I don't have the numbers you have!

Are your goats for milk, meat, or friends

Currently I only have wethers, castrated males, and will probably just keep them from now on as pets. We used to be dairy farmers about 20 years ago, I never want to milk anything again, also grew up milking cows. Thanks for asking, I'm not used to anyone caring what I'm up to. Keeping poultry in a pole building is different than a regular coop. I find it more freeing, it goes well with my 100% free ranging.

 

[Kdunn222]

Leahsmom, I have a bo that gets that way, 3 times since I was given her last fall.  She is about a  year old.  Sometimes I see her just standing still, usually behind something. Once she didn't come into the coop at night on her own, and another time I saw her her standing and straining, and then laying a balloon egg, followed by a regular egg in a few minutes.  
I just pop her in the hospital cage with tempting food and water.  Each time I think oh oh I will probably have to cull her, but then in a day or two she is pacing and wanting out and is just fine.   I think the quiet safe space works for her, and she is usually hungry - maybe because she isn't feeling well enough to compete for feed (although I have multiple feeders and waterers because there are 25 in the flock).

I have read that liquid calcium works like a charm for eggbound, but have never tried it.

 

[Kdunn222]

For egg bound warm baths,insertion of KY or oil like cooking and break up tums and keep away from flock. I have had mine confined from others. But now she is more into hanging out with me than near others. So need to rehome her with just chickens.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Currently I only have wethers, castrated males, and will probably just keep them from now on as pets. We used to be dairy farmers about 20 years ago, I never want to milk anything again, also grew up milking cows. Thanks for asking, I'm not used to anyone caring what I'm up to. Keeping poultry in a pole building is different than a regular coop. I find it more freeing, it goes well with my 100% free ranging.

@oldhenlikesdogs
I hope you still drink raw milk, though!

I love seeing your photos and hearing your story!

I'm supposed to be getting 2 wethers in a couple weeks. Meat boys for brush clearing. A Spanish and a Kiko that have already been trained to electronet. I'm looking for great movable shelter ideas because I'm going to be dividing off the brush area into smaller portions so they can clean it out better. Have any great, easily movable shelter areas?


And...yes. I love the free-range ability too. The main thing that is a challenge is not currently having an attached outdoor pen for when I want them out in a more restricted situation. I also lock them in securely at night for predator protection. If we keep using the barn - which I think we will - I'm going to eventually move their pens to a different location inside and put some auto closing doors on. I have them on the hen shed and it was great to let them out in the morning when I had to leave before dawn...and close them in if I'm late coming home.

 

[Kdunn222]

To make sure healthy it takes time and to keep from being hurt should be around the same size. It's a process

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs

I hope you still drink raw milk, though!

I love seeing your photos and hearing your story!

I'm supposed to be getting 2 wethers in a couple weeks. Meat boys for brush clearing. A Spanish and a Kiko that have already been trained to electronet. I'm looking for great movable shelter ideas because I'm going to be dividing off the brush area into smaller portions so they can clean it out better. Have any great, easily movable shelter areas?


And...yes. I love the free-range ability too. The main thing that is a challenge is not currently having an attached outdoor pen for when I want them out in a more restricted situation. I also lock them in securely at night for predator protection. If we keep using the barn - which I think we will - I'm going to eventually move their pens to a different location inside and put some auto closing doors on. I have them on the hen shed and it was great to let them out in the morning when I had to leave before dawn...and close them in if I'm late coming home.

I don't have access to raw milk anymore, I miss it warm, foamy and the cream separating. Good delicious memories.

You should have fun with goats, they keep you thinking. Hopefully your boys will behave themselves. We have always used electric to keep ours in. They do know when it's not plugged in. You could probably put together a nice three sided shelter on skids, hopefully they get along well enough to lay together. Goats hate getting wet and standing in the sun.

A secure run is always a good thing, unfortunately it's not practical for us. My bantam have one but it needs some repairs. I would love to see some pictures of your goats when you get them, I love goats. Will your Spanish have those big curvy horns? And the kiko must be a heavy boy, how old are they? I'm assuming they are adults. I get excited about goats.

Secret wink from my boy Cool Whip.

 

[Leahs Mom]

He certainly looks wise...like he knows something we don't!

The boys are adults. The folks I'm getting them from have Spanish but they brought this kiko in from someone else as a companion to another goat they purchased. They don't like the kiko...I'm actually getting him free so that they have each other. The kiko is currently penned in the same pen with the Spanish, but they aren't "buddies"...there are a lot of goats in there and the kiko is low man I believe. I'm hoping that the change of venue will make them appreciate each other's company! Not that I think they don't get along, but you never know how it's going to pan out.

I'm not sure on specific ages...we looked at a lot of the goats when we were there and it is a blur. I know the Spanish is an experienced brush guy and very personable. Both are trained to net and both know that "goodies" mean to come. If I remember correctly, the Spanish is between 2 and 3 yo. Not sure on the kiko but he is smaller than the Spanish if I remember correctly which could reflect his age OR his pecking order perhaps...


ETA: Yes...they both have horns!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I finally got the little Buckeye chicken nuggets banded today so I can keep track of who's who. No photos yet.


Wanted to Share What I'm using for Chick Bands
Just in case anyone is looking for GREAT chick bands, I've been using these from Foy's. The first time you buy you purchase a pack in the size you want that has an applicator with it and bands in multi-colors. You roll a band up on the wide part of the applicator, place their toes and as much of the foot as you can fit into the wide part of the applicator, then just roll the band on. They're small enough that you can stack more than one color if needed to differentiate chicks. And I like that they aren't rigid - they have some stretch and hopefully won't hurt the leg if they got caught on something. [Bands come in 5 colors. After you have the applicator, you just purchase bags of the individual colors in whatever size you need.)

My chicks are 2 weeks old on Friday; I used the size 6 on them. Another person I know puts them on right after hatch and dried and uses the 4.5 at that age. I always like bands to be a bit loose, and I didn't put them on at hatch. The size 6 are working fine.

I do not roll them off and reuse....I find it less stress on the leg to just cut them off when they outgrow them and I need to apply a larger size.

My SFH chicks have the size 7 on (think I put those on at about 3.5 weeks). They probably need to go up to a size 9 before too long.

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/p...elastic-rings-starter-kit-size-6mm-20-of-each

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/p...elastic-rings-starter-kit-size-6mm-50-of-each

 

[lalaland]

I had a pretty tough afternoon yesterday.

You know I have those two mama hens with 3 chicks each penned up in the coop. Yesterday I took off work to be able to supervise letting them out of the pen. I started at 4 and didn't get into the house til after 9. There was a lot of commotion - the two mamas really battled and I had to separate them countless times. The babies, about 2 weeks old or is it 3? would scatter and get separated and distressed. THe rooster pecked at the chicks.

Finally, most of the flock was in the coop for the night and the babies/mamas were still outside. One mama got hers in the coop. But mama wanted to roost and was up high and the babies were screaming. I waited for about 10 minutes, finally took mama off the roost and tossed her in the pen with the babies. she let them get under her, including one that isn't doing so well - I noticed today that it was "sleepy" - I am hoping it isn't mareks but it probably is as this is the age it would start showing up.

The second mama could not get her babies to follow her up the steps or up the chicken ramp. 2 of the 3 chicks did, but the third did not. Finally mama abandoned him and went into the coop. I tried catching him, but it was impossible. he was like greased lightening, and the large size of the run worked against me -. I pulled mama out of her pen and put her out in the run, the chick would come to her but would not follow her into coop. IMama would be frantic from her chicks in the coop screaming. finally I called a neighbor to help. Chick finally flew over the fence and ended up in the garden and raspberry patch. We gave up when it go too dark to see. It was in the mid 30's last night so I doubt the chick survived the night.

I guess I was over optimistic about the mama being able to keep her tiny flock of 3 together. I just figured that it would work like it did for the mama who kept her chicks together.

The third broody hatched one of three eggs so far, and I found the little hatchling dead - I dont know if it just didn't make it or if mama squished it, or if she killed it - chick was scalped but that could have happened after death. She is a new mama so you never know. 2 eggs left but I don't know if they are viable or not.