The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

galefrances, that is wonderful news!

you probaby know this, but your hen has to get reintegrated - strange, but the flock needs to re-establish the pecking order now that she is back, and some will treat her as if she is a brand new hen. I would try having her side by side with the rest of the flock for a day or two, separated by chicken wire. When she rejoins the flock, be on hand with treats - and use treats as a distraction. a little pecking is going to happen. If it gets tough, call them to treats and toss them some scratch.

it is hard to watch, but it is going to happen. I totally understand wanting to let her heal up a bit more if this is her first day acting "normal".

I'm glad you posted an update - its amazing how busy you can get when you have a couple of chickens needing special attention.

 

[lalaland]

well, I'm a bit frustrated with a few chicks.

I had those two broodies who each hatched out 3 chicks. Petunia abandoned her chicks at about 3 weeks. The other hen sort of adopted them, but didn't teach the how to enter the coop through the chicken door. She only taught her chicks (involves going up a ramp and through a very short but dark and apparently scary tunnel).

The remaining 3 still do not go up the ramp. I've tried leaving the people door shut, they just roost on the deck outside the people door. I've tried to catch them so I can physically put them in through the chicken door, but believe it or not, I haven't been able to corner the little devils. THey leave the coop each morning through the chicken door.

I end up opening the people door up and they scoot in. They are terrified of me, skittish as a feral cat. I can't even get them to come for treats, if I toss any to them, they run away screeching. They have just started coming with the flock when I call treats, but they lurk on the outer edges...

I know the longer this goes on the harder it will be for them to learn to use the danged chicken door.

and I guess if that is the worst problem I can complain about, I've got it pretty good! but anyway....suggestions?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

well, I'm a bit frustrated with a few chicks.

I had those two broodies who each hatched out 3 chicks.  Petunia abandoned her chicks at about 3 weeks.  The other hen sort of adopted them, but didn't teach the how to enter the coop through the chicken door.  She only taught her chicks (involves going up a ramp and through a very short but dark and apparently scary tunnel).

The remaining 3 still do not go up the ramp.  I've tried leaving the people door shut, they just roost on the deck outside the people door.  I've tried to catch them so I can physically put them in through the chicken door, but believe it or not, I haven't been able to corner the little devils.  THey leave the coop each morning through the chicken door.  

I end up opening the people door up and they scoot in.  They are terrified of me, skittish as a feral cat.  I can't even get them to come for treats, if I toss any to them, they run away screeching.  They have just started coming with the flock when I call treats, but they lurk on the outer edges...

I know the longer this goes on the harder it will be for them to learn to use the danged chicken door.  

and I guess if that is the worst problem I can complain about, I've got it pretty good!  but anyway....suggestions?

I think you will need to keep rounding them up unfortunately until they do it themselves. I have this problem with one's I raise than integrate sometimes. They eventually figure it out but in the meantime it's a pain every night. I might get a small net to snag them or herd them with. I personally wouldn't use that broody next time.

 

[lalaland]

yeah, I think you are right. going to have to wait it out. Luckily, daylight is long in the summer and I'm easily home before dark (when I was 20 I thought it was soooo funny that older folks went to bed by 9, payback is a stitch). If this was fall or winter I would be in trouble since I would be home well after dark and lord knows where the chicks would be.

I read an immune booster recipe from a woman who breeds buckeyes.
4 parts molasses, 4 parts codliver oil or wheat germ oil, 1 part powdered comfrey, and 2 part garlic
She feeds a tsp to each hen each week. said they eat it like candy!

off to pack up for kayaking. enjoy the day, everyone

 

[lazy gardener]

Does anyone use herbs in their nesting boxes to help with mites/fleas and if so do you have an effective "recipe". I grow about 14 different herbs and dry them. I was hoping to add whatever I may need or use what I have for the nesting boxes. I've found some mixes you can buy already made. I just can't decipher the amounts to use that would be effective and healthy for the chickens.

Don't worry about "the right mix" Just do it. Play with it, have fun with it. I have in my yard: mint, lemon balm, oregano, lavender, also have orange scented geranium, and citronella, russian sage. When I can get some to dry adequately, I'll use some creeping charlie as well. I've used citronella in small amounts in the nest boxes, without problem.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I read an immune booster recipe from a woman who breeds buckeyes.
4 parts molasses, 4 parts codliver oil or wheat germ oil, 1 part powdered comfrey, and 2 part garlic
She feeds a tsp to each hen each week. said they eat it like candy!

off to pack up for kayaking. enjoy the day, everyone

Yay! kayaking!

Thanks for the recipe too

 

[Leahs Mom]

I need some ADVICE from those of you that may have had this situation.

BACKGROUND:
-I have 6 12-week-olds that consist of 3 cockerels and 3 pullets. SFH

-I have a group of 6, 6-week-old Buckeyes, sex not known yet.

--I have 5 adult hens; three are 4 yo, two are 2 yo.

-I intend on keeping 1 SFH cockerel and possibly 2. I will keep all 3 until they are about 7 mos old before I decide who goes.

-I intend on keeping 1 Buckeye cockerel.

IMPORTANT:
The SFH won't be let out with the main flock to free-range until they reach 17-18 weeks. That means 3 boys, 3 girls cooped together if I leave them as-is...


No matter how many pullets are in the Buckeye group, the ratio of cockerels to hens will be too many.

Current SFH aren't randy yet but soon.



ADVICE PLEASE:

Should I remove the 3 SFH cockerels to different housing and only rotate one in at a time? If I do that, how will that affect pecking order when they rotate in?
(I could put the boys over in the hen shed which is on the other side of the fence from the ladies.)


Or
Should I just leave them altogether (sounds like a bad idea)...


OR....

Please comment on how you have handled that - or thoughts on how you would handle that.


I

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally leave everyone together unless there screaming from the hens or gang mating, than I start pulling them. I will pen them within sight if I wish to return them eventually or remove them to another shed if they aren't going to rejoin the flock.

Some young roosters are terrors and some are occasional pains. Most don't become really bad until the following Spring when hormones flare up again.

So I just wait and watch. You don't usually have a problem rotating roosters in and out of an all female group. If there are other roosters involved keep them within sight of everyone can help keep conflicts down.

That's how I do anyways. I have many roosters. 3 large breed and 5 bantam with the large flock and 3 with the bantam, and 3 extra bantam. I have another 6 large breed chicks that are roosters and probably another 3 bantam rooster chicks. So I'm used to juggling and squeezing roosters until I find the best to keep and which I don't want to.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think i share this, but this is one of separation pen where roosters will stay until they mature or I need them.





Of course i need to share a picture of the newest kids, 4 blue slate turkey poults and 4 bantam chicks.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So... @oldhenlikesdogs

You keep the roos in the pen shown above? I guess that means they are stuck inside?

The hen shed has an attached run (I've posted photos before and it is partially shown in the photos I posted earlier today). The run is in sight, but it's about 4 feet away from one of the fences where the main flocks run....which makes it feel, to me, that it's too far away.

What do you ALL think? Is that too far away?