The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Currently using my starter coop which has become an isolation coop and temporary fencing for a new to me rooster who came here just to recover from either a bobcat or domestic dog attack and found himself as a stray but is now here to stay. Working on integrating him into my flock. The current set up is that he can see the girls when they're in their run and they keep him company, answer to his tidbitting and nestle down beside the fence while they're out in the yard. He seems content with that. He only gets restless first thing in the morning before I've let the girls out so he can see them. Once he can, he settles right down.

@islandgirl82
How is the integration going?

 

[islandgirl82]

@islandgirl82
How is the integration going?

It's going really well. I've added 4 more hens from another BYC member to my flock, putting my hen count at 10. The hens have all done really well together after a few stand offs the first day. The rooster gets supervised mingling time with them while waiting for his wounds to heal and getting my original 6 used to having a rooster around again (one that's actually good to them). I've started a thread with his full story - linked in my signature if you're interested. It's been a fun adventure.

 

[galefrances]

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[CONTENTEMBED=/t/729605/the-natural-chicken-keeping-thread-ots-welcome/38590#post_17170520 layout=inline]
<a data-huddler-embed="href" href="/u/151836/galefrances" style="display:inline-block;">@galefrances</a>


Wonderful to hear!  I know <a data-huddler-embed="href" href="/u/16292/lalaland" style="display:inline-block;">@lalaland</a>
talked about "see-no-touch" reintegration, but I also agree with you that this hen is still weak and needs to be at full strength so she can stand up to the others and find her place.  So I think what you said about putting her back and letting her get stronger first is good.  Maybe she could do that while she's in an area they can see each other better? 

I love the very flexible plastic netting for dividing off areas.  I like it better than using the metal because it's easy to use AND REUSE unlike the metal.  I can clip it up wherever I need it then just unclip and re-roll to put away. 

I did find that I had to make it 2 high or the rooster would jump right over - and also some of the lighter hens that are more agile.

Here's a few photos for example...

Used double hooks on all but only used one of the sides.
On the area that there was wood I used eye hooks.

<img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="7467587" data-type="61" src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7467587/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL" style="; width: 500px; height: 752px">


 
On the sied that I had kennel I did the same thing but just clipped right to the kennel.
<img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="7467590" data-type="61" src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7467590/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL" style="; width: 500px; height: 752px">



2 high.

<img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="7467591" data-type="61" src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7467591/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL" style="; width: 500px; height: 752px">


<img alt="" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="7467593" data-type="61" src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7467593/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL" style="; width: 500px; height: 333px"&gt

Thanks Leah's mom. The pics are very helpful. I saw this too late as I just integrated my maran this morning. But I'm excited to use it for my new chicks. I have a large brooder inside my coop that I'm going to open up to the run. Your fencing idea will make it so much easier and I already have the fencing.

My maran seems to be doing well. I let everyone out to free range for the first time since the attack. ( no sighting of the fox since )The girls were so excited to get out of the run, the roo a bit hesitant at first. He hung back until I let the maran out. He seems to be a bit protective of her. It makes sense and it's a good thing for now, I did it this way because I figured everyone would be too busy looking for bugs that they wouldn't be interested in picking on my maran. So far it seems to be working. And as an added plus the flock has allowed Abby to join the group. Yeah!

Hopefully by the end of summer everyone will be integrated and I'll have one balanced flock again. I can hope.

Here's a pic of my little ones. I had ordered them before the attack as I needed more hens for the roo. It's been a crazy month, but things seem to finally be settling down.

 

[galefrances]

I don't know what's going on but my text isn't showing up with my quote, just my pic.

I was quoting Leah's mom and her fencing suggestion. I'm going to use this in my run to separate the new chicks from the flock. I've got a large brooder on the floor of the coop and I'm going to put a pop door to give them access to the run, this should make integrating much easier. It'll be nice not having to deal with chicken wire.

I let the flock out to free range for the first time since the attack. I wanted them busy so they wouldn't think about picking on the maran. Today was her first day out of her cage. So far so good!

 

[Maryah22]

I am new to raising chickens and I feed my chickens whole kernel corn and layer crumble but none of my hens are laying what should I be feeding my chickens in summer?

 

[Turk Raphael]

I am new to raising chickens and I feed my chickens whole kernel corn and layer crumble but none of my hens are laying what should I be feeding my chickens in summer?

I hope you're kidding? Okay, I'll make this quick. Never feed your chickens corn unless you are trying to kill them, especially in the summer. Simply feed the high quality layer feed and plenty of fresh water.

I meant to write whole corn and for that matter, very little if any cracked corn should be fed in summer because it will cause serious problems in a sedentary flock.

We feed a little cracked corn in the cold months to help provide heat to the chicken body but they don't need that in most places during the summer.

TURK @lazy gardener

 

[lazy gardener]

Most chicken feed is based on corn. Based on above logic, most back yard flocks would be long dead.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I am new to raising chickens and I feed my chickens whole kernel corn and layer crumble but none of my hens are laying what should I be feeding my chickens in summer?

How old are they? They might not lay if they're still too young; or, if you bought "used" birds "second-hand" they might be too old and have "retired"/hit chicken menopause. If you just brought them home recently and they are of laying age it could be that they haven't settled yet.

As for feed, layer is really all they need but they do much better with forage and fresh foods (NOT corn - that will only fatten them up, so give it only as a treat) such as leafy greens, bugs and worms, even fish. When I was young, we ate a lot of seafood because of where we lived. We tossed all our leftovers to the chickens and got great eggs! Whenever they ate prawns (shells, too) they would get really deep orange yolks. They also seemed to lay more when they got all those high-protein, high-calcium goodies

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feed corn all year round. Corn doesn't kill. I personally like feeding an All Flock ration. My bantam are fed a non medicated grower. They get a separate bowl of oyster shells.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@oldhenlikesdogs
Curious why you feed only the Bantams the grower vs. feeding it to the whole flock?