The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lazy gardener]

Those cats would be worth some money to people in need of a good mouser or two, i would think! Maybe put an ad up "free if you catch them yourself" or something?

If full disclosure re: the cats being "given away" is provided, I doubt that any one would touch them with a 10 foot pole, unless part of a cat rescue operation.

I really like your idea of putting footstools outside -- thanks! It would help my hens become a little more outgoing, I think, since half the time they're huddled under something anyway.

Do chickens freak out over crows? Or is there likely a hawk in the area to keep my eyes open for?

(To pay "hen picture tax," here's some pics of my mini-flock)

http://i.imgur.com/wmIOOPi.jpg (the favorite, named Buttercup)
http://i.imgur.com/lacYg4h.jpg (some of the others, when lured out by some of the mullein I was pulling as weeds)

Island Girl had a couple of crows that pinned one of her adult birds to the ground, and would have killed it if she had not intervened. Crows will pick off chicks, and are known to kill smaller wild birds. That being said, I welcome them in my yard, because I'll have as many as 3 hawks cruising the air space over my yard at a time. Crows are known to drive hawks away.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I really like your idea of putting footstools outside -- thanks! It would help my hens become a little more outgoing, I think, since half the time they're huddled under something anyway.

Do chickens freak out over crows? Or is there likely a hawk in the area to keep my eyes open for?

(To pay "hen picture tax," here's some pics of my mini-flock)

http://i.imgur.com/wmIOOPi.jpg (the favorite, named Buttercup)
http://i.imgur.com/lacYg4h.jpg (some of the others, when lured out by some of the mullein I was pulling as weeds)

@Sel Gris
yes...I try to figure out things that I can use that are common and inexpensive and aren't totally an "eye sore" for the areas in which there is just open area. I'm blessed to have a little wooded area right outside the barn so there is plenty of scrub for them to run to if there's a hawk. That makes them have more confidence to venture out into the more open area. I put the foot stools in various places in the open area in case they are running for cover in the woods and it's too far away. Gives them something in the gap they can to to.

Nice photos! Do you know how to place them into the message so we can see them right here on byc?

 

[slordaz]

@slordaz

Wow. Those cats MUST be starving to hunt in a pack like that.

Do you live trap? Sometimes the humane society will give you live traps to trap cats as well.

I went and bought a 2 fer set of live traps for 30 at Cal store , Caught 3 of them but they excaped trying to transfer, and they hightailed it outta the area

 

[slordaz]

If full disclosure re: the cats being "given away" is provided, I doubt that any one would touch them with a 10 foot pole, unless part of a cat rescue operation.

Island Girl had a couple of crows that pinned one of her adult birds to the ground, and would have killed it if she had not intervened. Crows will pick off chicks, and are known to kill smaller wild birds. That being said, I welcome them in my yard, because I'll have as many as 3 hawks cruising the air space over my yard at a time. Crows are known to drive hawks away.

actually found a farmer with no flocks near that wants them but they took off after getting live trapped. Most farmers know whats in the area and warned if it's safe not to get into trouble with neighbors flocks will take even a hunting pack of feral cats

Magpies are just as bad about killing smaller birds and just as good at keeping the hawks away but really bad about figuring out how to break into the hen house to steal eggs

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just wanted to stop in and give an update on the young birds out ranging on the "reduced range". They've been out all day today and doing well finding their way back into the barn, etc.

I'm thinking I may be able to leave them out with the others when I go to work on Tuesday.

ETA...Tuesday not Monday...Yay for a holiday!

 

[galefrances]

Just wanted to stop in and give an update on the young birds out ranging on the "reduced range".  They've been out all day today and doing well finding their way back into the barn, etc.

I'm thinking I may be able to leave them out with the others when I go to work on Tuesday. 
e  



ETA...Tuesday not Monday...Yay for a holiday!

That's good news! I love your idea of the footrest....such a simple yet creative solution.

 

[gevshiba]

My internet has been out for a couple weeks and won't be fixed until next week, so I'm way behind. But I have a problem and wanted to ask advice. I have a 1 year old turkey hen who lays tiny eggs. The other day she laid a super long egg that was a double yolker. She laid 1 or 2 more and then last night didn't look well. But we had a snake in the coop and all the turkey hens looked a bit subdued. This morning all are fine but her. I saw her poo and it looked yolky. I think she has an egg broken inside. I can pen her by herself, in the flock but her own pen, but only if I take her to my friend's place. I have most of my birds there now. She's drinking but not eating. I was going to get some Oreginol P73 in her water after work today. I'll have a short day. I'd like to get her through this for now. It's so hot, I don't want to process unless I have to. I could use the meat for the dogs. I realize if she does this once, she'll probably do it again. I had this hen sold but we never got her to her new home yet. She would have been a pet, so small eggs didn't matter. Any suggestions or should I just process her? Hate this. She was one of my Country Hatchery hens

 

[Turk Raphael]

My internet has been out for a couple weeks and won't be fixed until next week, so I'm way behind. But I have a problem and wanted to ask advice. I have a 1 year old turkey hen who lays tiny eggs. The other day she laid a super long egg that was a double yolker. She laid 1 or 2 more and then last night didn't look well. But we had a snake in the coop and all the turkey hens looked a bit subdued. This morning all are fine but her. I saw her poo and it looked yolky. I think she has an egg broken inside. I can pen her by herself, in the flock but her own pen, but only if I take her to my friend's place. I have most of my birds there now. She's drinking but not eating. I was going to get some Oreginol P73 in her water after work today. I'll have a short day. I'd like to get her through this for now. It's so hot, I don't want to process unless I have to. I could use the meat for the dogs. I realize if she does this once, she'll probably do it again. I had this hen sold but we never got her to her new home yet. She would have been a pet, so small eggs didn't matter. Any suggestions or should I just process her? Hate this. She was one of my Country Hatchery hens

I would cut my losses and process asap. Sorry.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would cut my losses and process asap.  Sorry.

Agreed, when my turkey hens start having troubles laying eggs they quite often die in next few weeks. I don't see odd eggs out of my healthy hens.

 

[All Ball]

I know nothing about turkeys, but if I had a chicken looking troubled with yolky poop, I would suspect egg yolk peritonitis, where yolks go into the internal cavity rather than out the reproductive system. The hen I had who had this problem had a squishy belly from the gut infection. I know that folks usually don't eat the meat from chickens with EYP...