The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[1cock2hens]

I got them about 3 years ago from a lady who lives in Davila Tx about 20 miles from me. She raises ducks,chickens ,goats, geesse, quail... you name it she's got it. We have a old barn with nesting boxes and a roost that they sleep in. They head out every morning in the pasture and come back about a hour before dark. They drink from a stock pond and eat what ever they can find. I think they are healthier than my chicken that we keep in coops and feed high protein feed. Every now and then we lose a few to predators .So we just pop a few in the incubator and integrate them when they are old enough.

thats really interesting. Do they not go broody often or do you just prefer incubating them? I have often thought about just finding a local old timer to buy some birds from and attempting a truly self sufficient flock. I have 15 acres of trees with a spring in the center, I would be a happy chicken if I were out there

 

[eggbert420]

thats really interesting.  Do they not go broody often or do you just prefer incubating them?  I have often thought about just finding a local old timer to buy some birds from and attempting a truly self sufficient flock. I have 15 acres of trees with a spring in the center, I would be a happy chicken if I were out there

Mostley we incubate. Sometimes my wife will set a few eggs under her other chickens. Somtimes in the mornig ill catch some of them trying to eat my dogs leftovers. They are very happy and healthy

 

[Leahs Mom]

Otherwise I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I have had good luck integrating older roosters by penning them in the coop or next to the flock for months, usually starting in late summer or early fall, before releasing them in late winter. I recently integrated my two bantam mottled cochin boys into last year's hens. They are holding their own against the barred rock rooster.

Please don't apologize. I appreciate the advice and I appreciate it more than once to refresh my mind and also to get me thinking!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Please don't apologize.  I appreciate the advice and I appreciate it more than once to refresh my mind and also to get me thinking!

So many people talk about not being able to keep more than one rooster. I don't have a problem. I don't confine my birds so all bottom roosters can get away when necessary. Even putting up a divider wall in the coop could allow a rooster to get away as well as places for them to duck under.

Mine occasionally fight, mostly bantams, I let them do it until they are done. No one has been killed, probably because the loser can slink off somewhere.

I yearly pull young roosters out of my separate bantam coop and I integrate them into the large breed flock. It does take time. Everyone wants integration to be over in days, I expect months on older bird, especially roosters since there are plenty of roosters already in that flock.

Usually when I release them they already know their position in the flock and there's no fighting, he just get chased a bit as a reminder. If it doesn't go well the first time I try again. They can go in and out of the pen multiple times before it all works out. I have never had it not work out.

The only situation I'm unsure of is just 2 roosters, which unless raised together may focus only on each other, but even in that situation I might swap roosters weekly for months until the dead of winter when I would try to get both together again.

I spend a lot of time managing my roosters during their first year or two if necessary. Not every rooster needs it, but those that do turn out well.

I just don't want to be that crazy lady who keeps repeating the same thing, so let me know if I do. To me roosters are like puppies, most people think a puppy should behave by 6-12 months, but most require 2 years before I consider them raised, same with roosters, both need management during adolescence to adulthood, than they are wonderful assets to a flock.

Done rambling now.

 

[Leahs Mom]

It's good to repeat. When folks stop in, they may not be willing to go back and read the whole thread, but may need the information today!

I wonder if it would make things any easier if there was a broody raising new kiddos and one of them was a boy getting raised right in with the flock.

 

[CuzChickens]

Leahs mom, though I may have said ''more chicks'', I have a mother that says ''STOP BUYING CHICKENS!!!!!!!'' sooooooo.

I just found a really good picture of my Speckled Sussex rooster I forgot about:

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's good to repeat.  When folks stop in, they may not be willing to go back and read the whole thread, but may need the information today!

I wonder if it would make things any easier if there was a broody raising new kiddos and one of them was a boy getting raised right in with the flock.

I haven't found a difference, but both types are raised amongst mature birds of multiple ages, so everyone gets put in their place and learns the rules.

 

[GreatBreeder]

EGGMERGENCY! Fertile egg discovered amongst supermarket eggs!I have no incubator or broody hen! Right now I'm keeping it in a plastic container with a lid and a little ventilation on moist paper towels in a nest shape under a very warm heat lamp

 

[GreatBreeder]

Please someone

 

[GreatBreeder]

Nevermind. It cracked...