The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How did you know it was fertile? Store eggs are usually refrigerated which will stop anything from developing. I don't think egg producers keep roosters with their hens, there's no reason to.

 

[GreatBreeder]

We buy free range eggs, and not the fake kind. Comes from a place with an actual pasture some roosters too. Sometimes the eggs are fertile, but usually not. I candled that one, it was orange with veins. Some people have had success hatching store eggs

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It must of been getting sat on by some hen to get it started, sorry it cracked. I have read a few post about people hatching store eggs too.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Yeah. Its pretty dissapointing.

 

[CuzChickens]

I've heard of folks hatching eggs from Trader Joes, so I do know it happens. Some people with no bators have incubated eggs in their bra....there are some threads about it.

 

[NysiaAnera]

I have a flock of Rhode Island Reds that I haven't fed or watered in two years. They are truly free range chickens . All I do is collect ther eggs.

This is what we want, a true free range flock! Unfortunately, winters here are harsh, and chickens need fed through them. We do not feed them once the snow melts and they can forage. We are working on growing all our feed so we do not have to buy anything for them through the winter.

 

[JanetMarie]

@Leahs Mom If one boy is kept with the group with a dominant cockerel, or roo, it can work out if there is enough space to forage so that the less dominant boy can take his hens around. Right now I have an older cockerel who is accepting a younger cockerel to forage with two younger pullets.

What I'm excited about raising Colloncas, is that if the roosters grow up together they tolerate one another and work in cooperation with one another to protect the flock. They are monogamous.

 

[lazy gardener]

I've heard of folks hatching eggs from Trader Joes, so I do know it happens. Some people with no bators have incubated eggs in their bra....there are some threads about it.

No one has successfully incubated an egg for 21 days in their bra. They've held an egg that was close to hatch in their bra for the last bit of incubation. But 21 days? Hasn't happened to my knowledge. If one wants to hatch an egg successfully without dealing with deformities in the chick, they need an incubator or a broody hen.

 

[sonshine15]

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.

Hi! New to this forum and have been making the transition over to a healthy, happy flock. Some had to be culled, and letting nature take it's course IF any issues arise. It's much more relaxing, and the youngsters now laying have never had any meds for anything. FF has made a world of difference also.

The roo post caught my attention. I've not experienced issues and some as you stated just take a few more intros. It's been a pleasant surprise! The "boys" are in the middle coop where they can see the hens and other roos. The only one taking any time is a blue Silkie roo. He's almost ready to just let loose with the others. As for the roo coop and run, there are 3, now adult, Bielefelders and the blue Silkie. No issues at all. That little Silkie rules the coop. They are all relaxed, are stretched out in the dirt outside and when they come into the coop act just like the hens. Well, scratch that, they are nicer to one another than the hens can be!

I started changing some of the roos to go out with the hens as an experiment for color breeding on Silkies. It's worked well with the Bielefelders too. NOT sure if this is simply the docile temperament that goes with the breed, or due to the little Silkie's antics.......Either way, they get exchanged to free range so as not too many roos per hens. The Silkie coop is now a good ratio with the pullets laying. Another day or two and Mr Blue pecking order will be full time with the girls.

 

[sonshine15]

Hi! New to this forum and have been making the transition over to a healthy, happy flock. Some had to be culled, and letting nature take it's course IF any issues arise. It's much more relaxing, and the youngsters now laying have never had any meds for anything. FF has made a world of difference also.

The roo post caught my attention. I've not experienced issues and some as you stated just take a few more intros. It's been a pleasant surprise! The "boys" are in the middle coop where they can see the hens and other roos. The only one taking any time is a blue Silkie roo. He's almost ready to just let loose with the others. As for the roo coop and run, there are 3, now adult, Bielefelders and the blue Silkie. No issues at all. That little Silkie rules the coop. They are all relaxed, are stretched out in the dirt outside and when they come into the coop act just like the hens. Well, scratch that, they are nicer to one another than the hens can be!

I started changing some of the roos to go out with the hens as an experiment for color breeding on Silkies. It's worked well with the Bielefelders too. NOT sure if this is simply the docile temperament that goes with the breed, or due to the little Silkie's antics.......Either way, they get exchanged to free range so as not too many roos per hens. The Silkie coop is now a good ratio with the pullets laying. Another day or two and Mr Blue pecking order will be full time with the girls.

Let me rephrase on the culling. Last year, several of the old girls and others weren't doing well. I sent a couple in for testing later in the year. The culling applied to roos when overabundant and the girls sent in for testing again