The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[JulesChicks]

For those looking for Orpingtons, you may want to look at Papa's Poultry. He's here on BYC, has a website and a FB page and ships eggs, chicks and started birds. Lots to choose from. I'm thinking of getting some of his partridge Brahma and maybe some English Orpington too - hatching eggs.

 

[CuzChickens]

Should I incubate my first eggs, buy day olds, or buy week old pullets? I'm not interested in adults, I want to socialize them from a young age, and for them bond with eachother as chicks.

I think starting with day old chicks is a good idea. Learn the ins and outs of chicken keeping and absorb incubating info and try incubating next year.

 

[JulesChicks]

Should I incubate my first eggs, buy day olds, or buy week old pullets? I'm not interested in adults, I want to socialize them from a young age, and for them bond with eachother as chicks.

I agree with getting day olds. Incubating can be fun and rewarding but also challenging and difficult if you have any incubator issues and then hatch problems. When someone else hatches them for you, you shouldn't get any with defects and they should be selling you strong chicks, although there is always a chance that some may not thrive.

Your best chance of success would actually be the week olds from the choices you gave. I have bought week old chicks from a breeder (my first year having chickens, 2015) and I still have all 4 of them. I was actually there to pick up the just hatched (literally) chicks, but he suggested I take some of the week olds since he knew they were all doing well. I ended up taking 2 of the just hatched and 4 of the week olds. Last year I bought 6- 1 week old chicks from a feed store and they were all strong and healthy too.

Incubating is great, but if you have not yet had chicks I would highly recommend having that experience (and learning curve) first and then taking on incubating in another season. I expect you will enjoy the experience more. Either way have fun!

 

[JanetMarie]

All natural home-grown sweetener with minerals from deep roots from our walnut trees (for people)! We also tapped one Maple tree, and made Walnut/Maple syrup. I'm not a sweet eater, but tasted it and it is really good.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Thanks so much! I think I will get half my intended flock as week olds, then maybye a month or two later get the rest as day olds

 

[Leahs Mom]

All natural home-grown sweetener with minerals from deep roots from our walnut trees (for people)! We also tapped one Maple tree, and made Walnut/Maple syrup. I'm not a sweet eater, but tasted it and it is really good.

Excellent! What quantity sap did you need to make that much?

 

[JanetMarie]

Excellent! What quantity sap did you need to make that much?

It takes 10 gallons sap to make one quart. It's our first year tapping and making syrup.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Should my first flock have a cockerel?

 

[1cock2hens]

@TheGreatPapyrus what do you want from your flock? it depends on your needs, like if you want fertile eggs etc..

 

[CuzChickens]

Should my first flock have a cockerel?

I started with 8 roosters, now I wish I had started with one. I think it is nice to have one rooster to watch over the hens, and listen to crowing, but certainly not 8! Just get a good breed of rooster, one not known for aggression.