The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Mountain Momma]

Sometimes my experiments come out very tasty, sometimes not so much. My DH and sweet children are just over the top kind and supportive. The bread that I baked yesterday (and I baked three loaves) was all burned on the bottom. Those goofy people just cut off the bottom, and sliced it right up. My really wacky middle son decided that the burned bottom was delicious and he ate it all up. They are so encouraging. It makes it easy for me to keep trying new recipes, pans, styles, etc.

love it! My son calls me majic momma and insists my scrambled eggs are better than anyones! Yeah, but he refuses to eat anything that looks burnt. My DH says I can be trusted with coffee and jalapeno sauce...everything else he wants to micro manage for me! Lol. Still, I enjoy it. Cooking is a self expression and a way to show love. Plus, it keeps people from getting grouchy. lol. I wish I could make bread. I would not even know where to start! And your new bread baking stoneware is awesome! I am so pleased you found it. I will say that the chickens have always been very supportive of the things I make. They love everything I make! Those chickens are a tremendous little support group! Are you planning to pm a recipe?
Do you think your stove heats unevenly? Mine heats the back more than the front so its easy to take a peek and think it needs another few m ins and then wammo the back is burned.
You know what I thought when I saw your bread oven? I wondered if it would hold achicken. I bet that thing would cook achicken to perfection. Nice a toasty brown all over.
L

 

[Beekissed]

Just went out to the barn to check on the horses, one of them didn't eat up which NEVER happens here. Want to be sure colic or twisted gut isn't in my future. All is well, she is resting and eating her hay, no fever and her gut sounds are fine. Passed two piles of manure since I was last there, all is well. I've been fighting something for the past few days, and I shook and shook with shivers. It is getting COLD.

I have a rooster question Bee.

My flock is 20 weeks, 5 months I should say now. One of the 10 of them turned out to be a roo, which at first I thought was a bad thing, but now thanks to you Bee, I realize should be a very good thing. I am learning as I go, and constantly wander away from the chores of the day and find myself walking to be near my gang and observe and learn about chicken behavior and body movement. Funny how I know every single movement from my horses, and what they are feeling or reacting to, but with a new animal, I am at ground zero again.. I look forward to the day that my chicken knowledge is automatic, just like it is with my horses.

Back to the question I have. How can I be sure my Roo is a "good" roo? I don't necessarily mean good as in respective to humans, I mean as a good leader of his flock. I have this image of all the good roosters you all talk about here. One that looks out for the girls, dotes on them, brings food to them, is a strong protector and leader. I have two girls that seem to be rather independent. One of my BR's and one of my Red Sex links always are a bit away from everyone. I am sure if we ever have an attack, they will be the first to go. Does a good Roo stop this from happening? The BR that is on her own a lot also seems to challenge him and stare him down. They stand off and do the chest bumping thing. Is she my chicken feminist, not wanting to bow to a man? I have noticed no mating behavior yet so I don't know if he is a good breeding rooster or not. So far, my image of him is sort of a nerdy type who really doesn't seem to be having much control over his girls, or that they are necessarily crazy about him either. Maybe it is far too early to tell, and he is too young? Oh, BTW,,he is a Colombian Wyandotte just FYI.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Melabella

Give him time. He apparently hasn't reached sexual maturity or you would see breeding action or attempts at getting some action. Older roosters know who to mate...sometimes younger ones just want to mate something.

As he matures and gets proprietary towards his girls, they will start to respect him...and do it even more so when they become sexually mature as well. Every rooster has a "style" of being a flock master and it takes time to develop that. The really good ones you will see this behavior kick in shortly after everyone is sexually mature, him and the gals. He will want them all close to him and will keep a better eye on them, try to call them in closer to the flock, etc. He may even discipline when hens fight amongst each other and step between them or peck at them.

The only way a good rooster really can stop an attack is to keep his flock close. Some are more brave than others and will attack a dog or hawk, but it's rare~I wouldn't expect it. Chickens are...well...chicken.

With age he will show his true nature and you can judge him on those then...if he is not too rough in his mating style(most young ones are unpracticed and rough at first~Toby was not), if he stands back and lets the hens eat while he watches, if he is good at calling them all in when there are threats, etc. That all comes with time and experience.

Your feminists? They will soon be shoved down on the ground, their heads in a sharp beak and their backs getting a good stomping. They won't be challenging him much after that....

 

[mrsamplias]

Are you planning to pm a recipe?
You know what I thought when I saw your bread oven? I wondered if it would hold achicken. I bet that thing would cook achicken to perfection. Nice a toasty brown all over.

Just sent you a pm!

I had not thought about baking a chicken, but you're right, it would probably be just juicy and delicious in that clay baker!

 

[Melabella]

Your feminists? They will soon be shoved down on the ground, their heads in a sharp beak and their backs getting a good stomping. They won't be challenging him much after that....

you're the best...Thank you,

heading to sleep, sooooo tired...

 

[Pullet Surprise]

What I was trying to explain on this other forum was that, 100 years ago, people would water their animals morning and evening and only as much as they could drink right then. They also fed warm mash and gruel feeds that provided moisture as well. Just like what we are doing right now... and that goes a long way towards providing their hydration needs for the day. Back in the day they also fed pumpkins and other gourds, root crops, stored fruits and such from the cellar.

This leads me to a question...just how much water do chickens need. I know it varies between winter and summer and since mine have been on FF they seem to comsume less actual water. On the OT thread Al mentioned the heavy rubber water bowls and popping the ice out and refilling morning & I would guess late afternoon.. But say for some reason or other they didn't have water as a free drink situation and it had to be supplied at various times, how often & how much? Can they do the Twice a day watering schedual you mention? I guess what I really am getting at is do I HAVE to keep a waterer for them somewhere if they are out free ranging for a good portion of the day? Or will they learn to "tank up" before they go out and "refill" when they come back in?

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Back to the question I have. How can I be sure my Roo is a "good" roo? I don't necessarily mean good as in respective to humans, I mean as a good leader of his flock. I have this image of all the good roosters you all talk about here. One that looks out for the girls, dotes on them, brings food to them, is a strong protector and leader. I have two girls that seem to be rather independent. One of my BR's and one of my Red Sex links always are a bit away from everyone. I am sure if we ever have an attack, they will be the first to go. Does a good Roo stop this from happening? The BR that is on her own a lot also seems to challenge him and stare him down. They stand off and do the chest bumping thing. Is she my chicken feminist, not wanting to bow to a man? I have noticed no mating behavior yet so I don't know if he is a good breeding rooster or not. So far, my image of him is sort of a nerdy type who really doesn't seem to be having much control over his girls, or that they are necessarily crazy about him either. Maybe it is far too early to tell, and he is too young? Oh, BTW,,he is a Colombian Wyandotte just FYI.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Melabella

We had two roos that turned out to be exact opposites of eachother...a real gentleman and a real pig.. we "rehomed' the brute and kept the gentleman. The leghorn didn't want anything to do with either of them, nor the DOM. Since Morris is a gentleman, he didn't push the issue and I was really wondering if he was just too nice and questioned his ability to take charge. It's been a good month and a half since we rehomed the brute and low and behold the other day Morris mounted the leghorn and she let him. No muss no fuss no pounding her into the ground and grabbing her wing and pecking her in the back of the head etc. ...guess he FINALLY found the right words to say to her, he was sly and patient. The DOM is another story, she hasn't got a clue and will be gone. It's pretty bad when you run into the house and announce "Morris just nailed Mary and she let him!!!" But it has taken some time and he is coming into his own, different styles for different boys. All the other girls like him, except the two that are molting right now and they are, well, they are molting......but they had been just fine with him. As far as being in charge out on the "range" he's had them rounded up and under the porch in two seconds flat more than once. They do listen to him. I'm getting fertile eggs so he's been busy. Morris was a nerd compared to Frank the Brute, but he really is changing and coming along just fine so far. It didn't happen over night (that I know of anyway)

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Including the water preps, I have been buying and stocking up on heritage seed.
I lived down by the Gulf Coast for 15 years, and hurricanes were a possibility every year. And then, we had a few. I have since stocked up yearly on food and necessities, always trying to keep 25% overage in my food stocks. Water stored up. Batteries, etc.

 

[Melabella]

It's pretty bad when you run into the house and announce "Morris just nailed Mary and she let him!!!"

Oh Pullet, I laughed out loud on this one, what a great belly giggle I had with my first morning cup of coffee.

Everyone should start the day with a smile, and I thank you for mine,, ha ha ha...


MB

 

[Sally8]

In event of a prolonged disaster, our biggest fear would prob be food. I don't keep HUGE quantities on hand. We could eat some of the chickens, with hubby been in war, he sometimes asks me if I could eat the pets if I had too. (I told him if I got that hungry, he'd look pretty appetizing). I have chicken food in excess. We have a generator but needs to be wired to 220 to run water. our well is artizian We can run our whole house with it except for water. I can throw a ball to the creek behind. Because we ice fish, we have a hand auger to drill. The creek isn't 5 ft deep. We heat with wood, getting all our wood before fall. It's solid woods behind us. Hubby is a hunter as is all our neighbors. Actually, I'd say that our road with neighbors would help each other if needed. We don't live close to each other but are there to help and do. Beautiful Christian people.

Although we don't always act on it, because of Ron doing 2 tours in Vietnam, he discusses it (being prepare, not the war) A LOT. Good subject, Bee.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

We usually take opportunities to catch water in heavy storms in anything big we have handy so that we'll have water for washing in and for watering livestock/pets. It came in real handy this past year when the power was out for almost 2 wks in the hottest part of the summer. We had caught large trash cans full of water, a wheelbarrow full up near the animals and also several buckets.

Water is our biggest concern but we've managed it as best we can for the size of our family and our other living creatures. We catch rain water in a horse trough and have three 55 gal. drums full of water and capped. The drums are kept on a small hill and used for gravity-fed irrigation of veggie garden. The fresher water in the trough can go to the animals if needed. We have a well but it's deep and would be a real chore if we had to hand haul water out of it. Guess we could do it with the lawn tractor or truck if needed. We also have a lake nearby if push comes to shove. We keep quite a few 5 gal. collapsible containers of water stored for emergencies. Each container has a bit of chlorine in it to keep it drinking quality.

I've learned over the years how to stretch that water. Any gray water is diverted to the garden. We had a bad drought years ago and I ran a garden hose out the window from my bathtub to the garden. After the kids were bathed, the water was siphoned to the garden. The plants loved it and the tomatoes didn't taste like soap!