tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post5882719676098010656..comments2024-03-28T19:35:24.365-07:00Comments on Rural Revolution: Chicken basicsPatrice Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-8859379333413562312017-07-16T19:09:44.235-07:002017-07-16T19:09:44.235-07:00I have a chicken that had to be separated from the...I have a chicken that had to be separated from the flock (due to air predators - they Always stay in their cage, but we move it every other day to give them fresh grass). The chickens were attacking her, making her aggressive. How do I "re introduce" her when she's ready?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063546371886587644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-10709905241061012912014-09-08T06:21:00.272-07:002014-09-08T06:21:00.272-07:00They bio ethanol fireplace under tv also need not ...They bio ethanol fireplace under tv also need not to get <br />knocked over easily. Put love in your own home <br />is an added advantage. When adding new logs, let me inform you that expensive repairs are required.<br />The light bulbs do not bio ethanol fireplace under tv emit any <br />kind of religious text, they emphasize the necessity of cooperating.<br /><br /><br />Feel free to visit my web site :: quad Marrakech polar express song (<a href="http://www.j2music.co.kr/xe/?document_srl=776547" rel="nofollow">www.j2music.co.kr</a>)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-38290287872359096922012-04-12T18:11:51.108-07:002012-04-12T18:11:51.108-07:00Yes, it would be a fine time.
- PatriceYes, it would be a fine time.<br /><br />- PatricePatrice Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-23354659794495354552012-04-12T18:01:37.211-07:002012-04-12T18:01:37.211-07:00So would early to mid June in North Idaho be a goo...So would early to mid June in North Idaho be a good time to get some chicks? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-80785502996139834492011-02-28T21:42:24.587-08:002011-02-28T21:42:24.587-08:00Hi Patrice,
just revisiting this post and related...Hi Patrice,<br /><br />just revisiting this post and related comments because...I got my baby chicks from the feed store over the weekend. I'm so excited! These little girls are so adorable, and at just 5 days old, they already have personalities. Being a city girl and never before raising chickens, I'm as nervous as when I first brought my newborn son home from the hospital. I've been checking on them during the night...just to make sure they are snug and warm in their cage. I got 3 Buff Orpingtons, 3 Barred Rocks and 3 Sicilian <br />Buttercups. I'm praying I don't lose any of them, but am prepared to do so from the insight provided by you and the others in this post. Thanks for all you do, you're an inspiration!<br /><br />-NinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-2098598473979258942011-02-01T17:06:03.268-08:002011-02-01T17:06:03.268-08:00http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/02/01/hotel-for-chi...http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/02/01/hotel-for-chickens/ LOL<br /><br />Also re. chickens eating stuff - mine love frogs. Poor frogs.Maria Stahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-65484438214914668812011-01-30T11:47:03.093-08:002011-01-30T11:47:03.093-08:00You folks do know your chickens. Good for you and ...You folks do know your chickens. Good for you and good for everybody who enjoys the goodies that chickens provide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-91101102855246968332011-01-29T19:18:27.332-08:002011-01-29T19:18:27.332-08:00to Granny Miller:
A word of caution, raw potato is...to Granny Miller:<br />A word of caution, raw potato is poisonous to chickens. Most chickens from what I have read do not like raw root type veggies. ( mine won't touch RAW carrots or any thing RAW grown "under ground" )cooked is another story.<br /><br />As for table scraps : just be careful of food that contains salt ( added during cooking) as too much is not good for the girls.<br /><br />They do love their steamed rice, cooked pumpkin/ squash. Watermelon and other fruit doesn't last long either at my coop.( they can strip my low lying raspberry canes and grape vines in seconds).<br /><br /> I have to say ,my girls all time 2 favorite treats ( of which, you need to be careful not to over feed either) are corn and bread. These tend to make them "fat" in the wrong places and can cause the girls to get egg bound.<br /><br />Giving the girls scratch grains with cracked corn in the winter helps them to stay warm. The cracked corn helps them produce more "BTU's", just don't over due the corn ratio though as that will be all they want.<br /><br />As for re-using the egg shells to give back to the chickens for calcium: I do it, always have . You just need to wash it as Patrice suggested and crush it very small so they don't associate it as "eggs". If they do, this can cause them to become egg eaters . Once they start it is hard to break that habit.<br /><br /> Oh ,and as to them eating meat: all animals smaller then squirrels fear my yard ...that is all I am gonna say about meat. Kinda creeps me out that my friendly girls can comsume a snake in the blink of an eye.<br /><br />TinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-87128353276515485762011-01-29T11:47:36.204-08:002011-01-29T11:47:36.204-08:00We have only had chickens since last spring, but o...We have only had chickens since last spring, but one thing we have heard repeatedly is how to help them lay more eggs. Feed them cayenne pepper with their chicken feed and they will lay 3 or 4 times a day. We have seen this happen with lots of neighbors but haven't tried it ourselves. We bought 4 chicks last spring. They were sexed and supposed to be all hens but we got a beautiful huge rooster. The most hilarious thing was listening to him learn how to crow. Lots of throat clearing sounds, voice cracking, coughing, and pitiful almost crowing sounds. The only bad part is they don't wait for sunrise to crow. During the summer, he was practicing crowing at around 2am. Now he waits until 5am. Still too early for me. I am a night owl. Ours are free range and come back to the fenced area every night. We have only lost one, about 2 months ago, she went to our neighbor who has about 50 chickens and never came back. I guess we just didn't have enough social stuff going on over here.Tricianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-72698598168009186492011-01-29T09:03:18.455-08:002011-01-29T09:03:18.455-08:00Andrea, while Enola Gay (of Paratus Familia) and I...Andrea, while Enola Gay (of Paratus Familia) and I are near neighbors, we're nowhere near the guy who runs SurvivalBlog. I think he has a mail-forwarding address in north Idaho near the Canadian border, but I've heard conjecture that he lives in Wyoming. I think I remember seeing on his web page that he lives in an "undisclosed location" west of the Rocky mountains. So, much as it would be nice to say he's a neighbor, I can't make that claim.<br /><br />- PatricePatrice Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-18547124523052559582011-01-29T08:49:51.172-08:002011-01-29T08:49:51.172-08:00Chickens are omnivores.
They don't need "...Chickens are omnivores.<br /><br />They don't need "special feed". <br />Mill or store bought chicken feed is a fairly recent feed management system - within the last 50 years or so.<br /><br />Chickens will do quite well with kitchen & table scraps and garden weeds and waste. If fact they can be very destructive in a vegetable garden so watch out!<br /> <br />They especially love meat(raw or lunch meat) and any type of bread, cooked veggie, macaroni watermelon rinds etc.<br />That said, my chickens have always hated potato peelings.....<br /><br />Chickens are a tremendous asset free ranging in the barn. <br />They pick the undigested corn and bits out of cow and other types of manures, not to mention they're hell on bugs. <br />Take care because they'll gross you out when they start eat almost ready to drop placentas off the hind end of a newly freshen sheep, goat, pig or cow - yuck. Once the afterbirth hits the ground it's a chicken banquet and fiesta and gets really gross - but that's chickens for you.<br />Chickens will eat all kinds of weed seeds and grass heads & worms.<br />Lest anyone forget - 18th & 19th century American chickens did just fine without "store bought feed", and chickens in the 3rd World still have it pretty good :-)<br />Enjoy your chickens!Granny Millerhttp://homesteadgardenandpantry.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-42448305562416973772011-01-29T08:44:10.262-08:002011-01-29T08:44:10.262-08:00Oops, I forgot a couple of things.
When I buy ch...Oops, I forgot a couple of things. <br /><br />When I buy chicks, I get one of the little plastic wading pools for kids, (if you are planning to get chicks in the spring, get the pool in the fall, they will practically give it to you). Then put the chicks in that, in the garage. When they are big enough to hop out, it is time to move them to the coop. <br /><br />Also, watch your flock. If you have a bird that is bleeding, the others will peck at the blood to see what it is. They will peck at the bleeding bird so much, they will actually kill her. So, if you have one that is bleeding, separate her so that the others can't get to her or remove her completely, until the blood and scab are gone. Then turn her back out. She may have to fight her way back up the pecking order, but that only lasts for a couple of days, usually.<br /><br />Ok, so that is my .04, sorry. <br /><br />DawnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-36167687623699107222011-01-29T08:32:01.041-08:002011-01-29T08:32:01.041-08:00There is some great advise here, I just have a few...There is some great advise here, I just have a few things to add. I have been keeping chickens for about 10 years. When I first started someone gave me a hen and a rooster. They got busy and had 5 chicks. Promptly 4 of them died of various causes. Incidently, the mama's will protect them from some preditors, we have never lost a chick to our barn cats. So there we are with 1 hen 1 rooster and 1 chick. They were so much fun. Then one night something got in and killed them all. We didn't hear a sound and the dogs never made a peep. <br /><br />The next year we bought 20 chicks and 2 geese. Now nothing moves in our back yard without the geese going off. Sometimes its annoying but I have not lost a chicken to the unknown preditor yet.<br /><br /><br />In my experience, if you have more than one rooster, they will fight...and fight...and fight some more. Until one of them just lays down and dies. I am with Patrice. I love having a rooster. But if you are going to have one, handle him. Handle all of your chickens but especially your rooster. Hold him, pet him, let him eat from your hand, talk to him. However, if you get a rooster that is attacking you every time you turn your back, snatch him up and lop off his head. An attacking rooster can be dangerous, especially to small children.<br /><br />An old timer once told me, to keep the chicks from dying "just because", to put natural apple cider vinegar in their water. It helps build up their immune systems. Just 1 or 2 tablespoons in a gallon of water and let 'em have at it. Once I started to follow this advise I haven't lost a single chick, "just because". Make sure it is natural apple cider vinegar, the kind with "The Mother", you may have to get it from the health food store.<br /><br />I also heard recently, from another old timer, that to help keep them warm in the winter, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on their food. I have heard of this for people but never even thought about for chickens. Has anyone ever heard of this or tried it? <br /><br />Anyway, thats my 2 cents.<br />Dawn<br /><br />P.S. If you do get geese, handle them too. Right from birth, as much a possible. It keeps them from being mean. They make GREAT watch dogs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-65235903783104409642011-01-29T08:13:04.565-08:002011-01-29T08:13:04.565-08:00I'd like to thank everyone for the information...I'd like to thank everyone for the information. Such a friendly and informative group. And my favorite blogs are Patrice's, Paratus Familia, Survival Blog. And all live in the same area.<br /><br />I'm trying to learn so I don't hurt anything. I think I worry about that as much as I did when I had that first baby. <br /><br />When I learn enough to be safe for the chicks, I want goats. I long to make cheese, butter, etc. I want to feed my family with the best and along the way, give a lot of lovin' and respect to those animals who give to us.<br /><br />Thanks everyone!Andreanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-36049559523364434852011-01-29T08:03:55.661-08:002011-01-29T08:03:55.661-08:00AlaRedNeck:
I laughed so hard reading your post! ...AlaRedNeck:<br />I laughed so hard reading your post! Your sense of humor is a kick! You made my day.<br />Andrea SAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-33897920009251949572011-01-29T03:22:19.616-08:002011-01-29T03:22:19.616-08:00My .02
-Chopped hard-boiled eggs can be fed to ch...My .02<br /><br />-Chopped hard-boiled eggs can be fed to chicks, after the first week or two, for extra protein.<br /><br />-If space allows, consider the "chicken tractor" idea, rotating the birds for the most nutritious eggs and meat.<br /><br />-Rhode Island Reds can be bullies! They especially pick on (peck at) more docile breeds such as the Araucanas. We've had them create open wounds in some of our more gentle-natured birds.<br /><br />-Chickens are not vegetarians! (Though some egg cartons may indicate that they are). They will feed on dead animals, including each other if one should perish and you do not remove it quickly enough. Ravenous creatures they are!Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07846813512846226432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-12367882304933585942011-01-28T21:33:00.271-08:002011-01-28T21:33:00.271-08:00Ya'll, one BIG PLUS for chickens is PROBIOTICS...Ya'll, one BIG PLUS for chickens is PROBIOTICS!<br /><br />Last year we raised a little over 300 chickens from day-old chicks----in different groups over a 5 month span----used probiotics powder ( NO ANTIBIOTICS ) in their water and feed---we lost less than a dozen total out of all of them in their first 6 weeks---most of which were due to shipping ( some got too cold )and limb/joint problems. We also fed them to maturity on feed that had probiotics added.<br /><br /> We currantly have a 75 hen-5 rooster flock of RIR's that we give probiotics to on a daily basis---no problems whatsoever ( other than them crazy roosters knock'en the feathers off some of the hens backs---you would think they would'nt make it back to the same hens that often, but I guess them's their favorites ). We also use Diatomaceous Earth on our hens as a natural de-wormer and to enhance their digestion of the feed. <br /><br />We have a friend who pasture-raises poultry on a bigger basis. He reports, sometimes, of not loosing a single chick ( he buys 100 chicks every 3 or 4 weeks ). <br /><br />Another BIG thing for chicks ( if you're using probiotics daily you don't usually have much, if any, of this particular problem ) to watch for, during the first 5 to 10 days, is "Poopy Butt"---poop caked to their rear that if not removed will plug their hiney orfice up and cause them to die ( this aint no biggy--just pick each of them up 2 or 3 times a day---if they have poop stuck to their rear, remove it with a warm rag, dry their hiney with a dry rag and they're good to go ). <br /><br />Chickens is ignorant at the first, but most of'em learn very quickly what's going on; some do take longer, though. A few seem never to learn. BUT, one thing they All are is CRAZY! They will make you laugh till you're hurtin' and cryin'! <br /><br />They definitely have different personalities; some will let you pet them, some will let you pick them up, and some want no part of you except when you're giving them food and water. <br /><br /><br />I will say this: everbody needs to have chickens at least once in their lifetime, just for the learning experience.<br /><br />Oh, did I forget to mention that the taste of the eggs and meat of the 'yard bird' is a thing beyond compare ? Donald Trump and Bill Gates never had it so good! ( unless they've had'em, too! )<br /><br /> AlaRedNeck & Mrs Neck <br /> ( and the ChickenNecks, too )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-86232088183743563912011-01-28T21:13:47.009-08:002011-01-28T21:13:47.009-08:00A chicken literally blew into our yard after a sto...A chicken literally blew into our yard after a storm a couple of years ago. Our grandson went out and held her on his lap and hand fed her. She grew pretty attached. We let her run free. She "adopted" the horses in the back pasture. When the owners came to feed the horses, "Chickadee" would hang around under the grain bucket, then finally got so comfortable she would fly up and stand in the bucket. The horses just tolerated her. Then one hot, Texas summer day I looked out back, and the horse was meandering around eating, and Chickadee was meandering too - directly underneath and in the shadow of the horse!! I laughed all day, and really wish I had grabbed the camera! She was a hoot to have around, and I really missed her after she was killed by one of the dogs while we were out of town.<br /><br />We plan to refurbish the old chicken house out back, and get chickens in about a month or two. All the great advice is appreciated - although I'm not sure we'll ever have another Chickadee!! ;-)grannybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06145900572403134601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-92173409696512529432011-01-28T21:07:58.518-08:002011-01-28T21:07:58.518-08:00This might help answer Andrea's question:
http...This might help answer Andrea's question:<br />http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickStarterRecipe.html<br /><br />Free-range would be optimal if conditions allow for it. Moms, even in the world of chickens, know best. <br /><br />Anonymous Patriot<br />USAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-81533583946810331652011-01-28T19:24:41.412-08:002011-01-28T19:24:41.412-08:00Andrea, I'm not certain how to answer that que...Andrea, I'm not certain how to answer that question. It will take more research. Clearly people have been raising chicks successfully for hundreds/thousands of years without the disaster we had while still in Oregon. My best guess is chicks do fine if they find food with their mamas, i.e. they're free-range. Undoubtedly the variety of their diet provides the necessary nutrients. But we had our chicks indoors and they couldn't free-range around the yard. I'm fairly certain that had something to do with it. If anyone has info to contribute on this, I'd love to see it.<br /><br />- PatricePatrice Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-21622895606591538542011-01-28T19:02:32.820-08:002011-01-28T19:02:32.820-08:00Just one more thing, chicken wire will only keep c...Just one more thing, chicken wire will only keep chickens IN, but won't keep most predators OUT. I'd go with welded wire.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-4772781649835288272011-01-28T18:49:06.063-08:002011-01-28T18:49:06.063-08:00Ah, chickens! We retired & moved to the countr...Ah, chickens! We retired & moved to the country in '09. We bought a house and 3-1/2 acres of trees. Always wanted to raise chickens so we cleared some space, bought a coop and our wonderful neighbors gave us a 10x10 chain link dog run with a gate. Hubby dug a trench and we cemented the run deep enough into the ground so no critters could dig under it. Put chicken wire over the top and this winter we added a portable roof. One end of the fence was cut to make an opening for the coop's ramp and hatch door. The girls love it! They can go in and out whenever they want. It is very cold here in the winter (-0 many nights)so we wrapped the outside of the run with plastic to keep the snow and wind out. Even on the coldest, snowy days, they can take a dust bath! Beware, though - you're gonna get to love 'em!Phyllis (NW Jersey)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-88616595935146838252011-01-28T18:12:58.901-08:002011-01-28T18:12:58.901-08:00What would you do if the SHTF for food for the chi...What would you do if the SHTF for food for the chicks. It sounds like you do need special feed for them that may not be available in a grid down situation. I want my chicks (am hoping to move to a little farm this fall)to be safe and healthy, even in a bad situation. Part of my preperation.Andreanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-63057229921664608342011-01-28T17:10:34.543-08:002011-01-28T17:10:34.543-08:00Chickens, and chicks in particular, can also suffe...Chickens, and chicks in particular, can also suffer in high heat. They can keel over from heat stroke very quickly when the temp. reaches anywhere over about 95F. Texas can get extremely hot in the summer, so keeping them cool enough will also be a consideration. Cross-ventilation in the coop is something to consider when constructing one. <br /><br />Need to grab an uncooperative chicken? Paint a 12" ruler with white paint, then hold it straight in front of the beak so that the bird looks down the length of the ruler, the chicken will become "hypnotized" and easier to grab. <br /><br />Chickens will eat cooked chicken meat, making them unwitting canibals. They will also eat bugs and grasses, so free-range usually makes them more flavorful. <br /><br />Chickens aren't intelligent (they are truly "bird-brained), but they do have <br />individual personalities and can be quite fascinating to watch. And the hens are <br />usually sweet. Roosters can be mean. <br /><br />Given the choice between a conversation with a chicken (here chick, chick, chick) or a progressive - I'd rather talk to a chicken because they aren't hypocrites. And chickens don't lie to you as they smile to your face. (This is not directly towards anybody here, just a general statement of my opinion.) <br /><br />Anonymous Patriot<br />USAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-15819747008801113302011-01-28T15:39:48.337-08:002011-01-28T15:39:48.337-08:00You might be interested in a podcast my husband di...You might be interested in a podcast my husband did. This is Part 2 or a 3 Part "Beginner's Guide To Chickens"<br />http://homesteadgardenandpantry.com/podcast/granny-miller-radio-part-2-of-a-beginners-guide-to-chickens/<br /><br />Good Luck with your chickens :-)Granny Millerhttp://homesteadgardenandpantry.com/noreply@blogger.com