Observation is the key - HCCML-2

Observation - you can learn so much just be observation. For example: for 2 weeks now the chickens have been happy in the greenhouse run and never bothered to go to the door or tried to follow me. However, in the last 2 days, and they are 5 weeks today, they seem interested in following me out  of that space. Luckily I planned the next enclosure and started working on it, though there is quite a bit more to do. Coincidentally, they are growing into the needed size not to so easily fit through the fence which is going to be out there. In fact, I am gonna try to stretch it for another week.

The point is, observe and listen - it might tell you more than any verbal explanation ever can. Because, let's face it, all generalized information might not precisely apply to you and your flock. But your flock will tell you when it is time.

Bald spots underneath - you can see it in certain movements

Another point for observation: for the past few days, the chicks look pretty much fully feathered, but when I get a look underneath the outer layer of feathers, I can see bold spots, like on the neck and some under the wings. At first I only saw it on 1 chick, but now it is many of them. It seems that the baby feathers fall out before all the others are in. Since they get chick starter, worms, eggs and greens, I seriously doubt that is it nutritional. The reason I mention it is because I read on a blog post, where someone asked if his 4 week old chicks can go outside (it was COLD out there) and he sent pictures of his chicks - they looked like mine, miniature fully feathered chicks - but - when you observe them move - the bald spots shine through. LOOK underneath - and you'll see the bald spots. I cringe when he was told they are ready to go out there ...and out of the brooder/coop they were gonna get thrown. It could be that the cold exposure will speed up the feathering out process, but chicks that age can also still easily die from exposure.

It all just confirms: look and listen, observe and trust your intuition to do the right thing for your chicks, no matter what anyone tells you. learn from the best  and even then, how do you know "they" know better? Just like any other path, do your due diligence, verify for yourself.

How has that changed my like? I don't know, only that I need to spend time observing - and that, because I want to do what is best for them, I will take that time. And here is where you realize an inner strength which no one can take away from you. You do the best you can for your chickens, and to do that, you spend time with them, you observe them. There is no substitute for that. In fact, I am now convinced that had I looked more closely on day 2 and 3, I would have caught the pasting earlier and the runt Fayoumi would not have died. Can you do that as a farmer who has hundreds of chickens? I don't know - but that is that farmer's life :). Maybe his chickens are giving him/her other lessons .....

How chickens changed my life - HCCML-1

A visiting friend's first experience with chickens on her back :)

1 - Someone suggested to me yesterday to write a blog, like a book,  about: "How chickens changed my life" because he'd never seen me this happy. I recalled how it started, and reminded him - "You know, it started with Skye". "Yes yes, but still write about it". Just the day before while working in the kitchen and then collecting kitchen scraps for the 4 weeks old chickies - I heard myself say: my current happiness is derived from seeing the chickens happy. And by happy I am not trying to put human emotions and such on them. Happy chickens are are doing chicken things in a healthy, non crowded way, like foraging about in the designated yard. They make happy noises, they are healthy. Yes, they are only 4 weeks old, and puberty has not hit them, nor has breeding season, therefore, so far, they are trusting, curious,  love what I bring them as well as roost on me. Are there other things to make me happy?  Yes, when a dog in the shelter finds a good home, when there are news of a habitat being protected, when folks wake up and their lives are more free - and they can possibly turn to include the earth and her creatures in their awareness. When people get a lot out of a workshop to make their lives easier - or to wake up a bit more

But it is the everyday chicken exposure, that is pure delight and energizing - and in fact - makes me happy. I should say that I LOVE birds, have loved birds since I can remember. To sit there are just observe them move -  could do it for hours. I suppose most people nowadays would think that is crazy and a waste of time, Most people get bored regularly - I never do. There are not enough hours in the day to do a fraction of the things I am interested in. Like a friend told me a LOOONG time ago: "Life is like a supermarket. You get a cart to fill up. You can get anything you want - but you can't have everything".
And boy oh boy (girls too) - is that ever true.
A few years ago I learned, though did not practice, that serving others, working for the benefit of sentient beings - can be fun. having been raised in Germany, this "having fun" thing was a bit alien to me. But that notion has crept up periodically and again very recently. It is not the essential necessity of humor - no, it's actually fun. And strictly speaking, it is still not about having fun - except that is is fun - and I LOVE working with chickens. So far, I have not yet had to deal with the rooster overpopulation - I'm working on it.

So far, when I sit with them - I am happy. Nothing is missing or amiss. I love those chickies. I LOVE them.

So welcome to this label thread of the chicken garden adventure.

4 Chicken breeds - some observations

Forage dish in the brooder, day 2

When deciding which type of chickens to get, I asked for a recommendation from someone in the area and I went online as well.

Here are the characteristics I was looking for to start with:

heat tolerance
good forager
egg layers
not too broody

The first chicken breed that was
recommended was: Buff Catalana, however,  they were already sold out till July from the place I was going to get them, so I started with assorted light chickens, Mediterranean if possible, which I originally thought to get as the second batch mostly for fun and variety with at least some of the desired characteristics.

I got 4 different kinds of chicks, 25 in a straight run (they sent 2 extra), and I am still discovering which is male or female. They are currently 4 weeks old:

11 Blue Andalusians (4 black, 4 splash, 3 blue)
6 Sicilian Buttercups
5 Egyptian Fayoumis (1 died at day 4, after pasting)
4 Golden Polish

I wanted the chicks not to be freaked out every time they saw me - so I spent a lot of time in the coop, where the brooder was and hand-fed them treats.

Buttercup  chick

Buttercups -  from day 1, they wanted to be close to me and did

Baby chickens - things to know

this brooder for 27 chicks lasted 1 week -
then we moved them to a bigger space, about 4 times the size.
they are still in that space at 1 month, but at 3 weeks
 also got to go outside into a covered run during the day. - and they love that!!!

drinking - when you bring them home, and as you take them out of the box one by one, dip their beaks gently into water - get them to drink , before setting them into the brooder. always make sure they have access to water where they are.

your brooder - a predator safe,  enclosed and ventilated space with water (not deep, they can drown) and food (chick starter and semi cooked veggie treats are good, little insects too), litter (kiln dried wood chips, no cedar), a warming bulb in a brooder lamp - red is good, and things for the feet to get exercised ...branches of various diameters, nothing slippery or flat to prevent injury to their legs. give them some grass with earth on it, give them a forage tray to scratch around in. you might want to put the food and water not directly under the lamp. if your chicks explore about all over the brooder - your doing good. temp should be 95 the first week, go down 5 degrees per week after that - though it seems they feather out faster if they get to go outside early on.

after a week or 2, move them into a bigger space, or, if your brooder is big to begin with, you can wait 3-4 weeks. if the weather is warm enough - they will be ready to go outside for part of the day at 3 weeks.(if not before) - caution - chicks are very small and will find any opening to a larger or unsafe space. not only that, while they are good at getting out - they mostly will not find their way back in.

keep it interesting for them, spend time observing them.

pasting: little chick's vent can get poop stuck on it making it impossible to poop any more. this is deadly, meaning they will die and even if you catch it, the chick might be weak and not make it. once weak at such a young age, it is difficult to recover. this is mostly something in the first week of life.
be vigilant and use warm water to help get things unstuck.

pecking - chicks peck out of curiosity, heat stress, not enough space stress, boredom and establishing pecking order. nothing need to be done about the curiosity other than have only chick safe things around, nothing much can be done about them establishing a pecking order - as early as 2 weeks, everything else - observe and handle it. chicks can be pecked so badly they can die.


getting wet - dying from exposure after getting wet can be deadly - no rain or morning dew early on.

handling - establish a sound, like gently banging a metal pot or something, before you call them with your chicky chicky sound to give them treats. this conditions them  to that sound = treats/food and makes it easy for another person than you to later call them for feeding. offer food from your hand early on, and handle them gently. once  on the ground, walk around them  with your tai-chi chicken walk. fond a phrase/sound that will mean: it's ok. you might want to do stuff around them and then give them treats - positive association.

feeding - chick starter and other stuff. after about 3-6 weeks, grower feed is ok, or - continue chick starter and let them forage till they start laying, then layer feed or make your own. imo - if you feed organic, and expose them, as much as possible, to things a mama hen would - medicated feed should not be required for the homestead and pet chicken. immunity to coccidiosis happens naturally and is desired.

grit - small stones necessary if you feed anything other that chick starter.

hygiene - clean is good, sterile not only not necessary - it is not desired.

dusting -  something chickens do to keep clear of mites and lice and such - and they seem to like it too. if no dusty ground is available, provide a dust box.

nothing wrong with playing music for them, even if they will be outside and free range ;)

remember - chicks LOVE to scratch and dust-bathe - giving them a chance for both will make for happier chickens. giving them something else to explore other than each other will make for healthier and happier chicks.

Helpful websites

Trying to figure out the new and not so improved blogger workings for tagging and labeling - so i added all my categories to this post


Back Yard Chickens - very good on many topics

The Small Scale Poultry Flock is a book - LOVE it. It is comprehensive, practical and organic with a 30 year background. Best book if you want to combine poultry and gardening - here is the website themodernhomestead.com poultry main page


Sandhill Preservation chicken catalog - i got my chickens from them and love them. You do need patience, and THEY ALSO HAVE HERITAGE SEEDS - I am happy with the chickens and wish to support them too, so I think eventually I will order seeds from them also. Here is a review site

Chickens at the post office

 Until I got involved with chickens in 2012, I did not know they can be shipped. They do quite well for a day or 2, and even thought there can be losses apparently, mine arrived well. I did pay for express mail thought - for the chicken baby's sake :). Here they are at the post office.
Sandhill Preservation has a detailed list of what types of poultry can be shipped where and how (best to ship)

WOAH - The chickens are at the post office - May 22, 2012 - ready or not, here they come.

Chicken coop supplies and building help

Today - supply arrives and help 

Thank you Dick for getting stuff in your truck and Dan, Jaz, Tito and Ken for carrying it and digging those pole holes. It was a good afternoon.

Here is a link to the album - telling of women who yesterday  (I think) went into an "egg farm"

Four women from Animal Liberation Victoria, on bail for a battery hen rooftop protest, locked down to battery hen cages at 4.30am this morning, defying their bail condition and facing almost certain prison for their actions in defence of hens.

Once we have a working chicken coup and pasture - I would not mind giving a few resqued hens a few good years foraging.