Chickens introduced to the chicken tractor here at Paca Pride Guest Ranch

It's time to rev up our organic bug control team to start work on the llama poop piles in the pastures! To do that, we first need to introduce 20 birds to the chicken tractor and finish their brooding phase. After they no longer require a heat lamp, we'll be moving the chicken tractor out to the pasture areas into spots that requiring "tractoring". That is, scratching at those poop piles for bugs and fly eggs and larvae and rake the poop out over the grass to help break it down.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Paca Pride
• Guest Ranch
• yurt
• yurts
• chicken
• chickens
• chicken tractor
• llama
• alpaca

[tamildeztiny]

why the hell u dip its beak in to water??..why?

[Dabudsta]

Dipping their beaks in the water tells them "Oh, this is my water source!" Baby chicks that are unfamiliar with their water source, may not even find it and thus die from dehydration. They seem to find their food ok. Although, this is most important to do for newly hatched chickens, it didn't hurt to do this with these 1 month old chicks as well just so they know "Oh my water is over here!"

[qd08]

is it good to start roasting them so young?

[Dabudsta]

hahaha, that's just a heat lamp to keep the chickens warm enough until their feathers are fully grown in. Since they are about 1 month old already, they won't have the mini-tanning bed much longer.

[japierce15]

i've never had problems with chickens figuring out things. I like animals (and people for that matter) to figure things out the hard way -- by providing the necessities and then waiting until they figure it out. Tough love.

[morningbirdfeeder]

@Dabudsta I didn't know that, that's interesting.