Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[WI FarmChick]

AAAHHHHHHH! Cute!

 

[hannahransom]

way too cute!

 

[flocksalot]

to go along with the urine, fowl raised around horse manure, whether on a horse farm, or if you brought loads in to their pens, are generally a superior bird in appearance and condition. believe it or not horse crap is good for them. you wont find that in any books either. but its a known fact for 100's of yrs in the right circles. plus ive used that method for yrs myself. not only do they love it, but its good for their health.

Our chickens spend many hours scratching and eating in the horse yard. Normally during the summer they have the manure all nice and fluffy for me to scoop up, but my husbands tractor was down this last winter and it kinda built up in there. We've gotten some areas cleaned and as we do the chickens are working right along side of us picking and a scratching. Horses will eat manure trying to retrieve trace minerals. A horse should have a salt/mineral block and when they do they pass some of it out in their urine and manure. Chickens pick through getting seeds, bugs and itty bitty somethings that we can't see, but they obviously need. The only problem I've had is that I've noticed some long clumps hanging out of their vents. A few weeks ago I was picking up eggs and stepped next to Drucilla, one of our oldest girls at almost nine, and she jumped up and screamed as she tried to run. I grabbed her and then noticed this long thing hanging from her vent. It was about 15 inches long. There was also a long section of intestine hanging there too. She tore loose on the inside and of course died. After examining the thing hanging there I surmised that it was horse mane hair with poop of course. When I stepped beside her I must have stepped on it and when she got up to move it hurt her and frightened her, so of course she tried to get away. Which of course killed her. I've seen the chickens with horse hair hanging out of their beaks same as I've seen them with grassy hay hanging out. It's something to watch and a quick remedy is a bit of vegetable or olive oil to help it pass. Otherwise they can eat all the crap they want as it's less for me to pick up and less grubs and weeds in my garden (but then the ducks eat them there and the turkeys love to take a dried horse poo bath it's more fun than the burn pile ashes).

On another note she was full of eggs which is awesome for as old as she was. Her sisters are still laying also.

Oh and they also love to drink any water puds in the horse yard. They can have tons of waterers, but that puddle must taste like a fine wine or something. Eeeewwww.

 

[hannahransom]

Alright OTs, you may not know anything about this because of the way you raise chickens, but if you do I'd love some advice.

I had a chicken that was puffed up and generally listless.. She ended up starving herself to death in isolation from the others (not self imposed, I isolated her). This was maybe 1 month+ ago? Now, I have another that is doing the same thing, also has a poopy but (not a lot, but I noticed it)... This just started. I figured that whatever the first had was not communicable because everyone else was fine, but now I see another that seems to be afflicted with the same thing. I am isolating her, but honestly I just don't want to deal with this again and want to kill her, but I want to know WHAT this is, because I want to know if other chickens are going to get it, and also if I can eat her safely. Any ideas? I don't see worms in any poop (didn't from the other when she was isolated)..

 

[Lollipop]

Hannah, Dunno if this will help, but I would certainly try it before culling the bird. The white discharge from the vent (pasty butt), is actually urine. Pasty butt is a symptome of constipation, believe it or not. When the bowels are blocked, the urine is all that can escape and lacking the presure of a full bowel movement, it trickles out and builds up around the vent. Clean the vent area with a warm wet cloth. The cure is mollasses in the water. Mix it to look like weak tea and give it to her for a day. It won't hurt the flock, so they can have it too. Mollasses is a natural laxative for fowl. You can eat the eggs and all should be well in a day. I could be wrong about this, but it doesn't hurt to try. You didn't say what you feed them, but adding some black oil sunflower seeds, or fish oil, or even mineral oil to their diet may help also. I would look at what you are feeding, has it changed in the last 6 months? Good luck........Pop

 

[pullus mater]

First, I want to say how much I appreciate this thread! I read the entire thing (even the strange detours) and learned so many things, so thank you to all the OTs who have posted. I do have another question for the old-timers though. I am curious about night time temperatures and moving from the brooder to the coop. I have 7 adult hens and 3 8-week olds in the coop right now. We are brooding 5 3-week olds as well. The 3 week olds are at 70-75 at night and spend almost all day in pen outside in temperatures of 65-80. They seem perfectly comfortable. It is getting into the mid-40s here some nights (most nights in the 50s though) and I am wondering at what age you move chicks into the coop with no heat lamps. The weather seems mild to me and my 8-week pullets have been outside since 5 1/2-weeks with no problems (similar temperatures). They would be in a plastic pet carrier in the coop and then moved to their own small area outside each morning. Thank you!

 

[hannahransom]

I just feed them organic layer, fruits and veggies, scratch, let them range the yard, so they eat tons and it hasn't changed. I'll try the molasses when i can get some. I'm just worried this bird has the same issue as the one that died.

 

[Lollipop]

I just feed them organic layer, fruits and veggies, scratch, let them range the yard, so they eat tons and it hasn't changed. I'll try the molasses when i can get some. I'm just worried this bird has the same issue as the one that died.

I suppose, if they are/were all plugged up, it could lead to death.........Pop

 

[Beekissed]

Here's a question or two for anybody that may have applied anything they've learned on this thread:

What information, if any, did you use?


Is it presently working?

 

[hannahransom]

well it wasn't constipation