The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Elliemae 77]

What kind of white wash is recommended? I've found one that uses hydrated lime, water, salt, and whole cow's milk.

 

[aoxa]

What kind of white wash is recommended? I've found one that uses hydrated lime, water, salt, and whole cow's milk.

Hydrated Lime.

Pigeon Guy has a recipe on here somewhere. Hopefully someone can link that, because I'm not sure where it is.

 

[boyswillbeboys]

Had to google those terms. I am certain she is a Huacaya - as her mother and father were those classic smaller teddy bear looking alpacas. 

I like that idea Splitting the fibre. That would be awesome. I think I'd be able to shear myself. I do my poodle's grooming (not the same I know) but it takes me two hours minimum. If I can handle her screaming at me whenever I touch her feet, and the ache in my back I can do an alpaca. I just have to tame her down first. Also, really glad she is in the petting area of the zoo. I think all this human exposure will be good for her (hope so..) There is 4 of the alpacas in with the deer, who are very people friendly. Fingers crossed!  

Yes her colours are not common from these guys according to our zookeeper friend. She is the only one who has been born with those unique colours in all the years they have had them. 
Will he eat birds you have killed?

I find it rather disturbing that people find it strange that we eat our own meat because we have raised them.. Thinking it was sad. What is sad is the way store bought meat (for the most part) is raised and then slaughtered. I'd much rather eat something I know had a good life. Who had many good days and only ONE bad one.

Sounds right, sorry, I'm a bit of a strange one, I know way more than I need to about anything I want to know about. For others, Cria = baby alpaca And there are two breeds of alpaca, Suri, which has long hair and Huacaya which looks a bit like a fuzzy teddy bear.

I was eating store bought chicken the other day, as mine aren't big enough yet, and felt a little sad about how it was raised.

My dad 'warned' me yesterday that having the chickens on the grass would make for dark yolked eggs, I just smiled and told him I miss Oma's free range eggs, and he shut his mouth quickly.

 

[aoxa]

Sounds right, sorry, I'm a bit of a strange one, I know way more than I need to about anything I want to know about. For others, Cria = baby alpaca And there are two breeds of alpaca, Suri, which has long hair and Huacaya which looks a bit like a fuzzy teddy bear.

I was eating store bought chicken the other day, as mine aren't big enough yet, and felt a little sad about how it was raised.

My dad 'warned' me yesterday that having the chickens on the grass would make for dark yolked eggs, I just smiled and told him I miss Oma's free range eggs, and he shut his mouth quickly.

I'm the same way with chickens. I try to use terms that people understand (who don't own chickens) but somehow they still get confused. I like that Cria.. Google said it referred to any baby camelid. Can you tell I'm a Google fan? Best way to learn is to research. Now I know.

Took me forever to remember Homozygous and Heterozygous for chickens. Those are big words.

Mmm dark orange eggs = the best!

As for meat, when we run out of our own chicken, we find a local source of chicken that raises them like we do (if not better, because they grow their own organic feed, which we can not do).

 

[brandislee]

Time for a cold hard pragmatic natural person step in. Nobody feels good playing God with a creature unless they are a sociopathic serial killer. It is a necessary evil that comes with the territory. You have accepted dominion over a rather helpless being and have to make these life and death decisions.

Let me tell you (again) the few experiences that I have and remember in the last 4 years.

Chickens on the chopping block... Partial misses. I felt bad, but in retrospect it was all over in less than 30 seconds. I am quite certain the animal was in shock, not pain. That said, I now stand on a broomstick and pull hard and decisively.

Pigs- I bought some pigs that did not do well last year. They stopped being aggressive at the feed trough, then stopped eating. Yes.... I medicated and tried to treat. 1st one, on her last night, I carried her to the dog kennel and laid with her in straw for 2 hours. When I returned in the morning she was gone. Sounds sweet, but I let her suffer way too long. 2nd one, I shot..... 3 times with a 22. The look in her eyes still haunt me every once in a while.

Worst one was a cat that I lost a couple weeks ago. She got into some tanning bed cleaning solution that was nasty and tore her all up. Kids had used all the ammo except a 20ga. slug. I partially missed at point blank range. She ran to the garage and I had to retrieve her to do it all again correctly.

Does it hurt? Absolutely, but it is my responsibility, one which I face, and accept


as the head of household.

I agree with you, but it's much harder for me to execute than talk about. I like to have a plan, but I still put it off far too long (as you did with the pig).

Just curious do either of these guys eat store bought meat? (or any for that matter)

My husband won't kill for meat (never been a choice between being hungry and killing though) he would euthanize to end misery if I were not around, but he wouldn't like it at all, and wouldn't do it if I were here. My husband does not think it is wrong to kill for food, he just doesn't want to do it.

(I'm not one of the OP, but...) My husband doesn't love culling animals, but when it's obvious I am struggling with it he will do it for me, which I greatly appreciate. But he won't help me process for meat, which is just annoying because it's much easier with help. However, he does hunt and doesn't have an ethical issue with killing for meat. Between the two of us all our friends know our place (or with us) is the place to be if a serious survival situation comes up. Between my herbal knowledge and husbandry skills and his hunting (although he's probably not such a good shot anymore, he hasn't been hunting in a while just because he doesn't have anywhere to hunt here) I'm pretty confident in our chances.

I find it rather disturbing that people find it strange that we eat our own meat because we have raised them.. Thinking it was sad. What is sad is the way store bought meat (for the most part) is raised and then slaughtered. I'd much rather eat something I know had a good life. Who had many good days and only ONE bad one.

I agree. Even people on here are like "oh I could never kill my beloved chickens." Well then you'd better not be turning around and eating supermarket chicken that lives a horrid, miserable life....

 

[brandislee]

So my two broodies are hatching as we speak (saw a few little fuzzy faces sticking out earlier!!!). They're both in the main coop with only the 6 turkeys and my one broody with the 2-3 week old chicks. Can I keep them all in that coop together?

I've asked this question on the hatching forum before, and everyone was like "NOOO YOU MUST SEPARATE!" but I figure that's not natural- in a natural flock all the broodies would be in with the whole flock (the only reason they aren't is because I want my flock to free range, and if I let the broody/chicks free range my dogs would eat the chicks... I let them out a few times a day while the dogs are tied up, though, and the turkeys only eat in there, I let them out after they eat). I can separate them, but I'd rather not both because it would make integration easier if they are already all together, and because we're leaving for the weekend and fewer pens is easier on the person who is feeding my chickens.

 

[brandislee]

Sounds right, sorry, I'm a bit of a strange one, I know way more than I need to about anything I want to know about. For others, Cria = baby alpaca And there are two breeds of alpaca, Suri, which has long hair and Huacaya which looks a bit like a fuzzy teddy bear.

I was eating store bought chicken the other day, as mine aren't big enough yet, and felt a little sad about how it was raised.

My dad 'warned' me yesterday that having the chickens on the grass would make for dark yolked eggs, I just smiled and told him I miss Oma's free range eggs, and he shut his mouth quickly.

Does he think dark yolks are a bad thing???

 

[uglychickens]

May I present - Gunnar's Last Chick (I totally need a better name - LOL!) GLC sounds like a kewl name! Or GeeGee if its a girl (short for gunners girl) Run&Gun for a boy... Suggestions

 

[jime]

sorry I am getting in to this and is not to start trouble but in Peru we call them Huarcaya (alpaca) and Suri and Huarcaya are not different breeds they are just different variety witch are differentiate by quality and texture of wool(fibber)Huarcaya is more wooly type and curly while Suri is more silky and glossy and forms threads like a komodor dog.
It is true that baby alpaca fibber is really soft is pretty expensive as well since you only get it once from each animal, adult alpaca fibber is good sometimes you will need to mixed it with some other sheep wool to give it more flexibility and/or make it less itchy.
aoxa you could try to mix the alpaca and poodle but will still need some sheep in there to give it texture.I spin my Newfoundland hair and my angora rabbits and the mix of them still not good been angora the worst for body, I will mixed this ones with some sheep and try it.

 

[aoxa]

sorry I am getting in to this and is not to start trouble but in Peru we call them Huarcaya (alpaca) and Suri and Huarcaya are not different breeds they are just different variety witch are differentiate by quality and texture of wool(fibber)Huarcaya is more wooly type and curly while Suri is more silky and glossy and forms threads like a komodor dog.
It is true that baby alpaca fibber is really soft is pretty expensive as well since you only get it once from each animal, adult alpaca fibber is good sometimes you will need to mixed it with some other sheep wool to give it more flexibility and/or make it less itchy.
aoxa you could try to mix the alpaca and poodle but will still need some sheep in there to give it texture.I spin my Newfoundland hair and my angora rabbits and the mix of them still not good been angora the worst for body, I will mixed this ones with some sheep and try it.

Sheep wool to make less scratchy? For real...? What is more itchy than sheep wool...

Can't wear any sheep. I get bad reactions. Alpaca fibre no problem. Or cotton..