The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

About frostbite:

this is kind of helpful. nothing really new to me but a nice overall informative piece:
http://www.extension.org/pages/70255/frostbite-in-chickens#.Uvj4efldV8F

 

[jime]

I'm looking into the links that you provided and it looks very promising as long as I devote the time and training necessary. Is there a particular one that you would recommend for a GSD with a lot of energy, there are a lot to choose from.

She doesn't come when called if she's distracted and I would like her to stay on the property and not bark every time the neighbor comes out of his door and of course, whatever is needed to be around the flock.

I have a GSD as well 3 1/2 years old he is pretty crazy (mine does have training come, sit, stay) but it does not matter when he is with the animals his instinct takes over him and likes to herd, it was my mistake because I let him do it with my geese witch were really aggressive so the dog was the one to put them in the barn.
Once I got rid of the geese I decided to get a collar mine is the Pet Safe with the option for two dogs.
To be honest I only used it twice and he got it (his problems is trying to herd the horses witch got him into the vet with 4 broken toes, with the chickens /ducks his problem is when he sees one alone he will try to get it and on the process not a good ending) if all the chickens/ ducks are in big groups he does not care.
I only put the collar once, when he was trying to chase the horses I zap him once, first it came like a noise and he kind of stop but wasn't sure and then came the stock and that call his attention.
He still get a bit exited when i water the ducks (the movement of the ducks in the water but I only show him the remote and that call his attention as well.
The collar ha been put away for 6 moths and only show the remote when he gets a bit of the herding attitude and works pretty good.
He has get into many fights with the fox around his last time cost some big puncture on the salivary gland with took long time to heal.
-The other dog in he collar is the Yorkie witch is a barker. So this collar will work for your dog really good.

And on the LGD topic, I like marimbas but I am a softy for big drolly things so once the GSD and my 11 year old Newfoundland dog go I will get a Pyrenean Mastiff and a Spanish Mastiff, I think they will complement each other and will be enough for my 10 acres property.I think you guys should look at those as well .

 

[lazy gardener]

GSD?

 

[ki4got]

GSD?

german shepherd dog

 

[TeaChick]

I have to agree. With many moms, nursing is the harder choice and sometimes not the right one. Cheaper, maybe, it depends on if the baby will nurse and if the mom needs to work. Lots of money gets spent when the natural milk has to be expressed, stored, and bottled. As for easier, for me,imo formula is way way easier. I have not used formula though but from the nursing experiences I have had, I don't see how formula could be anything but easier. As for nursing freeing up space in the diaper bag, that was not happening here as my water bottle took up tons of space and I was constantly thirsty. I ate more too when nursing. And wow people poke fun at the mood changes a pregnant lady goes through, those mood swings and cravings are nothing compared to the nursing mom's mood swings.
But when all goes well, when baby is a good nurser and mom enjoys it, nursing can be a wonderful experience. Like anything natural, there is an effort to get to the reward but the benefits are great.
And I have to say that when nursing is not happening, there are things besides formula to turn to, everything from natural herbs to prescriptions to goats milk to home made formula too. So if nursing is not right, it is not life ending like it used to be.

Yeah, I didn't have any trouble with the nursing itself; it just took so much out of me. And the mood swings!!!

My oldest slept with me most of the night until she was six and my youngest is four and just starting to sleep through the night without me, not last night, but a few nights in the past two weeks. lol We're trying to look on the bright side about it.

Yeah, I'm glad there are options!!! =)

 

[TeaChick]

Yes... I plan on having chickens beyond these... The coop is large enough for a few more as it is, technically (though with this winter you would never believe it with their crankiness....I do give them a little break on that though as it is their first winter actually in this space with one another... I think they will iron it out and we will get past it.) The coop also has "room to grow" if we move the one wall out further which is my intention eventually. It won't cost anything but a little time and effort. I would love to get more chickens this year but I am going to wait a year or two to add a few more... and then a few more a year or two after that... basically staggering it out so that I continue to have a steady flow of eggs for my family every year. I have no problem feeding them (they free range in the summer) even when they are not producing. I do occasionally sell eggs when I have a surplus but by the time I supply my mom and me with eggs-- there is rarely surplus-- it is more just the simple fact of having eggs to eat and bake with that we know what goes into the chickens therefore we know what we are eating. It's also a good learning experience for the boys

Sounds cool. It's good to have a plan. My plan was to get chickens so I have eggs....and I guessed I'd eat them when they stopped laying. Getting more chickens, selling eggs, hatching, etc. None of that occurred to me. lol I feel so silly for that, but now I'm just amassing chickens, mostly hens, if I like a rooster for a particular reason, then I'll keep him, etc. I'll be selling eggs the next surplus we get (I've been hatching my surpluses the past couple of months), and I'll slow down on the hatching from this point on too. That's the current plan anyway. lol Oh, and turkeys soon. =)

I am not sure if starlings are afraid of snakes or not... I use large rubber snakes on the edges of my 28 ft above ground pool to keep the birds ( bird poop) of the rails..it works no sparrow,blue jays etc land there and poop there...they seem to help in my garden also.

On the baby topic... I have 4 kids and a stepson ..so 5 children. I always breastfed for at least 3 to 6 months, solid food which a keep a mini food processor for.. my babies eat pretty much what we eat or at least parts of our meal.. used says a ton your baby doesn't care if their clothes came from good will or yardsales I always get every child a few new outfits for visits grandma's etc..i don't cloth diaper but use whatever brand i have coupons for or luvs...( assumeing baby isn't allergic my 5 month old can't wear pampers)..i only have ever gotten gear new that safety could be a concern carseats, cribs etc. infants and toddlers while i love my 3 under 3...are pooping staining machine and poop happens if i have a .50 pair of pants on one of them and we are out for the day and their was a horrible poop mess etc i can just throw them out with out carrying around the soiled things for hrs (smelling up my car) then scrubbing.. i used to be that mom you have to eat what I make.. the stepson hates steak so giving him a hamburger cost 50 cents instead of the $4 dollars worth of steak he would eat.. i give small concessions sometimes if it makes fiscal sense..Toys my toddlers don't care if someone has played with them before they get new for christmas and birthdays..

I had to edit the first line having 5 kids makes it hard to type sometimes.

I think the snakes are a genius idea!!!

Yeah, kids don't care; we didn't have money when we were kids and my brother and I play in the woods, under the house, the only "expensive" toys we had were our bikes and our g-parents got those for us. I've made several pairs of pants out of the legs of jeans or pants of mine that I've cut off; it's easy. (anyone who wants to know how can PM me and I'll tell you; saves a lot of money, doesn't take a lot of time, and you can throw them away like the 50 cent pants Misbehaven referred to).

Yeah, I feel ya on the typing thing!!! lol

 

[TeaChick]

a larger owl and other hawks, dogs trained by RedRidge
But some hawks will fight with a midsize or small owl.

gotta get me some of those!!!!
JK, hawks stay away from my dogs too (when they're not sleeping

)

Yes, really. Her facial features, nose, etc. remind me of my grandma! But...I don't know what color hair she had. It was always totally white as long as I remember and the b/w photos I couldn't tell what color as a young person.

My dad's mom was the same way; white hair all my life. (He was their youngest). My mom was the oldest kid in her family, and everyone started going gray really late and grayed really slowly; I seem to be favoring them.

 

[TeaChick]

Oh I have gotten so behind on the thread! Things have been crazy!

I think one of my girls may have been victim to a hawk today....
Graphic Photo!




And some to clear out the recent pics!

Cute dog, what breed?

"She swallowed the goat to eat the dog, she swallowed the dog to eat the cat, she swallowed the cat to eat the bird, she swallowed the bird to eat the spider, she swallowed the spider to eat the fly, but I don't know why she swallowed that fly....................."


Your post just made me think of that old song, hadn't thought of that in years.

 

[lazy gardener]

When my kids were little, I used (home made) cloth diapers, turned a pair of adult pants into shorts, and used the legs for kids pants, sewed all of their clothes, made everything from scratch... Some how, I think even doing all that I had more free time than I do now. I think all those extra birthdays tend to suck the energy out of a person.

 

[TeaChick]

Italian Maremma...Although when they are young? not so much... LOL

I do not want more puppies.
I do not want more puppies.
I do not want more puppies.
I do not want more..............

He's sooooooo cute, I couldn't help myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!