The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

I know we have a lot of newcomers. Maybe those who plant gardens could share the herbs & veggies they plant that benefit their chickens? Spring will get here sooner or later & people are probably starting to buy seeds.

The seeds I will be ordering this year for the chickens are:
Basil, oregano, lavender, mint chamomile, catnip, rosemary, & sage

Veggies are:
kale, beet greens, mustard greens, sunflowers, nasturtium, lemon balm,

I am sure I will add others kinds as well when I buy plants..............I always do

I had several catnip plants that have 'gone feral' and the chickens won't touch it... same of most mint varieties I've got. tho I like them for me. LOL

 

[Leahs Mom]

Something that my birds absolutely love.... Bell pepper plant LEAVES.

They wouldn't eat the pepper and don't really care about the pepper seeds. But they LOVE the leaves.

I usually plant about 3 dozen green pepper plants and they would go under those and eat the leaves and hide in the shade under them. I left them standing in the garden till the bitter end and then I would uproot a plant and they'd still stand around eating the leaves from the plants that were uprooted. I began throwing the uprooted plants into the run when they couldn't get into the garden and they'd strip it clean.

 

[loanwizard]

Quote: What makes you think I like leaky nipples?

 

[RedRidge]

I actually DID put my heated bowls away that the waterers sit in.  I wanted to clean out the grit/water in there because I wanted to be sure they weren't growing anything in the bottom bowl with the grit water.  Then it froze again

My "nipple waterers" (Ok, LW...control yourself) didn't leak where they screw into the bucket.  They just dropped extra water on the ground while they were pushing them for their drink.  At least they didn't leak all the time.  Just when in use but it was a huge amount over the course of a day.

I have found that mounting them high enough prevents this. If they have to turn their head sideways they lose some water. But if they are reaching up they don't. Requires periodic adjustment as they grow since my chicks are on nipples from day one. Sometimes I move the nipple. Sometimes I just put a "riser" under them

 

[armorfirelady]

I actually DID put my heated bowls away that the waterers sit in.

My "nipple waterers" (Ok, LW...control yourself) didn't leak where they screw into the bucket.

No chance of me putting the heated bowls away anytime soon.....back in the teens next week

And they are leaking from the nipple part the worse. Even when not in use. So I just gave up on them. Maybe I will get the cup waterer out again & try that again

I had several catnip plants that have 'gone feral' and the chickens won't touch it... same of most mint varieties I've got. tho I like them for me. LOL

I have never tried it with the hens before. But if they wont eat it I have 4 cats who will willingly use it

I have found that mounting them high enough prevents this. If they have to turn their head sideways they lose some water. But if they are reaching up they don't. Requires periodic adjustment as they grow since my chicks are on nipples from day one. Sometimes I move the nipple. Sometimes I just put a "riser" under them

The higher you mount the nipples the less they leak even when not in use?

 

[Shan30]

Farm business was growing a little. Never had so many requests for piglets as I did this spring.... piglets that I couldn't GIVE away in the fall. But.... disaster struck. When I had the fall litter I did not train the piglets to electric. So... they truly free ranged.... 30,000 acres of state land. Lost my boar over the winter to natural causes but he had bred the sows and even though they free ranged, came home to feed and sleep.... until it was time to birth. Disappeared. On the 7th day I found them 2 ridges over. Only had 8 piglets left alive. I stole the babies and bottle fed. 3 days later the sows came home. Took the babies out to them and all heck broke loose! They broke out of the stall, took two babies and disappeared again. So I had 6 left to nurse. Lost one. Last night they came home. Closed in both ends of the barn. Gave them babies back. They stepped on one paralyzing it. Shotgun put that one out of its misery. So, this morning, everyone seems happy. 6 piglets left, 3 of which will become new breeding stock for next summer if I stay in that business.

Other news- Before it put me in bankruptcy, I closed the car lot. Over the past 14 months I have been getting my Auctioneers license. I am now a licensed auctioneer. Building a business..... tough to go from the top and start anew.
Went to visit the man who sold me the car lot 17 years ago yesterday. He has cancer, treatment hasn't worked, 6 months or less, and hospice has been called in. After visiting with him for a couple hours, I wen to see one of my best friends, my banker, who introduced the two of us, and has been so supportive of me over the last 5 years. We chatted about retirement and Florida. We chatted about God and about his grandaughter, who was killed in an auto accident 4 years ago at the age of 6. Months before, she told maw maw and paw paw that she was going to meet Jesus really soon. In November of that year, she hugged cousins good bye and told them she would never see them again. 2 weeks later she was dead.
I take these as signs. I live in a small town, an economically hard hit town, but i am not from here. I am 47 years old. I have about 3/4 decided, as of yesterday, to, instead of build a business here, to re locate to Florida and do it down there while I am still young enough to enjoy it. Our 6 children are all for it, as is my future bride Carla.

That's a synopsis of what I have been doing since we last chatted.
Shawn
Loan, Loin, Lion..... What's in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.

Wow, it's crazy how such a complicated world can sometimes simplify everything for us. So sorry about your losses, past, present and future.

I agree move to Florida, buy yourselves matching bikini/mankinis and be happy!

Wonder if the chickens will like it there... Haha!

Don't stay away so long next time loin!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:

What makes you think I like leaky nipples?

What a great topic Comes up all the time on the new mommy boards.

Baby Sally is here. All is well and she is loving her ability to nurse.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: I have never had nipples leak when not in use. As a matter of fact, I rarely have them leak at all.
But, if they are too low and the bird has to drink "sideways", then all of the water cannot fall into the birds mouth.
I have buckets with the push in type nipples on the bottom in each of the brooders which have wood bottoms and have never had any moisture in the brooders.
Big birds... really big ones, like big cockerels... sometimes are so much taller than the hens that they drink sideways.
This is when "leaking from the side of the beak" occurs.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I have never had nipples leak when not in use. As a matter of fact, I rarely have them leak at all.
But, if they are too low and the bird has to drink "sideways", then all of the water cannot fall into the birds mouth.
I have buckets with the push in type nipples on the bottom in each of the brooders which have wood bottoms and have never had any moisture in the brooders.
Big birds... really big ones, like big cockerels... sometimes are so much taller than the hens that they drink sideways.
This is when "leaking from the side of the beak" occurs.

We tried a few nipple waters from a hanging bucket last summer. My chickens would not drink from them but they would peck at them causing a mud spot. It was almost as if the chickens like watching the water drops instead of drinking them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

What makes you think I like leaky nipples?

What a great topic Comes up all the time on the new mommy boards.

Baby Sally is here. All is well and she is loving her ability to nurse.

We Better be getting some photos here soon