The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

So ii tried candling eggs tonight. I watched a great video on YouTube that videos then candling eggs first so I had an idea of what to look for. I tried video taping me doing it but it didn't work.

One eggs def phase veins and you can see the embryo moving around. One other has what looks like a blood ring & the other looks clear. But my flashlight I used was very round at the lens so I need to make something to put over it so I can get more light on the egg than around it. The BCM eggs are to dark to see anything as are the blue ones. I will check them again Sunday or Tuesday and see if I can see anything more. Fingers crossed !!

 

[lalaland]

AFL, if you have a smartphone, the flashlight app makes a great candling tool. Such a tiny beam of intense light!

 

[AbbyTravers]

Hi. I was wondering if there is a natural lice and mite spray. None of my girls have them but just to keep them happy and healthy.
Thanks!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Her comb and around her eyes looks puffy and feels warm. Her feet. Much pinker between the toes in real life. Her stance. She was NOT amused with being in the house, and finally tried to make a break for it and send an email for help from my computer. She is acting normal, in general. She has a full crop and normal poop. I watched her eat several times today. She was out ranging with the others. The only thing out of the ordinary was that she squawked when I picked her up just now and beat me with her wings. She obviously did not want to be held, and all of my chickens are very good about being picked up. They have to be, with the 5,4 and 2 year olds who hold them constantly. Plus, they were already roosting, so they are usually even more passive. I've grabbed her off the roost before without any trouble. There seems to be a definite swelling in the bottom of her abdomen and a line of redness. Closer to her thigh is normal skin color and then bright red. It almost looks like she has a sunburn. As far as contagious goes- I noticed the floppy back feathers yesterday or the day before, hubby noticed them before that. He isn't the chicken person, so he didn't really make a note of when it was. If she is contagious, they all will have whatever it is. My only other thought would be maybe a spider bite? I didn't see any obvious bites, but she wasn't real happy with us poking her. I put her back in the coop for the night. I'll watch her some more tomorrow. My hubby and I are saddened that she may be our first cull. This is Queenie, so named because that is the way she has always acted. As a chick, she was always first in line for everything, pushing everyone else around. I don't think she's head hen, I don't actually know who is, but she is up there. She comes when called very quickly. Some are in it for the food, but she just wants to see what's going on, what we are up to.

I certainly wouldn't be in a rush to cull Queenie. She may have something but it could be a very mild and insignificant something that she will recover from the way kids get over a cold. Stuff happens, and a generally healthy well cared for hen with a decent immune system can deal with it. Nor do you want to cull a hen with a great immune system like that right? So give her a bit of time, little extra care and love, see how it all pans out.

 

[misbhaven]

Hi. I was wondering if there is a natural lice and mite spray. None of my girls have them but just to keep them happy and healthy.
Thanks!

I actually use a hotshot natural product before i get jumped on it is just lemongrass oil..it is made for your kitchen .i spray the legs of my rabbit hutches and the outside of my coops right at the ground level (never have sprayed inside run) ..smells oddly like pepto have never had any ill effects from it.but never have sprayed an animal with it or really where they could get ot it just wood that mites would crawl up .gnats which are Horrible this year don't seem to like it..I actually hung a bug zapper in a big fenced area high the chicken fight over the fried bugs in the morning.
another alliterative plant marigold,mint,catnip natural bug repellent plants

On a different note..I am going to buy a trio of Wheaten Marans Friday afternoon hopefully i can talk him into a quad ,then i will have Maran eggs to trade, and who knows what else i will come home with ( must practice restraint) an older man basically runs a rare bird farm an hour from my house.. he has ,Bresse, Swedish flower, Marans, Lavender Ops,real Americauna's ,Peacocks and a few other things so if anyone is looking for something let me know I know he sells mostly chicks but I might convince him to sell some hatching eggs and I can pack eggs well (20 shipments zero eggs broken) I know he had to have been tested in April for Avian because i actually got my lavenders from him it was a Requirement of that sale and he had most of the breeds there but had sold out

 

[Leahs Mom]

Her comb and around her eyes looks puffy and feels warm.




Her feet. Much pinker between the toes in real life.




Her stance. She was NOT amused with being in the house, and finally tried to make a break for it and send an email for help from my computer. She is acting normal, in general. She has a full crop and normal poop. I watched her eat several times today. She was out ranging with the others. The only thing out of the ordinary was that she squawked when I picked her up just now and beat me with her wings. She obviously did not want to be held, and all of my chickens are very good about being picked up. They have to be, with the 5,4 and 2 year olds who hold them constantly. Plus, they were already roosting, so they are usually even more passive. I've grabbed her off the roost before without any trouble. There seems to be a definite swelling in the bottom of her abdomen and a line of redness. Closer to her thigh is normal skin color and then bright red. It almost looks like she has a sunburn.
As far as contagious goes- I noticed the floppy back feathers yesterday or the day before, hubby noticed them before that. He isn't the chicken person, so he didn't really make a note of when it was. If she is contagious, they all will have whatever it is.
My only other thought would be maybe a spider bite? I didn't see any obvious bites, but she wasn't real happy with us poking her.
I put her back in the coop for the night. I'll watch her some more tomorrow. My hubby and I are saddened that she may be our first cull. This is Queenie, so named because that is the way she has always acted. As a chick, she was always first in line for everything, pushing everyone else around. I don't think she's head hen, I don't actually know who is, but she is up there. She comes when called very quickly. Some are in it for the food, but she just wants to see what's going on, what we are up to.

Do her legs look like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/486168/buff-orpington-has-red-legs-and-feet

 

[Leahs Mom]

Take a look at this:

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx

The swollen face and head is concerning. It is a symptom of several things.

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL, if you have a smartphone, the flashlight app makes a great candling tool.  Such a tiny beam of intense light! 

Oooooo thanks !!!! I'll try that Sunday night. I doubt I'll ever see through the Marans eggs or the blue ones lol

Hi. I was wondering if there is a natural lice and mite spray. None of my girls have them but just to keep them happy and healthy.
Thanks!

I have wood ash with a little peat moss mixed in available for my hens 24/7 in half of a plastic wreath holder. Wood ash is a natural mites & lice preventer/killer. And the hens love to bath in it

 

[Firbrd]

Hi. I was wondering if there is a natural lice and mite spray. None of my girls have them but just to keep them happy and healthy.
Thanks!

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/02/mites-how-to-prevent-them-and-treat.html

I haven't tried this mite spray yet but we plan to. They have a dust bath with ash and dirt also.

 

[armorfirelady]

@lalaland here is a picture of what the herb planters looked like this morning. Hey are growing well. Especially when I remember to water them I've never seen anyone physically on them but I find poop up there so I know someone has been up there. Edie is the only one I see under it but I figure once it warms up others will seek shade under it. I have mint planted in front of it. As more pips up around my house and my moms I will plant more around it.