The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

Quote:

on the marans x, any time you see red wattles at that age it's a roo...

on the silkies, I've been told (but don't hold me to it) that the bigger fluffier crests would be pullets and the more 'beaker-ish' crests would be roos... but i'm just guessing. I left beaker's pic up but deleted the rest for space considerations.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:

on the marans x, any time you see red wattles at that age it's a roo...

on the silkies, I've been told (but don't hold me to it) that the bigger fluffier crests would be pullets and the more 'beaker-ish' crests would be roos... but i'm just guessing. I left beaker's pic up but deleted the rest for space considerations.

These are the two I think are males as well, thank you I don't want to part with the wrong ones.

 

[zinia8]

Have any of you used sawdust for DL?

I have used it in the run and coop with no problems. Still have a couple piles raked up from the last batch of firewood cutting just gotta find them under a foot and half of snow.

 

[jockeyeba]

Have any of you used sawdust for DL?

Wood "shavings" work great & are all we use in our coops since we have a huge pile at all times for bedding our horse stalls

 

[misbhaven]

Update on my little roo .. his foot treatment has worked amazingly well. I didn't take a before picture but I will take one tomorrow of his foot when unwrapped. This is what I did. I found the directions on another site. I cut a kite shaped piece of light cardboard from a pop case. Trimmed the back point off so it was chicken foot shaped. Put a bandaide sticky sid up around the cardboard , stuck the chicks toes in the correct position to the bandaide then wrapped another around the top of toes and foot. Then secured his legs like a splayed leg chick with vet wrap. When I took it off after 18 hrs it was probably 75% better no more curling just.his toes were rolling abit. To one side. He walked normally. I am going to leave his shoe and wrap and for a couple more days but it is looking very good.

 

[RedRidge]

Have any of you used sawdust for DL?

I'm using the horse bedding Pine pellets in the pens right now. It turns to sawdust over time. I really like it. I've started using it in walk ways to keep mud down too and it's great.

 

[lalaland]

Update on my little roo .. his foot treatment has worked amazingly well. I didn't take a before picture but I will take one tomorrow of his foot when unwrapped. This is what I did. I found the directions on another site. I cut a kite shaped piece of light cardboard from a pop case. Trimmed the back point off so it was chicken foot shaped. Put a bandaide sticky sid up around the cardboard , stuck the chicks toes in the correct position to the bandaide then wrapped another around the top of toes and foot. Then secured his legs like a splayed leg chick with vet wrap. When I took it off after 18 hrs it was probably 75% better no more curling just.his toes were rolling abit. To one side. He walked normally. I am going to leave his shoe and wrap and for a couple more days but it is looking very good.

glad he's better! curious, did you try liver or vitamins or neither?

 

[lalaland]

rooster question:

Booster , jr rooster, has claimed the sultamler hens as his. Now and then, I see Buster, the alpha rooster, harass the sulmtalers. He will peck at them, grab them by the comb and kind of throw them. This doesn't look like his mating behavior as he treats the other hens differently. Now, true, the others do squat for him. Is it normal for a rooster to harass hens that "belong" to another rooster?

 

[aaggjg]

These are the two I think are males as well, thank you   I don't want to part with the wrong ones.

I'd agree for sure on the Marans. That Silkie I'm leaning boy but they can fool you. The last 2 silkies you posted I say girls!
I'll take another look at the suspected boy Silkie when I'm not on my phone!

PS those girls are pretty!! I like the porcelain hen

 

[aaggjg]

Okay I have a question I keep meaning to post but forget when I get Infront of my computer ... So phone post it is. I have a lavender Orpington who from time to time really does a deep intense squat to poop. She really stands and bears down hard. I keep expecting her to pop an egg out in the middle of the yard but nope just a poo. Sometimes she stands in this position for quite awhile. It seems odd. Has anybody seen this behavior before??? Her vent looks normal .... Slightly messy but barely. She's been doing this on and off for months. Any thoughts??