The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[kian]

If it were me, I'd break one pill in half (they're 500mg right?) and dissolve it and start with that. Too much calcium, of course, causes weird shells. But if it were mine, that's what I'd do.

 

[BlueMouse]

obviously I am completely new to all this, but I've been drying out my eggshells on the counter, grinding them up pretty fine with my mortar and pestle, and mixing it into the FF with the garlic and cayenne right before I feed it. That way they can't avoid it! I also have oyster shell out free choice.

another great use for those ground up eggshells is to chuck a couple tablespoons in the bottom of the hole when you plant calcium loving plants like tomatoes.

Hope your girl straightens out for you!

 

[kian]

obviously I am completely new to all this, but I've been drying out my eggshells on the counter, grinding them up pretty fine with my mortar and pestle, and mixing it into the FF with the garlic and cayenne right before I feed it. That way they can't avoid it! I also have oyster shell out free choice.

another great use for those ground up eggshells is to chuck a couple tablespoons in the bottom of the hole when you plant calcium loving plants like tomatoes.

Hope your girl straightens out for you!

Great idea, for the tomatoes. I've got plenty of shells and the girls don't eat them like they do the oyster shells. BTW welcome to the thread

 

[Mumsy]

Thank you everyone for the well wishes. I don't have much spare time that is the honest truth! Those shipped chicks are knocking my socks off! Ron told me I'm the furthest destination for shipping for him yet. We were both pretty nervous. Knowing that chicks shipped to my island take an extra hold over day in Seattle is nerve wracking. They are now working on their third dish full of FF! *Yikes!*

And now it's getting even crazier in my house! I just put my Fogle eggs in lock down yesterday. One just hatched and four or five more are pipped! Holy Carp!! I just officially ran out of brooder space!

I turn my entire flock out into the orchard each morning if the weather is decent. I pull up a chair and watch or I get busy in the garden. They all follow me around, wander off, then find me again. It's wonderful. Ummmmm....I really need to do some laundry and dishes today. Hah!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Thank you everyone for the well wishes. I don't have much spare time that is the honest truth! Those shipped chicks are knocking my socks off! Ron told me I'm the furthest destination for shipping for him yet. We were both pretty nervous. Knowing that chicks shipped to my island take an extra hold over day in Seattle is nerve wracking. They are now working on their third dish full of FF! *Yikes!*

And now it's getting even crazier in my house! I just put my Fogle eggs in lock down yesterday. One just hatched and four or five more are pipped! Holy Carp!! I just officially ran out of brooder space!

I turn my entire flock out into the orchard each morning if the weather is decent. I pull up a chair and watch or I get busy in the garden. They all follow me around, wander off, then find me again. It's wonderful. Ummmmm....I really need to do some laundry and dishes today. Hah!

You love it and you know it! We do too! The laundry isn't going anywhere and chicks grow by the minute it seems. Can I tell you how envious I am?!!!! Hope all goes well on the hatch.

 

[delisha]

Congrats!!! they look so darn cute!!

I will post pictures as soon as I have someone to help me DH is at work, and I don't think my toddlers will be responsable with the camera

as far as soaking in epsom salts... how do I restrain him to do this? He's a pretty big bird, and if he decided to thrash it would be hard to restrain him AND hold his feet in the water at the same time... If this was one of my parrots I would wrap them in a towel like a burrito with the part to be treated sticking out, and throw a fold of the towel over their head if they got really unhappy. Does the same technique work for chickens? I don't THINK that it's packed dirt, the bottoms of his feet were actually pretty clean, I had just let them out of the shed, so they hadn't been digging mud pits yet....

Restraint is really not necessary. Get a large bucket. Fill it 1/4 way with hot water and add 1/2 cup epsom salt. Stir it up and go get your bird. Make sure you can put your hand in the water with out burning. It should be about dish water hot. A chickens internal temp is 105, so they can take pretty hot water. Wrap him in a towel and slowly lower him in the bucket. After a few minutes he will start to enjoy it. It is very relaxing.

I will have to catch up on this morning's post later - need some help!!

Background: My silkie started laying almost 2 weeks ago at the age of about 20 weeks. Her first 5-7 eggs were very good - nice shell. Then the last few starting getting thinner and thinner. At first, they were just thin enough that they were getting cracks in them from someone else laying on them in the nesting box, however....

Today: Out in the middle of the run, in the midst of all the chickens, while I was feeding/watering, she started walking funny and squatting. The silkie roos apparently thought she was squatting for her but she'd squawk and run away, then walk funny and squat again. Just as I was going to get her, a very soft-shelled egg popped out. This one is the softest ever. I have them on grower ff, scraps, and oyster shell is set out for the taking.

How can I get calcium down her better - maybe she's not eating the oyster shell??? Let me know what I should do for her as I am worried that her eggs will continue to deteriorate.

Grab an egg and smash it up in a frying pan..egg shell and all..soft cook it..make sure the bird eats the whole thing. If you need to contain her to make sure..that is what you need to do. Feeding back the egg is one of the best thing you can do. It has the highest amount of selenium and calcium that she needs. Do this for a week. She is a pullet and sometimes it takes pullets a while to fire correctly. I personally would not give additional liquid calcium or pill form. Natural......

 

[delisha]

Mumsy..please keep us updated..I have pips too..nothing out yet. I have people coming for chicks on Saturday so I hope I have several out by than. Go chicks go! I need to do my cleaning too, but figured it will wait till I want to do it. Joe is home and if it bothers him too much, he can do it..lol..

I moved my chicks outside to make room for the new ones. It was pretty cold last night, but, they seemed fine this morning. I am going to rest my incubators after this hatch I think. I need some time to spend with the growing chicks. Start doing some evaluations.

 

[fishermans wife]

Restraint is really not necessary. Get a large bucket. Fill it 1/4 way with hot water and add 1/2 cup epsom salt. Stir it up and go get your bird. Make sure you can put your hand in the water with out burning. It should be about dish water hot. A chickens internal temp is 105, so they can take pretty hot water. Wrap him in a towel and slowly lower him in the bucket. After a few minutes he will start to enjoy it. It is very relaxing.
Grab an egg and smash it up in a frying pan..egg shell and all..soft cook it..make sure the bird eats the whole thing. If you need to contain her to make sure..that is what you need to do. Feeding back the egg is one of the best thing you can do. It has the highest amount of selenium and calcium that she needs. Do this for a week. She is a pullet and sometimes it takes pullets a while to fire correctly. I personally would not give additional liquid calcium or pill form. Natural......

The whole time I am reading the foot soak thing I am thinking "I wish someone would do that for me!"

As far as cleaning the house when you feel like it? I love that philosophy!! I NEVER feel like it!

Mumsy - those chicks are beautiful!

 

[countrygirl74]

Thanks for all the help on the soft-shelled egg today everyone! I will start with the egg feeding... I do always give their shells back to them, but maybe she is not eating them. I will definitely have to contain her at least for her to eat the egg. This morning when I tried to get her to eat some yogurt, she barely took two bites - by the time I had gotten her, her crop was already full.

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy..please keep us updated..I have pips too..nothing out yet. I have people coming for chicks on Saturday so I hope I have several out by than. Go chicks go! I need to do my cleaning too, but figured it will wait till I want to do it. Joe is home and if it bothers him too much, he can do it..lol..

I moved my chicks outside to make room for the new ones. It was pretty cold last night, but, they seemed fine this morning. I am going to rest my incubators after this hatch I think. I need some time to spend with the growing chicks. Start doing some evaluations.

Hahhahh! I should be down stairs or outside. So much to do both places. I just moved the new arrivals out to the chick house with the Catdance chicks. I divided the space in two. These Fogle line chicks are eating so much, I wonder how much bigger their crops can swell!
My eggs are two days early! I can keep them in the tub brooder in the house for a few days but these chicks are huge! If all or most of the fifteen hatch, I need another outside brooder this weekend! My husband is loving it. He is happy when I am happy. And I am over the moon happy.

I hear you about closing down the incubators. I have eight Johnny eggs in the LG and when they are out, I'm done for the season. My daughters will get some hens from me this summer and I will be butchering Johnny cockerels in another few weeks. That will free up space in my 'bursting at the seams' barn.