Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
OMG, that is WAY too much vinegar. If you don't believe me, make up a batch and try drinking it yourself.

A few drops of vinegar in a quart of water is plenty.

A "glug" (somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon) of vinegar per gallon is plenty.

You don't want to torture the poor chickens by making their only water source so acidic it is unhealthy.

@Sill - Use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother." If it doesn't have the "mother" in it don't bother using it. The "mother" is the fermentation gunk that settles to the bottom and contains the probiotics that make the apple cider vinegar worth using. Shake it up before using it.

The best brand of apple cider vinegar I've found is Bragg's, but it is pricy and it can be hard to find. WalMart carries a Heinz version that isn't labeled organic but does contain the "mother" and seems to work ok.

 

[girlchick]

Treat birdhouse gourds the same as you would any fruiting vine. They do better with afternoon shade, mulched soil. If you can add compost that will help add moisture and nutrients to the soil. Peat moss doesn't have as many benefits as compost. How often to water depends on conditions at the time. In summer probably every few days if they get all day sun, maybe less if the soil is well mulched.

Thanks, I just ordered the seeds, and will definitely add some compost and mulch to the soil where I plant them. I have a compost bin that's still "brewing" and not ready for use yet. Have to hit the garden center this time and pay for the stuff. LOL They will definitely require a lot of water, but that's okay because hubby has set up a drip irrigation system for me that's near the chicken run. Plus, I have my very own water spigot right by the coop! Such a good hubby. He likes "the girls", I think.

 

[moms3cuties]

 

What kind of vinegar do you use and how much?

* I wanna say 1 cup to 6 cups water. *

OMG, that is WAY too much vinegar.  If you don't believe me, make up a batch and try drinking it yourself.

A few drops of vinegar in a quart of water is plenty. 

A "glug" (somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon) of vinegar per gallon is plenty.

You don't want to torture the poor chickens by making their only water source so acidic it is unhealthy.

@Sill - Use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother."  If it doesn't have the "mother" in it don't bother using it.  The "mother" is the fermentation gunk that settles to the bottom and contains the probiotics that make the apple cider vinegar worth using.  Shake it up before using it. 

The best brand of apple cider vinegar I've found is Bragg's, but it is pricy and it can be hard to find.  WalMart carries a Heinz version that isn't labeled organic but does contain the "mother" and seems to work ok. 

...I myself wouldn't trust Heinz apple cider vinegar as its from a grain, (other brands are from petroleum for reg.vinegar))-fyi) if it's not listed organic then it's not. However Sprouts, Whole Foods and Trader Joes maybe some places locally that could carry it and possibly AJ's. Online you might check Vitacost they do sell some food items and some non GMO foods as well. I second Braggs as a really good and the best brand I've heard of for apple cider vinegar. Sometimes the stores will carry a organic or health food section and you can get a small bottle of Braggs.

 

[MaesMom]

Those are nice Isbars. I think, I would like a splash colored one as well. I have really grown to love mine. The lil pullet is just as sweet and friendly as can be. The Roo is a roo, and I didn't spend enough time handling him early on and he's a bit skitish. But, since separating him into his breed hutch, he's really settled down.

My baby is; "Cogburn", he was an "only" chick last Fall and I was able to handle him a couple times daily and he's my Big Baby. He's the only one whom gets to free range. Being a Black Copper Marans he's too heavy to get off the ground and get over the fence. We have several pit bulls in the the neighborhood and I just wouldn't risk it.

 

[dofnup]

Lost a duckling

I started with 27 chicks and 3 ducklings ... lost 3 chicks in the first 3 days but it had been a week and I thought they were all out of the "danger zone" ... blah. It wouldn't have affected me as much if it had been one of the chicks ... I got those 3 ducks for my husband, he prefers ducks over chickens and now he's got even less of a percentage in the flock. Plus it was the runner duck and I picked that one out especially because I love how runner ducks look

@#$%^&*%$#

stupid fragile birds ... stupid getting attached to them so quickly ... sigh ...

 

[pipemum]

You can also inoculate regular apple cider vinegar with 'mother'. Just pour a tablespoon or two of Bragg's into a regular bottle of ACV, loosely place the cap on (it will need to breath) and place the bottle in the back of the pantry or cupboard for a couple of weeks. When you come back to check on it, it should have a nice, nasty layer of snot, aka "mother' that has formed. Voila. ACV with mother for a fraction of the price.

8 eggs yesterday, out of 9 chickens. And nary a one to eat. I'm treating my birds one more time with Zimectrin Gold (prior 2 have been with Valbazen) and then another 14 day withdrawal for the eggs. Ugh.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

I buy Braggs ACV at Bashas grocery store. Bashas has a surprisingly good selection of organic food. I also buy my millet flour from them.

 

[DesertChic]

Lost a duckling

I started with 27 chicks and 3 ducklings ... lost 3 chicks in the first 3 days but it had been a week and I thought they were all out of the "danger zone" ... blah. It wouldn't have affected me as much if it had been one of the chicks ... I got those 3 ducks for my husband, he prefers ducks over chickens and now he's got even less of a percentage in the flock. Plus it was the runner duck and I picked that one out especially because I love how runner ducks look

@#$%^&*%$#

stupid fragile birds ... stupid getting attached to them so quickly ... sigh ...

That's so sad. How can you (we) not get attached to those cute little puff balls on site? Everyone tells me not to name my chicks since I'll be raising some of them for meat, but the names come as naturally as the love I feel for them. I guess that's the price we pay for having big hearts.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Question here - I have a large and seemingly healthy olive egger. She is about 2 years old. She has only ever layed 7 or 8 eggs total in her life. None of which we could eat because the shell was so thin. The size was always pullet size. I have had her since she's just 2 weeks old. I had given up on her as laying any more. We laugh because she sits in the nest box every day and nothing is ever left behind. Today, I found one from her. When she lays, they are greenish in color and shaped like a rocket. What would cause a hen to only lay every 4-6 months?

I've tried to research and can't find anything so far.

 

[DesertChic]

Question here - I have a large and seemingly healthy olive egger. She is about 2 years old. She has only ever layed 7 or 8 eggs total in her life. None of which we could eat because the shell was so thin. The size was always pullet size. I have had her since she's just 2 weeks old. I had given up on her as laying any more. We laugh because she sits in the nest box every day and nothing is ever left behind. Today, I found one from her. When she lays, they are greenish in color and shaped like a rocket. What would cause a hen to only lay every 4-6 months?

I've tried to research and can't find anything so far.

Based upon all the reading I've done, some hens simply are not predisposed to laying. It happens. Her pelvic opening may be too narrow and rigid or there could be some other developmental or genetic issue that has rendered her a poor layer. Situations like this are often described in the old literature, like "The Call of The Hen" and the old poultry husbandry books.

Here's a link to "The Call of The Hen" : http://www.archive.org/stream/callhenscience00hogarich#page/n3/mode/2up