Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[NanaKat]

scorpion stings?

I found this: http://chickenscratchranch.com/tag/scorpion-sting-chicken/

As scorpion stings take affect in chickens, the feet curl and they are unable to hold themselves upright, even while laying down. This lasts for roughly 2-5 days. Most chickens will start showing signs of improvement after 2-3 days and will be back on their feet as if nothing happened after 3-5 days.

Very interesting. This could also explain some of the sudden deaths.

 

[babymakes6]

Hatchery horse and Heritage horse....mmm....

That picture is adorable!

 

[Mountain Momma]

I just answered another post about keeping water thawed in the winter with this and just thought you all might be interested. I know it is totally off the wall. Glad that guy made me think. Hope I put a good enough mental image to it. And if a guy had the resources could do it for free.

don't know but this is what I have in my head untested.
Build a green house that is 2x2 or 2x3 or 3x3 whatever suits your needs I would think smaller is better less time to heat and longer it will hold heat. Make it on top of straw bails. Only build it 2 feet high not including bails.
4 bales of straw make a box out of the bales fill box with cow or horse manure ( I would use horse manure) lay a piece of wood, Plexiglas, glass, tin big enough square to cover manure overlapping bails a little. build a green House on top of that a few 2 x 2s 1 sheet of green house material ( you know corrugated looks like card board but plastic and clear get it at Menard's) OK that piece is pricey you could also use Plexiglas but green house material is better generates more heat.
Cut 8 foot sheet of green house material into 8 / 2 x 2 foot pieces 4 walls 2 for peaked roof 2 for front and back of roof. Greenhouse makes heat decomposing manure creates heat water pan sett in the middle no freeze. open door on one end facing south. Say a 10 inch wide by 12 inches tall door. Hey set something in front of door to block the wind you know about 18 inch's to 2 feet away. Wow thanks for making me think I'm going to put 1 attached to my coop but still outside.
Never thought about a non electric heater before.
Hope it helped.

I like the way you are thinking. My plan is to take the water we boil to make coffee and pour it over the edge of the deck into the water container the chickens use before I let them out. Of course I am saving this incase my plan doesnt work. I said there were good things and bad things about having the chickens too close to the house. I dont think the coop inside will fffffreeze. If it gets so cold water freezes I have some old lined curtains on a rod that I will put up at night so they warm up the coop. Unless someone thinks that is a bad idea.

 

[arienwolf]

I have been breeding birds for a very long time. Not chickens actual different types of birds. My grandmah had been grooming me for it for a long time as they were "pets" and the chickens were not. lol. Her reasoning for needing help with the numerous birds and huge cages.

I actually do have a question, It's about the sour crop, in the previous post.
When I was growing up I noticed when we cleaned out the gizzards of the chickens that they had a lot of pebbles and small rocks within. Just recently when I culled my first, I noticed the same, She had pebbles and fish tank river rock (from one of my cleaned out tank areas I assume)

When some of our birds came down with sour crop we made a trip to the river in the Old Jeep. Spend a day crawfish hunting, swiming, coconut finding and all (good memories there) We always came back with two buckens full. One filled with river pebbles from the shore and another from wherever she told me to get it IN the river.

There was a difference in size. But it wasn't by much IMHO. (from what I remember)
Either way it cured the sour crop problem for the birds and we would find the wild chickens in the buckets if we left them open. Here in florida, The "grit" they sell for Birds is SAND.

Most definitely NOT what I was used to. But I rarely run into the sour crop problem with the birds using the sand. I guess, for finches,parakeets and love birds, sand is the equivalent of tiny rocks?

I know I've made this really long, but confession time, I have not bothered to buy my chickens grit or oyster shells.(both suggested Ill admit) The yard I live in is pebbled and I got Sand everywhere.

Do the OTs give grit to their flocks? How often do you notice and cull for the sour crop in your flocks and how can I avoid it?? (if possible??)

 

[Pozees]

Hatchery horse and Heritage horse....mmm....

 

[KrisH]

I just answered another post about keeping water thawed in the winter with this and just thought you all might be interested. I know it is totally off the wall. Glad that guy made me think. Hope I put a good enough mental image to it. And if a guy had the resources could do it for free.

don't know but this is what I have in my head untested.
Build a green house that is 2x2 or 2x3 or 3x3 whatever suits your needs I would think smaller is better less time to heat and longer it will hold heat. Make it on top of straw bails. Only build it 2 feet high not including bails.
4 bales of straw make a box out of the bales fill box with cow or horse manure ( I would use horse manure) lay a piece of wood, Plexiglas, glass, tin big enough square to cover manure overlapping bails a little. build a green House on top of that a few 2 x 2s 1 sheet of green house material ( you know corrugated looks like card board but plastic and clear get it at Menard's) OK that piece is pricey you could also use Plexiglas but green house material is better generates more heat.
Cut 8 foot sheet of green house material into 8 / 2 x 2 foot pieces 4 walls 2 for peaked roof 2 for front and back of roof. Greenhouse makes heat decomposing manure creates heat water pan sett in the middle no freeze. open door on one end facing south. Say a 10 inch wide by 12 inches tall door. Hey set something in front of door to block the wind you know about 18 inch's to 2 feet away. Wow thanks for making me think I'm going to put 1 attached to my coop but still outside.
Never thought about a non electric heater before.
Hope it helped.

Would you need to be concerned about methane gas release? I would hate to Asphixiate the birds, or blow them up!

RobertH

 

[galanie]

I have been breeding birds for a very long time. Not chickens actual different types of birds. My grandmah had been grooming me for it for a long time as they were "pets" and the chickens were not. lol. Her reasoning for needing help with the numerous birds and huge cages.

I actually do have a question, It's about the sour crop, in the previous post.
When I was growing up I noticed when we cleaned out the gizzards of the chickens that they had a lot of pebbles and small rocks within. Just recently when I culled my first, I noticed the same, She had pebbles and fish tank river rock (from one of my cleaned out tank areas I assume)

When some of our birds came down with sour crop we made a trip to the river in the Old Jeep. Spend a day crawfish hunting, swiming, coconut finding and all (good memories there) We always came back with two buckens full. One filled with river pebbles from the shore and another from wherever she told me to get it IN the river.   There was a difference in size. But it wasn't by much IMHO. (from what I remember)
Either way it cured the sour crop problem for the birds and we would find the wild chickens in the buckets if we left them open. Here in florida, The "grit" they sell for Birds is SAND. :/  Most definitely NOT what I was used to. But I rarely run into the sour crop problem with the birds using the sand. I guess, for finches,parakeets and love birds, sand is the equivalent of tiny rocks?

I know I've made this really long, but confession time, I have not bothered to buy my chickens grit or oyster shells.(both suggested Ill admit) The yard I live in is pebbled and I got Sand everywhere. 

Do the OTs give grit to their flocks? How often do you notice and cull for the sour crop in your flocks and how can I avoid it?? (if possible??)

I have often wondered myself about the possibility that sour crop might indicate a lack of grit. People say if they eat long straw and the like they'll get sour crop but I've seen some of mine suck down long bits of straw for some reason and none had any problems with it. I have some chick grit and some coarse sand I put out for them from time to time. My soil is a sandy clay loam and the sand is much too fine to be of any value as grit, it's like flour. So I offer grit.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That picture is adorable!

X2!

 

[smyers32]

I think I read on this thread about feeding chickens cat food, I have searched and searched and can't find the OT's advise on this. Does anyone note that page or recall the advice given? Thanks in advance for help on this!

I read this somewhere also and thought it was a good idea to help during molt. So when I went to buy dog food, I looked at all the labels of dry and wet dog and cat food and the highest protein % I found was like 11-12%. Since most chicken feed runs somewhere between 16-20% I think this is a totally bunk idea. Why "supplement" protein with a food that's lower protein than their regular food?

 

[mickey328]

Cat food is generally higher in protein than dog food but not as much as good layer feed, and it's expensive! I supplement with things like meat scraps, cooked dried beans, yogurt and crispy cheese (I do cut the mold off). Mine aren't molting but I have noticed that the eggs are bigger if I give them the extra on a regular basis.