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

[Miss Lydia]

The Orps would like fuzzy slippers, please!

How about some of these: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ee...e=google_pla&gclid=CLnj7eC_qbMCFYZaMgodHWQAMQ

 

[bruceh]

Bruce, how are you doing up there in PA? Anyone else in the path of the storm still here and functioning with chickens whole and intact?

My crazy birds wouldn't move from the coop yesterday during the rain but are still out in the snow like it's spring weather...what are they finding out there???

hello all. i am good most of the birds made it out just fine. i may have lost some meaties don't know yet. i did a count and thought i lost more but then some came running out from a tree. i was out earlier before feeding time it was raining all the birds were out and about .the birds love that rain. they chose not to go in the shed or coup but stayed out in the rain.

i got the best story of the worlds dumbest idiot. a person was arrested last night after her rescue of being trapped in the state park water. after she was rescued the emergency team asked why she was in the park. her response was i wanted to rescue the ducks. true story codorus state park. it made the television news.

 

[Beekissed]

Your new Roo doesn't seem to like snow!

No, he doesn't...which is sort of ironic as his name is the Abominable Snowman.

 

[NanaKat]

I'm catching up so will answer a few at a tme...sorry if the topic has already been addressed and ya'll have moved on...

The "no bugs" portion also means no beneficial bugs either...these can keep mite and lice populations in check. DE is not selective. No smell? If it smells, it's out of balance and this can be corrected in other ways...throwing DE on it is a temporary fix and doesn't enrich the deep litter in any way. No moisture? Some moisture in deep litter is desired and the mix cannot decompose well when too dry.

I like to treat deep litter like a composter and creating the right balance to promote the good bacteria and molds that help keep things healthy is not promoted by eliminating all bugs and moisture from it. I know some folks just do deep litter so they won't have to clean out the coop very often but it can be so much more if done right.

Another benefit for the deep litter composter system is that the formation of compost actually produces heat which helps balance the frigid weather outside. I have birds that will "roost" on the floor because the floor is warm. Before I add new material like bags of leaves or dry mower grass, I pitchfork the floor tossing the top layer under the dirt or compost. This brings beneficials and the essentials to the top layer. When the chickens throughly scratch thru the added materials, they are mixing the leaves and grass with the compost. This innoculates the new layer and speeds the process. When the girls are finished, the next morning I send them outside and will lightly spray the surface with the hose. Proper compost has the moisture content of a nicely squeezed sponge. The smell is earthy like a wood forest floor. Spraying early in the morning allows the area to dry enough that there is not high moisture content in the air by the evening when the layers return to the coop to roost at night..

Quote: For a dusting bath, I have a 28 x 36 inch box set aside in the floor of the coop that has fine sand, sifted pond dirt, wood ash and sulphur poultry dust. The girls go to town in that box. I refill it about every two months. I have one in each of my larger coop areas. There can be four or five in there at one time. I read about these in a Poultry magazine many moons ago and immediately built one. For a single duster I've recycled beehive bodies when they get a little old.

 

[stonykill]

not from this year but here are my chickens in snow. They go out regardless of the weather.

just 2 of many pictures. 2 feet of snow or a dusting they are out in it.

 

[Mountain Momma]

hello all. i am good most of the birds made it out just fine. i may have lost some meaties don't know yet. i did a count and thought i lost more but then some came running out from a tree. i was out earlier before feeding time it was raining all the birds were out and about .the birds love that rain. they chose not to go in the shed or coup but stayed out in the rain.

i got the best story of the worlds dumbest idiot. a person was arrested last night after her rescue of being trapped in the state park water. after she was rescued the emergency team asked why she was in the park. her response was i wanted to rescue the ducks. true story codorus state park. it made the television news.

Thats so great. Glad you are good. Is the storm passing then? Almost over? Havent heard from Dillon SC so I'm eager for non photo shopped news.
I wonder if the duck lady ever heard "swim like a duck"
Thanks for sharing the funny.
Lisa
P.S.
My friend's sick chicken is finally better and feathers all growing. Now flock will not accept her. She is at wits end. The chicken has not laid an egg since the ordeal began but is very lovely. Her DS fave and all. She is not keen on giving it more time since she said "they are tearing after her something fierce."

Just keeping ya'll abreast.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Another benefit for the deep litter composter system is that the formation of compost actually produces heat which helps balance the frigid weather outside. I have birds that will "roost" on the floor because the floor is warm. Before I add new material like bags of leaves or dry mower grass, I pitchfork the floor tossing the top layer under the dirt or compost. This brings beneficials and the essentials to the top layer. When the chickens throughly scratch thru the added materials, they are mixing the leaves and grass with the compost. This innoculates the new layer and speeds the process. When the girls are finished, the next morning I send them outside and will lightly spray the surface with the hose. Proper compost has the moisture content of a nicely squeezed sponge. The smell is earthy like a wood forest floor. Spraying early in the morning allows the area to dry enough that there is not high moisture content in the air by the evening when the layers return to the coop to roost at night..


For a dusting bath, I have a 28 x 36 inch box set aside in the floor of the coop that has fine sand, sifted pond dirt, wood ash and sulphur poultry dust. The girls go to town in that box. I refill it about every two months. I have one in each of my larger coop areas. There can be four or five in there at one time. I read about these in a Poultry magazine many moons ago and immediately built one. For a single duster I've recycled beehive bodies when they get a little -Nanakat


I just noticed my deep litter is very deep. Almost up to the waterer which is on a crate. Might have to hang the waterer huh? It smells fresh though and has a good consistency to it. The alfalfa is still green and all mixed in, makes it look nice and I cant tell there is even poo in it on the floor area. There is of course because my flock are olympic pooers. I reached in for an egg today.......you guessed it. I saw the egg shadow and just knew it was there so I reached back and grabbed it. It was spongy but kinda firm. It bounced back like a muffin top. I was thinking huh, I got some kind of weird egg here. Yep. Thanks to dial with such a clean smell it will help overcome the pschology issues and simple brain friek associated with grabbing a muffin sized poo you thought was a smooth warm egg.

Stonykill, What kind of chickens are the ones in your top photo?


Lisa

 

[loanwizard]

Oh my wizard. Youre gonna give car guys a bad name. 4H mommas are gonna come knocking and give you a what for, besides don't you know you better watch out cause Santa Clause is coming to town? By the way, are you going to dress up your chickens as elves again this year? Photo shoot with the garden gnomes and that cement goose, you know, the one with the feather in her hat?

How in the world could I give car guys a bad name? Think I could push them ahead of lawyers and politicians? I can't wait for Santa! I want some coal.... can burn that stuff!

Gonna dress a couple chickens for the parade. Taking my 49 Deere Model A, dressin up a trailer, carryin a chicken and a runt hog. Good advertising for the farm.

Cement goose drowned at the bottom of the pond. When it's clear you can still see her.... sad....

 

[Mountain Momma]

How in the world could I give car guys a bad name? Think I could push them ahead of lawyers and politicians? I can't wait for Santa! I want some coal.... can burn that stuff!

Gonna dress a couple chickens for the parade. Taking my 49 Deere Model A, dressin up a trailer, carryin a chicken and a runt hog. Good advertising for the farm.

Cement goose drowned at the bottom of the pond. When it's clear you can still see her.... sad....

 

[NanaKat]

thedragonlady" Hi! Almost a year ago I put up fishing line over my coop. Looks like a giant spider web. I had hawks and owls getting to my girls. Knock on wood, since I put the 'web' up, I haven't had any more deaths. I do check it periodically to make sure it is still taut.

Just a thought about the fishing line. Might need to replace it periodically as it breaks down and become brittle in sun exposure

Kansas Prairie"
QUOTE "bruceh" well guys speaking of husbandry practices. i guess i will be moving all the birds to a secure shed. if weather predictions are correct i am right in the line of fire. we are expecting 70 mile an hour winds and 6-10 inches of rain. i know chickens can fly but i don't want to see a scene from the wizard of oz. instead of flying monkeys i have flying chickens. just think i moved from florida. [/quote]
Please be safe BRUCE! I enjoy reading your posts! Have you ever considered making your home in SW Kansas? We don't have those hurricanes! No trees or buildings or mountains blocking the view of beautiful sunrises or sunsets. It's quiet, no traffic noise. A lot of good folks here. [/quote]

And SW Kansas , like Oklahoma, is in tornado alley...

Beekissed" They don't go crazy for BOSS???? My chickens would kill their grandma and sell her kidneys to get a hit of BOSS.... Yes, you can place it right in the FF...it's the first thing that gets picked out of mine, then the larger cut grains and, last, the finer mash. I've seen a few of those black speckles on a comb or two once or twice down through the years but never paid it any mind...it goes away shortly. I just took it as a fungal/mold like you'd see on anything outside in the rain all the time and it never sticks around, so I never give it a second's thought. Amazon is the cheapest place for Nustock....I LOVE Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000HHSIYQ/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1351524506&sr=8-1&keywords=nustock+ointment&condition=new

I also found cheap sulfur powder on Amazon with which to make my own Nustock. No more finding and paying for a 12 oz. tube...I'm going to make myself a big ol' bunch of it. Cheap and effective stuff after you get to making your own.

And you will share the recipe won't you Bee?

The dogs are lobbying to make every day "Torture the Chickens" day, they said it was the best show they've ever seen.

That's my kind of dogs!! My silly old Jake gets all worried and starts whining and prancing around trying to get me to stop making his chickens yell....he likes a quiet flock and will even intervene between roosters that are getting ready to fight. He's such a mothering, worrier type dog....I call him a sissy, right to his face. [/quote]

Our dog Red is great with his chickens, whining like your dog when he thinks I'm hurting one when I check it. He lays down for the chicks to climb all over him and he charges the retail hawk that flies over once in a while. Good chicken dogs are hard to find