Hatching with 2 broodies

[Teila]

So, I'm reading/researching about these addictive feathered children of ours and I read a post where the thread-starter was querying what she should do as her chickens had eaten a tomato plant and what should she give them to treat it?

I'm thinking 'treat what'? "Had the tomato plant been dusted with chemicals or something"? .. .. next thing I'm reading that tomato plants are toxic to humans and chickens and that chickens do not like the taste of them so it is not normally a problem because they won't eat them.

Hhhhm, this is news to me and obviously to my girls who sit back for a while and let the tomato plants grow out of the compost to a nice tasty size and then chomp through them in one sitting like locusts, taking leaves, stalk, everything down to dirt level.

Continued reading has left me none the wiser with half the population agreeing with me that someone obviously forgot to tell the chickens that tomato plants taste nasty and the other half going to all lengths to paint a skull and crossbones on tomato plants leaves to warn the chickens! lol

Thoughts??

 

[Teila]

Not a stupid question, Teila. I wondered the same thing! But, I think I figured out that he was referring to fermented feed? I would assume he was using some different Aussie-speak, but I normally understand Teila just fine, so I think it's Pooman-speak.

Tee hee Liz

I have a confession to make, I try very hard to type-speak in terminology everyone will understand. My hubby is American and I am quite often asking him "will Team Broody understand if I say ........"? lol

 

[lizgarf]

So, I'm reading/researching about these addictive feathered children of ours and I read a post where the thread-starter was querying what she should do as her chickens had eaten a tomato plant and what should she give them to treat it?

I'm thinking 'treat what'? "Had the tomato plant been dusted with chemicals or something"? .. .. next thing I'm reading that tomato plants are toxic to humans and chickens and that chickens do not like the taste of them so it is not normally a problem because they won't eat them.

Hhhhm, this is news to me and obviously to my girls who sit back for a while and let the tomato plants grow out of the compost to a nice tasty size and then chomp through them in one sitting like locusts, taking leaves, stalk, everything down to dirt level.

Continued reading has left me none the wiser with half the population agreeing with me that someone obviously forgot to tell the chickens that tomato plants taste nasty and the other half going to all lengths to paint a skull and crossbones on tomato plants leaves to warn the chickens! lol

Thoughts??

Yeah, they're probably being silly. Yes, you should avoid eating the leaves of all nightshade plants, but your chickens aren't going to die from eating them on occasion. I read somewhere that the documented cases of actual deaths from nightshade poisonings is minuscule. It's more of a danger built out of proportion through folklore than a serious poisoning threat.

But, this is an interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/o...d=2&adxnnlx=1384140678-174GgY2Iz3x8OETmJdejLQ
Maybe this is the real reason children love farm animals so much! I didn't grow up on a farm, but we did have a messy house (including a cat who slept in my crib), so maybe that's why I don't have allergies?

By the way, more about my clever dog: she has been totally onboard with this broody hatch from the start. She was fascinated by the broodies setting in the nest - and was always sniffing around there and wanting to check in on them. And, she LOVES to watch the chicks. When she first saw them, she just stared with a huge open smile on her face. It's all very sweet, and makes me wonder how and what she understands of the whole process.

 

[Teila]

FF is just fermented feed, put some unpasteurised ACV (Apple cider vinegar) and the feed and the water into bucket and feed them out of that. There is lots on this forum about fermented feeds.

So the crumbles I'm calling the chick starter. And I've started fermenting that too.

The main flock gets a free range mix, as they free range and have access to their egg shells, so dont need extra calcium, and they aren't a dedicated laying breed so dont want to push them to lay.

Ah, OK, that explains why "So now have 3 buckets, main flock, starter and Contaminated bucket" and "porridge crumbles" was not really making sense to me. I have to plead total ignorance here and admit I had not heard of fermented feed. I know nothing about it; something else for me to research, benefits etc.

As I mentioned, my bubbies are on chick-start (non medicated) and every Sunday I cook and freeze (in 7 x day sized bags) a week's worth of brekkies for all of my girls which consists of rice or pasta and mixed vegetables. This is used as a base for any other household scraps I have for them, lettuce, leftover roast, scrambled egg etc.

Dusty has to have the chick-start during the day because they are all in together and the little guys and Cilla raid her breakfast bowl and visa versa. In the afternoon when I get home; the dividing door gets dropped so Dusty can wander in and out as she likes and for dinner she gets her beloved lay-mash because the bubbies can't get to it and they get a treat of some sort. Dusty isn't very keen on the chick-start. She has some oyster shell grit tucked away for herself in her chateau.

Everyone is on a small amount of ACV mixed in with their water .. just a small amount each time the water is changed.

 

[Pooman]

By the way, more about my clever dog: she has been totally onboard with this broody hatch from the start.  She was fascinated by the broodies setting in the nest - and was always sniffing around there and wanting to check in on them.  And, she LOVES to watch the chicks. When she first saw them, she just stared with a huge open smile on her face.  It's all very sweet, and makes me wonder how and what she understands of the whole process.

I'm sure they know the little ones, my pup certainly knows about little humans lol, the tail goes mental when kids are around and she is ever more polite. I'm sure is the same with little chicks..

Haven't seen both of them out together yet... Here chick chick chick lols

 

[Teila]

Haven't seen both of them out together yet... Here chick chick chick lols

Tee hee Pooman!

It has been a bit quiet here at work so I have been misbehaving and chatting with you guys n' gals but now I have to return to work. I do, however, want to reply regarding the dogs and also check out your site recommendation Liz and this FF stuff Pooman speaks of! lol; so I will be back later

I really enjoy staying in touch with everyone in Team Broody, lots of reasons to smile!

 

[lizgarf]

I'm sure they know the little ones, my pup certainly knows about little humans lol, the tail goes mental when kids are around and she is ever more polite. I'm sure is the same with little chicks..

Ah, but here's the rub! My dog is a disaster with human kids!! She has to herd them - so she barks at them if she sees them approach, and even nips them if they're not behaving. It's a big problem actually - the one serious flaw in an otherwise near-perfect pooch.

 

[Teila]

But, this is an interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/o...d=2&adxnnlx=1384140678-174GgY2Iz3x8OETmJdejLQ
Maybe this is the real reason children love farm animals so much! I didn't grow up on a farm, but we did have a messy house (including a cat who slept in my crib), so maybe that's why I don't have allergies?

By the way, more about my clever dog: she has been totally onboard with this broody hatch from the start. She was fascinated by the broodies setting in the nest - and was always sniffing around there and wanting to check in on them. And, she LOVES to watch the chicks. When she first saw them, she just stared with a huge open smile on her face. It's all very sweet, and makes me wonder how and what she understands of the whole process.

Thanks for sharing that site Liz, it was interesting. I don't have any allergies either and like you, while not growing up on a farm, we always had dogs inside, sleeping on the bed with us and some description of parrot around the place (Dad loved his birds). Many, many years ago my X and I were looking at a farm for sale and it came complete with a milking cow. The owners were trying to tell us the great benefits of farm life and drinking milk fresh from the cow and while they were selling this story, their three children, under 6, were sitting on the couch, sniffing, coughing and runny nose, very sick looking, pale munchkins! lol. They had probably been to the big-smoke and caught a germ!

Aaaw, you furry baby sounds very sweet! Yeah, wouldn't it be nice to know what they are thinking sometimes. Charlie-Bear had a beautiful, gentle nature and made friends with a cat she met up with on her walk every morning. After a few months it got to the point that the ginger-tom would hide under the drain when he saw her coming and then pounce out at her. She would gently pat him with her paw and give him a lick. This went on for years until the cat and his owner moved away. Charlie-Bear was devastated and looked for him for weeks!

At the risk of droning on, I do have to tell you something she did that I still find hard to believe to this day. I was watching her out the kitchen window and she was gently picking something up off the lawn, taking a few paces and then putting in down, giving it a lick. She would leave it there for a short while and then repeat the process. I went down to see what she had and it was a baby bird! She hadn't hurt it except to maybe try and smother it with kindness. I don't know where she was trying to move it to, but I popped it in a box and put her and the bird in the car and took them to the Vet. The Vet could also not believe what he was seeing and how she was looking out for the baby. The baby was picked up by a nature-carer and as far as I know, survived

 

[Teila]

Lots of on-line praise for the benefits of fermented feed. All reports were that the chickens luv it. If I had more time and room, it may be worth a try; maybe when I retire (if ever! lol).

I think someone came into my yard today while I was at work and swapped my 5 babies for 5 bigger, fluffier babies lol! Surely they can not have grown that much in 1 day!! They have some really cute feathery things going on on the top of their heads and fluffy bits sticking out everywhere .. they look like they just popped out of a clothes dryer!

I will try and get some more pictures on the weekend.

 

[Jack Speese]

Hi,

I'd definitely separate them so other hens don't lay in the nest, which results in eggs getting broken, pushed out, etc. I've heard of some people marking the setting eggs but still a lot get broken, pushed out, or chilled when hens try to share a nest. And I wouldn't let the two broodies share a nest either, the same thing happens. I'd move them to their new spots soon, get them used to them before your eggs arrive. And I'd give them plenty of bedding so they can make nests that eggs won't roll out of. I've had hens successfully nest on wood or concrete floors as long as they have lots of thick bedding. I've never had any trouble reintroducing mothers and babies back into a flock, as long as there's plenty of room. You can give the older birds greens or something to occupy themselves with, that always helps. But be sure the babies have feeders and waterers they can drink out of and that the waterers for your adult birds are drown-proof.

Good luck!