No Nonsense, chickens are livestock, advise. Tell me like it is.

[JMidJr]

Loan Wizard said, "as I ran inside to get the 22, the poor possum got away."

My youngest Cavalier started barking the other evening -- just like she's done when hogs came near the yard fence. Happened three nights in a row; in each case I went out ready to "discourage" the feral hogs from destroying things, or finding my coop/run. (IME, feral hogs will eat anything they can and destroy what they cannot eat.) But no hogs, no deer, nothing.

On the third night I looked closer to the house -- in the yard. There was an opossum inside the fence. Another chicken killer! I was armed, but the puppy got braver with me at her side and was in my line of fire. By the time I got her in the house and returned to dispatch the marsupial threat it was gone -- nowhere to be found.


Got the .22 with you? Dog's in the way. Dog doing just fine? No .22! Either way, the 'possums seem to have a fair chance after all!

Better luck next time, wizard.

Now, here's how this fits in this thread; I'm a chicken newby and only here to learn from the rest of you. But this I do know; like it or not, critters that threaten my chickens (the only livestock we have at this time), my dogs (there are coyotes and venomous snakes hereabouts), or my family (should a fool wander this far into nowhere) must be dealt with swiftly (easier said than done, obviously.)

 

[loanwizard]

Merry Christmas to you all! Hope your holiday is happy and safe!

Shawn

 

[navasima]

Quote:
Same to you and yours!!

 

[wyododge]

Mr. loanwizard,

I too traveled the road you are now on. About 10 years ago I moved my family to the country (WAY into the country) to get my boys out of the city.

All I can tell you is that someday you will be setting on your porch, sipping a glass of your favorite beverage, wiping the sweat, blood, dirt, tears or poo from your brow, looking at your many successes and failures, and realize how far you have come, and how lost you once were.

Freedom, in all forms takes work, tears, dirt, pain and disappointment, but the result is independence, and worth every bit of it.

I can't tell you your road is right for you, but I can say a very similar road was the best thing that ever happened to us and we are VERY thankful for taking it.

 

[loanwizard]

Quote:
Thank you for that. You don't have to call me mister, Mister..... The whole world calls me Hank..... Sorry.... The world relates to music....

Thank you Wyododge.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Yea, honsetly this is the first forum i have seen troll free. I want to kinda pamper my chickens when i get them and not a lot of people agree with me on that so they might try and troll me. Anyway couldn't you loose a lot of chickens to disease and sickness that way?

Z just like children, chickens need natural immunization. This starts in the birth canal for a human or animal and by the dirt on the coop floor of a chicken. Just like children raised in the "Bleached" World such as the USA or Rome, Italy, those children who are not exposed to 'bugs' such as dirt, bacterias, viruses, etc. those children are WEAK and then when they are unknowingly exposed to such an organism, they get very sick and they often DIE. Chickens are just like this. If you baby them along, don't let them get natural immunity they are WEAK and they get sick and they die too. Of course there are times and reasons to treat chickens/poultry medically, but usually it is best to "Let the strong survive" and let the weak die off, so in time the bird population is strong and resilient. It is not cruel, it is called NATURE.

I'll weigh in on this one. I purposely introduce dirt from the run to chicks in the brooder on their third day in the brooder. It's nice if it is a little damp so organisms can live in it better, but as a minimum it needs some adult chicken poop in it. Two reasons. First, this passes on probiotics from the adults to the chicks. Babies eating adult poop if pretty normal in the animal kingdom. For example, when baby elephants are ready to start eating things other than mother's milk, they eat some of her poop to get these probiotics. It gets their system working the way it should so they can digest the stuff they eat. Have you noticed how out of kilter your system gets when you take antibiotics and kill your probiotics?

The other is that I want to introduce any disease organisms in the flock to them while they are really young. They are eventually going to see those disease organisms anyway. For some of those diseases, like coccidiosis, they can develop immunities much easier when they are very young. Besides, I am observing them a lot closer and more often in a brooder than when I put them in the grow-out pen.

Yes, there is a chance I will introduce something that could kill them. Maybe they will get worms. It has not happened yet, but it could. And they are going to face that when they eventually hit the ground anyway. I really think I am raising healthier chicks by introducing them to dirt at a very young age.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

There are so many varieties of chickens. Do some research to find the best birds for your situation.

Chickens will chase , kill, and on occasion eat mice. Rats are our responsibility to control.

Build a coop that is secure. Hardware cloth will deter predators. Chicken wire will not.

Chickens poo and bedding makes for a good compost pile.

Sometimes birds just die. Quarantine new birds(2 weeks minimum)

Hatching eggs get abused in shipping. Often less than half the eggs will hatch and sometimes none. Don't blame the seller. Know it is a risk. Heat, cold, rough handling all take a toll.

Don't believe the word SQ(show quality) in ads. Do some research.

The most fun variety of birds may be the least practical.

Listen and learn. Don't be afraid to ask question.

ENJOY!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
Always build your coops on the high well drained spot or you'll have a mud pit.

The bigger windows the better.

Always select for the hardiest, most robust animals, don't coddle them - your flocks will be better for it and so will the breed.

I respect all animals(except maybe ticks and chiggers). I take extremely good care of them.
I love animals, I love them grilled with rosemary, sea salt and cracked white peppercorns but they're healthier raw.

 

[loanwizard]

Wanted some opinions. I do things my way, which aren't right or wrong.....

I just had some 7-8 week old chicks in the brooder (basement). It is December in Ohio, albeit a warmer one than normal. I took them from the basement, upper 50's low 60's and put them in cages in the coop 40's during the day 30's at night, 11 in one cage, 10 in the other. Left them there for 2 days. Day 3 at night, I removed them from the cages and placed them together on the floor of the coop. It has been 3 days with no problems. I probably have 65 total birds in there from 3-4 year olds to the 7 week olds.

Comments?

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Quite exceptional. Only thing I can think of is shear population. Mucho distraction. You`re lucky.......Pop