The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[bluebirdnanny]

So, fermented feed. I gave it a go after reading Bee's thread.
Do the chicks like it?



I'm going to have to say yes.

Uh, me thinks they like it!!!! Off to a great start in life! Good job! I will have to transition my 3 year old RIR I will be adopting soon! Coop comes tomorrow!!!!! So this week I will get them and begin the transition. Hope the 3 year olds used feed will like it too. At least they ARE used to 2x daily.

 

[loanwizard]

Rambunctious I think?
12" or 8" roost space? 5" from wall..... move it, level it.... poop on the wall- Is that like Pants on the ground, the song?

All decent advise, but geez folks, this ain't rocket science. I don't think the birds will poop on the wall. More likely they'll turn they banty butts around, head forward, head under wing and sleep.

I love chickens because I view them as a perfect food source. Eggs, chicken, prolific, adaptable..... THEY WILL ADAPT! Whatever did they do before we got all the smarts to raise them right? Before Al Gore invented the internet and put Encyclopedia Britannica out of business? I have debeaked birds that lived in cages. They are currently laying on the ground and 15 of them roost on the ground. They are going to experience snow tonight I assume.

At what age can I toss in a little scratch grain? At this time do I introduce chick grit or oyster shell? The oyster shell I get looks awfully big. I've read where you feed their own shells back to them but you heat them in the oven? Is it to kill bacteria? What temp and for how long? The teen chicks were not happy with their new accommodations. We opened the door to the run but only a couple peeked out. (Temps still very cold. Should get above freezing today.) That's where I thought I could throw just a little scratch.

Love, love, love the flags. Aren't DH funny sometimes. sue

I have been raising chickens for a little while now and I STILL am not sure what scratch grains are. My birds get feed... and sometimes scraps if the hogs don't get them. If scratch is extra stuff, like BOSS or oats, or corn... stuff I consider expensive FEED... anytime... Probably not day old, but wouldn't hesitate after 3 weeks... maybe even week 2 in moderation. Grit anytime, oyster shell after they start laying...Too big? Too big? really? What would they do if they met an oyster? They can cope with it my dear. I have fed my birds many a shell, many an egg.
If anyone here thinks I am going to bake an eggshell..... get the white jacket with no arms and the straps in back and find me a padded room. Egg is cracked, damaged, I don't like the color, too lazy, found in weird spot.... SLAM it on the ground. If it breaks, they love it.... if it don't... step on it... really fun in bare feet unless it's rotten....
Sounds like my teens.... Hey kids, how about going outside and getting some exercise? It's too COLD.... EWWWWW...... Nope, we'll stay inside. Instead of some scratch, why don't you throw them a Play Station and Modern Warfare 26?

 

[Knittycat]

I started the grown-ups on it at the same time. I'm using chick starter at the moment. I really need to get off my lazy butt and go scoop out some layer in my other bucket for them. Actually, I think I'll do that now...
.
.
.
.
.
Ok, done. So the layer will be ready in a couple of days. In the mean time, they wolf down the starter. I feed them about 1/3 colinder full once a day, and they forage the rest of the time. Except when I'm cleaning out the fridge. Then they get treats.

Anyway, point being, they love it too! No adjustment period what so ever. I tossed out some dry feed the second day along with the fermented. They totally ignored the dry.

 

[delisha]

Del can you use to much flax seed? I just poured some in my FF bucket maybe a 1/4 c total (guessing) the bucket is maybe a 3 gallon bucket.

I use flax..but only a small amount. I would say I have a 1/2 gallon container and it last me 6 months. I only use it during the winter/cold months.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Yes of course you can use it..

So, fermented feed. I gave it a go after reading Bee's thread.
Do the chicks like it?



I'm going to have to say yes.

They look like they really enjoy it!

At what age can I toss in a little scratch grain? At this time do I introduce chick grit or oyster shell? The oyster shell I get looks awfully big. I've read where you feed their own shells back to them but you heat them in the oven? Is it to kill bacteria? What temp and for how long? The teen chicks were not happy with their new accommodations. We opened the door to the run but only a couple peeked out. (Temps still very cold. Should get above freezing today.) That's where I thought I could throw just a little scratch.

Love, love, love the flags. Aren't DH funny sometimes. sue

I do not use scratch grains. To much corn IMO. It is like candy to kids. How much it too much and when is too soon. Little ones need all the growth foods they can get. The candy takes away from those oppertunities.

Rambunctious I think?
12" or 8" roost space? 5" from wall..... move it, level it.... poop on the wall- Is that like Pants on the ground, the song?

All decent advise, but geez folks, this ain't rocket science. I don't think the birds will poop on the wall. More likely they'll turn they banty butts around, head forward, head under wing and sleep.

I love chickens because I view them as a perfect food source. Eggs, chicken, prolific, adaptable..... THEY WILL ADAPT! Whatever did they do before we got all the smarts to raise them right? Before Al Gore invented the internet and put Encyclopedia Britannica out of business? I have debeaked birds that lived in cages. They are currently laying on the ground and 15 of them roost on the ground. They are going to experience snow tonight I assume.


Quote: funny stuff

 

[Bulldogma]

Yesterday I picked up my SFH babies from a good friend who hatches for me (these were shipped eggs from another breeder so I can expand my bloodlines) - I was so excited - even though one of them wasn't doing so well. The last to hatch has an oozy umbilical and badly curled feet. There was a humidity issue in the hatcher because she had to take the rest of the chicks out and the humidity didn't come back up for some reason afterwards... Poor little thing wasn't doing well at all.

I took them all home and situated the "special needs" baby in my hatcher to keep it separate and put the others in my baby pen in my trailer coop. It's heated and there is there is a heat lamp in the brooder part. They all settled right in with my 2 home-grown SFH chicks (2 weeks old) and a Dark Cornish chick that hatched the same time as my 2 SFH.

Then tragedy struck...

Some time last night the part of our house wiring that powers our refrigerator, the kitchen and the power line that runs out to the coop went out. We had no idea because the rest of the power was on.

When I went out to the coop this morning, my 2 older SFH chicks were barely upright, but the rest of the brooder was littered with tiny, fluffy bodies. I can't even tell you how broken-hearted I was to find this!

I scooped up the live babies and all the bodies and took them in my house. I got the upright ones into the hatcher with the "special needs" baby and then checked each little body. 4 (including my 2-week-old Dark Cornish and 3 SFH chicks) were ice cold and stiff. Three more of the SFH chicks were still floppy but very cold and unresponsive. I put those three in the hatcher right away... just in case.

Every few minutes I would go and rub the 3 little unresponsive bodies. Amazingly one of them started to breathe!

I had to go check on the rest of my flock - had some 4-5 week-olds (H/RIR and PR) that lost power too. Luckily the older ones were OK. When I came back in after feeding and checking, all 3 of the unresponsive SFH chicks were moving!

It has been a few hours now, and all 3 are eating and drinking (and staying in the laundry room). The little special needs baby is still not doing well, but I'll keep trying with it. Normally I would have given it until today at noon-ish and then culled if it wasn't improving, but now it seems personal. I realize I may lose this one too, but the idea bothers me more now than it did yesterday.

Please keep your fingers crossed that my remaining SFH chicks survive and thrive. I so appreciate your thoughts and well-wishes for these tiny little babies!

 

[Mumsy]

Then tragedy struck...



Please keep your fingers crossed that my remaining SFH chicks survive and thrive. I so appreciate your thoughts and well-wishes for these tiny little babies!

Ack! That is awful! You may save that special needs one yet. Sounds like it has a strong will to live. Have you dabbed some Blue Kote on that oozy navel? I had my last to hatch Buff Silkie hatch with that plus the curled feet for the same reasons. I straightened the feet easily enough with bandaids and applied the Blue Kote twice now with a Q-tip rather than that huge daubber. I kept the chick in a little cage within the brooder so it could be with the other chicks but un-molested. The chick is normal now.

If anyone could save these babies from un-forseen disaster, you can.

 

[Pozees]

Yesterday I picked up my SFH babies from a good friend who hatches for me (these were shipped eggs from another breeder so I can expand my bloodlines) - I was so excited - even though one of them wasn't doing so well. The last to hatch has an oozy umbilical and badly curled feet. There was a humidity issue in the hatcher because she had to take the rest of the chicks out and the humidity didn't come back up for some reason afterwards... Poor little thing wasn't doing well at all.

I took them all home and situated the "special needs" baby in my hatcher to keep it separate and put the others in my baby pen in my trailer coop. It's heated and there is there is a heat lamp in the brooder part. They all settled right in with my 2 home-grown SFH chicks (2 weeks old) and a Dark Cornish chick that hatched the same time as my 2 SFH.

Then tragedy struck...

Some time last night the part of our house wiring that powers our refrigerator, the kitchen and the power line that runs out to the coop went out. We had no idea because the rest of the power was on.

When I went out to the coop this morning, my 2 older SFH chicks were barely upright, but the rest of the brooder was littered with tiny, fluffy bodies. I can't even tell you how broken-hearted I was to find this!

I scooped up the live babies and all the bodies and took them in my house. I got the upright ones into the hatcher with the "special needs" baby and then checked each little body. 4 (including my 2-week-old Dark Cornish and 3 SFH chicks) were ice cold and stiff. Three more of the SFH chicks were still floppy but very cold and unresponsive. I put those three in the hatcher right away... just in case.

Every few minutes I would go and rub the 3 little unresponsive bodies. Amazingly one of them started to breathe!

I had to go check on the rest of my flock - had some 4-5 week-olds (H/RIR and PR) that lost power too. Luckily the older ones were OK. When I came back in after feeding and checking, all 3 of the unresponsive SFH chicks were moving!

It has been a few hours now, and all 3 are eating and drinking (and staying in the laundry room). The little special needs baby is still not doing well, but I'll keep trying with it. Normally I would have given it until today at noon-ish and then culled if it wasn't improving, but now it seems personal. I realize I may lose this one too, but the idea bothers me more now than it did yesterday.

Please keep your fingers crossed that my remaining SFH chicks survive and thrive. I so appreciate your thoughts and well-wishes for these tiny little babies!

What Mumsy said

 

[OohLaLa]

So sorry to hear of your battles. I worried about power myself lady night form my 2 babies in the brooder. Thankfully no power issues. I'll be thinking of you and hoping the best your way.

 

[Sally8]

Rambunctious I think?
12" or 8" roost space? 5" from wall..... move it, level it.... poop on the wall- Is that like Pants on the ground, the song?

All decent advise, but geez folks, this ain't rocket science. I don't think the birds will poop on the wall. More likely they'll turn they banty butts around, head forward, head under wing and sleep.

I love chickens because I view them as a perfect food source. Eggs, chicken, prolific, adaptable..... THEY WILL ADAPT! Whatever did they do before we got all the smarts to raise them right? Before Al Gore invented the internet and put Encyclopedia Britannica out of business? I have debeaked birds that lived in cages. They are currently laying on the ground and 15 of them roost on the ground. They are going to experience snow tonight I assume.


I have been raising chickens for a little while now and I STILL am not sure what scratch grains are. My birds get feed... and sometimes scraps if the hogs don't get them. If scratch is extra stuff, like BOSS or oats, or corn... stuff I consider expensive FEED... anytime... Probably not day old, but wouldn't hesitate after 3 weeks... maybe even week 2 in moderation. Grit anytime, oyster shell after they start laying...Too big? Too big? really? What would they do if they met an oyster? They can cope with it my dear. I have fed my birds many a shell, many an egg.
If anyone here thinks I am going to bake an eggshell..... get the white jacket with no arms and the straps in back and find me a padded room. Egg is cracked, damaged, I don't like the color, too lazy, found in weird spot.... SLAM it on the ground. If it breaks, they love it.... if it don't... step on it... really fun in bare feet unless it's rotten....
Sounds like my teens.... Hey kids, how about going outside and getting some exercise? It's too COLD.... EWWWWW...... Nope, we'll stay inside. Instead of some scratch, why don't you throw them a Play Station and Modern Warfare 26?

OK, I'll play. Scratch Grain is the 50 lb bag that I buy at Tractor Supply that says in big letters "Scratch Grain". But you already knew that. I guess I was understanding that chickens needed something to help grind up food and that was where the oyster shell came in as these are in an enclosed pen (along with the calcium when they started laying) Not taking any more time on this.


Bulldogma-I'm so sorry. That's something I've been worrying about here this winter as it's been very cold and windy. I hope the little special needs baby makes it.