The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TheCrazyClucker]

Nellie Olsen seems like an appropriate name for my Buff Laced Polish hen...

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

Hey, does anyone on here have a Ayam Cemani? I'm planning to pounce on them as soon as Greenfire Farms gets them...

 

[aaggjg]

OMG I have been out of town and away from the thread for 2 weeks and I'll never catch up again!

I hate posting because it thinks I read everything and I lose my place but I need some advice..... I posted about my hens being thin .... and someone suggested it was worms. Well they are right. One of my broodies came out and took a big broody poop infront of me and there were worms. UGH!!! I also found another poop with worms.... I have been religiously feeding the girls crushed garlic, cayenne pepper powder, pumpkin seeds & some wormwood powder and started adding a little dishsoap to their water. I have been doing that for months except for the dishsoap which I started a couple of weeks ago... I ordered Shaklee's and it arrived yesterday so I added that to their water. How much do you all think is the proper dose of Shaklee's??? Oh and of course they always have ACV in their water... I do FF but they seem to not like it much these days.... I started a new batch yesterday as maybe it got overcooked?? I've been back slopping for MONTHS!!!

Here is my question... How do I know it is working??? And how do I fatten up my girls? Some of them are SO THIN .... I feed them tons of treats etc but nothing .... I am hoping the Shaklee's soap lessens the worm load and they start to put on weight. How long should I give them???

I also noticed that a few of them are sneezing ... they act totally fine no runny anything just a little sneeze from time to time ... I'm wondering if its bc the DL wasn't stirred while I was away and there is ammonia build up?? Hmmmm.....

I can't wait to read about what's been going on with everyone's chickens! ANy worm advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bulldogma]

Bulldogma

Good lookin' birds there, girl friend.

Why thank you! The PR's and H/RIRs have stolen my heart. They are amazingly personable, healthy and intelligent!

Yeah - I got this ex construction site trailer for $800 at an auction. I used it first to store my belongings while my house was being built - I camped out on my land for 5 months. After two months, I had running water from a hose, and soemthing to plug coffee pot into,and I thought life was good!

Love it!

OMG I have been out of town and away from the thread for 2 weeks and I'll never catch up again!

I hate posting because it thinks I read everything and I lose my place but I need some advice..... I posted about my hens being thin .... and someone suggested it was worms. Well they are right. One of my broodies came out and took a big broody poop infront of me and there were worms. UGH!!! I also found another poop with worms.... I have been religiously feeding the girls crushed garlic, cayenne pepper powder, pumpkin seeds & some wormwood powder and started adding a little dishsoap to their water. I have been doing that for months except for the dishsoap which I started a couple of weeks ago... I ordered Shaklee's and it arrived yesterday so I added that to their water. How much do you all think is the proper dose of Shaklee's??? Oh and of course they always have ACV in their water... I do FF but they seem to not like it much these days.... I started a new batch yesterday as maybe it got overcooked?? I've been back slopping for MONTHS!!!

Here is my question... How do I know it is working??? And how do I fatten up my girls? Some of them are SO THIN .... I feed them tons of treats etc but nothing .... I am hoping the Shaklee's soap lessens the worm load and they start to put on weight. How long should I give them???

I also noticed that a few of them are sneezing ... they act totally fine no runny anything just a little sneeze from time to time ... I'm wondering if its bc the DL wasn't stirred while I was away and there is ammonia build up?? Hmmmm.....

I can't wait to read about what's been going on with everyone's chickens! ANy worm advice would be greatly appreciated!

My first thought is that if you are seeing worms in the poop, the soap is killing them and they are finally coming out. Might want to continue with the soap and see if the girls start picking up weight over the next weeks.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Can some of the chick experts take a look at this link? She has chicks with the weirdest poos, and I have no clue about that stuff.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/760284/can-baby-chicks-have-worms-picture#post_10803240

Looks like coccidiosis to be treated with corrid.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Ok coop itself is secure!!! I put plywood under the coop on the frame. Then put straw in nest boxes and enclosed part of coop. Should I leave the fenced part of the coop with plywood bottom or put 1. cedar shavings or 2. additional straw?????

Oh yeah she is bringing the CHICKENS ON MONDAY!!! I can get house clean now and then start working on a skirted enclosure pen for ranging when I am not out there.

Monday, Monday, Monday!!!!

 

[kian]

I had straw, now pine shavings over wood. I have no problems with moisture but I live in an arid climate.

 

[BlueMouse]

Anybody up for a session of "identify that chicken?" I went to pick up a second pullet for my rooster (from the same lady I bought the pair from) and she threw in three "mystery chicks" that her husband had felt sorry for at tractor supply and brought home a few weeks ago. She just doesn't have room. So, I have three four week old chicks now.



Please excuse sideways, I can't seem to get it turned... My computer is being cranky about it. Unknown chick #1 I was told he/she is possibly a meaty of some kind?





Mystery chick # 2 this is bossy bird. he/she is possibly a speckled sussex or a production red? bigger than both of the others.



almost positive this is a white leghorn girl, and boy can she hop/fly already!





this is what happened when I tried to take the new girl out for pictures... She's very friendly and a little shy. So tiny compared to the orpingtons! She's staying in a big dog crate for a couple days while everyone gets used to everyone. do we think she's actually an Ameracauna or an EE? I don't really care either way but I am curious! She's about six months old. I'm hoping she'll start laying soon.



Excuse blurryness, she was being photo shy, and I'm not a camara whiz with the digital thingy.


I've never had chicks. They're pretty hilarious, scarfing down the FF like they've never seen food before in their life... I just put the fermented grains from my other guys in the food processor for them and chopped it up to be a little more manageable, they should have grit though too, right? should I just sprinkle it on their bedding? ACV in the water, and if I can find a spot in the yard that's neither frozen solid nor mud I will dig them a chunk of sod as well. Am I missing anything?

also, how soon do you think these guys can go out into the coop? it's still well below freezing here at night, although the days have been up into the hight 30's and very low 40's. I have no electric in my shed, so I can't put a heat source in for them. My plan was, once they were big enough for the cold, put them in the giant wire dog crate that the new girl is in now for a couple weeks until they're big enough to hold their own/the older birds are used to them.

 

[Bulldogma]

Darth 'Bator hatched out all 5 SFH eggs! She's a good mamma, yet still lets me handle her and her babies.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

So cute! What breed are they?