The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Shan30]

That is good news! You said you are day19??is it 20 today?? If so the eggs will probably start chirping and that should keep her put!! She will probably start chirping clucking too in response & encouragement. How many eggs and what kind do you have under her???

Yes She is on day 20 and I sure hope there is chirping soon!

As to how many and what type well...since we diddn't know if she would go all the way we just let her choose a clutch from the mixed laying flock. There's about 30 hens and 3 roosters in there. The roosters are a White Leghorn, a Red-Brown Amerecauna and a Frizzle(DH's). The hens include Chanteclair, Araucanas, ISA Browns, Silkie, Amerecauna, Buff Orpington, Barred Rock and the hen sitting is a Mottled Leghorn. Thank goodness the Silver Laced Polish and Dark Cornish are still in quarantine and couldn't have contributed haha!

I think it's going to be fun to try to figure out who they came from

 

[BlueMouse]

Leah's Mom, thank you so much for posting about the bumblefoot! I'm still watching/soaking my BO rooster's feet, he looks funny with his vet wrap booties. I'm hoping it will clear up by itself, but it's so good to see this information in case he doesn't get better. I feel much more confident seeing what you did and reading your very clear and concise description of treatment!

My limping buff orpington hen isn't looking any better, and hasn't laid in two days. I let her out with the others today, and she's limping around, but scratching and foraging fairly well for all that. I'm going to continue observing her, and hope she gets better. I think as long as she continues to actively forage, she can't be too badly off. She still seems good when I pick her up, not losing weight, comb nice and bright....

I would like to know what all people keep in their first aid kits too! I'm just getting started and it's so great to be able to learn from other people's experience! I have a little plastic tub for chicken first aid right next to the BIG plastic tub of "human first aid" that way it's right next to the bandage scissors/sharp tweezers/sterile gauze. So far I have vet wrap, blue coat, and nu stock in there.

I put a bunch of dry leaves and a little dirt into the brooder with my 4 week olds today, they're having more fun with that stuff. It's pretty funny. I never in a million years thought chickens would be so amusing!

 

[Leahs Mom]

First Aid Kits:

Since the bumble foot incident, I have the following and most of these are inexpensive - you might already have some of them. This is just what I have and probably left some things out!

Sharp Scissors - 1 normal size for cutting gauze, etc. and 1 smaller for working on the chicken itself if needed or to remove vet wrap...small enough to slip under the vet wrap and cut it off if it won't "unwind".

Exacto Knife

(Got mine at Walmart)

Tweezers (flat tip and pointed tip)

Cotton Swabs

Vet Wrap (farm store or on line...cheaper at farm store as no shipping $1.99 each!) Comes in all colors and even some cute designs. It's 3" wide so I cut it in 3 strips to make it thinner. You can see a photo here that shows how I cut it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eeping-thread-ots-welcome/10760#post_10829288

Cotton Gauze Squares (regular drug store)

Epsom Salts

NuStock (This stuff is amazing. It is anti-fungal and anti-biotic. Been used by farmers for years. Can be put around/on the vent to help cure vent gleet, kill nits of lice/mites, etc.) I couldn't find it locally, had to order on line. There are lots of testimonies on this thread and on the natural chicken keeping blog on uses for this stuff. I had never heard of it until here!

Triple anti-biotic Ointment (or a veterinary equivalent)

Icthammel ointment (Got mine at the local TSC)

Bag Balm (Farm store or drug store)

EDITED TO ADD:

Alcohol


Other stuff I have that is not very basic:
Biopsy Punches in various sizes (4mm, 6mm, 8mm). Got these when I had the bumble foot and just got some extra to keep in the kit.

A small Curette. Also got this on vetmed where I got the biopsy punches.

EDITED TO ADD:

Saline Solution and a squirt bottle to use on bumble foot surgery. (had to order from Grainger Supply and picked it up at the local Grainger when it came in. ) The squirt bottle I got at the local store (kind of like a ketchup container...found it in the cosmetic department.)

Squeeze bottle looks like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Squeeze-Condiment-Open-Tip-Screw-On-Polyethylene/dp/B000HOCFPW

 

[armorfirelady]

LM maybe you could pust a list over at that place for easy reference?

Had the hens out this afternoon free ranging. The sun is shining but its only in the 30s and the wind gusts are FREEZING.......after about 2 hours I *lost* them in the yard only to find them roosting in their run. Guessing they had enough of the wind as well but it sure was amusing to watch their fuzzy butts blow as the gusts came through lol

I found some bulbs in the garage today I bought last year. I figured I would throw them in the ground in the off chance they might grow. The hens were watching me dig and after several times of bawking at them as I threw a worm towards them they finally realized I was a gold mine for worms lol Me and 4 hens trying to dig in the same hole........I wish I could of got a picture. Only once did one run away with the bulb lol

And here is a pic of a happy hen....


Dirty muddy feet means lots of worms & grubs & my gardens are getting turned very nicely. I have no idea how they find a big green grub tasty

but boy did they wolf it down lol

 

[Eggcessive]

Someone just posted this link (on my state thread). Wondering if any of you that incubate have used one of these:

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html

I have used the one at the bottom. I have 2 and they are small enough to fit well in my incubator and seem accurate.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Where oh where did I read about putting food color in the hens vent to mark the eggs? I have been searching, but not finding the thread

 

[kian]

I don't know the precise thread but it seems to me I've read that bit of advice on several threads. Different color food coloring in each vent, then the egg is streaked with the color. You know who's laying and who isn't. I've also read about people using old lipsticks but that conjures up a picture in my head that I don't want!

 

[mlowen]

I've also read about people using old lipsticks but that conjures up a picture in my head that I don't want!

I almost spat out my wine when I read that!!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I tried the food color thing last night.....thought I got it in the right opening...vent. Well, I guess not. Got 2 eggs today, not one color on them. So, I guess I need more information. Oh, I probably have rainbow colored poops out in the run though...

 

[kian]

I tried the food color thing last night.....thought I got it in the right opening...vent. Well, I guess not. Got 2 eggs today, not one color on them. So, I guess I need more information. Oh, I probably have rainbow colored poops out in the run though...