The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[countrygirl74]

Ok, I caved.  I have poults coming in the next day or two.  I bought 5 chicks today to help teach them to eat and drink.  That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.  They just found the FF (actually, I don't think it's FF yet).  They are having a big, fun time.  I think they are playing in it as much as eating.  My dogs are beside themselves, especially my Shiba Inu, Quick.  He can't believe I brought live prey in the house.  The chicks are fenced off, but I think Quick will need to be crated while I'm not home.  How often should I feed the FF?  Do I keep some out all the time or offer it at certain times?  Should they have dry feed available too?  I have some pureed veggies with canned mackerel and quinoa in the freezer for the dogs.  It's pretty liquified since dogs can't break down the cell wall of vegetables.  Can I thaw some out and mix it with the FF?  I need to bump up the protein for the poults.  How often should I feed meat to them and when should I start?  Sorry for the questions.  I think I've read the answer to most of them before, but I think I'm panicking a little now that they are in the house.

I can just answer a couple of those and maybe some of the more experienced can answer the rest for you...

With chicks, always have feed available. It's up to you how much of that is ff and dry. If you are going to be gone all day and worry about them running out of ff, leave dry for them to munch on and feed the ff when you can. With adult birds, people do different things with the FF - it also depends on if they are free-ranging, getting lots of table scraps, etc. as to how often to feed. I personally just keep FF available all the time for my adults as well. Some days I don't have to add any, some days I have to. When their feed is looking low or gone, I just add a couple scoops and keep an eye on it as to when to add more.

 

[delisha]

Ok, I caved. I have poults coming in the next day or two. I bought 5 chicks today to help teach them to eat and drink. That's what I'm telling myself, anyway. They just found the FF (actually, I don't think it's FF yet). They are having a big, fun time. I think they are playing in it as much as eating. My dogs are beside themselves, especially my Shiba Inu, Quick. He can't believe I brought live prey in the house. The chicks are fenced off, but I think Quick will need to be crated while I'm not home. How often should I feed the FF? Do I keep some out all the time or offer it at certain times? Should they have dry feed available too? I have some pureed veggies with canned mackerel and quinoa in the freezer for the dogs. It's pretty liquified since dogs can't break down the cell wall of vegetables. Can I thaw some out and mix it with the FF? I need to bump up the protein for the poults. How often should I feed meat to them and when should I start? Sorry for the questions. I think I've read the answer to most of them before, but I think I'm panicking a little now that they are in the house.

Feed meat daily since you have turkeys. Honestly you might want to talk to Mumsy about turkeys and mixing them with chicks. I know many people do. Turkeys are so delicate and many recommend them to be up off the ground and away from chicks for weeks.
I have food/FF in front of chicks 24/7. I take out the old stuff and give it to the adults or toss it if it has poop in in(more times than not) after 3 hours and put in fresh. I offer them a variety of things. You can thaw out what you make for your dogs and feed that separate if you like. They will love it. When chicks are new they eat very little. I offer about a tablespoon for every 6 chicks every 3 hours for the first few days. When they empty it, I double the offerings. Soon you can't keep enough in front of them...and will have to use larger containers. I use glass orange juicers. Than I move to 1/2 cup containers, than to 1 cup containers.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

ooooo!!!!!..I saw 5!!!...but mama isn't letting them out from under her yet. I had to put up bird netting around the chicken tractor chicken wire. These babies are so tiny, they can fit through the standard chicken wire. 5 are half OEGB/PR.....the other 4 would be PR. A little bigger.

 

[OohLaLa]

Thanks for sharing...I'll have a silver laced and a buff O coming in May. This gives me an idea what to expect

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Thanks guys! I reall didn't want to cull, my self blue is so good with the girls and my black is very colorful. So, I will see what hubby can whip together to keep the boys separate a little.

When you first start FF they eat like PIGS, then they slow down.

Unless you get home from work a couple of hours later than normal and they all think they are starving to death. That was this morning with my three sub flocks

 

[Mumsy]

Feed meat daily since you have turkeys. Honestly you might want to talk to Mumsy about turkeys and mixing them with chicks. I know many people do. Turkeys are so delicate and many recommend them to be up off the ground and away from chicks for weeks.
I have food/FF in front of chicks 24/7. I take out the old stuff and give it to the adults or toss it if it has poop in in(more times than not) after 3 hours and put in fresh. I offer them a variety of things. You can thaw out what you make for your dogs and feed that separate if you like. They will love it. When chicks are new they eat very little. I offer about a tablespoon for every 6 chicks every 3 hours for the first few days. When they empty it, I double the offerings. Soon you can't keep enough in front of them...and will have to use larger containers. I use glass orange juicers. Than I move to 1/2 cup containers, than to 1 cup containers.

I am waiting on Blue Slate Poults in May. The plan for now is I'm going to keep them on wire for two weeks. Then they will go in the chick house and have access to the chick run. After that they will be integrated into the juvie flock.I've done a lot of research on feeding chickens high doses of garlic, cayenne, and pumpkin before turkey poults are introduced to a flock. Turkey poults will eat chicken poo. If the chickens poo has high doses of cayenne, garlic, and pumpkin....Turkeys will do a lot better than not. This is what I have my current chicks and flock on. I will let you all know how this turns out.

I keep my chick feeders full of FF. I never let my chicks go hungry. Ever.

 

[gevshiba]

Feed meat daily since you have turkeys. Honestly you might want to talk to Mumsy about turkeys and mixing them with chicks. I know many people do. Turkeys are so delicate and many recommend them to be up off the ground and away from chicks for weeks.
I have food/FF in front of chicks 24/7. I take out the old stuff and give it to the adults or toss it if it has poop in in(more times than not) after 3 hours and put in fresh. I offer them a variety of things. You can thaw out what you make for your dogs and feed that separate if you like. They will love it. When chicks are new they eat very little. I offer about a tablespoon for every 6 chicks every 3 hours for the first few days. When they empty it, I double the offerings. Soon you can't keep enough in front of them...and will have to use larger containers. I use glass orange juicers. Than I move to 1/2 cup containers, than to 1 cup containers.

Great, thanks. I never thought of orange juicers. I'll look for some. I have been reading up on turkeys (and chickens) for a year now. Last years poults were about 7 weeks and went straight outside. They did great. These will be going to the neighbor's barn once I'm sure everyone is doing well and our weather settles down. They'll stay until I get the coop/run ready, or they are old enough to go out, whichever's first. A lot of people keep chickens and turkeys together here, so I'm not too worried about blackhead, but I do want to supplement with garlic and red pepper. There has never been any poultry on the place except the wild turkeys.

These chicks, Speckled Sussex, have already put away an impressive amount of FF! They started eating about 4:00 and haven't stopped. I refilled the bowl once already.

One more question. I know some people feed olive leaf extract. What about lemon balm? I have good luck with it for myself, and it's an antiviral. I give it to the dogs too. Is it ok for the birds?

 

[gevshiba]

I am waiting on Blue Slate Poults in May. The plan for now is I'm going to keep them on wire for two weeks. Then they will go in the chick house and have access to the chick run. After that they will be integrated into the juvie flock.I've done a lot of research on feeding chickens high doses of garlic, cayenne, and pumpkin before turkey poults are introduced to a flock. Turkey poults will eat chicken poo. If the chickens poo has high doses of cayenne, garlic, and pumpkin....Turkeys will do a lot better than not. This is what I have my current chicks and flock on. I will let you all know how this turns out.

I keep my chick feeders full of FF. I never let my chicks go hungry. Ever.

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to add the red pepper (out of cayenne at the store) and I need garlic. Do you mean actual pumpkin or pumpkin seeds? Pumpkin I have, seeds I can get. Looks like a trip to the store tomorrow. Do you add the supplements to the FF, or top dress? I just got an email that the poults shipped today!

I am self employed and work close to home, so I come home at noon to let the dogs out and eat lunch. I can keep a fresh supply of FF in front of them pretty easily. I do hope the novelty wears off on the dogs soon. 6 high prey drive dogs in an apartment with chicks=a lot of noise.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

 

[aoxa]

What with watching over 38 chicks, thirteen juvies, and ten adults chickens...Planting the potager and cottage garden...Caring for house and husband...I have hardly any time to come on here any longer. Not complaining. Loving every minute of my life.

Three days ago I started running the twelve Catdance Silkie chicks and the eleven HRIR shipped chicks together in the chick house.They are about three weeks old. Running out of brooder space made this move a necessity of urgency. Imagine my surprise and delight to find these two groups of completely opposite in type chicks thriving together! No fighting. No bullying. No pecking on each other. I turn off the heat in the chick house all day. They hang out in the chick run together in the sun or shade. They scratch up pieces of flotsum and jetsom that I need to retrieve. But other than that, they get along beautifully!


About the eating of FF. These chicks started out just eating itty bits and now I can hardly keep up with their appetite! I fill their feeders three times a day! That's three to four cups of FF for twenty three chicks. I think it is because of growth spurts. I have not lost one chick. They are all so healthy and look great to my eye.

They are so cute Mumsy!! Love them all <3

I was wondering how you were doing. I am so jealous that your weather is nice enough to turn heat off...

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Ok a question. I know feed until there is leftovers but how MUCH should I put down for 3 chickens (3year olds).
I don't want to underfeed them. So far they have cleaned up everything I have put in there.

I used a spaghetti (fingered slotted type) spoon to scoop it up and drain a little off. I did one per chicken earlier after they came which followed a 1/4 cup dry. They gobbled it. Later I fed a strawberry each and they shared a hand length core of romaine lettuce. Then I did both dry and FF offering at lunch.... they ate FF and went in the covered end. Then when I came back out with coffee they pecked at the dry stuff but looking me over eye to eye through the hardware cloth.

Before I left for Church class I gave a tray of FF, about 8 spoon/clawfuls. Now I got home and tried sneaking up on coop to check on them.... they heard me coming and one jumped down .... other two looked at me through the wired slot... then all went into the screened side and made a noise at me....I looked and the tray was licked clean. Two of them have bulges on one side of chest only. Does that mean the crop is only half full?

Are they still hungry? Should I feed a bed meal? And how much at one time?