The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Ashdoes]

I gave my son-in-law a "earthworm habitat" one year for his birthday. They were living lakeside and love to fish so thought he'd have continuous bait. It worked really well. I got a huge plastic pot from a local nursery - a pot that a tree would come in. I then dug a hole and sunk the pot into the ground. Filled it with dirt, compost, bagged soil, a little bit of everything I could find. Added some oatmeal and a splash of water to keep it slightly moist. Then bought a bunch of bait earthworms and threw them in and topped it with a garbage can lid to keep them from escaping. They lived and he had a continuous supply of bait the entire summer. He would feed them with some oatmeal, veggie scraps, etc. occasionally and made sure it didn't totally dry out. 

They moved from that house the end of the summer so not sure how the worms did over the winter. I'm sure there's a "real" way to raise them, I was just going on what I observed and it worked for the time he needed them. 

That is very cool. The good thing about the worm factory tray system is there are different levels, and I've been thinking of doing red worms on one level and earth worms on another. I'd just have to block them from traveling the separate trays.
Great gift for the fishermen in the family. My hubby ranted one day for an hour about the cost of night crawlers at walmart.

 

[Ashdoes]

I'd like to talk about the Ginger Beer, from the Road thread. I don't want to make any, but am interested in the benefits of ginger. Think we could just shred some into the FF?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

That sounds really interesting! I'd love to hear your "recipes" for these as well as their uses!

(Just think of the "recipe" book we could have - LOL)

Absolutely, a recipe book would be wonderful. What recipe would you like and I will post. I have tons so dont want to just go hog wild and postpages of recipeslol

 

[Miss Lydia]

That sounds really interesting! I'd love to hear your "recipes" for these as well as their uses!

(Just think of the "recipe" book we could have - LOL)

I agree and dosages since herbs in an of them selves are drugs even if natural. Don't want to overdose ourselves or our birds.

 

[tadpole98]

I'm thrilled to see so many new faces here! For those of you who use all natural means and remedies, please share what kinds of herbs or other things you have had success using (and for what issues - or preventions)??

For the cold thats been going around, we put some boiled down garlic/sage/grapefruit seed extract (and so much more) in their water and it seemed to help a bit.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I'd like to talk about the Ginger Beer, from the Road thread. I don't want to make any, but am interested in the benefits of ginger. Think we could just shred some into the FF?

I will tell you this: Somewhere I have a recipe that is a couple of hundred years old for ginger cakes...made with rum. They were called Sea Cakes if I remember right. They were used on board ship for sea sickeness. The Rum helped them keep them "fresh" for a long voyage. I did make some (like cookies) for my in-laws one time, many years ago, before they went sailing, my m-i-l used to get sea sick so easy. She swore they worked. I do know that anything with ginger in it does settle the stomach. I've used it. How that translates to chickens, not sure. But I would think it might be a digestive thing.

 

[tadpole98]

Has anybody ever heard of feeding the chicks liver when they are 6-8 days old to help their heart health?

 

[lalaland]

Once I found a tick sucking on my NN hen's neck. Totally unacceptable!

Wow, I never knew a tick could get thru the feathers to hang on to a hen. And I was really interested to hear about Flea Free. How long have you used it? And do you keep using it even in winter months?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Has anybody ever heard of feeding the chicks liver when they are 6-8 days old to help their heart health?

HHMM, I would think it would be too much at that age. Live is rich, although full of vit and min there are other things that would be easier on the digestion of fragile little babies. Maybe a little older, I know mine love organ meat, I usually cook it and mash it,

 

[Crafty-Duck]

Has anybody ever heard of feeding the chicks liver when they are 6-8 days old to help their heart health?

I have heard of that! never tried it myself though.