The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Eggcessive]

ok, its official - I'm getting chicks - 4 each of straight run swedish flower hens, icelandics and super blue layers. Keep your fingers crossed for me on the gender ratio!

A little 6 year old shared one of her plastic easter eggs, putting it in one of the nests. I just left it there, only to find it out side the coop the next day. Not exactly sure how the girls got it all the way out to the end of the run, but they were clear - no pink eggs allowed!

I found one of the golf balls I keep in my nest boxes outside the coop, and down the hill about 100 feet away. They are kind of opinionated about their nests I guess.

 

[countrygirl74]

 

[Eggcessive]

Okay, so when my favorite threads are really slow and I have some free time (ok, not really free time - just time I spend on here while neglecting other things I know I have to do), I go check out the day's posts and try to help people that are new to raising chicks, ducklings, etc.

So, someone is having issues with pasty butt and apparently is using acv in the water and nothing is helping - instead it seems that she is getting more chicks with it. Someone on there said that acv is useless for pasty butt. However, in my experience, on the batches of chicks I've given it to, I didn't have ANY pasty butt. But, I don't have anything scientific to back it up, just my experience with it.
This person also said this...
Yogurt is messy, time consuming, and has extra calcium that should be avoided in young chicks. High levels of dietary calcium in chicks ties up the phosphorus and renders it unavailable, and results in rickets, causes bone development problems, and damages the kidneys. Don't believe everything you read on this forum, for there are some people who don't know what they are recommending besides parroting some trend someone started. Consult with reliable sources like a Merck Veterinary Manual.

Any thoughts? I don't know how to respond to that one... I have always given my chicks and big girls plain yogurt.

Yogurt has really good probiotics for chickens, and it only needs to be given occasionally. ACV has good affects on animals and people. Some people on BYC like to be argumentative and impress everyone with their knowledge. Can't we all just get along? LOL

 

[Leahs Mom]

I used to worry about giving the chicks milk products when they were young but I finally realized that the amount I would give a chick was so small that the calcium issues were really not a big deal. I was judicious about not giving too much, though.

I'll bet Delisha or Mumsy may have some input on the pasty butt issue. I know we've all heard that acidifying the feed and/or water w/ACV helps with that but I don't know if it really does or it it's just something we all believe. Either way, it sure can't hurt for them to have the ACV!

I kind-of have a hunch that it is the kind of feed that is given the birds that cause the pasty butt but it's only a hunch. I know when I was giving a good amount of raw meat to the new-hatches throughout the week I didn't get pasty butt at all. I did get it, however, on my first batch that I gave very little raw meat to. Not sure if that was a factor or just coincidence

 

[CheekyMare]

You give raw meat? What kind of raw meat?

 

[chikenscratch]

I have heard, but cannot verify its accuracy, that if chicks are exposed too early to shavings/bedding AND they eat it they can get pasty butt as a result. I do not know if this is correct or what age range that would be true. I do know that my first set of chicks were on pine shavings from one week of age, never had ACV or yogurt, seeds, FF, and never had pasty butt.

 

[Ashdoes]

Some people on BYC like to be argumentative and impress everyone with their knowledge.

This right here is exactly why I avoid contributing too much. No matter what the topic someone always comes up and has something better to say....they even track you down on other threads to "comment".

 

[Pullet Surprise]

ok, its official - I'm getting chicks - 4 each of straight run swedish flower hens, icelandics and super blue layers. Keep your fingers crossed for me on the gender ratio!

A little 6 year old shared one of her plastic easter eggs, putting it in one of the nests. I just left it there, only to find it out side the coop the next day. Not exactly sure how the girls got it all the way out to the end of the run, but they were clear - no pink eggs allowed!

It's funny you should say that! It's the pink training egg that always got kicked out.....except for Alice who saw it as her favorite when she needed a training egg. The pink training egg is now to the point where the two halves do not snap together properly...so when I stuck it under a potentially broody hen recently to see if she would sit on it....well, I guess she felt it was a broken egg (it kept popping open) and out it went....out the pop door, all the way down in to the secure pen and it has now made its way into the day run and into the far back corner. I guess I really should take it out
Now the lime green "training egg" (still snaps together all the way) was sat upon by said hen for a week and a half until I decided there is a good chance she would stick to real eggs next time the Broody syndrome strikes and removed the egg. that was one warm plastic egg!

 

[delisha]

I live in Wisconsin..mine are out.. it still freezes at night..they pile together and keep each other warm

even with just three of them to pile together? I know I know, I'm being over worried by this... I'm a first time chicken mommy, and I don't want to lose any more chickens to user error! also, your little guys are seriously cute! Is the blue one of you english orpingtons?

Yes,,He is my English Blue..Thank you As long as your weather at night is not below 30 they should be fine..You can use a box and stuff it full of straw. 3 little body's in a box will give off heat. They are pretty warm.

My Very First Egg from my Very first Chickens!!!! Laid same day I got them 2 hours after putting in the little coop!

e First night in coop. Left a Heat lamp on for them. Also set board against "screen area door" as windy and cold last night.

Got rewarded this morning! New egg around 10... just after I ate the first egg! Gave it to my neighbor that helped. Now question. Noticing they are sometimes lifting one foot or other for a bit....but mostly they are standing on them pretty flat. Please see if you can tell if these legs look ok.....

This is "Charlotte" that gets picked on the most. Back of her neck behind comb is featherless right now.

If she was with a male that is normal.. they do not need heat. I know you want to do what is best for them..and you are worried..they do best with out it.

Okay, so when my favorite threads are really slow and I have some free time (ok, not really free time - just time I spend on here while neglecting other things I know I have to do), I go check out the day's posts and try to help people that are new to raising chicks, ducklings, etc. So, someone is having issues with pasty butt and apparently is using acv in the water and nothing is helping - instead it seems that she is getting more chicks with it. Someone on there said that acv is useless for pasty butt. However, in my experience, on the batches of chicks I've given it to, I didn't have ANY pasty butt. But, I don't have anything scientific to back it up, just my experience with it. This person also said this... Yogurt is messy, time consuming, and has extra calcium that should be avoided in young chicks. High levels of dietary calcium in chicks ties up the phosphorus and renders it unavailable, and results in rickets, causes bone development problems, and damages the kidneys. Don't believe everything you read on this forum, for there are some people who don't know what they are recommending besides parroting some trend someone started. Consult with reliable sources like a Merck Veterinary Manual. Any thoughts? I don't know how to respond to that one... I have always given my chicks and big girls plain yogurt.

Most pasty butt is from to much heat. She is correct about calcium..however that information was for layer feed and not yogurt. We do have a tendency to give too much, feed too much, worry too much. Chick on FF do not get pasty butt unless you cook them with high heat too. ACV cures nothing..it is a preventative. It will not fix pasty butt. And yes..they need ACV. They need to move that heat lamp up or out and add some air circulation. Get the chicks outside in the fresh air.

You give raw meat? What kind of raw meat?

all raw meat but more liver than anything.

Some people on BYC like to be argumentative and impress everyone with their knowledge.

This right here is exactly why I avoid contributing too much. No matter what the topic someone always comes up and has something better to say....they even track you down on other threads to "comment".

Ash..I sure hope you do not feel you have to worry about that here. Please contribute..you have high value..do not let someone stop you from sharing that value.

 

[pigeonguy]

On the "rainbow poops"...I must have put the food color in the wrong hole.. none of the eggs have had any color on the shell.

My broody has hatched 5 chicks so far, but won't let me see them yet. It has been cold and rainy, hatch day was yesterday, and they are all hiding under mama. I managed to move her, and saw one egg under her. She had 9 eggs total.
Thanks to stony's information he posted, I have let my broody do all the work. I have no incubator, except her. I didn't candle any of the eggs. What hatches, hatches, whether I candled or not. I like the idea of a broody managed hatch anyway. Especially since I am a greenhorn at this farm thing. I do better at Macy's and riding city buses.

Chickens only have one hole. Eggs and poop come out of the same place.