The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Ok I have a question for those who have electric netting & dogs. My netting is up but not charged yet. So the dogs of course have their noses up to the netting. I'm afraid when I turn it on they are going to get zapped and then injure themselves horribly. Is the wattage that high? Can you control the wattage of the electric? I haven't looked at the electric charger yet to get the answers yet but was wondering if others have encountered these problems?

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok I have a question for those who have electric netting & dogs. My netting is up but not charged yet. So the dogs of course have their noses up to the netting. I'm afraid when I turn it on they are going to get zapped and then injure themselves horribly. Is the wattage that high? Can you control the wattage of the electric? I haven't looked at the electric charger yet to get the answers yet but was wondering if others have encountered these problems?

 

[nova022]

Ok I have a question for those who have electric netting & dogs. My netting is up but not charged yet. So the dogs of course have their noses up to the netting. I'm afraid when I turn it on they are going to get zapped and then injure themselves horribly. Is the wattage that high? Can you control the wattage of the electric? I haven't looked at the electric charger yet to get the answers yet but was wondering if others have encountered these problems?

Your dogs should be fine. They will get a zap if they touch the netting, that is the purpose of it, but they will very quickly learn not to touch it. You will have to read your instructions because products vary.

 

[delisha]

So question about DL, how does that work if you want to compost? Do you wait til one of the twice a year clean outs to compost or can you clean it out more often to compost with it?

Many people remove the a portion of the DL and add it to the compost pile. I stir it up and add the parts that are damp or hard clumps. I do not stir it up enough and I do not feed my chickens in the coop so they only stir up the top layers. I was at 6 inches threw the winter and two of my sections are down to 1/2 of that. I put it in the compost, used it for muddy paths, or garden

Ok I have a question for those who have electric netting & dogs. My netting is up but not charged yet. So the dogs of course have their noses up to the netting. I'm afraid when I turn it on they are going to get zapped and then injure themselves horribly. Is the wattage that high? Can you control the wattage of the electric? I haven't looked at the electric charger yet to get the answers yet but was wondering if others have encountered these problems?

They will be fine. Dogs and animals are pretty smart. They might hear it and feel it before they touch it. If it hurt a dog can you imagine what it would do to a chicken? It will be fine.

Quote: x2

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Today and tomorrow are supposed to be dry here, so after I get up this afternoon I will be working on getting the Silkie pen going. Hope to maybe be able to put the 2 in the tractor and the 3 chicks in the pen by the weekend so I can get the meaties into the tractor to start eating grass and grubs to to get some flavor in their meat.

 

[delisha]

Today and tomorrow are supposed to be dry here, so after I get up this afternoon I will be working on getting the Silkie pen going. Hope to maybe be able to put the 2 in the tractor and the 3 chicks in the pen by the weekend so I can get the meaties into the tractor to start eating grass and grubs to to get some flavor in their meat.

Sounds like a great plan.

Raining and pouring here. My back yard is under water again. It is calling for rain and snow all the way threw to Wednesday. Ugh. My poor birds are going to be stir crazy. The adulty do fine in the rain and snow, but, them baby's I do not let out in this stuff.

 

[JacqueOCS]

I'm so behind in my daily-minute/hourly fix of my byc addiction

....but I know someone asked me about my set up for the soda bottle watering system....go to tsc and go to the "bunny" isle where they have the food and supplies..the conversion kit is in that isle. It is a water bottle nozzle, washer, hangers, I think they cost about $3-something. Then all you need is liter soda bottles...install where you like. Now I will say this...they will leak a little till they seal. But it won't last long...just make sure you completely fill the bottle and you put the spring-hanger on before you put your bottle in it. It's a really tight fit and I found it easier to put the hanger on first then pull the hanger over the bottle to side of the coop. My bigger flock had never drank from a watering system like this but they took to it in minutes. The water dripping showed them where the new water was at-I suppose. Now baby picture time...this is Fru Fru the littlest-sweet Creole polish baby we bought a week ago. She(hoping for a hen) is my daughter's favorite...ENJOY

Good morning! I'm going to try your watering system. Thank you for sharing. Your chick is adorable

 

[Sally8]

YOU ALL THAT ARE WEST OF ME, KEEP YOUR RAIN AND SNOW. IT USUALLY GETS ME THE NEXT DAY!!!!!!

I took a few pic's of the newest kid's last night. The colors aren't 100% accurate but I'm still surprised due to the hen and roo. Any idea's on the color of the 2nd (yellow chick)? I have 2 EE's in the bunch plus my BCM. Mumsy, I'm also so over hatching. I still have the poults to hatch in just over 3 weeks.

 

[aoxa]

This is all very good information. Yes - we should do what we can to make sure we are getting as much of the story as we can. Let me just say... I *think* LM was indicating that due to the amount of estrogen we are unwittingly consuming in our meat, in tap water and from other places, that she is working to avoid adding MORE estrogen to her and her flock's diets.

I agree that the plants which have naturally occurring estrogen are not "bad" in and of themselves... BUT... how is all that estrogen adding up when you factor in the other places you are exposed to it?

That said, I am not yet cutting these things from my diet. I have celiac, so my diet is quite limited anyway...

I know what you mean about limited. Susan is gluten free (by choice) and therefore I am pretty much by association because she cooks everything (pretty much). I don't mind it.. unless she uses the GF breads. I just don't like the breads.. The pasta is awesome.

I'd rather have a burger with tomatoes as buns instead of the GF bread buns.

I tower our local pasture beef burgers with mounds of sprouts. I am addicted to sprouts at this moment.

Would some of you hard core incubators comment on if you wash your eggs before incubating.

I washed duck eggs. How can you not? How would you even find a clean duck egg is my question. Every single duck egg I've ever come across was pretty disgusting in comparison to a chicken egg. I do not wash my chicken eggs.

I did not wash them hard though, or with chemicals. Just enough to get that poop/mud off.

 

[aoxa]

Not me..I want the protection of the bloom. I personally feel you have less blood rings. No scientific fact..just my opinion

I agree Del.

I had a few blood rings from washing the duck eggs, but I figured it was better than contaminating my incubator from other peoples' duck poopy eggs.