The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[bluebirdnanny]

I'm attacking this thread the same way you are - read some old - catch up on new - it's almost a full time job

Hello to all - I'm in the midst of building my coop and have chicks arriving on May 8....

The rafters are on and it's still standing so I am thrilled! (the biggest thing I ever built before this coop was a bookcase, so this has been an amazing learning experience.

Looks like a really good start.

 

[pigeonguy]

Thanks for sharing your recipes. Is it possible to FF the above without grindig or for example the ones in the Ussery book. I don't have a grinder. Also, I read that grinding grains and leaving them out results in the degrading of nutrients. is this true? Thanks for all the help and info onthis forum. It is a minefield of info.

All of the mills and farmers around here say that it does not start to loose nutrition or protein till somewhere between 60 and 90 days depending on the season. Just so you know we have a lot of mills around here in a 50 mile radius I would say there are 20. I have not been to all of them but have talked with farmers who have that I have heard talk over the years say 60 to 90 days. Growing up in a farm community you just pick things up.

 

[PatQ]

Welcome to the group!! Please keep us updated on your progress..it looks like a very interesting coop! What type of chicks did you order? Are you free ranging?What are your plans for predator proofing?

Thank you - it sure is a very active group - all of your posts have been so informative and enlightening. I have 7 chicks coming - (RIR, BR, 2 EE, Australorp, GL Wyandotte, and Golden Buff (sex link)) The coop is an integrated coop/run and will be completely (I HOPE) predator proof. 1/2" hardware cloth all around - on top - and 18" underground. They will also have free range time so hopefully will be happy chickens )

 

[Melabella]

MB....

Introduction already? Do you think that was a good decision? Please share with us why or why not.

As far as behavior goes... it is all perfectly normal.

Hi Delisha,

Do you mean that I introduced the birds after 3 days? Do you think that I should have waited longer? I picked up the new birds a week ago, maybe I should have kept them away from each other longer? I think that I was worried about the girls free ranging by themselves without the protection of a rooster with them, that was my motivation for having them meet. 4 days in the horse stall, 3 days in the temporary pen inside the run. Do you think if I had left them seperated longer, the sparring would not have happened?

thanks,
MB

 

[delisha]

Quote: I just love it when people have great ideas for there chooks and plan!!

Quote: MB,

I believe with all of my heart that introducing a new bird under 30 days of isolation is risky beyond reason. Many people do it. Some loose there whole entire flock because of it. Many never loose a bird. Even if the new birds are healthy and your birds are healthy, they each have there own built up immunities. Exposing them to each other with out assessment and observation for a minimum of 30 days is simply not worth the risk in my own opinion. Many disease get passed on simply by not observing isolation practices. I also advise everyone to sacrifice one of your own birds after the 30 days and introduce one single bird to the new birds. If after an additional 30 days you see no out word signs of illness you can introduce them all together. If the new birds get ill or your single bird gets ill you only have to cull the new birds and one single bird of your own instead of your whole flock.

I recently picked up three birds for a friend. These birds were expensive birds from GFF. Someone was reducing the size of there flock and my friend read an add on craigs list. The birds were very reasonable. I picked them up and they looked very healthy. Very sweet birds. I put them in my garage, away from my whole entire flock. I did not use any building I would ever use for my own birds. Even thought I do have a isolation area. I had them for three weeks. On the second week the youngest bird showed signs of illness..by week three she was really ill and she ended up with wet pox. If I had not done that my whole entire flock would have fowl pox. If these had been my purchase I would have culled them.

 

[Melabella]

I just love it when people have great ideas for there chooks and plan!!
MB,

I believe with all of my heart that introducing a new bird under 30 days of isolation is risky beyond reason. Many people do it. Some loose there whole entire flock because of it. Many never loose a bird. Even if the new birds are healthy and your birds are healthy, they each have there own built up immunities. Exposing them to each other with out assessment and observation for a minimum of 30 days is simply not worth the risk in my own opinion. Many disease get passed on simply by not observing isolation practices. I also advise everyone to sacrifice one of your own birds after the 30 days and introduce one single bird to the new birds. If after an additional 30 days you see no out word signs of illness you can introduce them all together. If the new birds get ill or your single bird gets ill you only have to cull the new birds and one single bird of your own instead of your whole flock.

I recently picked up three birds for a friend. These birds were expensive birds from GFF. Someone was reducing the size of there flock and my friend read an add on craigs list. The birds were very reasonable. I picked them up and they looked very healthy. Very sweet birds. I put them in my garage, away from my whole entire flock. I did not use any building I would ever use for my own birds. Even thought I do have a isolation area. I had them for three weeks. On the second week the youngest bird showed signs of illness..by week three she was really ill and she ended up with wet pox. If I had not done that my whole entire flock would have fowl pox. If these had been my purchase I would have culled them.

Oh boy, And so my worry begins...

Thank you for the helpful information Delisha,

MB

 

[loanwizard]

I would not ever argue and say that anyone is wrong in their opinion. In fact, I would be more likely to say that it is I that is wrong. I love my birds, but they are chickens. I may get choked up if one gets sick and dies or meets up with a devil dog, but not for too long. This year alone, I bought 30, introduced the same night, and 40, introduced the same night. I have about 110 birds and need to scale it back, starting with some aggressive roos.

But... My integration is, has, and will continue to be bring in new birds within 1 hour of dusk. Let them fuss, separating only if blood, just like teenagers. At dark, put the new birds on roost, close to homie's if you have to or even integrate. Let fuss, although very little. Next morning, feed, leave and go to work. By evening, mine have been fine.

Yes, I risk disease with terrible bio security.

But.... just another method from a man that frequently says let God, when Carla says what about this, what about that, should we call the vet etc....

 

[aaggjg]

Funny that there was the favorite nest box discussion today... I have one hen who is LOUD when she lays .... It used to just be once she laid her egg she would sing the song but now after nesting for a while she will start singing, then stop wait a bit, then start again etc etc. Well heaven forbid that another chicken should try to disturb her while nesting she will yell and scream and run around and take forever to settle down again. SO with this in mind this morning when she went into the new favorite nest box ( a rabbit hutch in the run) I closed the hutch and held it shut with the ramp.... Well Pearl, My Splash Marans wanted to get in and lay her egg.... The box in her opinion had been occupied way too long and it was her turn! Silly Chicken!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

LynnEBC - I'm attacking this thread the same way you are - read some old - catch up on new - it's almost a full time job

Hello to all - I'm in the midst of building my coop and have chicks arriving on May 8....

The rafters are on and it's still standing so I am thrilled! (the biggest thing I ever built before this coop was a bookcase, so this has been an amazing learning experience.

Really nice looking!

Welcome to the group!! Please keep us updated on your progress..it looks like a very interesting coop! What type of chicks did you order? Are you free ranging?What are your plans for predator proofing?

X2!

 

[Leahs Mom]

BDM
From the mill all cracked
On the feed
100 pounds corn 9%
100 pounds oats 12%
100 pounds Poultry base 36%
This equals 19% protein
OR
1 part corn
1 part oats
1 part poultry base
Same thing said either way.
The poultry base is made by the mill.

Do you know what they put in the poultry base? Is it just the mineral supplement like Fertrel?