The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Quote: I want to caution people about hand feeding. Yes, it makes tamer chickens and they look to hands for feed..but remember the few times they peck pretty hard for food. Soon they will associate all people and all hands as a food source. You are training them to peck hands. Even little tiny hands.

ok .. I'm daring to post again... ; ) Please tell me why you are afraid to post?
Quote: You can use a higher percentage..they will eat less of it since they are free ranging. If they are fat you just feed less and force them to forage more.
I am in the condition stage of spring training. I am feeding way less. The snow is almost all gone. They need to go find food. I do not feed in the mornings.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I want to caution people about hand feeding. Yes, it makes tamer chickens and they look to hands for feed..but remember the few times they peck pretty hard for food. Soon they will associate all people and all hands as a food source. You are training them to peck hands. Even little tiny hands.
Yes sorry Delisha this is very true. I don't have any little people around and when friends visit the little people *feed* the chickens by throwing scratch into the area the chickens are in not by hand. I don't hand feed often & neither does my Mom. They rarely run towards other people since they remain leery of them. Heck they don't come up to me once they realize I have nothing in my hands. When I feed them their FF they stay far enough away so I cant grab them if I wanted to. The only thing they do for me is squat when I get close.....but thats ok since then they know I am the alpha hen & thats what I want.

 

[loanwizard]

I just realized (with the help of PG) that my "venting" yesterday may have seemed like it was aimed at a particular person or people on this thread so I wanted to be sure that y'all know that it wasn't!!!!

I had been conversing with the 2 folks that got the "not so healthy" chickens and was very upset about "breeders" that are unethical and don't care who they hurt. I am angered that people seem to have no conscience about such behavior and don't care who it hurts.

So my "vent" was aimed at them

This photo seems appropriate here...

Now that PG pointed it out to me, I realize that LW had just posted about how he doesn't separate birds when he gets them new and it might have seemed that I was aiming that at him. Truth is that I had been working on that post before I read his!!!

And I know, LW, that you get so many birds at a time that it would be impractical for you to do things different. Your setup is totally different than mine and others! It may also have sounded like I think EVERYONE has to follow a specific "bio-security" method so I want to clear that up and say again...my vent wasn't meant to make anyone feel that way or that they couldn't post how they do things!!! If it felt that way to anyone I just want to clear that up!!!

And.....
the remark at the end of that post (vent over...bottoms up) was really supposed to just be humorous on the double meaning of "vent"....(in case anyone was wondering...)

Yeah.... You almost hurt my feeling..... If I had one.... Remember, I am a used car dealer.... difficult to hurt me, especially with a keyboard.

Note, in my response to MB I stated that I was NOT calling anyone else wrong, that if anyone was wrong it was me.... I said that because I have read quite a bit on that subject and the preponderance of the material agrees with you all, not me and there is probably a reason for it.

That said, when I have done what I have done it is because I "NEEDED" production and quickly so took a calculated risk, as "business people" do. Way I look at it.... I have been lucky and blessed. I was simply responding to the physical and psychological essence of integrating chickens, not the health and well being. I have 110 birds in an area where I should have 60.

Ultimately, and I was there til I met Devil Dog, whom by the way, has integrated very well with my mechanics family, My intent is to NEVER introduce outside birds which I have now done twice this year.

And this.... Is for Country Girl!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Yes sorry Delisha this is very true. I don't have any little people around and when friends visit the little people *feed* the chickens by throwing scratch into the area the chickens are in not by hand. I don't hand feed often & neither does my Mom. They rarely run towards other people since they remain leery of them. Heck they don't come up to me once they realize I have nothing in my hands. When I feed them their FF they stay far enough away so I cant grab them if I wanted to. The only thing they do for me is squat when I get close.....but thats ok since then they know I am the alpha hen & thats what I want.

Only reason I was considering touching was to try and do a complete health evaluation. Haven't
been able to do that yet. Only caught the one (baldy) so I could check her neck and apply some salve. But then I did find out that last fall there was a rooster in the group. She just only had the three left that she hadn't rehomed and wanted them to go to someone who wanted eggs and pets and "wouldn't just kill them for the fry pan, since these three were my favorites"...

So since I had read "Bee's story" I wanted to assess and begin whatever I needed to be sure they were/are/stay healthy! I wish I knew her personally. Boy would I sit at her knee with a huge note pad. Her photos were so informing. I wish I knew her............

 

[bbsnooks]

Okay, I thought it might be that but wasn't sure. So coconut oil helps keep warm? I never knew that! I will have to try it. Raynauds is a circulation disorder that's hereditary. My father has it, I got it, and then gave it to my oldest son. I take natural herbs and such that improve circulation to help. I mostly have issues with my hands in the cold. I just finished up taking care of the animals and my hands hurt so bad - fingers red and painful! There's a wind chill of about 40 right now and silly me went out without my gloves because I figured it wouldn't take long. Cooking dinner is warming them up.

Thanks for the tip!

Yes.. i think it helps. . < you dont look like you have much fat .. on ya to keep you insulated.. .. -- oops there i go again.. >

safety first.. in the bath tub..area.. I've made the mistake of dropping oil from a different bottle opening - while applying in bath tub.. very dangerous..
thats when i changed to the cocoa oil. its solid at room temp.. and only a little bit liquifies while the hot water is on.. and it minimizes the "oops" factor.. as does the plastic honey / or mustard container.. with the attached lid. - that said any oil will do.. i just like the cocoa nut smell..

sorry bout my mix up the other day.. -- your nice to take it so kindly... ; )

 

[countrygirl74]

And this.... Is for Country Girl!

(thanks to MB) and thanks LW - you never cease to hmmm.... what's the word... disappoint me. Always good for a water-spitting surprise post.


Once again, my procrastination is killing me - have to get my taxes done today. So, since I goofed around all week on other things, I'm stuck doing them now. Then I get to work on the grow-out pen! I'll check in with you all later!

 

[Eggcessive]

I really wish i didn't have to resort to this, but i'm running out of options, besides culling my Roos. My splash girl only had the bare back problem, i babied her for a couple of days and then she died over night. I really don't know if it was too cold, and losing the feathers was just too much. Anyways, I'm hoping this helps my Cochin girls recover from the over zealous Roos. I think a big problem is the older girls don't stand for the Roos messing with them, so it falls on the three Cochin girls and its just too much. I'm sure next year, when i have more hens, this won't be as much of an issue. For now its a small investment to hopefully fix the problem.

Last year when I had a few bareback hens from young cockerels, I made some sweat shirts for the girls. I found a pattern on BYC, but I just made mine 1 piece out of fleece or polarfleece. Overall they are 9 inches square (cochins will be larger), then I trimmed them down and then cut 2 slits about 2 1/2 inches long. Just hold the chicken normally with wings pinned and slip each wing into the slit opening up to the shoulder. Do one and see how it fits. Stretchy material works best and you can make a bunch of these out of an extra large pullover. As for your roosters, try putting them in a bachelor pen for a while.

 

[jlynnet]

Delisha, fingers crossed you get some to hatch! I might try again next week to incubate some Marans. The guy I got them from said I could get more from him.

LW great birthday song! It's my son's birthday too.

My chicks are doing great. Growing so fast. I think I will take LM's advice and try the fencing to introduce them. I think I'll wait until it stops raining. I'm about ready to build an ark!

 

[aoxa]

(thanks to MB) and thanks LW - you never cease to hmmm.... what's the word... disappoint me. Always good for a water-spitting surprise post.


Once again, my procrastination is killing me - have to get my taxes done today. So, since I goofed around all week on other things, I'm stuck doing them now. Then I get to work on the grow-out pen! I'll check in with you all later!

I complained before about the taxes in March. They are simple compared to the people that wait to the last minute. Most of THOSE people owe and that's never fun to tell them

I hope you don't owe!

I can not wait until May 1st. I'm going to be celebrating like it's no body's business. Busiest tax season ever here.

 

[bbsnooks]

Hi ramblin.. those are cute.. and very nice.. roosts..
I never would have thought of a dirt bath.. if you hadn't posted those photo's.. how .. fun..
did you just dig some yard soil.? and let it dry?
OOps.. I think I just replied to the wrong person... ---------darn.. who has the little chicks.. taking a dust bath.. will any soil do.. < add DE or other stuff?>

That is a pretty sweet little set-up you have there for your chicks. Being new to all this (chicks arrive next week) I was wondering about the little roosting bars. Had not considered building them into my brooder. It appears that you have them spaced approx 6"? Also, on the dust bathing, is that something you introduce just right away?

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.

What a good example. thanks.. Is there any.. benefit .. for keeping the exposed birds.. that .. had resistance to the disease.. < just wondering >
I can see it may not be worth risking.. but isnt that how we develop resistance to diseases .. by the Living one's reproducing..
what's your thoughts.