The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[off-grid hen]

Well hello everyone. I found you!

The topic of the "The Road Less traveled" thread had evolved so much about chicken keeping in general instead of the progress of the gnarly bunch, that it was time for a new thread anyway, in the management part of the forum. This way more people will see it. I think if the threads of interest are cross-referenced as they are with the FF, ACV/coccidiosis thread, we will be able to pull together a cohesive group discussion. This plus the blog will continue to be extremely useful to a lot of people.

Glad there was a link to this at the end of the ther thread, or I would have never found it. I basically just check in to read my subscriptions. Once in a while I head over to the "what breed or gender is this" forum to see if people need help sexing the breeds I have. Other than that, I only check BYC on an " as needed" basis.

 

[lalaland]

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.

I would love it if you could share your ginger cakes with rum recipe - so if you end up with some unexpected spare time to dig up the recipe, it would be fabulous. They sound great.

(lol, these would be for me, not my chickens)

 

[aoxa]

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?

The hens are completely naked from the neck up to the comb, so that's how the ticks latched on that way.

The flea free says it is safe to use on livestock, and I sent them an email asking if chickens are included in that. They have not replied. I am not using it now (ran out) but tick/flea season is not a concern this time of year here. I'd like to use it with the birds. I'm curious if it works for mites.

Found mites on my bantam Ameraucanas again. I did not re-dust after the first time. I did not remove shavings (as per everyone's advice that DL should not be removed). Help? I nearly killed the rooster by dusting him last night (the way I held him, he just ate and it started to come back up and he choked!) but he snapped out of it. I was terrified. He is my one good bantam ameraucana rooster. SO hard to come by. I really need to get rid of these mites! It's not an overload (yet), but enough to have me wanting to get rid of them. I have never had mites on any of the other birds. Just lice. These guys are not free ranged. At least not until they are rid of these nasties. I don't want to worry about mites in the general population.

They picked them up at a show. That I am sure of. Before we went (September 29th) they were completely free of parasites. Early November I had went to inspect the birds. They had mites around their vents. Dusted them that same time with wood ash. 1 week after they were fine. No bugs. Now there are bugs again. So a little bummed about that. They have a good DL going in their pen, and lots of room. They have 5 square feet per bird, and they weigh a little over a pound each.

 

[lalaland]

I did not re-dust after the first time. I did not remove shavings (as per everyone's advice that DL should not be removed).

Sorry to hear that the mites are back. I've been wondering about not removing the DL - in a cold climate, like mine, there clearly is no composting going on, just frozen poop rocks.

For years, I've cleaned out the litter twice a year - once in spring when it thaws, and once before winter so there is a level of comfort when they spend so much time in the coop on bad days. I add more hay and stir every now and then when the droppings get a little thick.

I've never found that it has come anywhere close to breaking down after 7 or 8 months when I do the late fall cleaning - I think that is because it is so dry. Not really interested in adding water as in the winter I have a moisture problem.

Is anyone successful with DL in a northern climate?-

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I would love it if you could share your ginger cakes with rum recipe - so if you end up with some unexpected spare time to dig up the recipe, it would be fabulous. They sound great.

(lol, these would be for me, not my chickens)

It will take me a good bit of time to find it, BUT I will and of course I will share. It's upstairs in the atic somewhere....lol!!! But I will start looking for it. I need to find it again for myself anyway!

 

[Leahs Mom]

My knowledge of the red worms is solely from researching composting methods. My knowledge of earth worms is from a class project in fourth grade, lol. The red worms need food, like fruits and veggies, they won't do in just soil. The earth worms eat dirt *someone please correct me if I'm wrong. So they are two separate worms.
The red worms are a little smaller then the earth worms, but, and this is cool, you can bulk them up prior to fishing with chicken food. So, take out the twenty for fishing and put them in with chicken food for a week or so before. They fatten up good, and the fish love them.
Either way, you've got slimy worms with high protein for the chickens. I'd love it if someone could comment on actually farming them.

Here's a link that has some info. http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Earthworms.html

I have his book and have found it's the closest to the OT's wisdom in a book that I've ever found...I consider it a good reference to have on the shelf. Anyway, he has a pretty interesting set-up for farming larger scale than the small bins.

I have to keep my bins inside because it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. The way most do it is to feed fresh fruits/veggies in the bins. Harvey Ussery was using manure (not fresh) in his large-scale bins in his hoop shelter, outside, dug down enough to keep them cool/warm at the appropriate times.

 

[Crafty-Duck]

It will take me a good bit of time to find it, BUT I will and of course I will share. It's upstairs in the atic somewhere....lol!!! But I will start looking for it. I need to find it again for myself anyway!

I would love to have that recipe!!!! when you find it

 

[aoxa]

Sorry to hear that the mites are back. I've been wondering about not removing the DL - in a cold climate, like mine, there clearly is no composting going on, just frozen poop rocks.

For years, I've cleaned out the litter twice a year - once in spring when it thaws, and once before winter so there is a level of comfort when they spend so much time in the coop on bad days. I add more hay and stir every now and then when the droppings get a little thick.

I've never found that it has come anywhere close to breaking down after 7 or 8 months when I do the late fall cleaning - I think that is because it is so dry. Not really interested in adding water as in the winter I have a moisture problem.

Is anyone successful with DL in a northern climate?-

The DL is working great in the big coop. Breaks down really well. I have a lot of birds that work it around though, so that could be why. And a dirt floor. I started this DL in October. Besides the front of the coop where I keep the water, there is no smell. The water spilling on the ground does smell though. If I don't continue to add fresh shavings, it does get to be way too little litter. So it is decomposing.

That frozen poop rocks is exactly what I'm trying to avoid this winter. I think they call those moisture caps? Under them can fester all kinds of disgusting bacteria. Not the good kind. You have to keep it stirred up well to compost properly. I wouldn't add any water. The humid air in the winter should be enough. I picked up some litter last night and it was moist. Not wet, but moist.

I think I'm just going to write the DL off with the bantams. Need to get rid of these mites.

 

[Leahs Mom]

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

Yes, I have heard of it. The purpose is to avert a Riboflavin deficiency that causes the curled toes and eventually crippling and death. You would cut it up into tiny pieces and put them down for them to pick up from the ground/floor. This problem of the curled toes/lameness usually happens during the first 2 weeks of life then isn't as big an issue.
That's likely why you heard to feed it when they're so young.

Most folks feed a commercial feed and that usually contains enough of the riboflavin. However, I have heard of it being an issue with meaties in general and, for me at least, I don't see any problem giving them some if you want to as a preventative. They like it and it won't hurt them to have it!

There is also an issue with the chick feeds that are medicated that block absorption of B1/B2. I do not use medicated feed. However, for those that do, there can be a greater need to supplement those vitamins.

ETA: Seems that supplementing with brewers yeast can up the riboflavin content as well. (I prefer using an animal source myself.)

 

[Crafty-Duck]

I had meal worms once, I found they get mites really easy!!!! but I think I read if you keep the container surrounded by water they can't get in as easy (something like that) I think I might try again though and try earthworms too!!!