The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jockeyeba]

...

So are you saying you like the meat better on the hair sheep? 

I'm looking at boer goats and hair sheep for meat.  I just heard of hair sheep this year so I know very little.  Someone told me that they would "browse" like a goat rather than just needing grass pasture so I have been trying to get as much info on them as possible!  Anything you can tell me would be great.  (You could pm...)  I don't know about Painted Desert - just heard of the Katahdan.

J - have you ever had any "hair sheep"? 

Thats what Painted Desert sheep are: "hair sheep" ALT=""]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5609485/width/350/height/700[/IMG] They have a much milder taste then wool sheep mutton

We've found that they like weeds better then the bermuda grass that we have, so thats a good thing. I know Katahdan's are a hair sheep too but I don't know anything about them. We had 1 nanny goat that had kids that we put in the freezer & we didn't like the taste of goat meat at all compared to the PD meat. Couldn't stomach the hamburger meat it seems to be the fat that gives the terrible taste. We did have some goat chops that weren't bad but I had cut every ounce of fat off. Let me know what else you might like to know & I'll pm it

 

[Mumsy]

With all the doom and gloom going on in the world, I spent yesterday and today just sitting outside in the sunshine with the flocks. It has been cold enough in the mornings to ice the water buckets but warms up in the afternoon to bring out the Spring flowers. The Silkies were coaxed into the wild flower garden today. They are still out there. Even Dumpling the crippled shavings eater. I tote her around so she can keep up with the flock. They are learning new foraging skills every day. I'm so proud of this Silkie flock. All the birds are spending all day outdoors. Except the brooder chicks. One more week and I will turn all heat lamps off for good.



Johnny baby in the wild flowers.


Chasing a cotton tail rabbit out of the Secret Garden.


Learning to forage.


Follow the leader out into the wild garden.


A beautiful Spring day in the back garden. Fencing protects the potager garden and the newly planted fruit trees from deer and rabbits.

 

[rowerjen]

Sounds like this guy needs a polite reminder that YOU moved to where you are so you could have chickens and other livestock if you so chose. When a person moves to a rural setting, they have to understand that other rural dwellers will have things like roosters... and since you've checked your zoning requirements, you are within your rights to keep these animals. (An if you had known you were going to get a troll for a neighbor, I'm sure you would have moved elsewhere too.

Help your neighbor gain perspective by providing him with a little desensitization therapy:
1. Put up a flyer at your local high school inviting teen bands to come practice at your place.
2. Put an ad on Craig's List renting out space for folks to keep (and work on) their project cars and motorcycles. Offer lower prices to those without mufflers or that have "pipes."
3. Start a donkey rescue and then toss food for the coyotes around the fence line a few times a night.
4. Have a load of uncut firewood dropped off at your place, and fire up that chainsaw!
5. Keep your yard mowed... every evening!

I have a neighbor who lives a quarter mile a way and has mules. When they get going it sounds like someone's running a cat through a wood chipper. From 1/4 mile away.
You could also add target shooting to the list. My next door neighbor does that from time to time. He never complains about my chickens. Not even when they wander over the hill to visit.

And owls? Some nights it sounds like they're having a block party in my back yard.

If it's not already evident, I live in the sticks. One of my co-workers has a couple of apartments on her property, and one of her tenants actually asked her if there was any way to make the neighbor's cows quiet down.

Lived in cities for the first 30 years of my life. I'd rather deal with all of the above than anything I had to listen to there.








Thanks for the antidote, Mumsy. Hints of green finally appearing in New Hampshire. Spring might get here some day.

 

[midnightroo]

I'm eager to hear the answer about leaving the chicks in the coop. We have 19 chicks and have been letting them play in the new coop during the day and back to the heat lamp in the evenings.

I have left mine outside. It is supposed to be in the mid 50's tonight so keeping my fingers crossed. We put in extra straw to help keep them warm. I think with 19 they would be able to keep each other warmer, but I think it all depends on the night temps and the how much of the feathering they have.

Christine

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok a question for the OTs...as u know I've had poopy butts on my hens the last few months or so. I originally thought it was the yogurt or granola, they haven't had either in at least a month but probably closer to 2 months. Their FF consists of layer pellets, boss, scratch (milo, corn and millet), oats, game bird feed, flax seed, garlic, cayenne pepper, and basil. The cayenne pepper is like every other month. They were getting fresh veggies but now they are out in their netted area they ignore it. I feed back egg shells as we have them & they get cooked eggs once a month. They can get a variety of food scraps as I have them. Calcium & grit is always available.

Since they have been in their new coop with their new area their FF they consume is a lot less. But they have full crops at bed. So they must be filling up on grass, clover, weeds and bugs. The 2 that had prolapse vents haven't showed the signs since I found them. Last week or so I get 4 eggs a day . The 2 with the prolapse vents have put on some much needed weight with the game feed. I can feel their keels but not pronounced like before. Eggs look better (except the one that's white every few days- no clue why they were always brown)

The poopy butts is not bad. You can only see it if their head tipped down as the scratch and its very little. No skin redness. I just clean the area with baby wipes. But all 4 have it. The layer pellets, boss & scratch I have had since last fall. I bought 25 or 50# bags & store it in heavy duty plastic tub to keep critters out. I don't see bugs in it either.

Any ideas? It started before the game bird and flax seed was added. I keep trying to figure out what's causing it and am clueless. I'm thinking its just the dynamics of the hens. I want to say I first noticed it when they started laying (December) since I don't remember it before. I do know they have been on layer pellets since I got them in August because that's what the lady was feeding them when I bought them (-they were about 13 weeks old)

I remember reading somewhere where people said oats could cause loose stools. But I was adding oats since the fall.
Their poops are all normally that are on the ground. It's almost like they have to many feathers and just mess when they go. If they wiped I would say they miss a spot lol

Curious as to your thoughts on a cause & maybe how to rectify it? I could make smaller batches of ff and eliminate one ingredient one by one to see if I can figure it out that way?

I also wanted to share my deal I got today off Craig's list

$25 for the 2 feeders & waterer. I couldn't resist. The waterer will go out in their fenced area and the feeders I am thinking one with grit and one with calcium . The waterer is almost $40 new !!

 

[MamaJoJo]

Sigh... as a two week old newbie I am really excited to find this thread. However I now have 12036 posts to go through in order to catch up... Sniff sniff.. I will comment again in three days when I finish the required reading. on a serious note, I'm so glad so much info is all in one place!

 

[Sally8]

Mumsy-Your pic's are just beautiful. It would be so therapeutic just to sit and drink in it's peacefulness. The world may be filled with doom and gloom but isn't it nice to be able to see and feel why it is so worth while.

The Silkies are so pretty.

 

[Eggcessive]

Ok a question for the OTs...as u know I've had poopy butts on my hens the last few months or so. I originally thought it was the yogurt or granola, they haven't had either in at least a month but probably closer to 2 months. Their FF consists of layer pellets, boss, scratch (milo, corn and millet), oats, game bird feed, flax seed, garlic, cayenne pepper, and basil. The cayenne pepper is like every other month. They were getting fresh veggies but now they are out in their netted area they ignore it. I feed back egg shells as we have them & they get cooked eggs once a month. They can get a variety of food scraps as I have them. Calcium & grit is always available.

Since they have been in their new coop with their new area their FF they consume is a lot less. But they have full crops at bed. So they must be filling up on grass, clover, weeds and bugs. The 2 that had prolapse vents haven't showed the signs since I found them. Last week or so I get 4 eggs a day

. The 2 with the prolapse vents have put on some much needed weight with the game feed. I can feel their keels but not pronounced like before. Eggs look better (except the one that's white every few days- no clue why they were always brown)

The poopy butts is not bad. You can only see it if their head tipped down as the scratch and its very little. No skin redness. I just clean the area with baby wipes. But all 4 have it. The layer pellets, boss & scratch I have had since last fall. I bought 25 or 50# bags & store it in heavy duty plastic tub to keep critters out. I don't see bugs in it either.

Any ideas? It started before the game bird and flax seed was added. I keep trying to figure out what's causing it and am clueless. I'm thinking its just the dynamics of the hens. I want to say I first noticed it when they started laying (December) since I don't remember it before. I do know they have been on layer pellets since I got them in August because that's what the lady was feeding them when I bought them (-they were about 13 weeks old)

I remember reading somewhere where people said oats could cause loose stools. But I was adding oats since the fall.
Their poops are all normally that are on the ground. It's almost like they have to many feathers and just mess when they go. If they wiped I would say they miss a spot lol

Curious as to your thoughts on a cause & maybe how to rectify it? I could make smaller batches of ff and eliminate one ingredient one by one to see if I can figure it out that way?

I also wanted to share my deal I got today off Craig's list

$25 for the 2 feeders & waterer. I couldn't resist. The waterer will go out in their fenced area and the feeders I am thinking one with grit and one with calcium

. The waterer is almost $40 new !!

I have a bunch of chickens (over 50 grown ones), and several with poopy rearends. Some of them are lower in the pecking order, but one is not. My older hens don't have this. I feed FF made of gamebird feed and scratch grains which equals 16% protein, ACV in water, and some yogurt occasionally. Lately I've started trimming feathers, and if it persists I may start bathing bottoms whenit stays warm outside. I have considered worming those that have this problem with Valbazen, the wormer that kills all know kinds of worms. They get pumpkin seed, but don't really care for iteither in FF or staright up. I hate using the chemicals, but may use it if this persists. I kind of think this isn't a huge problem though. When my garden gets going during the summer they will be eating all of my overgrown zucchini, since it contains the curcurbita that the pumpkin seeds have--they ate tons last year.

 

[armorfirelady]

I have a bunch of chickens (over 50 grown ones), and several with poopy rearends. Some of them are lower in the pecking order, but one is not.  My older hens don't have this.  I feed FF made of gamebird feed and scratch grains which equals 16% protein, ACV in water, and some yogurt occasionally.  Lately I've started trimming feathers, and if it persists I may start bathing bottoms whenit stays warm outside.  I have considered worming those that have this problem with Valbazen, the wormer that kills all know kinds of worms.  They get pumpkin seed, but don't really care for iteither in FF or staright up.  I hate using the chemicals, but may use it if this persists.  I kind of think this isn't a huge problem though.  When my garden gets going during the summer they will be eating all of my overgrown zucchini, since it contains the curcurbita that the pumpkin seeds have--they ate tons last year.

I don't think it's worms. My girls have been getting cukes, zucchini, squash and pumpkins weekly since last fall. The cayenne pepper is suppose to be a natural deformed as well. I have never seen worms in their stools either.

I forgot to add that they get animal protein a few times a week as well. Whatever is left over from beef, chicken, turkey to fish. I don't know what their protein level is but if I had to guess probably between 18 & 20%.

Mumsy I agree with sue I would bring my chair and a cold beverage and just relax in your garden paradise all day. What beautiful gardens you have

 

[jlynnet]

I finally got my 6 week olds outside tonight. I hope they do okay. They went outside in the enclosed run, then it got dark. They were so excited to get out! Running all over flapping their wings! Silly birds. The older girls just looked at them. Hopefully it stays that way.