The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[pigeonguy]

http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/108116-agrimaster-sweet-16-all-purpose-feed.html#.UW4U6aIp_mw

 

[Ashdoes]

There is no way I'd spend money to make a neighbor happy, when I'm following the rules. I paid for this house. I bought it specifically so I could have chickens, ducks, geese, cows or donkeys. If he doesn't like it, he should move where they aren't allowed. It's too noisy while he's in his hot tub? Are you kidding me? The first time he came over, before the animals were even there, i would have told him off, just so he knows who he is dealing with. I hope you don't let it stress you too much. Home should be happy.
Ducklings come tomorrow! Yay!

 

[jockeyeba]

There is no way I'd spend money to make a neighbor happy, when I'm following the rules. I paid for this house. I bought it specifically so I could have chickens, ducks, geese, cows or donkeys. If he doesn't like it, he should move where they aren't allowed. It's too noisy while he's in his hot tub? Are you kidding me? The first time he came over, before the animals were even there, i would have told him off, just so he knows who he is dealing with. I hope you don't let it stress you too much. Home should be happy.
Ducklings come tomorrow! Yay!

totally agree

 

[jockeyeba]

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.

It's been warm here 88* 65-70* at night so I was going to leave the heat lamp off of my 5 week old W's but I could hear them peeping so I turned the light back on & one of them runs under the light, flops down on its side & spreads its wing out too cute

 

[jockeyeba]

I am only going to say this once. IF you are doing nothing against the rules, If you are 100% within your rights, DO NOT allow a neighbor to buffalo you.

You are a lady and trying to appease your neighbor by doing as he says. He chose to be a bad neighbor by even saying anything to you about it. How DARE he cause stress to your daughter. He is complaining about noise pollution. I would complain to him about his visual pollution as I can just picture him entering and leaving the hot tub... He SURE ain't no Loinwizard.....

On another subject, mosquitoes breed in an ideal environment. If I remember correctly, old tires are a good spot.... so.... dark, hot, stagnant water is ideal for them. If you shade it so it isn't so hot, or go the other way if you have to.... change the environment. I would probably put in a small (300GPH) pond or bilge pump. A little current keeps the water fresh and bug breeding free.

Maybe some recall how I have been struggling in business.... Just had a meeting at the bank today and they decided to lend me a bunch of money to sell cars on EBay. I hope that I can make it work and not make myself and them look like idiots. Of course the top dealer on EBay sells 1000 cars a month on there, and number 4 sells 250. I would be happy with 10 month....

Time will tell.
I will lurk but have to devote my passion and energy to my business.
Much love to all!

Shawn

PS.... CG, I have 12,000 acres behind me. Wanna come? LMBO!

Good luck with your business

 

[jockeyeba]

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 !!

Great Craigslist find

 

[jockeyeba]

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.

 

[Mumsy]

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.

Thank you Sally. It is therapeutic. Today was a quiet one in my neighborhood. All the talk about neighbors acting un-neighborly got me thinking about the past 30 years living in mine. I have seen my neighborhood evolve from a quiet retirement community to the deaths of those old neighbors as they passed and then those cute little houses turning into rental dumps and drug dealers. Then back to families with troubled teenagers, police raids, and more noise from every home owing two or more constantly barking dogs. There were many bad years. My home and property has been a sanctuary. For my husband and children and my childrens friends. It still is. A place to escape from the world. I live in a rural area. No zoning rules or noise ordinances but I do have neighbors on all sides. Hard to see the houses after thirty years of planting shrubbery and trees to block the views and muffle the sound.
Tonight one of my old time neighbors leaned over the fence with his little two year old daughter and she loves the chickens. She likes to sing, "E I E I O" to them. He has never complained about my roosters in thirty years. He has had barking dogs all that time and I never once complained to him about them. Another neighbor has two little boys. My husband and I sunk a post and put an old mail box between us and them. I made a little flag to stick in the ground when I have treats for the boys. One week I put a half dozen eggs in it and a candy. This week I made cookies. I love hearing those boys playing in their yard. They are louder than all my chickens together but they are making happy children sounds. Nothing wrong with that. Another neighbor has chickens too. Their barking dogs drive my husband nuts but we don't complain to them about it. We keep an eye out for each other when we are gone from home. My daughter is coming to visit tomorrow and check on her pullets. She will have chickens in Seattle. I can only imagine what her towny neighbors reactions will be.

 

[countrygirl74]

There is no way I'd spend money to make a neighbor happy, when I'm following the rules. I paid for this house. I bought it specifically so I could have chickens, ducks, geese, cows or donkeys. If he doesn't like it, he should move where they aren't allowed. It's too noisy while he's in his hot tub? Are you kidding me? The first time he came over, before the animals were even there, i would have told him off, just so he knows who he is dealing with. I hope you don't let it stress you too much. Home should be happy.
Ducklings come tomorrow! Yay!

I probably wouldn't normally even be able to afford to put up a privacy fence just to keep him happy, but we got a bunch of panels for free from someone who was replacing their fence, so all I need to do is get some posts and put it up. It's just enough for that one side of property that borders ours. Personally, I can't wait to have it up because I'm hoping that he will leave me alone and I won't have to see him and his wife in their hot tub while I'm sitting out in my yard with the chickens and ducks. Congrats on the ducklings!

I would complain to him about his visual pollution as I can just picture him entering and leaving the hot tub... He SURE ain't no Loinwizard.....

You got that right!

Maybe some recall how I have been struggling in business.... Just had a meeting at the bank today and they decided to lend me a bunch of money to sell cars on EBay. I hope that I can make it work and not make myself and them look like idiots. Of course the top dealer on EBay sells 1000 cars a month on there, and number 4 sells 250. I would be happy with 10 month....
Wish you the best with your business...

PS.... CG, I have 12,000 acres behind me. Wanna come? LMBO!
Don't tempt me!

So he is going to decide if you keep them or not. How is that if you are zoned to have them.?
Personally I would get more.
You don't want to know what would happen to him if he cursed and raised his voice to my wife.

Ultimately, I won't let him decide for me, but here is my worry - that he will call the town and complain and even though I am allowed to have roosters, I worry that maybe the incessant crowing could just maybe be against some noise ordinance or something?? I am going down to the zoning office tomorrow. I was raised and grew up in this small town and I know a LOT of people, including some that work down there. I plan on telling them the situation and then finding out where I stand in a worst case scenario with this guy. That will help me I think.
Truth be told, my husband wasn't home at the time and I specifically asked for him to let me handle it just because my husband would have let him have it and I'm trying to handle this as peacefully as I can. My husband told me it was a good thing that I talked to him because it could have gotten bad if he was out there. I will keep you all posted on how things go... thanks so much for all the encouragement to not let him dictate to me how he wants his hot tub time.

Thank you Sally. It is therapeutic. Today was a quiet one in my neighborhood. All the talk about neighbors acting un-neighborly got me thinking about the past 30 years living in mine. I have seen my neighborhood evolve from a quiet retirement community to the deaths of those old neighbors as they passed and then those cute little houses turning into rental dumps and drug dealers. Then back to families with troubled teenagers, police raids, and more noise from every home owing two or more constantly barking dogs. There were many bad years. My home and property has been a sanctuary. For my husband and children and my childrens friends. It still is. A place to escape from the world. I live in a rural area. No zoning rules or noise ordinances but I do have neighbors on all sides. Hard to see the houses after thirty years of planting shrubbery and trees to block the views and muffle the sound.
Tonight one of my old time neighbors leaned over the fence with his little two year old daughter and she loves the chickens. She likes to sing, "E I E I O" to them. He has never complained about my roosters in thirty years. He has had barking dogs all that time and I never once complained to him about them. Another neighbor has two little boys. My husband and I sunk a post and put an old mail box between us and them. I made a little flag to stick in the ground when I have treats for the boys. One week I put a half dozen eggs in it and a candy. This week I made cookies. I love hearing those boys playing in their yard. They are louder than all my chickens together but they are making happy children sounds. Nothing wrong with that. Another neighbor has chickens too. Their barking dogs drive my husband nuts but we don't complain to them about it. We keep an eye out for each other when we are gone from home. My daughter is coming to visit tomorrow and check on her pullets. She will have chickens in Seattle. I can only imagine what her towny neighbors reactions will be.

That's exactly what we thought - if we were on the other side of things, we wouldn't complain to our neighbors about it... if they're allowed to have noisy dogs, or roosters, or whatever else, oh well, we chose to live here. I wish he would get that through his head... his excuse is that when he bought his house the property (and area) was listed only as zoned for domestic animals, which is not my fault.

 

[Sally8]

To reinforce my comment about BCM hatching, A while back I had found an egg under my Sizzzle that was out to the side, I brought it in, didn't know anything about how long it was there. Looked in on my Barred Rock eggs that were due to hatch yesterday and saw a dried fuzzy butt. A BCM chick all dried off and fluffy. No cracks in the egg last night.
I have 8 out of 12 Barred Rock eggs that should have hatched yesterday and nothing. As I remember last year, the same thing happened. 2 hatched. I accidently dropped the stick helping to hold the light and killed one a and the other one I traded for a poult as it turned out to be a rooster.

LW-Good luck on this new twist to your business. DH and I were noticing just yesterday as we passed by Simmons-Rockwell as they had lined up about 50 cars, all the same but different colors. Their lot is acres big with hundreds and hundreds. It can't be an easy job. Personally, I like Pick-a-Part.