The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

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 that idea!

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL -
I did want to say that on the loose stools and oats... HU said that total COMBINED content of OATS & BARLEY shouldn't exceed 15% or his experience was loose stools. I'm not sure what's in the scratch grains but you have to combine the total of both to make the overall total of 15%.

But...you said you only have that problem with a couple out of all of them? Are they different breed or are they all the same? Is there anything else different between the birds that have it and the ones that don't? (I'm just looking for possible differences that could account for the different reaction.)

 

[lalaland]

Quote: BD, the flowers are beee yoouuuu teeeeee fulllll
Am so glad your daughter is home, keeping my fingers crossed her recovery is smooth and fast.

flower pics were just the thing I needed since I first read weather reports that we've another snow and ice storm on the way...

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL -
I did want to say that on the loose stools and oats... HU said that total COMBINED content of OATS & BARLEY shouldn't exceed 15% or his experience was loose stools. I'm not sure what's in the scratch grains but you have to combine the total of both to make the overall total of 15%.

But...you said you only have that problem with a couple out of all of them? Are they different breed or are they all the same? Is there anything else different between the birds that have it and the ones that don't? (I'm just looking for possible differences that could account for the different reaction.)

Well combined the oats & scratch (contains millet, corn & milo) doesnt make up 15% of their ff. The scratch , layer pellets & BOSS are in the giant container mixed up together. I add the oats, flax & game feed as I make new FF. Eventually when I get enough oats I plan on mixing the oats, game feed & flax into the big tub so all I need to do is refill my inside container.

All 4 have poopy butts. They are all partridge rocks. All from the same lady. Thats why I am thinking its something in the food or hereditary since they all have it.

BDM- glad to hear your daughter is home

And please keep posting thos beautiful flower pics. We dont have any more snow but the only thing blooming is the daffodils and crocuses lol

 

[jlynnet]

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

Turn that heat lamp off! It's only in the 40's here and mine will do fine. I barely remember what 88 feels like!

 

[Ashdoes]

Nothing like a 5am wake up call from the post office. The ducks are here and I could hear the peeping over the phone. Got the lamp on and the fresh water ready, I hope they all made it, it's been cold.

 

[aoxa]

I'm WAY behind today.. so I'll start slowly....

I'm glad you posted that! I also listen, decipher, think on it, and try to figure out what makes the best sense. There is always that one thing that can't happen over the internet - observing the situation in person.

I'm with you...I don't have years of experience and I do respect the input I get ON THIS THREAD in particular. But sometimes I've waited a little longer, done a little more research, thought it out, and then followed the "gut" with good results.

And...I'm glad you're keeping us up on how it's going. In the end, it may be the best thing you've done ... or not! But it helps us all to hear either way!

I very much enjoyed this post. Yes go by your gut feeling. We can not see your birds behaviour first hand.

I'm sure people would have suggested I put Margaret down when she first had frost bite, and boy am I glad I didn't!

I'm sorry about the grouchy neighbor. Having a good neighbor is being a good neighbor. Our neighbors like to smother us. They do absolutely nothing. Both retired. They sit on the front porch all day. I come home from work, wave on my way by. they wave. I pull in my driveway, the phone is ringing, It's them and they say, "Whatcha doin?" We built a screened in back porch. They did. Built a flower bed. They did. You walk in their house, it looks like mine. This same woman went into my burning house to rescue my animals. One of my cat's wasn't breathing and she gave him mouth to mouth and revived him. She took in my 9 cats, with her 9 and kept them 2 months until we rebuilt. She told us that they don't mind the chickens roaming over in their backyard as both our yards are huge and connect. I keep them in eggs as a compensation, sort of. They both say over and over that they don't mind. BUT.......
With that being said, her DH will shoot at my flock with an air gun and say that it doesn't hurt them. He's a little sneaky. The chickens like to weed their flower beds ridding it of any mulch to dust. Most of the flock stays in the fence, a few don't and if it continues and is a problem, then it's freezer camp. My porch sometimes is nasty, Wrinkles doesn't crow just in the morning. I'm trying to control what I can before it is an issue. I won't get rid of my chickens but I'll try to keep things peaceable.
I hope things work our for you. It takes work being a neighbor and if one side doesn't want to then you know why the house was for sale when you bought it. lol

Reminds me of this sign:

I think I just may make one myself.

 

[aoxa]

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.

Sheep graze, goats browse.

 

[Melabella]

Nothing like a 5am wake up call from the post office. The ducks are here and I could hear the peeping over the phone. Got the lamp on and the fresh water ready, I hope they all made it, it's been cold.

Well, at least they called, and were concerned! lol.. I've heard horror stories of peeping boxes sitting on a counter for hours! Good luck with your new babies!

MB

 

[aoxa]

Nothing like a 5am wake up call from the post office. The ducks are here and I could hear the peeping over the phone. Got the lamp on and the fresh water ready, I hope they all made it, it's been cold.

My post office never call me. They get all their packages at night and not in the morning, so it doesn't open until 8:00am. That would be an awesome wake up call!

My duck hatch went terribly. 2 out of 12. I had to help the two out because they were glued to the shell. I mean really glued. It took a lot to get them unglued.

One is still recovering strength in the incubator (hatched last night) and the other is perfect. So adorable and was sent to Joan with a little chick friend.