The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[austinclarksf]

Hey folks, this seems like the right thread to pose this controversial question.

I have 6 girls (3 pullets 3 young layers), from two different feed stores, that I've acquired in the past 6 months. I have been feeding them organic feed, tons of organic veggie scraps, and organic white feed corn. They appear very healthy! Raw ACV with the mother is in their water, as well as a sprinkle of organic cane sugar, to boost their systems.

Should I de-worm my girls? I've never thought about it, and I know nothing about worming. I live in ABQ New Mexico, so their coop is always dry, we live with 5-10% humidity at most. Would a healthy diet and living environment allow chickens to defeat or live healthy with worms? I haven't noticed anything moving in their droppings.

Any holistic tips on worms? I'm ok with using a chemical, but I wanted to ask fellow naturalists their opinions.

 

[Bulldogma]

Okay, I have a situation new to me, and I think I know what to try but wanted to gather some feedback.

I have 5 Catdance Silkies that hatched February 9th and 10th. The smallest from the start has been the Porcelain. Pretty sure it's a pullet. One of only two I think are pullets, and the other one is the white with the crossed beak. Tonight when I got home from work, Bob said he thought there was something wrong with one of my "fluffy ones" - he said it was looking up all the time, and only with its left eye. It was fine this morning when I fed before I left for work.

I went out to check, and sure enough this chick looks like it has a wry neck. Brought it inside the house, no sign of injury, plenty strong, gave it some water with ACV from a syringe, and set it up in a crate in the bathroom (cats can't get to it there). Put some crumble in a shallow dish set up on its side and the chick was pecking at the food - didn't really eat much, but it was trying, so I keep thinking injury not illness, even though there is no sign.

Quick research shows this might be treatable with Poly Vi Sol, Vitamin E, and Selenium. I will make an early trip to town in the morning, I am embarrassed to say I have only the Vitamin E on hand right now.

I don't want the chick to suffer, but honestly it doesn't seem to be right now. If there is no chance of healing this I will humanely euthanize, as much as it will break my heart.

I'm with Trav - give the fluffball a chance and try the PolyViSol for a few weeks before making a decision. Also, offer her plenty of scrambled eggs and raw liver. I put down 2 of my young SFH adolescents when they started limping badly. When the 3rd showed the same symptoms I went with the vitamins and meat... and she's healthy as can be now and laying almost daily. So wish I had known to try this before... but I'm looking to the future with a swarm of SFH chicks from all different bloodlines now.

Glad I'm not the only one uncoordinated enough to use an axe!

I have seen a cockerel dance for a towel that fell off the clothes line. I still can't get that image out of my head. Oh how we laughed at poor Steve

Take heart! Spring is on its way, we (the chooks included) are already eating a bit of the kale, pumpkins are up, oregano has come alive again, lettuce up and doing well enough for small salads, cayenne peppers settled in and growing etc. etc. about growing potatoes, has anyone tried this? http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/2012/04/how-to-build-a-potato-tower/ It looks like a good way to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes in minimal space etc.

I did the potato tower last year. We didn't get a bumper crop, but we were away for part of the time it was growing so I think it didn't get a whole lot of water for a couple weeks. Otherwise, we definitely did get potatoes from it, and I would recommend it. The only thing I would do differently would be to put a piece of PVC with good-sized holes drilled through the length of it down through the center as I was filling in the dirt (no dirt in the PVC). We found it was hard to get the bottom potatoes watered but the top got tons. You need a way to get the water down to the bottom. We would spray the sides well, but most of the water would just run off the straw. I had to stick the end of the hose into the sides of the tower and that was a pain.

 

[armorfirelady]

Hey folks, this seems like the right thread to pose this controversial question.

I have 6 girls (3 pullets 3 young layers), from two different feed stores, that I've acquired in the past 6 months. I have been feeding them organic feed, tons of organic veggie scraps, and organic white feed corn. They appear very healthy! Raw ACV with the mother is in their water, as well as a sprinkle of organic cane sugar, to boost their systems.

Should I de-worm my girls? I've never thought about it, and I know nothing about worming. I live in ABQ New Mexico, so their coop is always dry, we live with 5-10% humidity at most. Would a healthy diet and living environment allow chickens to defeat or live healthy with worms? I haven't noticed anything moving in their droppings.

Any holistic tips on worms? I'm ok with using a chemical, but I wanted to ask fellow naturalists their opinions.

red pepper flakes added monthly is what I use as a preventive against worms. I have had mine since August and have never wormed them nor do I plan to. I am a firm believer in prevention. I also garlic daily to their FF as a natural immune booster as well as other fresh herbs.

Also wood ash is a natural mite & lice preventive and my girls love dust bathing in it.

 

[Bulldogma]

Hey folks, this seems like the right thread to pose this controversial question.

I have 6 girls (3 pullets 3 young layers), from two different feed stores, that I've acquired in the past 6 months. I have been feeding them organic feed, tons of organic veggie scraps, and organic white feed corn. They appear very healthy! Raw ACV with the mother is in their water, as well as a sprinkle of organic cane sugar, to boost their systems.

Should I de-worm my girls? I've never thought about it, and I know nothing about worming. I live in ABQ New Mexico, so their coop is always dry, we live with 5-10% humidity at most. Would a healthy diet and living environment allow chickens to defeat or live healthy with worms? I haven't noticed anything moving in their droppings.

Any holistic tips on worms? I'm ok with using a chemical, but I wanted to ask fellow naturalists their opinions.

Welcome! We love to see new faces around here!

As for parasites, check out This Link - there are quite a few articles about organic/natural parasite control. Come back here and ask any questions you might have!

 

[brandislee]

Okay, I have a situation new to me, and I think I know what to try but wanted to gather some feedback.

I have 5 Catdance Silkies that hatched February 9th and 10th. The smallest from the start has been the Porcelain. Pretty sure it's a pullet. One of only two I think are pullets, and the other one is the white with the crossed beak. Tonight when I got home from work, Bob said he thought there was something wrong with one of my "fluffy ones" - he said it was looking up all the time, and only with its left eye. It was fine this morning when I fed before I left for work.

I went out to check, and sure enough this chick looks like it has a wry neck. Brought it inside the house, no sign of injury, plenty strong, gave it some water with ACV from a syringe, and set it up in a crate in the bathroom (cats can't get to it there). Put some crumble in a shallow dish set up on its side and the chick was pecking at the food - didn't really eat much, but it was trying, so I keep thinking injury not illness, even though there is no sign.

Quick research shows this might be treatable with Poly Vi Sol, Vitamin E, and Selenium. I will make an early trip to town in the morning, I am embarrassed to say I have only the Vitamin E on hand right now.

I don't want the chick to suffer, but honestly it doesn't seem to be right now. If there is no chance of healing this I will humanely euthanize, as much as it will break my heart.

There is hope... I had one like that last year (like you said, dropped neck but not otherwise suffering, eating, etc). I gave it polyvisol and it was fine w/in 24 hours. BUT I partially agree with people who will say to cull. I kept her, but I marked her not to breed. I was going to cull her last fall but she got super friendly and I'm a total sucker sometimes. Anyway, I've heard (and now I can't remember if it was a credible source...) that crook neck can be due to inbreeding, or that it's hereditary... or something like that. I do know that the lady I got the chicks from had a bunch who came down with it in the same batch my chicks were from.

 

[stonykill]

Hey folks, this seems like the right thread to pose this controversial question.

I have 6 girls (3 pullets 3 young layers), from two different feed stores, that I've acquired in the past 6 months. I have been feeding them organic feed, tons of organic veggie scraps, and organic white feed corn. They appear very healthy! Raw ACV with the mother is in their water, as well as a sprinkle of organic cane sugar, to boost their systems.

Should I de-worm my girls? I've never thought about it, and I know nothing about worming. I live in ABQ New Mexico, so their coop is always dry, we live with 5-10% humidity at most. Would a healthy diet and living environment allow chickens to defeat or live healthy with worms? I haven't noticed anything moving in their droppings.

Any holistic tips on worms? I'm ok with using a chemical, but I wanted to ask fellow naturalists their opinions.

I've been raising chickens for 10 years this month. I have never once wormed my chickens. Raise them healthy. and you will never need to

 

[brandislee]

On processing- I don't use an axe either. And I tried the whole hang and slice the neck thing, and I am far too hesitant to get a deep enough clean cut. Here's what I do: I have a burlap coffee sack with a corner cut out. I put the bird in the sack with it's head sticking out and wrap the bag around them firmly- they relax much like they do when you hang them. Then I lay it in a wheelbarrow (with shavings or something to catch the blood). Then I take a pair of (really really sharp) large limb lopers, put them around the neck, look away (I know, I'm a huge wimp), and squeeze them as hard as I can. The large limb lopers make it really hard to mess up (even with your eyes shut...) and they cut the throat and break the neck instantly.

The rest I don't mind doing at all- the plucking, gutting, etc doesn't bug me at all.

 

[brandislee]

red pepper flakes added monthly is what I use as a preventive against worms. I have had mine since August and have never wormed them nor do I plan to. I am a firm believer in prevention. I also garlic daily to their FF as a natural immune booster as well as other fresh herbs.

Also wood ash is a natural mite & lice preventive and my girls love dust bathing in it.

Ditto. I've had chickens for 3 years now and have never wormed. Prevention is THE most important thing- other than healthy food and a clean (but not too clean...) environment is the key, as well as enough space. Free ranged birds are healthier for a reason- they spend less time confined to the same contaminated space, while gradually exposing them to other germs and pathogens to increase their immunity. To prevent, I do a variety of things- lots of pumpkin and squash seeds every fall into early winter (and I'm going to start saving pumpkins for them over the winter). Fermented feed itself is a preventative, I feel, because of the way it increases overall health, but also red pepper in the feed. Access to a variety of herbs that are both antimicrobial and vermifuge (kills worms) like oregano, wormwood, thyme, black walnut hull, etc so they can self medicate. And I put wood ash in their favorite dust bathing sites (that is mostly for external parasites). ACV in the water. Garlic in either the food or water. And culling- if I ever have a bird with a parasite load I can't deal with naturally, I will cull him/her. IMO culling is the most important and most often overlooked method of keeping a healthy flock... probably because 96% of us are women, and it's a lot harder for us.

I feel like worming is like antibiotics- once you use them, the birds will become more reliant on them since their bodies aren't learning to deal with the problem itself (the same reason I won't give my kids antibiotics...).

 

[Bill Matthews]

to brandislee: there is an old fashioned method to kill poultry that is supposed to be painless...hang the bird up by the feet or in a cone or other restrainer and INSERT A VERY SHARP KNIFE POINT THROUGH THE MOUTH DIRECTLY INTO THE BRAIN...this is the method illustrated in old poultry books on processing...the bird is killed instantly and without undue trauma...

 

[brandislee]

I have a question about feeding my meat birds... (25 broiler chicks and 8 turkey poults)

They're 2 weeks old (yesterday). So far I've been feeding them fermented unmedicated game bird feed with occasional cayenne pepper mixed in. I didn't want to have two different feeds to mix. Now, going on my gut and against pretty much against all advice I've ever gotten on raising turkeys (how's that for natural!) I moved the turkeys outside to the small tractor that will be their home until I process the broilers in June. They are LOVING it! And that way the broilers got the whole brooder, because they were getting way too big for their half. I've moved them outside before 2 weeks in the past, but the tractor isn't ready for them, so I'm thinking I'll wait until they're 3 weeks and don't need heat anymore.

Anyway, most of that is irrelevant to my question The broilers are BEEFY, so I'm thinking I need to switch them to broiler feed (20% protein vs the 30% protein in the game bird). So here are my choices-

• keep feeding everyone fermented game bird and have REALLY big broilers
• " " , only mix in some whole grains.
• mix game bird feed and broiler feed together, maybe adding some whole grains.
• Stop using the game bird and feed everyone fermented broiler feed.
• Maintain two different buckets- one of broiler, one of game bird feed.

Which would you do and why? Someone on the turkey forum told me that after 2 weeks you can feed them broiler feed, but I don't want to make them sick by not giving them something they need. Oh, and if it matters, all will be free ranged soon (when they're a little bigger).

Thanks!