The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Those keets are so cute!!!!

Mummy, could you show me what you use to hold down your plastic on your hoop houses? I tried it this winter with pvc "holders" my husband bought, but the wind still blew the plastic off. I want to get a jump on the tomatoes and peppers and do more gardening in the winter. The chickweed did very well under it so I am hoping I can do one just for the chickens next winter.

I have a friend who has chickens also. For the last week she has had one hen in the house because the comb was pale and it was very lethargic. She did say that it wasn't pooping very much, and tried a warm bath, which she pooped well afterwards, but not so much later on. Anyway, the hen's comb got little brighter, but it isnt well and they cant cull it and don't want to spend the money at the vets. I get upset every time I think about this poor bird suffering so my question is should I offer to help her cull it? I have never done it before. I hate killing anything, except bad bugs that don't like to share, but I can't stand to see an animal suffer.

Thanks
Christine

I have a relative that is like that. She works for a family that has chickens and they had an old rooster that was in decline - really just from old age. The owner was going to get rid of it and she couldn't bear to think of it so she kept asking me if I wanted it!

I told her I would "take care of it" if she decided it was time for him to go. (I had never done that before but would have...it was before we had our "processing lesson".)

That girl kept that rooster - IN HER CAR! Anywhere she went, he went. He couldn't get up and walk....

I mentioned several times I'd do it so he wouldn't be suffering. All she could say was she didn't think he was suffering. She waited for him to die on his own.


So....you can lead a horse to water but....


(All that to say - I WOULD offer but don't expect them to take you up on it!

 

[stonykill]

First, I don't want to start an argument, o just want to share a little info relating to this. Many people have injured themselves without knowing they did so. There are medical stories about individuals that have bashed the back of their head open, not know the extent of the damage until they felt the back of their head with their hand. I myself have sliced myself up pretty good without knowing it. The brain registers pain and pleasure through electrical impulses sent via the nerves. It has an amazing self-preservation ability to block these messages. I can completely understand how a very sharp knife plunged through the base of the skull would be quick and painless. If done right, the brain shouldnt register the pain. Just my. 02. I've always thought it interesting the way the brain works. Just thought id share invade someone didn't know.

absolutely, shouldn't if done correctly. The last 4 words of whatI said most important.

Like a few of us said. Just kill your birds in the way that makes you feel best about it. There isn't a right or wrong way. And honestly none of us are chickens so we don't know what they feel or think.

I have shot deer through the head with a .308 and believe me, they still felt even with a 3 inch hole in the out side of their head. I could NOT RUN TO THEM FAST ENOUGH to put them down and out.

 

[Shan30]

We always pithed our meat birds when I was younger and it was very quick.

Grandma, Grandpa, mom, dad, me and my brother could do an average of 60 in a day a couple times a year.

I would think this would be a difficult method to bungle and will probably ask dad to come over and give us lessons when we do ours.
If I don't feel that it's the most effective I'll try something else. Once I stop crying of course.

 

[bbsnooks]

Hello I'm back with a Health ? and safety ? for the 2 week old chicks (21 chicks)
I would probably not have known.. to be careful.. if not for the conversations here.. thanks for that.


I have a respiratory problem. with My 2 older Roosters. One has had it for a while.. and i didnt know what it was.
now 3 days ago.. i saw the other shaking his head... and that started me looking..

I'm reading on the NCK blog.. about wheezing now.. and i have administered VetRx.. to the older birds. for 2 days now.
and i wanted to post here.. too.

I've been washing hands.. and changing cloths if i handle the Older birds. before i feed & handle the younger chicks.

- and i had .. a new chick mom pannic over one of the chicks breathing.. what i thouht was hard.. last night..
<i separated s/he for a while and then decided s/he was alright> she was so... up set.. if it was a problem.. i fear i didnt do the right thing.
and this morning they all look fine. none look to be feeling bad.

My ???? I was wanting to take them out side for .. a while.. on good days.. now..
how do i consider.. where the older < free ranging > birds have been.. The older one has had this for over a month.

Comments on .. Older bird Treatment.. and Safety for younger birds..

 

[DeesHens]

Hey Everyone.

I have been reading in here trying to catch up but can't seem to ever get done before another hundred posts show up.

Very interesting reading and you seem like a very nice engaging group I must say.

I have some questions for you. I picked up my new chicks today and they absolutely refuse to eat FF. They tried a little, shook their heads to get it off their little beaks like it was vile and then refused to eat it. I gave them some dry chick starter and they ate it like they were starving. So what is the deal?

Even my 3 year old hen prefers dry layer mash to FF. She reacts the same way as the chicks did. I have been giving FF to my hen for a couple of months but now she won't eat much of it and I don't want her to lose weight as she is already skinny. I did feed some of the cheese type layer off the LAB I made and she went for it just fine. The first time she was more interested than the following times just like the FF.

Do these birds know something? Are they saying enough already I have other needs? OR are they just picky?

On that note, also my hen picks all the soft wheat and what she wants out of the layer mash and leaves most of the rest so she is not getting the benefit of the entire layer mixture. Actually her comb looks rather dry so she may be lacking omega 3 I would guess. Her eggs are wonderful though. I do give her raw organic sunflower seeds daily but it hasn't helped. Don't know what to think about it. Any tips would be much appreciated. TIA for your input.

~Dee~

 

[aoxa]

That is a good question and something I had not considered.

Guineas are loud from day one and they only get louder - LOL. Luckily, they are also quite tasty! As long as you know all their basic needs are met, don't worry about the noise. They're quieter when they're asleep...


I just put mine in the garbage.

I put mine in the garbage as well.

 

[aoxa]

Hey Everyone.

I have been reading in here trying to catch up but can't seem to ever get done before another hundred posts show up.

Very interesting reading and you seem like a very nice engaging group I must say.

I have some questions for you. I picked up my new chicks today and they absolutely refuse to eat FF. They tried a little, shook their heads to get it off their little beaks like it was vile and then refused to eat it. I gave them some dry chick starter and they ate it like they were starving. So what is the deal?

Even my 3 year old hen prefers dry layer mash to FF. She reacts the same way as the chicks did. I have been giving FF to my hen for a couple of months but now she won't eat much of it and I don't want her to lose weight as she is already skinny. I did feed some of the cheese type layer off the LAB I made and she went for it just fine. The first time she was more interested than the following times just like the FF.

Do these birds know something? Are they saying enough already I have other needs? OR are they just picky?

On that note, also my hen picks all the soft wheat and what she wants out of the layer mash and leaves most of the rest so she is not getting the benefit of the entire layer mixture. Actually her comb looks rather dry so she may be lacking omega 3 I would guess. Her eggs are wonderful though. I do give her raw organic sunflower seeds daily but it hasn't helped. Don't know what to think about it. Any tips would be much appreciated. TIA for your input.

~Dee~

Maybe you are adding too much ACV?

I have never met a chicken that didn't like FF. I do not feed it at this moment - but will soon again.

I haven't touched my bucket in the basement for MONTHS> There was a little bit left, and I bet it's got a lot of weird stuff growing in it, and it frightens me LOL

Anyway.. Add more dry food to the batch of FF to balance out the over abundance of ACV, which is what I am assuming is the issue.

 

[DeesHens]

Thanks. I will certainly try your suggestion to see if it will remedy the situation. I really want them all to consume FF on a regular basis.
Your old FF sounds scary to me as well. Is it time to start from scratch? lol ~Dee~

 

[FarmerJH]

My friend put her two Wheaten Terriers on a raw food diet. They both started out with issues, one with chronic ear infections, the other with bad breath and anxiety. A year has gone by on the raw diet and both dogs have no more issues. Even the anxiety! And the cataracts has cleared up. Makes you really think. It would be too expensive for my big dog, but seriously consider it for my trouble kitty!

I realize this was 40 pages ago, but only 4 days (you guys write WAYYYY faster than I read) but I put my dog on a raw diet in early December and his watery/itchy/red eyes cleared up as well as his itchy coat and general dog stink and lethargy. Your comment about the cataracts is exciting, he has a cataract in one eye that he developed around a year old, if it was diet induced, hopefully it will also be diet RE-duced. I've done a ton of research on feeding homemade and cooked versus raw and nutrition of each so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help if you're considering the change.

 

[Sally8]

What is the best way to dispose of the eggs that don't hatch. we buried ours this time. I was just wondering if that was the best thing to do.

I toss my eggs also, there are so many other things that really require your attention raising chickens, don't let the eggs take up that time. It's easy to do.

Hello I'm back with a Health ? and safety ? for the 2 week old chicks (21 chicks)
I would probably not have known.. to be careful.. if not for the conversations here.. thanks for that.


I have a respiratory problem. with My 2 older Roosters. One has had it for a while.. and i didnt know what it was.
now 3 days ago.. i saw the other shaking his head... and that started me looking..

I'm reading on the NCK blog.. about wheezing now.. and i have administered VetRx.. to the older birds. for 2 days now.
and i wanted to post here.. too.

I've been washing hands.. and changing cloths if i handle the Older birds. before i feed & handle the younger chicks.

- and i had .. a new chick mom pannic over one of the chicks breathing.. what i thouht was hard.. last night..
<i separated s/he for a while and then decided s/he was alright> she was so... up set.. if it was a problem.. i fear i didnt do the right thing.
and this morning they all look fine. none look to be feeling bad.

My ???? I was wanting to take them out side for .. a while.. on good days.. now..
how do i consider.. where the older < free ranging > birds have been.. The older one has had this for over a month.

Comments on .. Older bird Treatment.. and Safety for younger birds..

I would get them outside. Fresh air is good for everyone. Sorry, I don't have any experience on antibiotics.