The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Thanks. Those are good tips. Yeppers. They have tiny chick grit accessible at all times. Plus when they are 3 days old ... between tomorrow & the next day ... I am going to put a sod plug in with them as Leah's helpful article suggested. Love that idea! ~Dee~

Glad you liked the article...but I have to correct one thing.....

(Or is that "thing one"?)

I have to correct this just because the names are kind-of close. The article on the sod is by Bulldogma (who is Leigh).

Now I, Leah's Mom, am Sue, and I do write articles from time to time that get out there! (There are also articles out there by Stony and Delisha and Mumsy and a few others ) And there were several photos in the sod article that are from me (Leah's Mom).

But I wanted to be sure that the credit for the thing

goes to Leigh! We are so blessed that she takes the time to keep that thing going and indexed so that we have a great quick-reference out there so we can find things quickly.

So maybe Leigh is "Thing One" and I'm "Thing Two".....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Originally Posted by holderh

You know, I wanted to mention one more thing about the messy bottoms that might be worth thinking about.

You had mentioned that you wormed them and also had tried some meds that would be antibiotic in nature. Sometimes when strong worm meds and/or antibiotics are given, it throws the system off and can cause irritation in the digestive tract. (Of course, a wormer is DESIGNED to cause irritation in the digestive tract to make it inhospitable to worms.)

Unfortunately, they also weaken the immune system and make it more difficult for the immune system to function at peak to ward off problems.

It may just be that the continuing problems in that area are being caused by the medications. If that's the case, stopping giving internal medications can let the system rest and recover, which may be one of the best remedies you could do for those kiddos right now.

A good example of this is when folks take an antibiotic and end up with a "yeast infection". The antibiotic kills off the bacteria that makes you sick - but it also kills off the bacteria that keeps you well ("good bacteria" or "probiotics" as we often refer to them). After folks take an antibiotic it is now common practice to try to rebuild the healthy gut flora by eating items like yogurt, fermented pickles or sauerkraut, kefir, etc., that all contain the healthy bacteria we need to keep things in balance and the immune system functioning properly. We do that because when the bacteria has been "taken out", it allows other organisms - like YEASTS that are always present in our system - to proliferate and get out of balance by becoming dominant. When that happens, we end up with a yeast infection (could be the typical "female expression" of the yeast infection, oral thrush, or..if you're a chicken...vent gleet.)

So we take steps to restore the normal balance of good bacteria which keeps the "bad guys" in check. This is one of the primary building blocks of our immune system that helps ward off disease.


So - even if the problem with the messy butts is NOT vent gleet, using medications (and sometimes even "natural" worming methods in excess) can throw that system off and cause things like diarrhea - and of course the more loose stools, the less the body can absorb the vitamins and minerals that are needed to be healthy.

And so it goes on and on like a cycle, depleting the system of needed nutrients.

If they were my birds, I would stop internal medications (even "natural" worming methods) and let their digestive system have a rest. If you can get raw milk and make some yogurt or just let it sour naturally, that will add some probiotics. Or just store-bought yogurt, plain, with live active cultures. Lacto-Fermenting the feed will also help rebuild a strong immune system as it is full of Lactic Acid Bacteria (probiotics).

So...just some thoughts that I hope may be helpful.

 

[lalaland]

still no word on the necropsy from the university. Good think I don't have more sick birds, it has been 7 days since the last hen died, and 5 days since the lab has had the carcass.

I am puzzling over the interior coop trailer remodel. I would like to have a separate run/separate entrance for the 16 chicks coming, but can't really get that to happen. Failing that, would be nice if the chicks could be side by side with the current flock to make integration easier when the time comes. Seems like one of those puzzles where you try to line up all the little tiles in a sequence - just can't seem to do it! Its a 16x8 space adjoining the current 12x8 coop with a door between the two spaces.

Electrician is coming next week to bid on wiring the trailer - current wires were chewed by rats. Gonna use conduit to prevent that this time.

And, SPRING has come! bluebirds, frogs singing, tulips poking thru the dirt, a few bits of green grass coming thru the sod/snow, tree swallows! and it happened in one day! It is 3 weeks later than normal. going to be in the 40's today, hallelujah.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Lala -
I have an idea for a way to divide the 2 sides of the trailer that is pretty inexpensive and reusable. I wrote about it in this post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eeping-thread-ots-welcome/12400#post_10992451

You could put it in the doorway between the 2 sides and just roll it up and down for you to get in. As they get older and you want to begin to integrate, you could put something with grates/openings that are large enough for the kiddos to go through but too small for the adults and they could still have a refuge in their area. I got these from Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_260261-1641...e&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=black+fence&facetInfo=

You could put those in the doorway at the bottom and have the plastic net rolled up hanging above it so they don't fly over, then later remove the whole thing as you're ready to give them all full access.




cc of original post:
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I have an idea that I would use if I didn't have a place separated by a door. I was going to purchase the plastic poultry netting

http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...-plastic-poultry-netting/p-1750924-c-5772.htm

and tack it to the roof of the hen house and let it hang down like a curtain to divide off an area. This could be stapled on one wall and if it's not wide enough, 2 or more pieces could be hung vertically side x side and zip tied. You could put a brick or some other weight on it at the floor that would keep the others from getting in.

For you to get in, you just lift it up and walk under. When you're just starting to integrate them, you could roll it up or down depending on if you want to have the separated or integrated until you want to remove it altogether.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I liked that idea so much that I posted it twice somehow

 

[stonykill]

And, SPRING has come! bluebirds, frogs singing, tulips poking thru the dirt, a few bits of green grass coming thru the sod/snow, tree swallows! and it happened in one day! It is 3 weeks later than normal. going to be in the 40's today, hallelujah.

frogs? Yup been frogs out here a few weeks. A few became tasty meals

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: How funny.

I just keep thinking of the scene in the original Charlotte's Web with the rat and the egg. Thankfully I have not smelled a rotten egg before. I hope to keep it that way.

 

[smccuen]

Saw the link to how to kill and process a chicken using slipknot tied in a tree.................much prefer to see it done this "respectful" way......

Of course, my grandfather and great greatparents reportedly just grabbed ahold of them, wrung the necks and then chopped off the heads. When I begin to "harvest" chickens, though, I think I'll follow Alexia Allen's method.

 

[holderh]

Well "righty" seems to be doing ok for now. I have cleaned her up agian and I didn't see any maggots on her ..she was more vocal too about not wanting to be picked up....will give it a few more days but she does seem more alert.

Ok you asked for it.....heres a picture of one if the other hens with the nasty butt problem...

.I havent even had my coffee yet lol .....just to recap i wormed them a couple of month's ago.. but I havent given meds to them. For about everyday for a week I wiped them up and put a topical spray that is simalar to nustock, I also gave ff and yogurt for a couple of weeks......I've been waiting for warmer weather to start fermenting feed agian. Not all the girls look like this some still have feathers around the vent and some have no issue at all. I have ordered Nustock . How often should I put it on them. How often should i feed yogurt? They were beautiful last yr .some look really worn now....theyare on pasture most of the day and in a large run the afternoon only cooped in while they sleep, all of their needs are met so i don't know why they look so rough..

[/IMG] this is how she looked last year

 

[Pozees]

frogs? Yup been frogs out here a few weeks. A few became tasty meals

Stony, I've been wondering about your Sumatras. Somewhere I think you wrote that 99.9% of what we read about them isn't true. They are not a well known breed, and I wonder how you discovered them, and whether you believe your management contributes to the difference in your experience of them versus that of others.