The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Good night, All!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Also thought you guys would appreciate this one I came across today...

Wow girl you look sooooooo young. I thought it was going to say my daughter and Henery!
This chicken photo sounds like my girls!! They were mad they didn't get out today. And the day was gorgeous. It was just a busy day away for me and when I was home I needed to sleep. Bear visited last night... but the trash can I couldn't get into the car to go to dump tomorrow sufficed it... had to clean all that up from yard as didn't want girls finding anything and kept them pinned up for their own safety. Praying the coop is enough if it visits tonight... and it goes on to neighbors triangling the the field. Might be all the half up half down hardware cloth fencing lain out to see if I have enough for a yard pen when I can't be out deterred it. Pray for my babies.

Good night, All!

I love this. I have been a bit depressed lately and needed this laugh. Thanks!

 

[jlynnet]

Lala, I will try to get pics tomorrow.

 

[delisha]

Quote:

Good video - thanks!

Del - have you ever removed all the litter from the run like they are showing (the run, I mean, not the hen house)?

So far I've been very fortunate that we haven't gotten any lice or mites but I see a lot more wild birds hanging around this year than I did last year.

I like the idea of PREVENTION if possible so I still use the herbs in the nest boxes as a preventive. I also just purchased some essential oils: orange, lavendar and peppermint. I put some in the crevices where the roosts attach to the edges (where little critters would hide). I just used droppers when I did it. I didn't use the eucalyptus but I think I could add it!

You have to know that THIS MIX SMELLS WONDERFUL!

So I'm trying to figure out a good way to mix a concoction of the oils that I would spray like that in edges of the roosts and edges of the nest boxes on occasion. I noticed that in the video they mixed their oils in water, but I was thinking that having a oil base would be better as far as "suffocating" any eggs/bugs so I'm looking for a oil base of some kind to mix these into. Maybe sweet almond? Olive?

Any suggestions on what you'd use as a carrier oil?

Got a bottle that is supposed to spray oils http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=84567

I would think evoo would work well.
I have grass in all of my runs but one. The only time I use my runs is when a ducks first has chicks. That run has DL for the first time. I am just trying it. The grass was starting to dry out so I thought the DL would change the condition.

Quote: ooops..yup..I was responding to the blood sensitive person.

 

[FarmerJH]

I have a bit of a concern about a couple of chicks I got about 3 weeks ago. They sneeze a couple times a day, but other than that, they don't show any signs of possible illness - eat normally, normal poop - a little watery, but not excessively so, lots of energy. They were somewhere between a day and a week old when I got them and the sneezing has neither increased or decreased in frequency. My concern is integrating them with the rest of the flock since I don't want to introduce any respiratory diseases if that's what the sneezing is. Any thoughts the matter would be appreciated.

Thanks! J

 

[BlueMouse]

It's just crazy some of the shenanigans that go on with the chickens! Reminds me of a bunch of Jr. High kids (or the ladies that work too close together in an office

)

How are your kiddos doing with the new cup waterers? Are they learning to use them okay?

so far they are confused and slightly suspicious, they still have acess to their outside waterer, so they're not going to dehydrate if they don't figure it out for a bit. I'll watch them tomorow and see if they've progressed from confused and suspicious to curious and pecking.... lol... I'll have to keep seperate water for the little people for a while too, I don't think they're tall enough to reach yet.

 

[delisha]

I have a bit of a concern about a couple of chicks I got about 3 weeks ago. They sneeze a couple times a day, but other than that, they don't show any signs of possible illness - eat normally, normal poop - a little watery, but not excessively so, lots of energy. They were somewhere between a day and a week old when I got them and the sneezing has neither increased or decreased in frequency. My concern is integrating them with the rest of the flock since I don't want to introduce any respiratory diseases if that's what the sneezing is. Any thoughts the matter would be appreciated.

Thanks! J

Most likely it is dust..however to be safe..put one of your birds in with them for a few weeks first.(choose a non aggressive one) If your bird starts sneezing in a few weeks...umm..you will need to think about what to do at that time. I am sure every thing will be fine..but always do safe measures first.

 

[delisha]

bluebird..sorry you have not been feeling well..

henry is looking so good..and growing so fast

 

[bgallentine]

Here's the right one

http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/support-files/natural-remedies-for-chicken-diseases.pdf

Excellent resource/ tool jendodd THX

 

[armorfirelady]

OH - and AFL has great photos of her outdoor deep litter showing worms in winter!  AFL...can you post those again? 

Yup sure can.......

This is at the end of December when temps were in the teens with wind chills in the single digits. The earth under here smells wonderful and breaks down beautifully. I filled garbage bags with leaves & grass trimmings last fall and spread them out in the coop & run all winter

or take....they seem to like it...nobody has ever fallen off.  I thought I would try the shavings because of otheres say you can stir them up and use them for deep litter and that it had good benefits for your chickens.  I just wonder if you can achieve the same thing with hay instead of the shavings...the first year we had chickens i just kept adding hay to the coop and didnt clean it out for a year.  The second year i do the same but I have cleaned it more often...As far as the neem oil i could coat the inside of the coop with it couldnt I to keep mites/lice away.  I wonder how often  I would need to do that...

I've used both hay & straw in my DL. In my new hoop coop it's all straw/hay (I don't know which it is) and I've added some shavings as well. As soon as I can get some grass cut it will go in there as well. Oh and the girls spread peat moss & wood ashes in there when they dust bathe. The hay/straw doesn't break down as fast but its what I had to use

(Sorry for delay in answering we spent the day in NYC )