The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Mrs.SB-- I used to work with a "Mrs.SB"... You aren't Krista irl are you? Oh my, wouldn't that be a riot!

Came here this eve looking for advice. Just taking a poll of sorts while I figure out what in the world I'm a gonna do with my icky stinky open roofed dirt floor pen. Today I mucked out what felt like the weight of a smaller Chevy car off the floor of my pen. Straight to the garden it all went, but my pen is still a tad bit soggy, 80'F and light breeze was a Godsend, so appreciated and at last check did look better... But odor and flies are still there. I've had a series of unfortunate events here, not able to upgrade to the landscape fabric and pea gravel just yet... But when I do, I want it to be "right." As in, I don't want to dump rocks overtop of icky dirt. So what would all of you do if it were yours? Oh yes, I scattered DE liberally after all that. I was reading about lime, but from what I gathered, the stuff that seemed like it would really fix my issue requires that I keep the flock off for ~30days-- Not an option right now. ML recommended a product sold as TSC that sounds like a "barn lime" and is totally safe to use around animals. And bonus! It's supposed to be cheap. So please tell me what to do next. Oh, I have right now 11 adult ducks basically there full time, except for free range during daylight (12'x24' pen that also contains house) and 5 ducklings + 1 mom inside, just waiting to come outside. Thanks everybody, Holly

 

[stonykill]

stony, lucky you!

6 more Sumatra's sitting, a BO sitting and a Runner duck sitting. Broody season is officially here

 

[stonykill]

I don't use anything in my litter. I've never felt the need. If you do choose to use lime, be sure it's the right kind! Some kinds are caustic and, if I remember correctly, the hydrated lime is the caustic kind.

all I have ever done is once in a while when I top it off I add a little wood ash as they always dust bathe in the fresh topped off litter

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Oh ya, I read that wood ash can help! I was going to clean out the old bonfire pit but I ran out of time. Tomorrow I guess! Thank for the tip Stonykill.

 

[mg15]

Hi,
I am in Nebraska and since corporate chemical companies dictate what is planted and used, there is no organic or non GMO feed available.
I have to order it from Azure Standard. They sell Rogue and Blue Sky and Scratch and Peck.

 

[camilleathome]

it's funny because it's true....

Holy and are they EVER messy! I had to start using towells for their bedding as newspaper just doesent absorb enough and I cant get access to puppy pads XD. And they are petrified of me completely also. Their adorable and I love them but wish they would stop running like maniacs as soon as I even pear at them

 

[brandislee]

Mama and her lil ones a few minutes ago. I counted 7. No idea if any were hiding under her.

I love babies with broodies! It's my favorite thing- I have a hen sitting on 6 EE/Buckeye cross eggs right now, I can't wait until they hatch!

welcome Jime!

I have always wanted to make an outdoor bread/pizza oven too -like that idea of making sort of an oven out of mud, maybe could use bricks - and have it hold the heat. Thank you!

What is the white under your roosts in the picture? paper?

Me too! It's been on my summer to do list for about two years, but I always put it off.

 

[aoxa]

TURKEYS! Yep! They finally arrived today. Six Blue Slate two day old cuties. I have them on a wee pad in the tub brooder in the house to keep an eye on them. Bought a 50 lb. bag of organic turkey starter to ferment for them. Cost as much as the poults themselves. *Yikes!* They are funny little things. I put glass marbles in the water dish. That got them started drinking right away. Put their starter on the pad to let them peck at something. That worked well so next step was offering them a bit of wet mash. They are eating that with gusto.



Orange dot on their head was put on at the hatchery. It threw me for a minute. Hah!

The weather here is awesome. Perfect in fact. Blue skies, 70 degrees, and no wind. Loving it.

I dug up a spot in the orchard for a dust bowl for the chicks. Added wood ash and a bit of peat moss to the dirt. All the chicks ignored it until I lined it in broken bricks and made it look like I was going to plant flowers in it. Sure enough. That made it irresistible and they all piled in. Double Hah!



All sixty chickens and chicks are free ranging in the yards and it is a glorious thing to see.

I love reading your updates Mumsy!!

Holy and are they EVER messy! I had to start using towells for their bedding as newspaper just doesent absorb enough and I cant get access to puppy pads XD. And they are petrified of me completely also. Their adorable and I love them but wish they would stop running like maniacs as soon as I even pear at them

It's probably my fault. I never handled them at all. I handled Jason's oldest duck and it thought I was it's mama. It would crawl up on my shoulder and nap in my hair. If it wasn't so messy, I would have kept it!

I warned you! Imagine if you had twice that many. :S

 

[Child of Noah]

Holy and are they EVER messy! I had to start using towells for their bedding as newspaper just doesent absorb enough and I cant get access to puppy pads XD. And they are petrified of me completely also. Their adorable and I love them but wish they would stop running like maniacs as soon as I even pear at them

It seems they go through a phase when they are young of being terrified of people. I have read so many "

my ducklings hate me!" threads here. Mine are two weeks old, and it is warmer out, so they go to the outside playpen all day. Their cuteness factor has increased exponentially since the amount I have to clean after them has decreased so much. I have invented a game called "Bugs!" with them that helps them "want" to come around me. I got some dried mealworms/crickets/grasshoppers (reptile treats) and first I tossed a lid of them into their baby wadey and said "bugs!" ... they were gone in a second. Then I would do "who wants One Bug?" I would hold out one bug and a duck would have to be brave enough to come over and take it from me. Two of them have gotten to a really high level on this game, and even play the Boss Level (my husband). Those two now come by us when we go out, we've only been doing it for two days so it should work with the others soon enough.

 

[delisha]

Mumsy....I so enjoy seeing you on here..your pictures and stories are so wonderful..I love your new additions.

I have been lurking in here for a while and because of language barrier I don't post often.I finally catch with you guys you move pretty fast.
I want to comment in some things that have work for me or not .
I have 4 of those hydrants they are 4 foot plus below work really good, the only time i have a problem is when I leave the hose connected then the end of the faucet freezes and I just use a air blower to melt the ice.This year I still have to change the water lots of time but was because i have ducks as well and they were getting the water dirty, so my project for spring summer is cups or those nipple drips.
In my country specially the town where I grew up are lots of native people those that keep living out of trades chickens for rise and things like that , well my father been a dairy farmer need employes (over there is normal )so they will leave around the farm and you get to see how simple and efficient those people are.They have this way of heating water or anything that I think is pretty simple and easy obviously I could not make it here because I live kind of in the city and Colorado last year was big for fires so is a NONO, but this idea must work for some.
Is like a mud oven for bread or pizza (I have to get me one of those I miss fresh make bread in a dirt oven)my nanny makes bread and she call it her microwave because she can warm anything with that oven even after 24 hours.Ok back to the point this will be like a little scare in mud block the inside of the square is 1sq ' then you get your self some metal roof or pieces of those metal roof things to cover the top of the square,and that is it.The way it works you put wood inside in the morning and make it get to col then then you cover this and you put your water container on top or by the side depending what you have. The bricks will keep the heat al the way to the next day.People there use this for their animals to keep them warm.
There is a hospital museum in the town and the are for patients have this squares next to the beds (witch are make of mud breaks as well)and have little holes in one of the walls it is say that they use them for light and warmth once the wood turn into cool it was time to sleep.

About DL is more referring to the coops that smell bad mine was doing the same, mine has not dirt floor is wood floor I decided to go with Wood pellets and pdz so far is working great I have not add any of the two in like 4 months and I have not smell.I put the wood pellets as it is not with water so the pee and wet poop will transform them so far I still have plenty of pellets I turn this once a week and with a litter stop I take the big pieces of poop.Works great , I will take a pic tomorrow since today is snowing here.
Ok I hope this helps somebody and will be nice if somebody can try those wood warmers or I don't know how they will be call.

Nice clean set up..I do not see any poop at all..you have special chickens. I used to live in CO too. Beautiful State.

Quote: It has to be the AG lime. I use lime, but as a wash on the walls as a white wash to deter mites and spiders. Yes it will also rot your wood walls eventually. I try to keep it pulled away from all outside walls. My windows are 12 inches off the floor so that helps with control too.

Mrs.SB-- I used to work with a "Mrs.SB"... You aren't Krista irl are you? Oh my, wouldn't that be a riot!

Came here this eve looking for advice. Just taking a poll of sorts while I figure out what in the world I'm a gonna do with my icky stinky open roofed dirt floor pen. Today I mucked out what felt like the weight of a smaller Chevy car off the floor of my pen. Straight to the garden it all went, but my pen is still a tad bit soggy, 80'F and light breeze was a Godsend, so appreciated and at last check did look better... But odor and flies are still there.

I've had a series of unfortunate events here, not able to upgrade to the landscape fabric and pea gravel just yet... But when I do, I want it to be "right." As in, I don't want to dump rocks overtop of icky dirt. So what would all of you do if it were yours? Oh yes, I scattered DE liberally after all that. I was reading about lime, but from what I gathered, the stuff that seemed like it would really fix my issue requires that I keep the flock off for ~30days-- Not an option right now. ML recommended a product sold as TSC that sounds like a "barn lime" and is totally safe to use around animals. And bonus! It's supposed to be cheap. So please tell me what to do next. Oh, I have right now 11 adult ducks basically there full time, except for free range during daylight (12'x24' pen that also contains house) and 5 ducklings + 1 mom inside, just waiting to come outside. Thanks everybody, Holly

Ducks are a little different and they are messy. Keep the water out of the building. I never water my ducks inside. I have an attached run for my ducks and they can safely go out and get a drink at any time of night. They never do but it is there if they need it.

Hi,
I am in Nebraska and since corporate chemical companies dictate what is planted and used, there is no organic or non GMO feed available.
I have to order it from Azure Standard. They sell Rogue and Blue Sky and Scratch and Peck.

hi MG