The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TurtlePowerTrav]

MMMM, the meaties were nummers. Next time gonna try soaking the apple honey glaze for 24hrs

 

[stonykill]

Except - I may want to have my husband make me a wooden trough to feed from.

Stony - if you were going to make a wooden feed-trough, what wood would you use? I'm thinking a hard wood like maple or oak? Or...what?

Do you know what they make the old wooden dough troughs from?

without too much thought I think I would use either hemlock ( the tree not the poison plant from Shakesphere) or white oak. Both are naturally rot resistant. Wine barrels are made of oak.

The only old wooden dough troughs I have ever seen, very few at that, were made of old growth pine. The kind we just don't have anymore.

 

[aoxa]

GREAT! I'm going to try one! Do the birds sit on top of it or try to perch on the edges at all?

That's when my kiddos tip EVERYTHING over...they grab the edge of every type of feeder I've ever used with their feet. When I've used troughs, I have to put them between bricks so they can't get on the edges!

The gate above is too large for chicks to not get in the feed. That would be an issue. The feeder is just too big to use for chicks alone.. Now if you don't care about them stepping in the feed, they don't seem likely to perch on it like they would those red plastic ones.

Let me try it for chicks and I'll give you another review, how's that I have 30 meaties and 40 layers coming end of June. Am I in over my head? Maybe... lol

Rod is starting the barn tomorrow!!!!!! YAY!!!

 

[FarmerMama7]

Hi! We're new to this whole chicken thing but want to keep it as natural as possible. We are raising chickens for eggs and for meat, and currently we purchase organic and/or free range eggs and meat, and we want to duplicate that with our own chickens.

I tried finding the answer but after reading a few pages I didn't see it...how much apple cider vinegar do you add to the water? I read somewhere else that putting garlic cloves in the water is a similar thing, does anyone do that?

 

[flagirl]

You're right, stony. I HATE PLASTIC. But I love the 1 gallon bucket.

I think one of these days I'm going to buy a stainless steel milking bucket. I keep looking at them and then don't get one because they're so expensive. Then I go back and look again....

Guess I'd get a lot of use out of it and should just bite the bullet.

I bit the bullet and purchased a metal watering can 7 years ago and now can easily water thru the bottom-lots of little holes. could be my well water!! It could also be everything rusts in florida

 

[Leahs Mom]

Let me try it for chicks and I'll give you another review, how's that I have 30 meaties and 40 layers coming end of June. Am I in over my head? Maybe... lol

Rod is starting the barn tomorrow!!!!!! YAY!!!

for the barn!!!!

I was talking about the ADULTS standing on the edges and tipping it over! My crazy birds still want to grip the edges of bowls.

 

[Leahs Mom]

On the hemlock - where would you be able to find that? And on the oak, that's exactly what I was thinking - the old oaken bucket, the wine casks, the pickle barrels...weren't they all made of oak? Did they use pitch of some sort to seal the insides?

 

[stonykill]

On the hemlock - where would you be able to find that? And on the oak, that's exactly what I was thinking - the old oaken bucket, the wine casks, the pickle barrels...weren't they all made of oak? Did they use pitch of some sort to seal the insides?

I get hemlock at a local mill 5 miles from my house

it is common horse fence material around here. Most likely you are only going to get it at a saw mill or a real lumber yard. Never find it at the Depot/Lowes types of places.

 

[countrygirl74]

Hi! We're new to this whole chicken thing but want to keep it as natural as possible. We are raising chickens for eggs and for meat, and currently we purchase organic and/or free range eggs and meat, and we want to duplicate that with our own chickens.

I tried finding the answer but after reading a few pages I didn't see it...how much apple cider vinegar do you add to the water? I read somewhere else that putting garlic cloves in the water is a similar thing, does anyone do that?

Welcome! I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. With chicks, it's 1 teaspoon to those quart waterers. You will notice a big difference in your eggs than even the purchased organic! Have fun!

for the barn!!!!

I was talking about the ADULTS standing on the edges and tipping it over! My crazy birds still want to grip the edges of bowls.

x2 on the barn! I am curious to hear about the feeders as well. I also have a couple adults that like to perch on the edge of my big ceramic bowls. If it's pretty full, it can usually hold some weight, but as soon as it starts emptying, it gets tipped.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

I have a question. I have 2 hens that have hatched chicks. They brooded side by side, and are both in a coop by theirselves. I am going to try and intergrate them with the others within a week or so. I would like them to be raised together, and the hens not have to go through being intergrated back into the flock weeks from now. My question is feeding the chicks. How do you keep chick feed out without the others eating it, or having them find it? I understand they shouldn't be eating the layer grade, due to the calcium.

I don't really think I am going to have too much problem with the intergration. One of the momma's is a big Blue Cochin, and is a bit anti social anyway, and has the brass to keep all others at bay. She doesn't pick on others, but she doesn't let them pick on her either. The other hen, is a Buff Orp. She isn't very high on the pecking order. She hope she surprises me with chicks involved. I have them in a pen where one side completely opens, and it also has a pop door. I will keep everything closed, except the pop door, so the momma's have a chance to teach the others to back off. I hope they can teach 25 other girls that valuable lesson!

Kacey