The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jlynnet]

Stony, good job! I'm all about protecting my flock and property.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Delisha feeds hers in a base like you're talking about - but hers in one of the glass ones. Same size/idea though. There are photos somewhere here on the thread.


Quote: Toastnjelly

 

[Leahs Mom]

Red ridge- I only feed once a day but of course I only have 4 hens lol During the winter I feed in the morning & warmer months I feed at night to encourage them to search for their own food. I feed enough so that there is some left over for the next day. I wanted to make sure they go to bed with full crops

I do mine quite like yours. I don't mind there being leftover ff in the feeders, so I put enough in that there is some left in the morning when they get up. If they don't use it all in the morning, I leave it in the pans until they do.

I don't pick up feed pans after a certain amount of time, etc. So, in essence, I guess I'm "free-feeding" the ff...but if they finish it all early in the day - during the warm months - I don't re-fill until about 1/2 hour before bed time.

 

[Leahs Mom]

OH... T&J...
I know there are several folks here that do ferment the chick starter. I hope they'll chime in and let you know how it's working for them!

 

[austinclarksf]

Hey folks-

Last week, I bought 3 healthy young laying hens to introduce to my flock, that were previously being used for breeding. Obviously, their butts are picked clean. The feathers are appearing to have some growth, but one of my spanish hens in particular can't seem to stop pecking. The pecking order stuff was sorted out in a day or two, but now when one of the new girls is taking a nap or hanging around, and my spanish hen happens to wander by, she'll take a few bites out of their butts! Then, she kind of follows them in an attempt to get a few more bites.

They have access to 18% protein organic feed, tons of fresh vegetables, food scraps, and I throw them some mealworms sometimes. They even have a screened raised bed of grass to eat. If it's a protein issue- why are my other 6 chickens uninterested? My run is 20x25 feet with 9 chickens- so it's not a space issue.

I know of a few conventional products that are advertised to stop pecking. I was wondering if anyone had any home remedies, holistic alternatives, etc? Anything that might help the feathers regrow while deterring my hungry spanish hen?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:

Do you use chick starter only and doesn't it just mush up? I've been feeding FF to older hens and using grain based layer feed which remains nice and grainy. I'm expecting a hatch on Wed. and started the chick FF but I find it so mushy, maybe I need to make it really thick?

Also I'd like to use the bottom of the feeder (on the right). Do you think if I fill it to the top and maybe block the middle section so that they don't poop in it, that it would work?

As far as "starter" - I grind and mix all my own rations so I have never fermented store bought pellets.
I can tell you that I drain most all the liquid out of mine, then add my premix, then end up adding a tad bit of the ferment water to be able to more easily mix the fermented grains with the premix. I drain all the water first to enable me to weigh the fermented grains.
The larger groups of chicks I am currently feeding in the long red chick feeders but just using the bottom.
Yes they stand in in... I tend to "stir it up again" whenever I conveniently walk by the brooder again in the few hours.
Here is a shot I took yesterday after it got packed down a little from them walking in it - cute little stinkers.
I just didn't want to fool with the "lids with the holes" when they were this young. I used the lids when I fed dry so they didn't scratch in it, but that's a problem with the FF





Of the two feeders you have pictured above, I am currently using the bottom of the one on the "left" for FF for a small group.
Yes... it's meant for water, but I don't have to worry about them crawling in and out of the holes if the lid isn't on.
I just put the FF around the edge...

Chicks are adorable, even on the feeder Great idea with the waterer, I will try it. Thanks

 

[Toast n Jelly]

OH... T&J...
I know there are several folks here that do ferment the chick starter. I hope they'll chime in and let you know how it's working for them!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Hey folks-

Last week, I bought 3 healthy young laying hens to introduce to my flock, that were previously being used for breeding. Obviously, their butts are picked clean. The feathers are appearing to have some growth, but one of my spanish hens in particular can't seem to stop pecking. The pecking order stuff was sorted out in a day or two, but now when one of the new girls is taking a nap or hanging around, and my spanish hen happens to wander by, she'll take a few bites out of their butts! Then, she kind of follows them in an attempt to get a few more bites.

They have access to 18% protein organic feed, tons of fresh vegetables, food scraps, and I throw them some mealworms sometimes. They even have a screened raised bed of grass to eat. If it's a protein issue- why are my other 6 chickens uninterested? My run is 20x25 feet with 9 chickens- so it's not a space issue.

I know of a few conventional products that are advertised to stop pecking. I was wondering if anyone had any home remedies, holistic alternatives, etc? Anything that might help the feathers regrow while deterring my hungry spanish hen?

I would spray blu-cote on her bum and see how Miss Hungry Spanish Hen likes the taste.

 

[aoxa]

I would spray blu-cote on her bum and see how Miss Hungry Spanish Hen likes the taste.

Yeah put something nasty on there. I think NuStock would work just as well.

I had a broody do this.. not to bums exactly, but she'd flog whoever came near and feed the feathers to her babies.. it was odd.

 

[delisha]

Integration..



My situation is different than most. I usually have broody's raising chicks so the flock is used to seeing chicks running around. I do not confine in a sense that most do.

Yes I brood chicks in a brooder.





When it is time to go out doors..they go with the big birds

They can get out of the building and they can get out of the fencing, but larger birds can't get in.

Than they graduate to another building when the next group comes.

They have access to the whole yard, yet can't free range yet. You have to be a laying adult and have the mental capacity to avoid preds.


The doors are kept open and all ages co-mingle all day long. I have about 20 food stations and 4 watering stations. My chicken yard looks horrible and messy, but it works for me. The adults are gone for most of the day eating out in the pastures, and the only ones inside the fencing are juvies and baby's. They all run threw the 1/4 acre 7 foot fenced in yard. I have 3 smaller fenced in side area's just in case I need to confine. We are presently working on two more. Next year I will have to confine more breeds to collect eggs and ship chicks. I added BCM to the Cuckoo. I also added the two varietys of Wyandotties.