The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Child of Noah]

Oh, and look what my sweet husband bought me for our 13th anniversary!

I've been fawning over it anytime we go to the local Antique mall...isn't it beautiful!

New brooder?

 

[Eggcessive]

Ok, I know the answer is in this thread, and I should know it, but I don't have time to try and find it.. sorry


I just read Sally Sunshine's great article about vent gleet that was on the homepage a few days ago. The question I have is, vent gleet is not necessarily the same as just sticky gross butt right? I have read many times about the horrid smell associated with vent gleet, and two of my sloppy derriere girls don't smell, they are just messy ladies that no matter how many times I clean them, it ends up caking back up again. I've even watched them defecate, their droppings are normal in appearance, but it just smears down their feathers, and gets all gunked up. Last time I cleaned them I trimmed their butt feathers but some still manages to get stuck on there. Other than the obvious waste on their feathers, there is no other discharge.

I don't do FF, aside from it's health benefits, might it help with this issue as well?

what do you all think?

MB

I think some chickens just have messy butts. I do fermented feed, and only maybe 5% of my 45 girls have it--it's not gleet, just messy. I have noticed that certain breeds have it more.

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok, I know the  answer is in this thread, and I should know it, but I don't have time to try and find it.. sorry


I just read Sally Sunshine's great article about vent gleet that was on the homepage a few days ago.  The question I have is, vent gleet is not necessarily the same as just sticky gross butt right?   I have read many times about the horrid smell associated with vent gleet, and two of my sloppy derriere girls don't smell, they are just messy ladies that no matter how many times I clean them, it ends up caking back up again.  I've even watched them defecate, their droppings are normal in appearance, but it just smears down their feathers, and gets all gunked up.  Last time I cleaned them I trimmed their butt feathers but some still manages to get stuck on there.  Other than the obvious waste on their feathers, there is no other discharge.

I don't do FF, aside from it's health benefits, might it help with this issue as well?

what do you all think?

MB

I think some chickens just have messy butts.  I do fermented feed, and only maybe 5% of my 45 girls have it--it's not gleet, just messy.  I have noticed that certain breeds have it more.

I agree my 4 girls have messy bottoms and I also trimmed their fluffy butts but they still have a few streaks. I keep telling them they need to learn to wipe better

I do give them FF as well, and my girls butts have no odor & their poops are normal.

Some hens are just slobs lol

 

[Eggcessive]

At what approximate age does everyone switch their chicks from chic food to all flock? The chicks I am getting are on chic food now with some all flock in it. They are all at least 4 weeks old now (I think)

I'd like to put them on all flock food and was thinking I could give them animal protein like livers, hearts etc to insure they get all the nutrients they need. This will be my first time with chicks this young.

All flock and chick feed are basically the same, it's just that some chick feed comes medicated. All of my chicks, hens, and roosters are on Flock Raiser 20% protein. My fermented feed is made with 24% gamebird plus some scratch whole grains.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you all, I guess she was beyond help. My baby passed a few min ago.

Sorry for the loss of your chick. I had one like it last year in my incubator hatched chicks. I think it was neurological damage, and after 2 days of trying to get this chick to stand, and feeding and getting it to drink, we culled it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Ashdoes, love your redone coops and your new pie safe/jelly cupboard. I love antiques about as well as chickens. Since I got chickens a few years ago, we cannot travel anymore which puts a dent in my favorite hobby of stopping at antique malls on car trips.

 

[delisha]

If I purchase bagged feed I buy organic game bird *all flock* grower. I do not buy layer. If I had to always purchase bagged feed I would always feed the game bird all flock grower. I would some how find organic wheat, and oats and feed that to the adults at night. I do grow my own corn for my birds. It is mostly for the ducks. I am going on vacation at the end of the month and I am buying bagged feed for the neighbor to feed the birds. I have two back up plans and two people checking water for me while I am gone just in case the neighbor forgets. (he is 14).

 

[Bulldogma]

So sorry about your chick! It happens.

Windows all framed out now guys!

So, I finally got the pics off my husbands phone...
The new duck stall

Oh, and look what my sweet husband bought me for our 13th anniversary!

I've been fawning over it anytime we go to the local Antique mall...isn't it beautiful!

Love the chicken and duck stalls!

New brooder?

Was my thought exactly!

 

[lalaland]

Thank you all, I guess she was beyond help. My baby passed a few min ago.

sorry to hear that, it is always sad to have a little pass.

Windows all framed out now guys!

Think there is going to be lots of light or what?

Justine, it is going up so fast! really cool to see it, and bet you will love the light from the windows.



I spent some time today on the web looking up the different breeds I ended up ordering to be hatched, and I started just laughing. I think it is going to be so funny to try to tell the difference between swedish flower hens and icelandics, at least from the pics I saw today. Not sure what I was thinking on getting both breeds. The cream legbars at least will be discernable. I know I was stressed when i made the choices, but really! I sure hope the hatching lady has the chicks separated enough to be able to id them.

electrician is coming tomorrow to work on wiring the coop as the existing wiring shorted out probably from the rats (rats are gone now). Am having the wiring in conduit to be rodent proof.

 

[jlynnet]

Del u leave them on chic food till they start to lay?
They are currently getting chic food with all flock now, should I leave them on this combination till they start laying?
I am getting 2 BCMs, 1 EE & 1 BR so I'm guessing they will all start laying at different times according to their breeds. Plus one is a few weeks older to.

Loving all the coop pics......giving me great ideas for when I win the lottery

I wanted to share a couple pics fom today. Nothing fancy but they made me laugh

Now if we could just figure out how to get thru this door and get those mealy worms.......... (They were quite vocal here)

I won the chicken lottery !!! MINE,MINE,MINE,MINE.......

We call that chicken crack! They go nuts over them!