The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[AVintageLife]

Worth a try, indeed! Thank you! This gives me something great to go on since my coop will be about 8 x 8 as well.

A question about the poop board... If I had a poop board under the roost, what if they tried to roost on the board? That would kinda defeat the cleanliness purpose, and I'm afraid the chickens wouldn't really mind.

Any thoughts?

Thanks so much for all the help, by the way, y'all are awesome here!!!

My flock walks across the poop board to get to the roost (which I think helps keep their little feet clean too) but they don't roost on it. Around the edge of the poop board is board 1" wide (may 3" high) to keep the pdz on the board and so they don't roost on the edge. I've never seen them sitting on the poop board, doesn't mean they don't, I don't have a chicken cam yet, lol.

 

[armorfirelady]

I haven't been on since May 8th and I have 764 posts to read. But not right now. Got/getting rid of 2 doz chicks by the end of next week. Chickens popping out my ears and it will be nice to get my house back in order, whatever that is now. sue

I can't wait to see the pics of the chicks

 

[Leahs Mom]

Covered feeder- I don't cover my chicken feeder but I did build one for my hogs once. I look for free stuff.Wood, metal, another mans junk....

I have been collecting pallets recently so this is what I would do, and plan to build this weekend for my weaners then meat chickens.... dual purpose.

A typical skid has 8 pieces of usable wood. 3 thicker undersides (2x4) and 5 wide narrow slats (3/4 x 5) more or less. I use a sawsall and it takes maybe 5 minutes to dismantle one. For this project you need just more than one.... or 2 skids.

I would take two slats, V them up and screw them into a V. I would cut angled corners (make 2 triangles) out of the 2x4 and attach to bottom of V feeder as stabilizers.... Heck, it's your feeder, ad 4 if you like.... maybe paint a tree or two.... (Tribute to Bob Ross)

Screw a 2x4 to each end attach a roof section of 4 slats, connected by a cross section, and you have a cute little primitive feeder that keeps the feed dry.

Now.... why keep feed dry? Apparently, according to folks here, wet feed is good, and fermented, or old wet feed is better..... I guess I am old.... haven't tried that fermented stuff yet.

Good idea. I want a wood trough - although I don't need a roof on it. Never really thought about using pallet. Just need to be sure it's untreated lumber

 

[NanaLynn]

Covered feeder- I don't cover my chicken feeder but I did build one for my hogs once. I look for free stuff.Wood, metal, another mans junk....

I have been collecting pallets recently so this is what I would do, and plan to build this weekend for my weaners then meat chickens.... dual purpose.

A typical skid has 8 pieces of usable wood. 3 thicker undersides (2x4) and 5 wide narrow slats (3/4 x 5) more or less. I use a sawsall and it takes maybe 5 minutes to dismantle one. For this project you need just more than one.... or 2 skids.

I would take two slats, V them up and screw them into a V. I would cut angled corners (make 2 triangles) out of the 2x4 and attach to bottom of V feeder as stabilizers.... Heck, it's your feeder, ad 4 if you like.... maybe paint a tree or two.... (Tribute to Bob Ross)

Screw a 2x4 to each end attach a roof section of 4 slats, connected by a cross section, and you have a cute little primitive feeder that keeps the feed dry.

Now.... why keep feed dry? Apparently, according to folks here, wet feed is good, and fermented, or old wet feed is better..... I guess I am old.... haven't tried that fermented stuff yet.

This is hard to imagine what it will look like after all the cuts are done, but I like the idea. I do have a few pallets around, free wood is best!

If you get a chance to post of pick of what you build that would be neat to see.

I still use dry feed too and I'd rather keep it dry right now. I'm not too young myself.

 

[NanaLynn]

Another Question or two: I hope that you experienced chicken keepers do not mind another question from me? I think I read on here or somewhere on BYC that when you have different ages in a flock that it is okay to feed a Flock Raiser type feed. The one I use for my 14 week old chicks is in crumble form and it is 20% protein, sadly not animal protein though. Is it okay to use this for my 3 week old chicks? and can I keep them on this and just add oyster shell as free choice on the side once the 14 week old chicks reach 16 weeks? Can I just continue this once both flocks are laying eggs? or is it best to switch to a layer feed at that time?

Right now for the younger chicks they are finishing up a bag of medicated chick starter which is 18% protein, but once that is finished both flocks should be integrated and eating the same feed.

All the different aged chicks also get a few meal scraps, veggie scraps, BOSS, mealworms for treats here and there too, but those are limited.

Also, with a 20% protein feed, should I worry that they may get too much protein?

Thank you guys so much! -Lynn

 

[loanwizard]

Quote: Don't know that I would know the difference..... I can't see an old treated pallet killing a chicken, much less a hog, but..... y'all do as ya see fit.


Quote:
The dry vs wet was a joke. For 100 years we were told to keep feed dry, lest it mold and kill the livestock. Today we are encouraged to let it "ferment"... I know it is 2 totally different things, but I can see the confusion as well.

CUTS? I will take pics, but I am picturing 4 total cuts. Cut triangles off 2x4's = 2 cuts. Cut end off slat equal to width of 2 slats side by side... oops, need 4 of those.... sorry, picturing it as I type.....So 6 total cuts..... OK.... I will send pics lol!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Another Question or two: I hope that you experienced chicken keepers do not mind another question from me? I think I read on here or somewhere on BYC that when you have different ages in a flock that it is okay to feed a Flock Raiser type feed. The one I use for my 14 week old chicks is in crumble form and it is 20% protein, sadly not animal protein though. Is it okay to use this for my 3 week old chicks? and can I keep them on this and just add oyster shell as free choice on the side once the 14 week old chicks reach 16 weeks? Can I just continue this once both flocks are laying eggs? or is it best to switch to a layer feed at that time?

Right now for the younger chicks they are finishing up a bag of medicated chick starter which is 18% protein, but once that is finished both flocks should be integrated and eating the same feed.

All the different aged chicks also get a few meal scraps, veggie scraps, BOSS, mealworms for treats here and there too, but those are limited.

Also, with a 20% protein feed, should I worry that they may get too much protein?

Thank you guys so much! -Lynn

I kind-of do it opposite...I have the mill formulate at 16% protein and low calcium, then supplement for the younger birds so they get a higher protein percent. Then fre feed calcium on the side.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

Don't know that I would know the difference..... I can't see an old treated pallet killing a chicken, much less a hog, but..... y'all do as ya see fit.

Now - you KNOW I couldn't leave that statement alone...

(I've always wanted to use that slappy guy...no offense meant...)

Treated lumber has arsenic in it. You can't even use it for fence posts on an organic farm because of ground contamination. When we put in our new fence, we specifically didn't use treated lumber posts due that restriction.

Shouldn't inhale the sawdust, shouldn't burn it and inhale the smoke, don't use in landscaping mulch, wear gloves if handling, etc. etc. When you dispose of it you have to handle it as hazardous waste.

I definitely wouldn't want to eat out of it!


Quote:
http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/reregistration/cca/cca_consumer_safety.htm -Do not use treated wood for construction of those portions of beehives which may come into contact with honey.

-Treated wood should not be used where it may come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water, except for uses involving incidental contact such as docks and bridges.

 

[PeepsCA]

Anyone have experience using Guineas to rid the garden of pests (specifically squash and potato bugs) DURING the gardening season? And if I got a few, like 3, are they really THAT loud? My garden is near my neighbor's house/yard, and I'm sure the roosters are annoying enough, I really don't want to add to that too much.

I raise/breed/sell Guineas (currently have 90+ adults and 50+ keets... I hatch/sell 100s and 100s each season)... they don't scratch up the garden like chickens will, but they will eat everything green down to the nub if they don't have enough of a lush, green area of their own to range and forage on. And anything green you feed them as keets they may end up seeking out in your garden once they are free ranging adults. I keep all of my birds out of my gardens, and just make sure I grow extras for them. It's easier than replanting 2, 3, 4 times.

Keeping just 3 Guineas is a bad idea. They will more than likely beat the snot out of your chickens (not just roosters) that they all of a sudden decide they do not like (for reasons that only make sense to themselves), they can cause chaos in your coop/pen and they can disrupt/stress out your laying Hens to the point you don't get many, if any eggs.

Guineas need larger flocks of 10 or more to be happy, content and focused on each other, and it works out for the best for everybody if they can all free range during the day together but have their own coops/pens for nights and during bad weather... but especially during the breeding season. The males especially tend to lose their minds once their hormones kick in.

Guineas also need a lot of room, both in the coop/pen and acreage to roam on... they cover a lot of ground. They are not really suited for small properties with close neighbors.

And yes, they are loud (doesn't bother ME tho, lol

). They will sound their alarm call at anything and everything (like a leaf blowing by, a new hose, the UPS man etc etc), especially for the first year. You can check out Guinea Fowl sounds on youtube. IMO, they trump rooster noise X10.

 

[loanwizard]

Quote: My birds and hog all eat the same thing, have for 2 years. The pork still takes 6 months to raise and still tastes good, the chickens still lay. 16% hog feed, no medicated feed, unless it comes from a pallet.... from hatch til.... well... for life.


Quote: And how am I supposed to know which is treated? Is it the smooth darker greenish looking wood, or do I have to lick it?