The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

Sally, that's awful, I am so sorry. Your grandson sounds like a trooper. these things happen, and thankfully, things get better. Good luck on finding the silikes!

 

[lalaland]

week old chicks!

dang, I forgot how much they can poop.

yesterday, one of the cream legbars was dead in the morning. No signs of probable cause, and I've held my breath and 24 hours later, all the other chicks are still fine. darn, and she was a girl too.

visited my local scrapper guy, although he does his best to come across as a real tough bad guy, he raises rabbits and they are free ranging throughout his yard. I mean, everywhere! scored a dozen fence posts and a roll of fencing, a couple of bear mangled shepard hooks that aren't as mangled as my bear mangled hooks, and a metal bin to keep the chick supplies in.

Justine, if I post chick pics at this age, think you could guess gender?

 

[midnightroo]

So sorry sally8.

 

[midnightroo]

For clarification..

Massaging, oil, liquids only.

If the crop is a problem again after release, I confine the bird again and start over.
no food for 24 hours and no water for 12. Fresh water with no additives.

I offer Oregano, tea tree oil, lavender, and a few cloves to everyone.  Usually this time of year it is from over eating all that lush greens. They need that 24 hours. I usually do not worry. I do watch. I have two that are pooping pure green from the wild strawberries and blossoms. They come in at night and look like they are going to blow up.

Delisha,

I have a question on the tea tree oil. The sour crop has returned and I saw on another site to give tea tree oil. Then I read more, after giving it to her, that it was bad for chickens. Have you given it to your hens internally? I was so worried last night, and happy to see her up and about, but her crop is still large this morning.

Yesterday morning she had enough energy to chase littles away from the food, moist start of the ff( I know I need to withdrawal all food), today she seems a little slower. She went right over to the oyster shells this morning and ate some. We have a busy morning here so I think I am finally going to grab the cat crate and confine her while we are out, with no food and water.

Thank you for your help and if you could let me know about the tea tree oil I would really appreciate it. I would like to give her more if it does truly help and not hurt.
Christine

 

[aoxa]

I'm still not a Silkie girl but yesterday when it was raining cats and dogs, I managed to run over Thor with the car. He was my grandson's favorite. Thor rode the 4 wheeler with him, the bicycle. Thor was very gifted. I had a very bad day. My son and DIL told my grandson that Mama Sue would buy him another one. He was upset but managed to say that we better buy 2, just in case. I love that boy so much. Dontcha know I can't find Silkie's anywhere.

That is so sad For you more than him. I'm sure it was instant. To feel responsible like that would really suck.

I would give you two of my silkie chicks for your grandson, but alas - we are way too far away.

Get him a white one and dye it a funky colour. Makes my nephew (5) giggle like nothing else!

week old chicks!

dang, I forgot how much they can poop.

yesterday, one of the cream legbars was dead in the morning. No signs of probable cause, and I've held my breath and 24 hours later, all the other chicks are still fine. darn, and she was a girl too.

visited my local scrapper guy, although he does his best to come across as a real tough bad guy, he raises rabbits and they are free ranging throughout his yard. I mean, everywhere! scored a dozen fence posts and a roll of fencing, a couple of bear mangled shepard hooks that aren't as mangled as my bear mangled hooks, and a metal bin to keep the chick supplies in.

Justine, if I post chick pics at this age, think you could guess gender?

How old are they?

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of the one. I want to note that since switching to the EcoGlow I have had zero deaths. I found with the heat lamp, I was getting at least a few every large hatch. There would be one or two that would flip.. anyway.. they all seemed to die under the heat lamp.

They should pay me for all this advertisement But I love those ecoglows! They are AWESOME!

PS: They are just warning about needs to be above 50F. I have them all in my garage, and the past few nights it went down to 39 - all perfectly fine!

I have 15 more day olds as well. Some have nice large vaulted skulls and the Naked Necks have been crossed with White Leghorns to improve egg productivity and size. I have 5 with pea combs. They have Ameraucana in them as well, so I'll have some well producing Naked Neck Easter Eggers!

 

[armorfirelady]

How old are they when they start wanting to roost? I need to put up some lower roosts for my chicks because it'll be awhile before they can get to the ones the big girls are on which are 4&1/2 feet up. My chicks are only a week and a half old. I'm already amazed at the flying leaps they take, though! So will they want to roost at 4 weeks or so?

My little ones are 5 & 6 weeks old. THey were still in the brooder when I got them so the new bigger coop & run is giant to them lol

I went out one more time & found the babies in a pile in front of the pop door. Picked them all up and put them back on the roost. Edie was still on a lower roost where I put her. Went back out about 1/2 hour later and the tiny tots were still roosting !!!

So I am guessing they needed Edie near them to roost. I am hopeful tonight they roost themselves

I'm still not a Silkie girl but yesterday when it was raining cats and dogs, I managed to run over Thor with the car. He was my grandson's favorite. Thor rode the 4 wheeler with him, the bicycle. Thor was very gifted. I had a very bad day. My son and DIL told my grandson that Mama Sue would buy him another one. He was upset but managed to say that we better buy 2, just in case. I love that boy so much. Dontcha know I can't find Silkie's anywhere.

So sorry about Thor. I will keep a look out to see if anyone around here comes up with Silkies for you.

visited my local scrapper guy, although he does his best to come across as a real tough bad guy, he raises rabbits and they are free ranging throughout his yard. I mean, everywhere! scored a dozen fence posts and a roll of fencing, a couple of bear mangled shepard hooks that aren't as mangled as my bear mangled hooks, and a metal bin to keep the chick supplies in.

Awesome score!! I love big trash day & the scrap yard & have also found stuff I can use for the chickens

Before I left for work this am gave the tiny tots & Edie some turnip greens. They love them. Anything green they are all over it. They ate one hosta down & working on the 2nd

And when I went in to check on the big girls, they were making a loud ruckus as usual, I found this:

Apparently one of the girls laid this while on the roost this morning. They all laid yesterday & no one normally lays this early in the am. They still have oyster shell left but I will need to refill it later. I see a couple of them always there eating it. I tried to throw it out in the run but only the shell made it. I am guessing the yolk will be eaten before I get home. They have been laying since December so I think I made out pretty good that it took them to May to lay a soft egg


I swear these tiny tots & Edie have grown since Sunday. So inquisitive & the tots look up to Edie as a big sister. Sometimes she is nice to them but she def can be a meanie/diva when she wants to be

 

[aoxa]

Delisha,

I have a question on the tea tree oil. The sour crop has returned and I saw on another site to give tea tree oil. Then I read more, after giving it to her, that it was bad for chickens. Have you given it to your hens internally? I was so worried last night, and happy to see her up and about, but her crop is still large this morning.

Yesterday morning she had enough energy to chase littles away from the food, moist start of the ff( I know I need to withdrawal all food), today she seems a little slower. She went right over to the oyster shells this morning and ate some. We have a busy morning here so I think I am finally going to grab the cat crate and confine her while we are out, with no food and water.

Thank you for your help and if you could let me know about the tea tree oil I would really appreciate it. I would like to give her more if it does truly help and not hurt.
Christine

It's not good to take Tea Tree oil for humans orally either:


Quote: from Web MD.

You can however dilute it somehow.

How about coconut oil? You can use this for human yeast infections - so why not for chickens? Margaret ate it.


Quote:

 

[midnightroo]

Thanks Aoxa. I diluted the tea tree oil and luckily it doesn't seem to have effected her. She still ran from us when we tried to catch her this morning. She is in the cat crate in the bathroom right now all the way to the back. If chickens get scared, I would say that is how she feels. Stupid roo is crowing for her. I put some water with Epsom salts for her to drink, but will get some coconut oil at the grocery store this morning, I have been meaning to buy it for ages. Can I mix it with some of the ff I am starting or did Margaret eat it without anything? I am so ready for this to be over. I have to keep repeating that she is only a chicken, not a kid.

Thanks again,
Christine

 

[TexasLisa]

Good Morning!

Yesterday I went to the feed store. I came home with 4 Barred Rock chicks. My thinking was that I have a momma (Stretch) hen with 3 chicks. Her chicks and the BR are the same age--almost 2 weeks old. Last night I put the 4 BR in with her (Stretch and chicks are in a small pen inside the coop) . I checked on them around 4 and they were all snuggled under her. So far everything was looking good. When I opened the pen up to let everyone out, Stretch came out with her 3 and left the 4 BR behind. The BR are now in my bathroom. I am toying around with making a makeshift pen outside and putting Stretch and all 7 chicks in there for a couple of days. Good idea or bad? Welcome any advice you may have.

Thanks!

Lisa

 

[lalaland]

Justine,
they are 7 - 10 days old!

I have two I think are roos, the rest I am unclear about except for the legbars.