The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

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

Margaret liked the taste of it alone. I'd lather up her feet and she would eat some right out of my hand. I haven't put it in FF, because it is too expensive. I use it constantly. Every day I eat it. It's the only oil I use when I cook, but Susan also uses Olive Oil.

I just can't get over the smell of Coconut oil when using it for eggs.

I was not a HUGE egg eater before, but I am now. Not to mention ever since using coconut oil on a daily basis my IBS has not acted up once!

If you have a Costco, they sell a big jar of Organic Coconut oil there. In other stores it is much, much more expensive.

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

I think them not following her out is more the chicks and not the mother. It takes a while for older chicks to understand that they need to follow around their warming element

If she is not reacting to them in terms of aggression, I'd say it was a success.

Just let them get used to momma, and that she is their only means of being warm - so they must follow her.

I've successfully added 2 week old chicks a few times. After 24 hours they pretty much got it down.

Justine,
they are 7 - 10 days old!

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

Unless they are sex linked by colour it's far too early. Unless you have a very early blooming boy.

I can start guessing at 2 weeks with single combs, and by 4 weeks I have had 90% success in sexing my own.

Not including silkies. Boy are they hard to sex... I have 10 2 week olds and I am already trying. A few have wider combs than others. I should mark them to see if that really makes a difference.. because they all look the same in colour.

 

[camilleathome]

Mealworms, I tried raising them, I gave up after two colony crashes and then very little progress, takes forever to get enough to feed out any at all, and no where near on a daily basis.

Dubias are much more bang for your buck for sure, costs me nearly nothing to feed (food scraps garden veggies especially root veggies and boiled chicken eggs) I modified a non working freezer and have that for housing my husband hooked up a red heat light w/ thermostat control. My chickens get them several times a week.

I am working on starting red wigglers, mostly finished the bed now I'm working on putting substrates in I hope to stock it soon. I have tried bsf larva we have plenty in this area but so far haven't figured out an easy hands off way of doing it. But if I do won't worry about saving them just feeding during natural season here which is about 6 months.

we breed superworms fairly easilly and mealworms as well but yes you need a LARGE colony in order to be able to feed out of it for chickens thats for sure.

 

[armorfirelady]

I found a natural dog food company in my area and the ingredients are similar to what those of you use to make your own feed.


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Allergenic Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Select with FlaxSeed[/FONT]
Fortified with Vitamins and Minerals
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Difference[/FONT]

Brown Rice, Oats 99% digestible; hypo allergenic; energy
Lamb Meal healthy skin & coat; strong muscles
Sequestered Minerals 4 times more bioavailable
Yucca lowers stool/urine odor; beneficial effects on arthritis
Dehydrated Kelp helps coat improvement​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Guaranteed Analysis[/FONT]

Crude Protein 22.0% minimum
Crude Fat 12.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 4.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Calories/Cup 536​

INGREDIENTS: New Improved Formula

Lamb Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brewers Dried Yeast, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Potassium Chloride and Vitamin-Mineral Fortified.​

I believe they make the food right there. I am going to ask when they deliver it tomorrow.

If they do maybe they can tell me where I can get smaller quanities of fish meal, beat pulp, etc.

I wish I could just throw some of this food in the food processor & feed it to the chickens lol I know the protein is to high but I was amazed how close it was to some of your formulas.

Hopefully it helps my dogs with intestinal issues & allergies

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is where I get coconut oil. Shipping is a flat rate, so if you get several at a time saves money. Sometimes several of us order together, but I usually buy at least 3 and put them on the shelf. Much less than anywhere else I've found.

http://www.vitacost.com/nutiva-extra-virgin-unrefined-coconut-oil-organic

 

[Ashdoes]

I've just started using coconut oil and love it. Aoxa you use it when cooking your eggs? And it helped your IBS?
Just make sure you're using VIRGIN coconut oil, because the other (I'm guessing processed) turns to hydrogenated fat when it's heated...I'll find the link.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/504243-is-coconut-oil-healthy-to-cook-popcorn-in/

 

[aoxa]

This is where I get coconut oil. Shipping is a flat rate, so if you get several at a time saves money. Sometimes several of us order together, but I usually buy at least 3 and put them on the shelf. Much less than anywhere else I've found.

http://www.vitacost.com/nutiva-extra-virgin-unrefined-coconut-oil-organic

Costco sells theirs for 17.99 Canadian.


http://www.costco.ca/Organika®-Certified-Organic-Coconut-Oil-454-g.product.10339591.html
Free shipping

ETA: $4 off coupon - YES PLEASE! Ordering some now lol

 

[aoxa]

I've just started using coconut oil and love it. Aoxa you use it when cooking your eggs? And it helped your IBS?
Just make sure you're using VIRGIN coconut oil, because the other (I'm guessing processed) turns to hydrogenated fat when it's heated...I'll find the link.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/504243-is-coconut-oil-healthy-to-cook-popcorn-in/

Yes it's virgin.

Try it with your eggs, you will not be disappointed.

The smell of the coconut oil is amazing.

ETA: Reworded so Loinwizard wouldn't have a field day.

 

[midnightroo]

Ugh

I've just started using coconut oil and love it. Aoxa you use it when cooking your eggs? And it helped your IBS?
Just make sure you're using VIRGIN coconut oil, because the other (I'm guessing processed) turns to hydrogenated fat when it's heated...I'll find the link.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/504243-is-coconut-oil-healthy-to-cook-popcorn-in/

Ugh, I got unrefined, but I don't know if it is virgin or not. I didn't even think to look in BJ's and I was in there. Oh well I guess I won't heat it if it isn't.

Going to have lunch soon and then head home. Thanks for the links (and all the help) I will read/ check them out.

 

[Mumsy]

I fed the flock their FF this morning. We had heavy drenching down pour for the last few days. Over the weekend I moved birds around. Everyone seemed to be doing fine. But....There was this one large HRIR what I think is a cockerel that seemed to be walking with a straddle. Not paralyzed but definitely walking different than the rest.

This morning after feeding and observing everyone eat, that one bird was standing apart. It looked poofy. Not ruffled feather poofy but balloon poofy. As I watched it, it seemed to blow up even more! I picked the bird up and it felt like a balloon chicken! Never seen anything like this. The bird is gasping. It's entire body from head to thigh is swelling. It seems it will die very soon. I'm afraid it will explode! I'm not making this up and I've never seen any thing like it. Of course my camera battery was dead. I'm charging it now to get pictures soon. Any idea from anyone here what may be going on with this bird?

 

[aoxa]

I fed the flock their FF this morning. We had heavy drenching down pour for the last few days. Over the weekend I moved birds around. Everyone seemed to be doing fine. But....There was this one large HRIR what I think is a cockerel that seemed to be walking with a straddle. Not paralyzed but definitely walking different than the rest.

This morning after feeding and observing everyone eat, that one bird was standing apart. It looked poofy. Not ruffled feather poofy but balloon poofy. As I watched it, it seemed to blow up even more! I picked the bird up and it felt like a balloon chicken! Never seen anything like this. The bird is gasping. It's entire body from head to thigh is swelling. It seems it will die very soon. I'm afraid it will explode! I'm not making this up and I've never seen any thing like it. Of course my camera battery was dead. I'm charging it now to get pictures soon. Any idea from anyone here what may be going on with this bird?

I have NEVER heard of anything like this. Pictures would be very interesting, though I am sorry bird is suffering. He needs to be culled immediately.. but pictures from necropsy are needed.