The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Tape worms are caused by the dog eating fleas. I know this because our base housing in Little Rock was INFESTED so bad with fleas it took antimology two times to get rid of them. Anyways, our Doby got tape worm twice in a month and the vet said it was the fleas. So, your bunnies and squirrels probable have fleas and that is what's causing the dogs to have them. Ew all around, right?
Ok....the other reason I came on today....the babies are here! They sent three boys, instead of two and the five girls. Pics(-which you should enjoy, because while I was emailing them to myself I knocked the over-priced iCrap off the brooder and cracked the screen, yay me)
Babies in a Box

A boy and a girl

Nice and warm

They're pretty full from the gro-gel, so not eating much yet, but seem super happy and vigorous.

CLs, right? If I ever get my broody, I am getting some CLs from a gal that has them about an hour south of me. I really want the broody to raise them if I can make everything coincide. It will be the CLs and some (hopefully) darker feathered Swedes.

 

[jlynnet]

I have chirping in my incubator and 5 external pips! I bought a Genesis 1588 and so far it's better than that other thing I had. I have to leave for work in a litte bit, so hopefully when I get home at midnight I have chicks.

 

[salt and pepper]

Hmmm... to each their own. I love pine shavings. But I love straw, too. I don't use it as chicken bedding because I love pine shavings and, oddly enough, pine shavings are cheaper than straw here, but I love using straw in the garden- I love the way it looks and smells. So I get that.

Here the pine shavings are 2-4 dollars more expensive, and they last half as long, so it's also more economical for me to use straw. Couldn't get a pic, because they were too small, but can give a better description, they are brown, seem to have 6-8 legs, are NOT scared of light, and are not squished easily, have never found them on my birds, or signs of them on my birds, they aren't killed by vinegar, permethrin, DE, or frontline, but I've kept them in check by cleaning regularly. I gave all the coops a vinegar scrub, sprayed withe permethrin, and dusted with DE, and they were still crawling around. Strangely, they aren't in my straw bale, only in the coops, whatever they are though, they are EVERYWHERE. I can stand in my yard, and watch 5 of these critters crawl by within 30 seconds, so I'm thinking it night be impossible to get rid of them all.

 

[aoxa]

Here the pine shavings are 2-4 dollars more expensive, and they last half as long, so it's also more economical for me to use straw. Couldn't get a pic, because they were too small, but can give a better description, they are brown, seem to have 6-8 legs, are NOT scared of light, and are not squished easily, have never found them on my birds, or signs of them on my birds, they aren't killed by vinegar, permethrin, DE, or frontline, but I've kept them in check by cleaning regularly. I gave all the coops a vinegar scrub, sprayed withe permethrin, and dusted with DE, and they were still crawling around. Strangely, they aren't in my straw bale, only in the coops, whatever they are though, they are EVERYWHERE. I can stand in my yard, and watch 5 of these critters crawl by within 30 seconds, so I'm thinking it night be impossible to get rid of them all.

How large are they? Mites are the size of a pin head. Soooo tiny. I have 20/20 vision and can not count legs.


Blood engorged bird mite

 

[salt and pepper]

Unless the thumb is larger then mine, they're a little larger, I can see the legs, but can't count them, I'm going to see if I can get a pic...

 

[aoxa]

Unless the thumb is larger then mine, they're a little larger, I can see the legs, but can't count them, I'm going to see if I can get a pic...

Go through google images of mites and see if you can find a similar appearing one. Maybe it's not?

Lice are easier to see..

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Hi guys, just found this thread... I wish I would have found it sooner though!

 

[BlueMouse]

I just went out to check on broody mama.... AND THERE WAS A CHICK!!!

One, maybe two, of four. She's still sitting tight. I picked up the whole nest and moved it a foot over into the "creep" area we had built for the chicks when we integrated. Then I leaned dog crate panels up so no one could get in. That was the only way I could think of to make it so she could have food and water for the chicks without the other guys just sucking it all down. She settled back down immediately after getting very puffy over being moved. Hopefully it was an ok thing to do. Where she was I couldn't assemble the crate around her, or I would have. It was all I could think of on the fly.... I'm putting the babies down for their naps then I'll go out and check on her again.... This gives me some slim hope for the ones in the incubator...

 

[chooks4life]

Man this thread moves fast!

Regarding Pine Tar: I only use the pure undiluted stuff. If it's not working for you, that Nu Stock stuff or whatever the name was, I'd blame the purity or lack thereof.
Regarding: brandislee not being able to justify spending more on animals that don't contribute to the food production: if you don't give them a decent diet they will make you pay for it via vet bills or their suffering and disease and the money you will end up spending to recover the health the cheap crap food took from them. It's of paramount importance to build an animal on good feed because later on you can't recover in adults the health that was never given in the first place, in my experience. You can get them good, but never super... And good food generally just means a balanced raw diet. It can be cheap, you just need to find the right supplier. For example if I get lamb chops from the shops to eat (which I don't) it's never less than $8 to $20 a kilo! But in the same shop I get lamb offcuts and for $3.50 a kilo I'll get a feed, my two dogs get a feed and some bones, and my cat gets a feed too, from one pack. Not spending that little bit more on your dogs is a false economy that will some back to bite you; it makes sense except for where it leads, slowly but surely...
Regarding: Garlic! And pine tar.

Quote: Always raw, freshly minced, as once it's cooked it loses a lot of its antibiotic/active properties. A standard level to maintain is a clove of garlic per day per bird but often I'll let them eat as much as they want. It's my number one medicine really so the time and money it takes is fully justified in the time and money it saves on treating for disease. I also give them a pinch of granulated kelp per day per bird and that works wonders too. I use raw garlic as medicine for myself too, and like a chicken it only takes one raw clove to knock a virus on the head that's been rampaging for days. I'm slack with my own health as compared to my animals, lol... The best effects are gained from giving raw garlic from hatching onwards, that way nothing ever gets a foothold. They're rudely healthy when raised on garlic and kelp. I've only used pellets when forced to because I'm between houses, and have been for months now, and the plunge in health since I can't tend them as normal is alarming. By most people's standards they're healthy, though.

With the pine tar/Stockholm tar, I use the undiluted and unadulterated stuff so there's no such thing as a light smear! I find it absorbs like magic into hoofs, wounds, scaly mite scabs, etc and doesn't even mess up their feathers or fur like you'd think. In fact it leaves shiny feathers or fur or hooves, you'd never know it was coated in tar a few hours ago. I can't even wash it off my hands before it absorbs... I apply a complete covering of all affected areas of whatever I'm treating and if it's bad enough a wound or infestation I'll apply a second before letting the animal be, since it absorbs so fast. It seems to create instant pain relief and heat, and the animals just relax and enjoy it. 'Pine Tar Time' is a happy time that's helped tame some of the most skitty or mistrusting of animals. The first time you apply it, it's all struggles and noncooperation; the second time often they come to you, or meekly stand and even help apply it. They can even eat it too. I tried to stop them eating it initially, because, well, it's TAR! But now I can see it's got benefits when eaten in small doses too, and they never overdo it. I'm keen to try to use it to treat some internal problems which are otherwise fatal as I've used it on serious ulcers and wounds and cysts with complete success; it's possible a short term internal dose may save some creatures that otherwise die. Emergency measure, type of thing.

 

[BlueMouse]

Just went out to check. Mama has moved chicks and eggs OUT of the nest and is sitting on them all in the corner. I think this is a good sign? Gave her dishes of ground up chick food and fresh water.