The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[BlueMouse]

Well... Unless there's a miracle (for which I'm hoping) I think I lost my first chicken to predation. My big buff orpington hen was a no show at lock up tonight. And she's the one who hangs around on the front porch for an hour before bedtime watitng for my appearance with the food dish. Of course the only hen who's laying right now. I've noticed a giant red fox slinking around lately. That's my best bet for cause. I went through all the close woods (in the pouring rain I might add) looking and calling. Nothing. Not so much as a feather. which is weird. The chooks stick pretty close in mostly, and I wouldn't think that the fox could get a hen without leaving a pretty big pile of feathers. I guess we'll see if she shows up tomorrow. Right now my husband is researching how to get rid of a fox.... I know that losing birds is part of free ranging. But it still sucks.

Still nothing in the incubator. The only bright spot today is Mrs. Bennet and her baby(s?) I still have no idea if she has more than one in there. I never really see them, just hear phantom cheeping and occasionally see a partial yellow fluffball....

 

[Leahs Mom]

A wide-mouthed glass jar is best, ask the plastic hater and she will concure. You can also use a rubbermaid or tupperware container

(Don't tell).

Who in the heck is she talking about?

Just curious. I'm sealing surfaces (bathroom floor, etc) and I bought Kilz but I bought oil based thinking it would seal better than the acrylic. Any thoughts?
As I'm ready to white wash this week end, I'm not painting first aswhitewash can be a thick sort of sealant. I remember when my grand dad would have his barn white washed, If everything wasn't spotless, I can remember white washed cob webs. It was sprayed then and we need o paint a think heavy coat. I think we are talking about white washing and painting 2 different areas but if I were to use Kilz, I probably wouldn't white wash.

Just my opinion...but I've used the oil based before and the smell was so strong that it was hard to even be in the house for several days and still felt like it was toxic to breath for a week or 2 afterwards.

Now I can take it. But I wouldn't want those fumes around birds of any kind. I'd use water based if I were going to use anything. I painted a lot of the items inside my hen house, but I didn't put the birds in it for about 3 weeks afterwards...it was water based...and it was still a stronger smell when the doors were shut than I was comfortable with. We left it as open as possible for a couple months after the paint.

Had to do bumblefoot surgery on my SLW today. It was fairly easy, soak in Epsom bath, cut off scab, remove plug and bandage Nu-stock on. The worst part was leaning over for an hour and a half...my bad back hates me.
I'm wondering though how long to keep her quarantined? I don't want to just have her walking around, irritating the wound, so she's in a crate right now. Any tips?

After putting on the NuStock, I put a gauze pad over it (cut to the right size) then wrapped loosely w/ vet wrap and she went right back out w/the others. I felt it was a lot of stress for her to be separated. I changed the bandage every day the first 2 days, then about every 3 days for about a week. It was winter when she had it.

We just had our first egg!! A small one but an egg!! . Our little Silkie Penelope laid her first egg. Aoxa can confirm how old she is but she is amazingly young to lay her first egg XD

Yay!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I do love the way that was done!

 

[jlynnet]

We just had our first egg!! A small one but an egg!! . Our little Silkie Penelope laid her first egg. Aoxa can confirm how old she is but she is amazingly young to lay her first egg XD

That's great! It's so exciting to get the first egg!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Brooders in. We did first two coats of primer. I still need to get around the edges. My back had enough bending in those darn pens though. I have no clue why we didn't just paint the walls BEFORE they put them up.. Stupid lol. Anyway..

Sorry for the dark picture. I was putting the birds to bed and thought I'd bring the camera to show you progress. Barn is delayed until next weekend and I have goats coming tomorrow.. They are putting up doors in the right areas, so at least there is that..


Oh and Margaret has been laying under the baby barn for quite some time. I haven't gotten something to dig them all out, but I counted 14. All over.. not in a nest or anything.. just scattered. But she laid IN the nesting box today, along with Nora (other bantam Ameraucana) and Lucy (barred Naked Neck) The white egg is from the silkies. Check out that fart egg! Cute huh?! The brown is from a RSL.

For the painting, could you rent a paint sprayer? Our rental stores have them. They can be a bit to set up but wow getting corners is no problem. And amazingly so much faster than a brush or roller. Lastly most sprayers use less paint than a brush would.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...here's a photo of the vet wrapped foot.





Here she was checking out her new shoes after she woke up in the morning. (I put her out on the roost after dark.)

 

[BlueMouse]

I had great luck with the vet wrap over gauze when I had to do bumblefoot surgery on my rooster. He looked very dashing in his green boots. Kept it nice and clean and the nustock on it. I just changed the wrapping/applied new nustock every other day. He healed up beautifully.

 

[delisha]

Had to do bumblefoot surgery on my SLW today. It was fairly easy, soak in Epsom bath, cut off scab, remove plug and bandage Nu-stock on. The worst part was leaning over for an hour and a half...my bad back hates me.
I'm wondering though how long to keep her quarantined? I don't want to just have her walking around, irritating the wound, so she's in a crate right now. Any tips?

wrap it up and let her be a chicken with her friends.

Oh...here's a photo of the vet wrapped foot.





Here she was checking out her new shoes after she woke up in the morning. (I put her out on the roost after dark.)

I remember that

 

[aoxa]

For the painting, could you rent a paint sprayer? Our rental stores have them. They can be a bit to set up but wow getting corners is no problem. And amazingly so much faster than a brush or roller. Lastly most sprayers use less paint than a brush would.

I guess I could. What kind of place would you rent one from? Never even thought about it.

 

[Ashdoes]

Thanks guys. I was hoping someone would say that, and it's nice that you all said the same thing. I already have her vet wrap shoes on, so she's good to go. It's dark now, so i'll put her out.