The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

This is what they think of Henry.

 

[CoopChick719]

Awww aoxa...such cuties!!

I would love some goats but I think I'd be pushing my luck with DH.

Less than 19 hours to my daughter's high school graduation.

Sad, happy, excited all at the same time! We are so proud of her!!

 

[cflanders]

Hi all! I am new to this forum, and haven't started raising chicks yet. Have no chickens but am starting to research. Wanted to get into chats before I started. I have a few questions and who better to answer than you all, who have experience. I hope not to annoy, and will thank you in advance for any and all help. I have been wanting for a while to move to the country and become more self sufficient. One of the things is raising chicks. both for eggs, and meat. My first question, I have noticed that you have to feed laying hens differently than those you are raising for meat. I am confused as to how this works.... am I gonna have to have two coops? one for laying and one for meat chckns? How does that work?

 

[cflanders]

Hi all! I am new to this forum, and haven't started raising chicks yet. Have no chickens but am starting to research. Wanted to get into chats before I started. I have a few questions and who better to answer than you all, who have experience. I hope not to annoy, and will thank you in advance for any and all help. I have been wanting for a while to move to the country and become more self sufficient. One of the things is raising chicks. both for eggs, and meat. My first question, I have noticed that you have to feed laying hens differently than those you are raising for meat. I am confused as to how this works.... am I gonna have to have two coops? one for laying and one for meat chckns? How does that work?

'If it is to be, it is up to me.' William H. Johnsen

 

[starlingdaly]

Hi all! I am new to this forum, and haven't started raising chicks yet. Have no chickens but am starting to research. Wanted to get into chats before I started. I have a few questions and who better to answer than you all, who have experience. I hope not to annoy, and will thank you in advance for any and all help.   I have been wanting for a while to move to the country and become more self sufficient. One of the things is raising chicks. both for eggs, and meat.  My first question, I have noticed that you have to feed laying hens differently than those you are raising for meat. I am confused as to how this works.... am I gonna have to have two coops? one for laying and one for meat chckns? How does that work?

 

I personally feed everyone the same: free range during the day and a feed supplement or kitchen leftovers right before their bedtime. Gives me a chance to count everyone before shutting their door.
Though I don't raise any broilers. I raise "dual purpose" layers that hatch roosters for dindin and grow old themselves and earn a place on my table.

But really, there are many ways to raise a chicken. I think it comes down to personal preference and what is easiest for you.

 

[hotrodflash]

Hi all! I am new to this forum, and haven't started raising chicks yet. Have no chickens but am starting to research. Wanted to get into chats before I started. I have a few questions and who better to answer than you all, who have experience. I hope not to annoy, and will thank you in advance for any and all help. I have been wanting for a while to move to the country and become more self sufficient. One of the things is raising chicks. both for eggs, and meat. My first question, I have noticed that you have to feed laying hens differently than those you are raising for meat. I am confused as to how this works.... am I gonna have to have two coops? one for laying and one for meat chckns? How does that work?

Well it is going to depend on what you are raising for meat. Dual purpose can be fed the same as the layers once they are large enough to defend themselves or at least run away from the layers. Broilers will need to be fed differently because of issues with ascites, fluid in abdomen, and leg problems. And they will start out as day olds, more than likely, and will need to be in a separate brooder until they are a little older.

If I was going to raise meat birds, I would brood them separately and have a chicken tractor that could be disassembled when not in use.

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Hi all. Just joined up, mostly so I could ask a very non chicken related question == How do I get more posts per page to read? I am so totally hooked on the ot thread, the gnarly bunch and this one but my oh my, the pages to read. And I certainly want to read them ALL!
Thanks to all for the great info I've come across so far. Started my two hens, 5 pullets and 1 cockeral on ACV today, have the feed starting to ferment, all on the basis of the advice from Beekissed and Bulldogmama ( love the natural chicken keeping blog too).

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Garlic is proven to be a great antibacterial for food poisoning bacteria as well as a general antibiotic. So even if the sour crop is caused by blockage, I would think that very finely minced/pureed raw garlic, maybe mixed with water. would help disinfect the bird's overload of harmful bacteria. If the cause of the sour crop is not known I wouldn't give it in whole chunks, especially if the bird's avoiding large feed items anyway. My understanding of sour crop is limited due to inexperience but I'd think it would depend on what has caused the sour crop. It could be many things like an underperforming digestive system, overproliferation of bad bacteria, a blockage in the crop or gizzard, or a bunch of other things. I think the definition of sour crop is specific but the term itself is used to describe anything that has similar symptoms. Is it possible your bird has an underlying partial blockage somewhere that causes feed to back up or be too slow to not ferment too strongly for her? Is she on a feed which provides probiotics and enzymes or just on pellets and grains? What are her specific symptoms?

It would help to identify it properly of course. Tons of garlic won't help remove a gut blockage. Treating symptoms effectively may not treat the cause. In general for most sick birds, even if it was a virus making them sick, giving them a fast and then treatment or at least a purge before treatment. I'd usually use raw cold pressed olive oil as it will give them a quick purge of their gut's contents, it also has its own positive properties and is a great source of vitamin E which is often used up in battling illness. I have had one chicken get a nasty smell from its crop cultivating due to being bound up inside and first flushed him with raw cold pressed olive oil then disinfected with garlic. I had felt his crop and knew the blockage was in his gut which indicates it might be able to be flushed out the body.

Regarding the rooster whose legs are swelling up by nightfall daily: I've never had that in a chook before, but right side heart failure causes severe leg swelling in humans. I don't know if it's the same for chooks but have heard with other animals that right side heart failure causes leg and ankle/foot swelling that usually gets worse as the day wears on. Many people think heart failure is 'heart attack followed by death' but in fact the heart fails slowly in many cases. It can take decades to reach the point of causing a heart attack. It's a common misunderstanding concerning right side or left side congestive heart failure. Heart failure is often caused by viruses and toxins, not just over processed food and the usual suspects.

 

[salt and pepper]

Look who came home tonight!

How adorable!! Are they Nubians?

 

[midnightroo]

Garlic is proven to be a great antibacterial for food poisoning bacteria as well as a general antibiotic. So even if the sour crop is caused by blockage, I would think that very finely minced/pureed raw garlic, maybe mixed with water. would help disinfect the bird's overload of harmful bacteria. If the cause of the sour crop is not known I wouldn't give it in whole chunks, especially if the bird's avoiding large feed items anyway. My understanding of sour crop is limited due to inexperience but I'd think it would depend on what has caused the sour crop. It could be many things like an underperforming digestive system, overproliferation of bad bacteria, a blockage in the crop or gizzard, or a bunch of other things. I think the definition of sour crop is specific but the term itself is used to describe anything that has similar symptoms. Is it possible your bird has an underlying partial blockage somewhere that causes feed to back up or be too slow to not ferment too strongly for her? Is she on a feed which provides probiotics and enzymes or just on pellets and grains? What are her specific symptoms? It would help to identify it properly of course. Tons of garlic won't help remove a gut blockage. Treating symptoms effectively may not treat the cause. In general for most sick birds, even if it was a virus making them sick, giving them a fast and then treatment or at least a purge before treatment. I'd usually use raw cold pressed olive oil as it will give them a quick purge of their gut's contents, it also has its own positive properties and is a great source of vitamin E which is often used up in battling illness. I have had one chicken get a nasty smell from its crop cultivating due to being bound up inside and first flushed him with raw cold pressed olive oil then disinfected with garlic. I had felt his crop and knew the blockage was in his gut which indicates it might be able to be flushed out the body. Regarding the rooster whose legs are swelling up by nightfall daily: I've never had that in a chook before, but right side heart failure causes severe leg swelling in humans. I don't know if it's the same for chooks but have heard with other animals that right side heart failure causes leg and ankle/foot swelling that usually gets worse as the day wears on. Many people think heart failure is 'heart attack followed by death' but in fact the heart fails slowly in many cases. It can take decades to reach the point of causing a heart attack. It's a common misunderstanding concerning right side or left side congestive heart failure. Heart failure is often caused by viruses and toxins, not just over processed food and the usual suspects.

Thank you very much! It helps. I never thought it could be something from the intestines. I wet the feed at night, but nothing with probiotics in it directly. One more question for you. I have been putting the garlic on top of the wet feed in the morning and missing it in. Do you think it would diffuse throughout the feed better if I grate it into the feed at night when I wet it? I think I will give it a shot and see if distributes more throughout the feed. Justine your goats are too cute! Welcome to the new people! Lots of great people here