The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

And - to that point: It would be very interesting to me to hear from everyone who wants to contribute. Please be as specific as you can:

As Preventative:
1. What additives do you feed? (Cayenne, Oregano, Garlic, ACV, Other)
2. What form are they in? (Fresh, Dried, Oil, Prepared Tea, etc.)
3. How is it given? (Mixed into feed, free-feed in a separate container, etc.)
4. How much is given? (Need to be as detailed as possible. If you put 30 garlic cloves in the feed, how much feed is that (by measure)? How many birds are eating from it?
5. How often is this given? (Daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
6. Results? How do you believe this has affected your flock? Do you have anything to compare to? Have you raised without using these items? If so, what is your observation of the difference between the two methods?



As Treatment:
1. List the illness or symptoms you treated.
2. Specific items used.
3. Answer all the questions above.
4. How long was the duration of the treatment?
5. What were the results?


PLEASE TRY TO BE SHORT AND CONCISE. (Otherwise, folks may

)

as prevention:
1) none of the above
I try to raise as natural as possible. I have nothing against any of the above but I don't see how a ferrel chicken living on it's own would have access to any of this. Nor do I see how any wild bird, turkey, pheasant, grouse etc would and they thrive eating bugs, grubs, worms etc.

as treatment:
1) mainly egg bound and really not very often. Once every couple of years. A warm bath usually free's the egg for me, but in all honesty it is just a bandaide as the hen WILL go egg bound again and again
2) warm water to treat. Hatchet if needed
3) can't answer all as they don't apply to my ways
the others don't really apply to me. I VERY RARELY have any kind of illness. In the rare occurance that I do I quarantine, monitor, try to help and If I can't I kill them to end suffering.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thank you for all the advice... I guess I'll tell him when he gets back. Thank you sooooo much for all the advice you guys have given me! This was a new situation that I really didn't know how to deal with. And I was by no way bashing, or vilifying this person for not using antibiotics! He doesn't know anythings wrong with his birds, and I just wasn't sure that it was my position to tel him! He take good care of his birds, just didn't realizing anything was wrong, please don't take what I said in the wrong way, we are very good friends, and I don't want to be seen as someone who talks about their friend behind his back, just asking for advice.On another note, I'll be getting a rabbit at the end of the week!! Not sure what kind, but plan on giving it the best life possible, not just stuck in a cage. Be posting pictures of it soon!!!

The vilifying comment was not in response to your comments, you actually defended him. It was in response to a others comments who don't even know this person, or his reasons for what he does.

 

[Kassaundra]

If you read up on Infectious Bronchitis, it doesn't kill 50% of the birds--it will make sick 50% of the birds, but only kill 0-25%. That is morbidity versus mortality. However, you will lose many, many chicks. IB can be carried in your flock by some birds for up to a year. This is the disease that can affect egg laying in hens, and can cause hens to always lay a weird wrinkled egg.

The site I did a quick search on before posting the comment sited a high mortality rate, but did not differentiate between adult and sub-adult. I do know the difference in mortality and morbidity. This time I went straight to a vet site, and the morbidity rate for IB is near 100%, while the adult mortality rate generally is low. Antibiotic tx can do nothing for the IB itself as it is a virus, but can help if secondary bacterial infections take advantage of the weakened state of the bird.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...view_of_infectious_bronchitis_in_poultry.html

 

[salt and pepper]

The vilifying comment was not in response to your comments, you actually defended him. It was in response to a others comments who don't even know this person, or his reasons for what he does

Sorry, misunderstood.

 

[Kassaundra]

as prevention:
1) none of the above
I try to raise as natural as possible. I have nothing against any of the above but I don't see how a ferrel chicken living on it's own would have access to any of this. Nor do I see how any wild bird, turkey, pheasant, grouse etc would and they thrive eating bugs, grubs, worms etc.

as treatment:
1) mainly egg bound and really not very often. Once every couple of years. A warm bath usually free's the egg for me, but in all honesty it is just a bandaide as the hen WILL go egg bound again and again
2) warm water to treat. Hatchet if needed
3) can't answer all as they don't apply to my ways
the others don't really apply to me. I VERY RARELY have any kind of illness. In the rare occurance that I do I quarantine, monitor, try to help and If I can't I kill them to end suffering.

While I generally agree w/ this comment I would like to point out (although this may not apply to the way you raise your chickens) that also in "nature" chickens would not live in communities of 30+ individuals, in chicken houses, in confined spaces, and expected to pop out 250 eggs a year.

 

[stonykill]

While I generally agree w/ this comment I would like to point out (although this may not apply to the way you raise your chickens) that also in "nature" chickens would not live in communities of 30+ individuals, in chicken houses, in confined spaces, and expected to pop out 250 eggs a year.

I do beleive the ferrel chickens in FLA live in large groups. I know for a fact wild turkeys live in large groups. Sometimes 100 or more in a group. When Sumatra's were "discovered" in the mis 1800's they lived in large groups. They were truly wild chickens when discovered. And Sumatra's lay 4 to 6 eggs each a week when not broody.

As always I am answering questions to how I raise, what has worked for me, through experience. Not through internet searches. Everyones results will vary as everyone will have different flock dynamics

 

[boyswillbeboys]

I'm going to repeat a question I didn't find answered, how do those who use garlic give it to their chickens? For those that start immediately how do you feed it to chicks?

I'm getting hatchery chicks later this week, and am thinking from reading this thread it wouldn't hurt to give them garlic until they get into the coop (didn't get finished in time) as I now have to brood them in the house or garage, which means a smaller brooding space.

 

[Leahs Mom]

BWBB -
When I feed garlic, I use a garlic press and stir it into their feed bowl. I do feed fermented feed which is a wet mash, but I think I could just stir it in w/the dry feed too. I'm pretty random w/feeding garlic. Usually I put some in at least once every 2 weeks - and sometimes once a week. I put in 4-5 cloves. I"m feeding 10 chickens.

If I had chicks, I might give it to them 2x/week.

 

[starlingdaly]

Does anyone on here feeding their turkeys cayenne administer with capsules?
I had a bottle that my mom gave me a while back that I just haven't used and on a whim offered an intact capsule to my turkey. She snatched it up and ate it straight away and I smiled for an hour.

 

[Quailsong]

I'm doing my best to catch up to this thread. Found out my move date is pushed back a bit so now I've a bit more time.

Leah's Mom, I can understand where you're talking about excess garlic. Especially concerning humans. There are cases of some humans having a sensitivity to garlic (whether blood type or whatnot) which can cause or aggrivate anemia. Ironic since garlic in lower doses is often touted as a great way to cure anemia.

I have anemia issues & eat anywhere from 1-4 cloves a day of fresh garlic. That seems the 'average' dose for most people. So I'm okay with that. I know my anemia is due to other things (ie, gluten) so not too worried.

For a chicken, I'd give them some selection with some mixed in foods (I have to sometimes consider a chicken's pickyness is much like a toddler's when it comes to fav foods) but anything in high dose (esp spices) I like to leave as a 'garnish' - it's for them to take or leave.

saltandpepper, another thing I hadn't considered till late last night. Going with an Occam's Razor rule here: You said the farmer's pen is just rank with 'sickness'. It's very possible the chickens just have an over abundance of poopy DL & the ammonia is burning their eyes/respiratory systems. That in itself can kill chickens, which would make sense that they're not all popping away dead, but some of the weaker ones aren't able to stand it.

If you do anything, you could rake out all the poopy litter & put in fresh bedding. I don't think your friend would mind someone cleaning a coop! You can tell him that the compost needs a while to cook & that the bedding should be refreshed every X days for X chickens + weather considerations. Or heck, make him rake it & hold him accountable.

Just assuming though - that it's as simple as that and we were all over-thinking it. (again, we don't have pics so can't make a diagnosis guess).