The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

New post on the

"Thing"

(Peck the part of my signature that bears a similar name to this thread.)

 

[Bulldogma]

Oh - BTW... Aoxa - it's me... Bulldogma. I just changed my Avatar (again)... just to confuse you.

 

[Quailsong]

Mumsy, I love all your whirlygigs & streamers. Show us a full tour, please! Not matter what I'll def subscribe to ya on YT.

 

[naadarien]

BDM - thanks for starting this thread, and good to see so many familiar faces, as it were, even if I mostly lurk.  Also glad I've caught this thread before it got away from me.  Starting to feel like Lucy in the chocolate factory if you know what I mean.

That is EXACTLY how I feel right about now... :-D

 

[FridayYet]

wet your dry feed down with water and stir in the chopped up fresh garlic.
For some reason all of my chickens love garlic and some pick it out more than others do.

My experience in a nutshell: I'd only used natural methods from day one with my chooks, which involved garlic in quite large quantities, as much as they showed they wanted to eat (average of five cloves a day per bird; interestingly chicks have one of the biggest appetites for it, akin to a sick bird's); due to expense of money and time I whittled this down to what I found was the minimum average required to keep them in good health, which was one clove a day each.

Mixed with yogurt is a great way to introduce it. I've never had to force feed it, I don't think that's necessary.

I mince it finely and mix with their grain mix. How much shouldn't be an issue. I'd offer anything from half a clove each to two cloves each depending on how much they want it. For bigger chooks I give an average of a clove each as maintenance and they can have more if they want it. Same deal, mixed with grain. Adults don't need it as finely minced or crushed as chicks obviously.

Thanks for the tips - and also thanks to every one else who replied. My birds can't self-medicate, they rely on me for everything. So I appreciate what Leahsmom said, since my birds don't have a choice on what they eat and I could potentially force them into being over-supplemented, especially because I am pretty new at this. Everyone convinced me I won't do that with garlic.

I minced 3 cloves this morning and mixed it into about a cup of the dry crumbles, then wetted it down until the while mixture was damp. Took out the dry food feeder, put in the wet garlic feed mixture and it was gone when I got home.

Tomorrow I'll try some yogurt garlic mix and see how it goes.

Another question: I need to get these guys out in the yard for some grass and some sunshine. (They have never seen grass before). Problem is - I'm only going to have one little pen/chicken tractor and it will be on the same patch of grass the "big girls" will be on. Sould I wait the full 30 days of quarrantine so I'm sure the newbies aren't contaminating the yard? If I do let the newbies out in the yard, how long should I consider the grass "contaminated" before I let the big girls out on it?

Again, they don't act sick at all but it has only been 3 days. They were just in crowded, dirty conditions and the little one probably just got pcked on and not enough near enough food (She's all keelbone.)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Everyone must be sleeping this morning!

Here's some photos of the shade cloth made from the old pool cover. This kennel run is where the kiddos have to stay this weekend while we're gone.

Shade cloth over 10x10 area:



Side view - 10 x 20 area has no shade cloth.




This is the photo director. She's demonstrating what to do when a rooster is lurking. Higher ground is usually a good deterrent for unwanted advances

:

 

[NanaLynn]

I am so excited!!!! I got my very first egg today from Snow, my white leghorn!!!!

It's not very big, but I know that they will get bigger as the days go by. She disturbed the nest box, but then decided to lay it in a dark corner in the coop. I estimate around 9 am this morning! I'll have to clear out the corner of the coop, so it is not so dark now, so maybe tomorrow she'll use the nest box.

 

[Bulldogma]

Everyone must be sleeping this morning!

Here's some photos of the shade cloth made from the old pool cover. This kennel run is where the kiddos have to stay this weekend while we're gone.

Shade cloth over 10x10 area:

Side view - 10 x 20 area has no shade cloth.
This is the photo director. She's demonstrating what to do when a rooster is lurking. Higher ground is usually a good deterrent for unwanted advances

:

Looks like the perfect setup to me! They'll appreciate the shade and love that they can sunbathe when they want!

I am so excited!!!! I got my very first egg today from Snow, my white leghorn!!!!

It's not very big, but I know that they will get bigger as the days go by. She disturbed the nest box, but then decided to lay it in a dark corner in the coop. I estimate around 9 am this morning! I'll have to clear out the corner of the coop, so it is not so dark now, so maybe tomorrow she'll use the nest box.

Congratulations! First eggs are so exciting!

 

[Mumsy]

So I do have two questions.
1) I don't really have any wood ash, but I have a ton of charcoal briquette ash. The name brand pressed briquettes. Would it work the same for the girls to dust in or should we avoid it? I'm not sure about any chemicals that may be in it.

2) my girls are on a fermented grain mix with weekly (or more) fish or meat protein supplements. They get kitchen scraps and free range for 6 or more hours a day, depending on my schedule. Since they have recently taken to hanging out on the driveway, I've noticed someone, or multiple someone's, has a thick black poo- no urates. It isn't runny or watery, just really thick and almost slimy looking. (There are lots of normal poops too.) Otherwise they all seem healthy. They range from 12-15 weeks old. The older ones are starting to red up, grow some wattles and seem to be getting close to POL. Any ideas on causes or treatments to help them firm up?

 

[Mumsy]

Everyone must be sleeping this morning!

Here's some photos of the shade cloth made from the old pool cover. This kennel run is where the kiddos have to stay this weekend while we're gone.

Shade cloth over 10x10 area:



Side view - 10 x 20 area has no shade cloth.




This is the photo director. She's demonstrating what to do when a rooster is lurking. Higher ground is usually a good deterrent for unwanted advances

:

I was out in the barn at 5am getting everything ready for the day. After everybody outside eats, then I get my own breakfast. I don't come on the computer until all my chores are done. This thread is my reward for staying busy all morning. First eggs are fun! Goats, new barns, and pretty chickens. It's a great start to the day.

Love all the pictures! The pool/shade cover is a nice idea! Love the "photo director" too. Such a pretty bird.