The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[beccasev]

Question for you guys. I have noticed a ton of flues this year. I don't know if it's because I am outside more now that I have chickens or if it's the chickens causing it. I'm an Arizona native living in Missouri. Ugh, the humidity just kills me. I rarely went outside the last two summers we have lived here because of it. So, is there something I can feed the chickens that will cut down on flies liking their poop?
Also, I know I saw a natural mosquito repellent on here. Does anyone have a link to that recipe? Mosquitoes find me entirely too tasty.

 

[aoxa]

Question for you guys. I have noticed a ton of flues this year. I don't know if it's because I am outside more now that I have chickens or if it's the chickens causing it. I'm an Arizona native living in Missouri. Ugh, the humidity just kills me. I rarely went outside the last two summers we have lived here because of it. So, is there something I can feed the chickens that will cut down on flies liking their poop?
Also, I know I saw a natural mosquito repellent on here. Does anyone have a link to that recipe? Mosquitoes find me entirely too tasty.

Maybe some herbs to keep them at bay?


Quote: Wellness Mama Bug Spray Ingredients:

• Essential oils: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Distilled or boiled Water
• Vegetable glycerin (optional)

How to Make Homemade Bug Spray:

1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!

Make Bug Spray From Dried or Fresh Herbs

Fresh or Dried Herbs Bug Spray Ingredients:

• Distilled water
• witch hazel or rubbing alcohol
• dried herbs: peppermint, spearmint, citronella, lemongrass, catnip, lavender, etc. I recommend using at least one herb from the mint family.

How to Make Bug Spray From Fresh or Dried Herbs:

1. Boil 1 cup of water and add 3-4 TBSP of dried herbs total in any combination from the above. I use 1 TBSP each of peppermint, spearmint, catnip and lavender, and also throw in a couple of dried cloves.
2. Mix well, cover and let cool (covering is important to keep the volatile oils in!)
3. Strain herbs out and mix water with 1 cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. Store in a spray bottle in a cool place (fridge is great because then its nice and cool!)
4. Use as needed. Added bonus: it smells great and is very refreshing to the skin!

Super Strong Insect Repellent Recipe

Fair warning: this stuff stinks when it is wet, though the smell disappears as it dries. It works incredibly well though, and this is the one I use when I’m going to be in the woods or in tick infested areas. It is based on a recipe that was supposedly used by thieves during the Black Plague to keep from getting sick. They used it internally and externally to avoid catching the disease and to keep the flies and other pests away. According to legend, it worked and they survived… but it definitely makes a great insect repellent these days! Its also very inexpensive to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen!
Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent Ingredients:

• 1 32 ounce bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 TBSP each of dried Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme and Mint
• At least quart size glass jar with airtight lid

How to Make the Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent:

1. Put the vinegar and dried herbs into large glass jar.
2. Seal tightly and store on counter or place you will see it daily. Shake well each day for 2-3 weeks.
3. After 2-3 weeks, strain the herbs out and store in spray bottles or tincture bottles, preferably in fridge.
4. To use on skin, dilute to half with water in a spray bottle and use as needed.
5. Use whenever you need serious bug control!

[Note: This mixture is very strong and has antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can also be used as a tincture for any illness. For adults, dose is 1 TBSP in water several times a day,for kids over 2, dose is 1 tsp in water several times a day. More on this in an upcoming post!]
Other Simple Insect Repelling Ideas:

• Add vanilla extract to either of the above recipes, or just rub on the skin. You can also mix vanilla with witch hazel and water for a spray version.
• Rub lavender flowers or lavender oil on your skin, especially on hot parts of body (neck, underarms, behind ears, etc) to repel insects.
• Rub fresh or dried leaves of anything in the mint family all over skin to repel insects (peppermint, spearmint, catnip, pennyroyal, etc or citronella, lemongrass, etc) Basil is also said to repel mosquitoes and I’ve used fresh basil leaves in the garden with great success before!

 

[armorfirelady]

I have a dilemma with my recent FF batch. It seems to have grown a dry mold over the top. Worried it would hurt my chickens, I put another lug of ACV in it, as well as some garlic, well, the mold hasn't reformed. Is it safe to feed the birds? It's a big batch, so that why I don't want to throw it away :/ Now it's just a reddish tint with some foam on top ( looks normal to me ) But I don't want to make my birds sick, which would cost me more money in the end than just throwing this out. Anything I can do?

Mine regularly gets a dry gray mold on the top. I dont keep it covered in water is probably why. I just stir it back in and serve. Never had a problem. I like to serve it thick like a moist cookie dough. The girls don't seem to make such a big mess of themselves lol

As for the reddish tint I don't know what that's from? What do you add to your FF that might cause a red tint and foam?

 

[aoxa]

Mine regularly gets a dry gray mold on the top. I dont keep it covered in water is probably why. I just stir it back in and serve. Never had a problem. I like to serve it thick like a moist cookie dough. The girls don't seem to make such a big mess of themselves lol

As for the reddish tint I don't know what that's from? What do you add to your FF that might cause a red tint and foam?

I haven't had mould until this week. Probably because of the heat. I stirred it in, did not add more feed and finished feeding what I had and started over.. much less of a batch this time. I made enough for a week in advance.

Now covering with water during the hot spells.. :/

 

[salt and pepper]

Mine regularly gets a dry gray mold on the top. I dont keep it covered in water is probably why. I just stir it back in and serve. Never had a problem. I like to serve it thick like a moist cookie dough. The girls don't seem to make such a big mess of themselves lol

As for the reddish tint I don't know what that's from? What do you add to your FF that might cause a red tint and foam?

Thank you! Just making sure I wasn't going to kill my birds! haha. The color was normal, and the foam I read somewhere was from the " mother " in the ACV. Also, want to thank the people that helped me when I was taking care of my friends birds. Got through the week, and fed them more ACV, and garlic when they sneezed more, and they are awesome now!

 

[NanaLynn]

Update:
The Golden Laced Polish did not make it thru the night

BO - stands with eyes closed, not noticeable deep wounds, will not eat or drink, but does walk around if I bother her. Seems to just want to sleep and one eye stays closed, maybe blind in that eye. Thinking maybe he bit her head but only wound is at the ear and very small. Maybe more internal? I thought maybe she was blind in the one open eye, but she did walk towards the water, but only drank a little as I dropped it in her beak. So I think that she can see out of the open eye. I am not sure if she can open the other. She won't eat, even tried to feed her scrambled egg, but won't eat it.

BR/Google - Still cannot stand, her right side is hurt, I had to cut away feathers and skin that were attached by a thread of skin, a huge piece of skin is missing. I can see her right thigh and part of her upper leg. She does keep trying to stand. She had little, very little to eat and drink this morning. She ate a lot of scrambled egg and has drunk the most water of them all. She keeps trying to stand but still has trouble.

BR/Oreo - She'll walk around if I let her, she has a back wound that looks pretty bad, about the size of a silver dollar. It still looks moist.

Blue Cochin- She will not eat or drink and also has a back wound, hard to tell with her with so many feathers. I did clean and apply ointment to the one wound I found.

Each one now is either in or under their separate laundry baskets. We have a large dog crate that we're going to put them in inside the coop this weekend and figure out a way to separate them.

We saw the dog again this morning going back for more, evil dog. I called Animal control and they came out to try and catch it. Said if they did not catch it that they would set a trap for it. My husband tried to catch it but it runs from him. We do not own a gun.

I have been reading all your posts and thank you, I've been following your info. For those who have gone thru this too, I feel for you, I wish I did not know how you feel, but I do now. Such senseless killing, a massacre. So sad. My daughter has been traveling this summer and she does not know yet, I hate to tell her and spoil her vacation, but she has told me before when we've had cats and dogs die, that she wants to know. She is 19, the Polish that died last night, Elvis was her chicken. Elvis was a girl.

I can't remember who offered the rooster to me, thank you, but we were not planning on having a rooster for awhile. This is all new to me, keeping chickens. I've had much more experience with chickens then I would care to in the past day.

I put in a call to our dogs vet and they are supposed to call me back about a place that will have the supplies that I need. I'm still looking around for supplies too.

The four unharmed chickens are scared to even go from the coop to the run, can't blame them. I went and visited them and gave them some treats make sure they had water. They have taken in the little white rock 8 week old like one of them, they used to pick on her, so good news there. Poor little white rock, Daisy was looking around in the chicks safe area for her sisters.

If any one has any more advise, it is appreciated. Thanks for the advise about not using the triple antibiotic or about reapplying the peroxide. If I do not find nu stock or something as good today I will try the cornstarch, etc.

If any of this makes no sense, sorry, working on little sleep. I could not shut off my brain last night. I gave myself the needed day off of work today and canceled all weekend plans to catch up on rest and help the 4 injured.

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Hello all!
I stumbled across this thread and was very interested.
I'm very new to chickens, just started my very first flock, what is natural chicken raising? What does it entail?
I think I have been raising mine pretty naturally, but am always open to suggestions and ideas from those that much more experienced than myself.

 

[jmarie]

order nu stock on amazon, but most feed or horse supply stores have it. The nu stock I ordered off amazon showed up in 2 days

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

LOh my god im so sorry for what happened to your flock. I hope they all get well

 

[Sally8]

If any one has any more advise, it is appreciated. Thanks for the advise about not using the triple antibiotic or about reapplying the peroxide. If I do not find nu stock or something as good today I will try the cornstarch, etc.

I am so very sorry to read about all your chickens. It is so very hard to lose a pet regardless if it is a chicken (vs a dog, cat, etc)

I couldn't find NuStock in any stores around here so I made my own recipe (as was posted very early on in BYC). Since, (I had a hen with leg mites so bad that she was on the brink of death.) 2 applications later, she is healthy. It is posted on "the thing" but a warning, Wear a mask if you do. I had a terrible migraine the night after I made it. The sulfur smells awful. I wish some of you lived closer. I'll never, ever use so much pine tar and I hate just leaving it.

Best of luck. sue