The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Mine are panting as well. Between temps in the high 80s with almost a 100% humidity its HOT. I have found that freezing fruits to give them helps keeping them cool. Ive frozen blueberries, grapes, apples & watermelon. They melt so quick but the hens & tots love them. Watermelon has such a high water content I know they are getting extra fluids.
I also added more watering bowls in addition to the 3 waterers I have out. I fill them with ice on really hot days. I also will wet down the grass in their favorite shady spots.

The new barn kitties, Lunchbox & Suitcase!

Love the kittens & their original names

 

[Pozees]

Salt and Pepper, how are your birds today?

 

[armorfirelady]

I finally got a picture of Blacks legs today.


I covered them with nustock as well as all the big girls legs. The tots legs were covered with vaseline. While the picture is poor her legs really are that light in color. Normally they have more yellow in them.

Here are the white specks I have found on her belly & vent area. Reminds me of dry skin


SHe had a messy bottom so her feathers are wet from baby wipes. I trimmed up her fluffy but again hoping she will catch less that way. The blood spots are where some of the heavy caked feathers came out when I cleaned her up. The white things at the base of the feathers to me look like dried poop?

I put out 2 dust baths with wood ash after applying nustock. So all the girls have nustock & wood ash covered legs. Figured it wouldn't hurt And then I put peat moss piles out which they happily dust bathed in tonight.

Since George will be staying at least a week more while I treat everyones legs I took a picture of his legs. They are as thick as the big girls. and so long. He is only 10 weeks old & has giant feet. And I have never seen a chicken with webbing between the toes. He also has black freckles on the bottom of his feet

It is quite amusing to watch him walk with his giant feet.......he hasnt yet grown into them and walk like he has shoes on that are to big

 

[aoxa]

Make sure you are giving electrolytes this time of year. It makes a world of difference.

I see a big difference!

We don't use electrolytes or vitamins very often... I confess I'm kind of a survival of the fittest sort of livestock keeper (meaning that yes, I try to save them all, but no, I only breed the ones that don't require extra "anything"). You get FF and fresh water daily... a dry place to sleep, a nice nesting for laying. If you require more than that... even in extreme cold or extreme heat... your genetics end with you.

That said... when we do offer electrolytes we use Gatorade.... just make sure if you are going to show to use only blue, orange, or yellow... don't use red because you'll never get the stains out. LOL MY daughter claims the light blue is everyone's favorite. ;-)

I agree with this. I still offer electrolytes during a heat wave. Don't offer any extras in the winter, and that is when I will cull if they are not taking it well. The heat - yeah.. I feel bad for them. It's been over 100 with humidity for the past four days. They are panting a lot. We had a BEAUTIFUL rain shower that lasted 15 minutes and I was drenched. It felt amazing. It cooled off the ground for a little relief for everyone.

 

[NanaLynn]

I have a question for you experts. I have put my hurt chicken back in with the flock, the BR with the dog bite, she seems to be doing a lot better.

She has a pretty bare area on her back probably similar to a bare back from a rooster. I have been putting Nu Stock on her naked areas and on her dog bite wound on her back which is healing up. My question is how long will it take for new feathers to grow back, I read somewhere that you have to wait until their first molt, is that true? She is just 21 weeks old.

One thing that I have learned is that chickens will still peck even with Nu Stock on the wound or Blue Kote. I would have kept her separate, but she is the worst one who keeps pecking at her own back. There is no blood or bad looking areas, I think she just pecks at it to get the Nu Stock off her back.

I have just started using the Blue Kote to hopefully keep anything from becoming infected. I know she doesn't want it on there but I plan to spray her everyday with it until she looks a lot better.

She is finally walking around a lot and she even ran today, she has a limp but seems to be getting better, taking her out of her separate cage and putting her in with the flock seemed to really speed up her recovery, just a couple days ago she barely could walk.


Here is her naked back. Her dog bite wound in just to the right in the pic, right where the top of the wings meet. Her back is all blue now, this picture was after a spray of Blue Kote and a slathering of Nu Stock and after she pretty much preened it all off. So no blood on the bare part and the wound under the wings seems to be healing over and looks okay and does not smell or anything.

 

[Pozees]

I finally got a picture of Blacks legs today.


I covered them with nustock as well as all the big girls legs. The tots legs were covered with vaseline. While the picture is poor her legs really are that light in color. Normally they have more yellow in them.

Here are the white specks I have found on her belly & vent area. Reminds me of dry skin


SHe had a messy bottom so her feathers are wet from baby wipes. I trimmed up her fluffy but again hoping she will catch less that way. The blood spots are where some of the heavy caked feathers came out when I cleaned her up. The white things at the base of the feathers to me look like dried poop?

I put out 2 dust baths with wood ash after applying nustock. So all the girls have nustock & wood ash covered legs. Figured it wouldn't hurt And then I put peat moss piles out which they happily dust bathed in tonight.

Since George will be staying at least a week more while I treat everyones legs I took a picture of his legs. They are as thick as the big girls. and so long. He is only 10 weeks old & has giant feet. And I have never seen a chicken with webbing between the toes. He also has black freckles on the bottom of his feet

It is quite amusing to watch him walk with his giant feet.......he hasnt yet grown into them and walk like he has shoes on that are to big

Is this a hen that is laying? If so, they often lose color in their legs as they continue to lay.

Love George's feet and your description of how he's trying to grow into them

 

[mlowen]

My coop/run is completely finished (except for the gate on the run end--a friend is building it for me.) I've started asking around for hens. I may have to wait until later summer when the fairs start and people have determined which pullets/hens they want to keep for breeding and which can go somewhere else. Pics in order: roosts, "outdoor" recreational roost and "garden" box, and the whole shebang, from the coop end. Built by me (almost 60) and my friend, Jennifer (almost 57) with 6 hrs/each from two guy friends.

 

[delisha]

legs....does not look like mites to me..almost like corn legs
belly feathers..looks like it could lice eggs on base..?
your treatment is spot on

love the new coop you are building for your birds MLowen

Lynn, you have good instincts. The quicker you can get them back into the fray..the faster they heal mentally, and that helps with physically.

 

[bbdal]

We have some old rocking chairs that were my husband's grandparents' chairs. The paint is peeling off of them and is probably lead based paint considering how old the chairs are. My husband has been intending on repainting them. He saw a hen or two peck at a paint chip. Should we be considered as far as the hen's health or the eggs we eat? Thanks!

I must add that this was pretty certainly a one time thing. The chairs are located where the chickens just started venturing to.

 

[delisha]

Electrolytes:

1 cup store bought electrolytes (unfavored)
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 gallon water