The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

how do you feed fermented feeds in the winter. Does it not freeze solid once you put it in the feed bowl in the coup?

I once tried cornmeal mush for my girls in the winter, but it froze quickly, and they didn't/couldn't eat it?

A hungry chicken eats it's food quickly, if they aren't eating it before it freezes adjust when you are feeding so they are hungry before you put it out.

 

[Mumsy]

@del: That link was great about the different myopathy syndromes. Exertional Myopathy in Poultry is most interesting. After reading through this, I'm now convinced it could not have been prevented nor do I think it is hereditary. I believe her obesity and over zealously jumping from the perch to run to the feed dish may have contributed to the injury and toxic myopathy set into the joints over the course of those first two days. She must have been experiencing great pain. I now know what this looks like and have learned a great deal more. Thank you again.

 

[NanaLynn]

Aoxa maybe is you put the frozen water bottles in the bunnies fav shade places they would be able to lay next to them and help keep cool? Sorry you lost your bunny. Tis heat has been horrible.

Mumsy thank you for sharing your pictures. I'm sorry you had to cull her but it was the best for her since she was deteriorating.

Last night I had flies in the FF even with a cover on it. Those nasty things burrowed in the food. I got them all out and put a temporary netting over it & thought I would try a plastic baggy with water and a penny in it to see if it deters them. I also turned the DL. Nasty things are looking for cool places also.

I picked the wrong week to hand dig a trench down the length of my yard to get the water to flow away from where the coop usually is. Hopefully we get some rain so I can see if its going to work

We are in the same dilemma as you, we have the same problem with the street and yard water going directly into the chicken run right to the coop door. We're working today too to try and divert the water away from the chicken area. The run is getting pretty smelly and full of flies from all the moisture. More rains are coming tonight too, so today is the day. We're in NC.

I am so sorry for everyone's losses of chickens and also the bunny. Thank you guys for posting all the info and pictures, it does really help us look out for the same in our animals.

 

[salt and pepper]

I need help, one of my easter eggers is sick, and I don't know what to do! She's been acting " off " for a couple of weeks, kinda wandering by her self when they free ranged, well, I checked her out, and she has a mild case of impacted crop. It's a lump the size of a golf ball, she's still eating, and the crop is still emptying, except for that lump, anyway, she's lost a ton of weight, is looking untidy, and is very lethargic. I've looked for mites/lice, and can't find anything, and her face is only slightly paler ( probably from stress ) I've been giving her olive oil, and yogurt. Should I worm? What could this be? If she dies, I definitely do a autopsy. Thanks for the help!

 

[Mumsy]

Justine: I'm so sorry you lost the rabbit. The heat you are experiencing sounds just brutal. Losing animals because of it is horrible.

I've had a few flys get into my ff bucket too but they are going down into the liquid in the bottom of the holding bucket and drowning there. Nothing has been getting in the mash yet. Yesterday I hung a lot of fly papers in and around the barn. Caught quite a few on them in just a few hours. I have really long hair and managed to catch myself in them once too. Took a cup of conditioner to get that glue out! Hah!

Today I'm switching up the way I usually feed my flock. Feeding them all together was easy for me and them but the fat layers were just getting fatter. It's going to take me longer in the morning but it will be for the best health results for them all. The tom Blue Slate turkey has started to gobble! So hilarious. I thought cockerels sounded funny when their voices changed. Nothing is more funny to me than a boy turkey getting his gobble on!

 

[Mumsy]

I need help, one of my easter eggers is sick, and I don't know what to do! She's been acting " off " for a couple of weeks, kinda wandering by her self when they free ranged, well, I checked her out, and she has a mild case of impacted crop. It's a lump the size of a golf ball, she's still eating, and the crop is still emptying, except for that lump, anyway, she's lost a ton of weight, is looking untidy, and is very lethargic. I've looked for mites/lice, and can't find anything, and her face is only slightly paler ( probably from stress ) I've been giving her olive oil, and yogurt. Should I worm? What could this be? If she dies, I definitely do a autopsy. Thanks for the help!

It could be a blocked proventriculis. Gently massage the crop after the olive oil treatment and maybe it will help break up the contents in the crop to help move things along. This treatment may take some time. Crop issues are rarely quick fix problems. A necropsy in this area will be a useful way to see what happened if she doesn't make it.

 

[NanaLynn]

This may have been posted here before, but I found this very interesting, someone posted it on the Heritage thread. Thought I'd share:

THE FUTURE OF ANIMAL PROTEIN IN POULTRY DIETS


Multi-State Poultry Meeting
May 14-16, 2002

Gary G. Pearl, D.V.M.

http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/poultry/multistate/Multi State Poultry.pdf

 

[Alibabe]

The one that came with my original Little Giant filled the whole insides. It heated up and made keeping the temperature accurate more difficult. It's already difficult to keep the temp in a LG accurate. Also, turning must end around day eighteen or so. Many people call this lock down. To remove all eggs from the turner is a headache. Leaving eggs to hatch out in a turner can be problematic. Messy. Dangerous for chicks, and difficult to sanitize afterwards. I just never wanted to deal with the extra problems after that experience. I've been hand turning ever since and get very good percentages using egg cartons or just the floor of the bator. I still have my old LG but it isn't as reliable as it used to be so I upgraded to a Genesis 1588 and it's done a superb job so far. I've done four successful hatches in it. No automatic turner.

Thanks for replying Mumsy. I had a look at the type of turner you are referring to and agree that it would be a pain to work with. My turner moves the whole incubator so when it comes to lockdown, all I have to do is remove the incubator from the turner and take out the dividers and lay the eggs flat and leave alone.

I work during the day so turning daily by hand would not work for me as the time between being able to turn would be too long and imo not very efficient. I also am really nervous about handling the eggs once I have put them into the incubator so having an automatic turner works out very well for me. I am not sure what I would do with a turner like the one you have.

So sorry about the loss of your chicken.

 

[jlynnet]

I decided that due to the extreme heat, I'm letting everybody out together. The babies are 14 & 16 weeks and can fend for themselves. I looked out a little while ago and everyone is hiding in the weeds. They will be so much cooler. I still have a broody EE. It's been over 2 weeks. Once my DH puts the divider in the new coop, I'm tossing her in there. She is such a sweetie. One day hopefully I can give her some eggs to hatch.

I just might try wetting their feed. I only feed at night and I work most nights. It's hard to get my husband and son to do this.

Sorry to hear about the losses.

I too was one of those that only wanted a few chickens. That's become a few dozen instead!

 

[delisha]

Quote: beautiful

how do you feed fermented feeds in the winter. Does it not freeze solid once you put it in the feed bowl in the coup?

I once tried cornmeal mush for my girls in the winter, but it froze quickly, and they didn't/couldn't eat it?

I put mine out..if they do not eat it before it freezes, I fed to much, and feed less the next day.

Quote: I also need to cut back on feed... can you tell us how you're going to feed to accomplish that? I only have 10 birds so I'll have to figure out how that works for that many, but I just want to be sure I'm not cutting back too much. Mine also get the compost too.

ETA: Will you cut back gradually to get them used to less or will you just cut the ration all at once?
Open the door and let them out..don't feed them till bed time.

Quote: x2

@del: That link was great about the different myopathy syndromes. Exertional Myopathy in Poultry is most interesting. After reading through this, I'm now convinced it could not have been prevented nor do I think it is hereditary. I believe her obesity and over zealously jumping from the perch to run to the feed dish may have contributed to the injury and toxic myopathy set into the joints over the course of those first two days. She must have been experiencing great pain. I now know what this looks like and have learned a great deal more. Thank you again.

Your welcome..

I need help, one of my easter eggers is sick, and I don't know what to do! She's been acting " off " for a couple of weeks, kinda wandering by her self when they free ranged, well, I checked her out, and she has a mild case of impacted crop. It's a lump the size of a golf ball, she's still eating, and the crop is still emptying, except for that lump, anyway, she's lost a ton of weight, is looking untidy, and is very lethargic. I've looked for mites/lice, and can't find anything, and her face is only slightly paler ( probably from stress ) I've been giving her olive oil, and yogurt. Should I worm? What could this be? If she dies, I definitely do a autopsy. Thanks for the help!

massage her crop..she probably has a long blade stuck. You will probably need to do it a few times a day.

This may have been posted here before, but I found this very interesting, someone posted it on the Heritage thread. Thought I'd share:

THE FUTURE OF ANIMAL PROTEIN IN POULTRY DIETS


Multi-State Poultry Meeting
May 14-16, 2002

Gary G. Pearl, D.V.M.

http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/poultry/multistate/Multi State Poultry.pdf

Thanks Lynn..for some reason the link is not working for me.