The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote: That is what I thought. And that is what I have, the leaves. Bummer!

 

[delisha]

Quote: I toss potato peelings, leaves, and all vegetable refuse in the compost pile. The birds have access. I feed the fruit to the birds and not the leaves, however I have no idea if they eat them.

Quote: I would put it back in the incubator and let it dry up. Picking up the chick will make it squirm and possibly make it rupture farther. It could possibly take days. The chick will be fine in the incubator.

Wow... I've switched to digest twice now on this thread, and both times I just quit receiving messages all together and have to spend a week catching up... ugh!
Just too many messages to get each one individually.
Is anyone else having this problem?
I am on digest on a few other threads and have no problems... so... not sure what to do.

Mine comes in a digest form and I never open it to view. I just come here every day. There is always tons of stuff to read.

 

[Doodle777]

Does anyone here use BY-O-REG for there chickens or ducks? If you do, where do you get it and what is the dosage?
Thanks for any help. I'm trying to go the natural route.

 

[MumsyII]

Well my Silkie chick that hatched last week is MIA. The bantam Favs are with momma. No sign of the Silkie. At least if there was a body I could possibly figure out what happened. Oh well, such is life. Survival of the fittest/smartest here

I'm sorry you lost that chick Trav. I have a question for you. Was that Silkie chick with a Silkie momma or a another breed? The reason I ask is that my barnyard hen Judy hatched out one Silkie chick last time at brooding. She was not used to having to wait for that chick with the short legs to catch up with her in the grass. The chick would tucker out and just stop in it's tracks. Judy would be clear across the orchard before she knew that chick was not with her. I watched that lone silkie chick exposed alone many times and wondered how long it was going to take a hawk to spot it and off with it. Judy abandoned that Silkie chick at three weeks. It was a loner for a week until another layer let it eat at the feed dish with it. They pal around together now. The chick made it to eight weeks but I thought everyday, it was going to come up missing. I hope Judy does better with guarding the four she now has.

 

[delisha]

Does anyone here use BY-O-REG for there chickens or ducks? If you do, where do you get it and what is the dosage?
Thanks for any help. I'm trying to go the natural route.

Some here ferment feeds, grow produce, and feed supplemental meats. I have never purchased a supplement other than the grains and the plants I produce including oregano.
It is just Oregano to my understanding.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Twenty one days today. Judy the Broody brought four to hatch. I think those two eggs are dead in shell. I'm going to do a float test on them tonight. No pips, no sound. They have weight like a chick is inside.



I'm beginning to see down color on the Silkie chicks is different with each of the three hens I collected eggs from. One vaulted and three not in this set.

Can you tell me more about the float test.

Quote: Can you tell if it is bleeding or leaking or ozing in any way. If so, I don't think it will make it. Other wise give it a couple of days.

 

[AlmaB]

Hi, no she isn't bleeding or or leaking. She seems alert and is walking around. I took her out of the incubator since is a small Brisea and she didn't seem to happy in there. I place her in a box with heat light and a little towel to cuddle with. She seems to be content in there.

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok so I am trying to figure out what Lucy may be crossed with. She is about 17 weeks old and except for the copper necklace and comb looks like Sophie my BCM. The comb is a rosé comb?

Now if I remember right her father is a BCM but I forgot what her mother is. Ideas?
Sorry about the poor pics. She won't get that close during the day so I took it tonight when she was roosted

 

[MumsyII]

Can you tell me more about the float test.
Can you tell if it is bleeding or leaking or ozing in any way. If so, I don't think it will make it. Other wise give it a couple of days.

I think this picture has been posted before. I'll put it up again.


I make sure the temp of the water is 100 degrees or close. The water has to be very still. The egg placed in the middle of the water and then observe if there is movement. Floating as in the last two images + No movement = dead chick. Bobbing wiggling egg = live chick. I dry them off quickly and back in the bator under the hen if there is movement. I will candle first and look for an internal pip before considering the float test. I don't candle broody eggs while they are under the hen. I see no point. I don't want Judy sitting on dead in shell eggs while there are four live healthy chicks under her. Not dark here yet. Waiting for night.

 

[loveourbirds]

Ok so I am trying to figure out what Lucy may be crossed with. She is about 17 weeks old and except for the copper necklace and comb looks like Sophie my BCM. The comb is a rosé comb?

Now if I remember right her father is a BCM but I forgot what her mother is. Ideas?
Sorry about the poor pics. She won't get that close during the day so I took it tonight when she was roosted

looks a lot like a gold laced wyandotte to me. but this is just a guess.