The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

I forgot to mention..... Tank my hen who had that bad mite infestation last year .... Still looks great but on both sides of her vent she is still missing feathers. I decided to Nu-Stock her up again and hope that helped the feather regrowth. We the next morning her bare spots were glowing red & irritated. She hated it so much she pick & pick trying to get it all off. So I guess no more Nu-Stock for Tank. Has anyone else had this problem???

I have had chickens try to get it off. I had a few torn comb that needed treatment and they constantly were rubbing the combs in the dirt and in the grass.
Not sure the red was from her trying to get it off..or from the product its self.

 

[lalaland]

We had a beautiful day. Both days were more than we could have ever asked for.

So glad to hear that! can't wait for pics, esp since I don't facebook (not enough time!!!)

 

[aaggjg]

Omg just now a hawk flew and landed 8 feet from my head and right over the girls while they are having morning free play yard time!!! It cocked its head looked at me and took off! Boy they are BOLD!!! the gorls were frozen in place and senfing warning calls.....

I have tons of trees in my backyard.... My neighbor just cut the top part of one of his trees that had 1/2 fallen and its resulted in a bright clear path into my yard!!! Ugh!!!

I wish I knew how to ID hawks!! This one was small compact brown.... Didn't see the pretty wing feathering I've seen on other big ones.....

 

[aoxa]

So glad to hear that! can't wait for pics, esp since I don't facebook (not enough time!!!)

I PMd you

 

[aaggjg]

I have had chickens try to get it off. I had a few torn comb that needed treatment and they constantly were rubbing the combs in the dirt and in the grass.
Not sure the red was from her trying to get it off..or from the product its self.

I too was wondering if the sulfur irritated her.....

 

[aoxa]

Omg just now a hawk flew and landed 8 feet from my head and right over the girls while they are having morning free play yard time!!! It cocked its head looked at me and took off! Boy they are BOLD!!! the gorls were frozen in place and senfing warning calls.....

I have tons of trees in my backyard.... My neighbor just cut the top part of one of his trees that had 1/2 fallen and its resulted in a bright clear path into my yard!!! Ugh!!!

I wish I knew how to ID hawks!! This one was small compact brown.... Didn't see the pretty wing feathering I've seen on other big ones.....

Like plain brown? Hmm...

Cooper hawks are small...

 

[aoxa]

Omg just now a hawk flew and landed 8 feet from my head and right over the girls while they are having morning free play yard time!!! It cocked its head looked at me and took off! Boy they are BOLD!!! the gorls were frozen in place and senfing warning calls.....

I have tons of trees in my backyard.... My neighbor just cut the top part of one of his trees that had 1/2 fallen and its resulted in a bright clear path into my yard!!! Ugh!!!

I wish I knew how to ID hawks!! This one was small compact brown.... Didn't see the pretty wing feathering I've seen on other big ones.....

Maybe a harrier hawk?

 

[aaggjg]

I always have calcium in bowls in the coops..I feed egg shells daily also. I use eggs every day and I feed them back fresh with the whites still wet. They get added proteins from that too. Even day old chicks get fresh shells.

My birds are out and on the ground at a few days old so I am not as stringent about grit. I do have it They just don't eat it very much except in winter.

If I buy bagged feed it is an all flock developer. It is higher percentage of protein and I can add whole grains to the bagged feed. Sometimes organic whole grains are not available during certain times of the year and I have to buy bagged feed. My grinder is used daily  when I have new chicks. Baby's love wheat berries.
Go out in  your neighborhood and drive around your farmer fields..find out who is growing whole grains. Look at the fields..if they have weeds..go ask them if you can purchase directly from them. You will save a ton of money. Call the small brewery's in your area and ask to pick up spend grains.
Use Kass's method to sprout whole grains and add that to diets.

Hahahaha I live in the city so no farm fields to drive by I sprout grains, Boss, lentils & mung beans for my girls...... I buys bulk grains but also buy the corn & soy free layer as I'm not sure about a good home formula that provides enough protein..... And I don't have enough time to properly research. What grains do you grind??

 

[taylynnp]

It also says:

Note: This feed contains high amounts of calcium and should not be fed to developing birds who are not yet laying eggs. This feed is also suitable for ducks!

This is why I say to read the label and don't tell people what it does or does not contain.

I always have calcium in bowls in the coops..I feed egg shells daily also. I use eggs every day and I feed them back fresh with the whites still wet. They get added proteins from that too. Even day old chicks get fresh shells.

My birds are out and on the ground at a few days old so I am not as stringent about grit. I do have it They just don't eat it very much except in winter.

If I buy bagged feed it is an all flock developer. It is higher percentage of protein and I can add whole grains to the bagged feed. Sometimes organic whole grains are not available during certain times of the year and I have to buy bagged feed. My grinder is used daily when I have new chicks. Baby's love wheat berries.
Go out in your neighborhood and drive around your farmer fields..find out who is growing whole grains. Look at the fields..if they have weeds..go ask them if you can purchase directly from them. You will save a ton of money. Call the small brewery's in your area and ask to pick up spend grains.
Use Kass's method to sprout whole grains and add that to diets.

Very interesting and good pointers. To clarify when you say you feed fresh egg shells back every day, you mean always separately in free choice bowls? Love that idea.

I might have to stop putting our egg shells in the compost sooner than I thought. I was going to wait until POL to offer it free choice.

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is what I currently feed. Calcium is on the side. All flock gets this as a basic feed.


40% Organic Corn
45% Organic Field Peas
*3.6% Organic Alfalfa Pellets
3.6% Organic Fish Meal
5% Organic Fertrel Nutribalancer


They also get:
Whatever they range
Raw meat about 1x / week (in summer; more in winter)
Sprouted sunflower Seeds daily
Right now, there are some barley seeds mixed in with their main feed; other seeds depending on what I've recently purchased.
In winter: Sprouts of various like wheat, sunflower, barley..whatever I happen to have at the time.

*Note: In summer, no alfalfa is added.


ETA: I have the main feed as a "per cup" measure if anyone is interested. This formula is based on what the feed mill was grinding for me.