The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

Quote: pressure treated wood rots just as much as any other wood will, it simply doesn't get bugs moving into it that would speed up the decay process. we also had a pressure treated deck, but one section of the rain gutter was faulty and water continually dripped on one section. it rotted within a couple years while the rest was ok. since then we have replaced it with a composite board. it's a wood-plastic composite that will not leech and can even be used on floating docks and won't rot... hubby's boss replaced his dock decking about 10 years ago, and it's still holding up solid as it was the first year.

 

[armorfirelady]

So I decided to take out a small bowl of their new fermented grains to see what the girls thought..........little scavengers scarfed it up!! I need to take a spoonful out of the grains with the whole peas and see if they eat them ok.

Def a cold morning. The girls water was frozen. Time to pull out the Ping pong balls and throw some in the waterer and see if it stops the water from freezing. I need to finish up the insulated box and get their grains out there and see if it stops it from freezing.......

Keep warm everyone !!!

 

[armorfirelady]

 

 
[COLOR=FF0000]WOOD ASH WARNING[/COLOR]

Be sure you don't use ash from anything that may be treated lumber.  LOTS OF PALLETS ARE MADE FROM TREATED LUMBER.   BEWARE.  If in doubt, don't burn it or be around a fire in which it may be....and DON'T USE IT IN YOUR CHICKEN DUST AREA!

Obviously, I don't know my treated lumber.  Any that I've seen has a little different look to it.  Sort of greenish.  When we built our deck we used treated decking and then later I read where some people/kids become very sick by being on it.  It's been here nearly 10 years now but next year have plans to remove it.  DH and I don't often use it.  It's supposed to last longer.

pressure treated wood rots just as much as any other wood will, it simply doesn't get bugs moving into it that would speed up the decay process.  we also had a pressure treated deck, but one section of the rain gutter was faulty and water continually dripped on one section. it rotted within a couple years while the rest was ok. since then we have replaced it with a composite board. it's a wood-plastic composite that will not leech and can even be used on floating docks and won't rot...  hubby's boss replaced his dock decking about 10 years ago, and it's still holding up solid as it was the first year.

When I bought my house I removed the rotten deck and replaced it with composite board. Best investment I ever made!! 8 years later and it still looks great. If I could I would of used the composite board for the frame of the hoop coop. Def wouldn't have to worry about rot or mites. I used a few pieces for my raised garden as well. Still holding strong

 

[ki4got]

just a comment, not aimed at anyone in particular... on the heritage thread, i'm no longer subscribing. it really irks me to see people using medicated feed and corid on young chicks 'because that's what's worked for the last 50 years...' i'm sorry, if the coccidia load in your soil is that high that you HAVE to treat every batch of babies that goes out, there's something wrong somewhere... either in the birds' genetics, the quality/care of the parents (back to genetics) or in the location you're putting them in.

 

[aoxa]

just a comment, not aimed at anyone in particular... on the heritage thread, i'm no longer subscribing. it really irks me to see people using medicated feed and corid on young chicks 'because that's what's worked for the last 50 years...' i'm sorry, if the coccidia load in your soil is that high that you HAVE to treat every batch of babies that goes out, there's something wrong somewhere... either in the birds' genetics, the quality/care of the parents (back to genetics) or in the location you're putting them in.

I see more of this with talk about worming. I keep reading that it is essential to worm your birds as preventative treatment at least twice a year.

I have never wormed my chickens. I never will.. I wouldn't want to eat something that has been medicated. If it was a pet that is a different story...

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: Totally agree with both of you... I have been very frustrated with that thread also.
Way to condescending... and too many are attempting to justify treating as a "preventative" when they don't seem to realize the problems they are creating.
Good idea about unsubscribing... I will do that too.
Without Bob there it has not been the thread it used to be. Hopefully the HRIR sight will hold true to the helpful thread it has been even though Bob is gone.

 

[aaggjg]

So it's morning coffee time with my girls. My little bantam Cochin nugget has started to molt in the last few days. Poor thing...
Well this morning I noticed that when she walks she is kind of squatting and dragging her chest on the ground then she backs up.., still dragging her chest.
I keep trying to video her as I'm not sure words do this behavior justice, but of course the minute I hit record she walks normally.
I'll keep trying... Anybody see this before???

 

[Leahs Mom]

RR - would you do a post here about how you brood your chicks...how you hatch and then rotate them through your different types of pens?

And.. can you also comment on if you have had ANY worm issues?





On the worms...This is what I'm thinking right now. I may change my view if I learn more, so just take it at that level for what it is.....

-I still question the assumption the 'all birds have worms".

-I THINK that a combination of nutrition and environment (creating a strong immune system) makes a difference in whether a bird's system is hospitable or not to internal parasites.

-I think that nutrition can also have a strong contribution to what is in the ground in the first place (think of how the litter doesn't stink when feed ff for example...and how more feed is digest with less left to pass through the system and out onto the ground.) So what is on the ground coming out of the bird is WAY DIFFERENT in some feed methods than others.

-I think that if a bird given good husbandry, nutrition, environment (space, fresh air, sunshine, etc.) and it is susceptible to internal parasites, cocci overload, inability of the immune system to fight these things off (when the rest of the flock is doing well)...that the bird may be weaker genetically and will probably never be strong and healthy long-term.

-I also think that other things in the greater environment not under our control...such as the neighbor using gm seed and dumping bunches of glyphosate, chemical based fertilizers, etc. - can contribute to disease and other problems.

 

[delisha]

So it's morning coffee time with my girls. My little bantam Cochin nugget has started to molt in the last few days. Poor thing...
Well this morning I noticed that when she walks she is kind of squatting and dragging her chest on the ground then she backs up.., still dragging her chest.
I keep trying to video her as I'm not sure words do this behavior justice, but of course the minute I hit record she walks normally.
I'll keep trying... Anybody see this before???

I need to know what you are feeding. What medications she has had in her whole life. How she is housed. How old. If she is in good weight. If this is her first full moult.
It sounds neurological or chemical from your description. Any chance you changed feed?

 

[lindz8504]

Fyi... the Fresh Eggs Daily contest is over too!