The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Finally checked out you website Justine, very nice. Love the photos as always and the little touches of humour.

Thank you I've been working on it this week!

Have our first few chick reservations.

 

[Shan30]

Thank you I've been working on it this week! 

Have our first few chick reservations.

Congratulations! That's so exciting!

 

[TeaChick]

Try here for LF first https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/heritage-large-fowl-thread for your Jersey Giants -
Bantam Cochins go https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/195235/cochin-thread - it seems very active.
It looks like BYC needs help with it's breed discussion "sticky note page" - Of course, since anyone can start a new thread, same topic any time, I think it is probably a windmill chase LOL.
Browse here for other possibilites...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/14/breeds-genetics-showing

You don't have to trade roos every year, just once they start being infertile. You really should sit your breeder friend down, ply him or her with good coffee, set a tape recorder nearby and pump them for information! It's more efficient, really! That's why I'm so excited to have made such a connection with a gentleman south of me that has been breeding single comb heritage, SOP bred RIR's. He's going to help me with pairings, working on traits such as laying and meat production, etc.
Have fun!

No problem.  Culling is removing a chicken from your flock, some sell, or give away, or eat.  When I say cull it always means killing and eating.  I distinguish between culling and processing.  In that if I process a bird it is one I intended to eat, if I cull the bird it isn't one I intended to kill, but circumstance (usually sick, or injured) requires it.

Oh, thanks.
Do you eat chickens that were sick?

 

[TeaChick]

Sorry I'm mobile and not that god at it. :-(

 

[TeaChick]

culling is euthanizing or putting down or killing - you cull for lots of reasons, including putting an ailing chicken out of its misery, or getting rid of excess chickens.  Sometimes it is used to refer to the process of culling out the worst of the breed/flock so you can improve the flock by breeding the best.   

everyone asks questions, its the only way any of us can learn anything!

Thank you.
I appreciate that pretty much everyone on here has been willing to take the time to teach a newb.

 

[TeaChick]

I think we all are. I can't stop thinking about it.

Same here. I told my girls and we've been wondering all day, hoping her chickens get better very soon.
Weve had sick chicken scares ( and lost one) but we're praying for the best for delish's chickens!

 

[TeaChick]

watch out for armadillo...  they're known to carry leprosy.  as for possum, nope. I know the list of diseases they carry and won't go there either. one of them is EPM - equine paralytic meningitis...   yeah probably not transmissible to humans, but that's what they said about mad cow disease too.

I'm glad whatever it was we only ate it that once. No one seemed to get sick. I'll say no thank you next time I'm offered armadillo or opossum.
Thanks!

 

[TeaChick]

I'm so worried about Del and her flock it's driving me batty! I just can't imagine... and it's not her fault! Moldy feed can be hard to detect. It is usually an issue with the storage of the feed before it is sold.
WORRIED ABOUT HER CHICKENS TOO.
SORRY ABOUT ASK CAPS. CAN'T CHANGE FONT COLOR ON MOBILE.
I also have a bird with frostbite. She evidently went to bed on the coldest night so far with a bloody comb and it froze. My nicest girl, too! There are so many possible reasons they can get frostbite...

SORRY ABOUT YOUR HEN'S COMB. HOPE SHE RECOVERS WELL.

BTW, I like your SN.

 

[schimbare]

Greetings!

I would love to drive by some fields of grains. The only fields I get to see are lacrosse fields when my kid has a game.

I would like to grow small amounts of grains that the chickens can nibble on when they are free-ranging in the backyard. But truly, I know of no grains grown on Long Island.

It is not even like I can buy seeds to grow grains.

So, my yard has sun and shade depending on the season. What and where can I buy seeds to grow grains that the girls can eat while the plants are growing. I plan to section off parts of yard and plant vegetables for the girls, but how do I add grains?

thanks
Schimbare

 

[TeaChick]

update..

I have been treating all of the birds... I have not lost any today and some of the older birds who could not walk yesterday were up today. I pretty much think all of the chick are not going to make it and I am not really working with them much. They are so small and internal damage could be significant from even a few days of poison. I worry about damage. If they make it I will just cull them as meat birds.  I was going to cull them all last night and decided to give them all another 24 hours. I will probably regret my decision since it was more emotional than good sense. I think I am over the hump with the adults. Now the hard work starts. I have to detox and pro gel for three weeks and send one off to the lab at the end of three weeks to see how much damage I did to them. They want me to put them on antibiotics after the detox since now they are more vulnerable to respiratory problems. I do not know if I can do that. I have a few weeks to make up my mind. My birds were strong before and that also helped to save most of them. I just hope I did not destroy their livers and gizzards. I think if I give them antibiotics i will destine them to liver failure for sure.


Thank you all so much for the links..the reading and calling and getting them on detox and pro gel so quickly probably saved them. They responded in less than 12 hours. It was remarkable. As a group you are the best. If my flock is saved..you all did it.

I am so grateful and thankful this Thanksgiving for wonderful people on this thread in my life..
I wish you and your family's a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Glad things aren't as bad as they could have been.

Hope you and yours have a wonderful thanksgiving too!