The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Now you have to answer questions

Why did you vaccinate?

Because it is required to show, because it is a prevalent disease in the area that is reportable and they will exterminate your flock if they have it.

It's free, and it keeps them safe from developing the very common (and deadly) disease.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks!

 

[jlynnet]

I've been too busy to post pictures or comment on much these days! Most of my 2013 babies are laying now. Yeah! My older group looks so good since they've gotten their feathers back. They were pitiful!
Here's some pics of my Orpingtons and Tolbunt Polish.

 

[Allysha1990]

I've been too busy to post pictures or comment on much these days! Most of my 2013 babies are laying now. Yeah! My older group looks so good since they've gotten their feathers back. They were pitiful!
Here's some pics of my Orpingtons and Tolbunt Polish.

Nice looking flock!

So sorry to hear about the chickens Sounds like a raccoon or a fox. When we lived in Aus we had a coop with a pen outside that was around 7 feet tall at least. Foxes could climb over it, they are sneaky little buggers. I would imagine it was a raccoon in your case however. I am also guessing that it is going to come back now that it knows where it can pick up a free meal, so I would try and cover that hole with a metal mesh or something

 

[Scott H]

 
Maybe needs to ferment?

Sometimes chickens are weird about new food . different texture , Color , Etc .
Questions for you
How long have you fermented it ?
Have you drained It ?
What are you fermenting ?
 Id say just give them a little ...As this time of year what they dont eat right away will freeze
Or give them some regular food with just water mixed in so they get used to the difference of it .
I started just moistening the food ...before I started fermenting it ...to stop the waste ...it was getting everywhere

It fermented great. .. texture like oatmeal..it's an organic whole grain feed with nutrients mixed in. .. in a brown powder form. They would just shovel out the powder to get at what they wanted. .. lots of waste so I thought fermenting was worth a try. I mixed in treats to get them to eat it and they ate a little bit and they will eat some. Just not crazy about it. ;-)

 

[mlowen]

It fermented great. .. texture like oatmeal..it's an organic whole grain feed with nutrients mixed in. .. in a brown powder form. They would just shovel out the powder to get at what they wanted. .. lots of waste so I thought fermenting was worth a try. I mixed in treats to get them to eat it and they ate a little bitand they will eat some. Just not crazy about it. ;-)

It took my girls awhile to decide they liked ff.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Nice looking flock!

So sorry to hear about the chickens Sounds like a raccoon or a fox. When we lived in Aus we had a coop with a pen outside that was around 7 feet tall at least. Foxes could climb over it, they are sneaky little buggers. I would imagine it was a raccoon in your case however. I am also guessing that it is going to come back now that it knows where it can pick up a free meal, so I would try and cover that hole with a metal mesh or something

Of course when I got home tonight the very light dusting of powdery snow we'd gotten last night was gone, along with the footprints. The prints were definitely not coon or possum, something I know we have a lot of around here. I had also thought about the possibility of a cat being the culprit, but the prints definitely had claws. I really believe that it was a fox, and although I've never seen one around my neighborhood I know they are defintely living in other parts of town. I checked the entire coop and pen carefully for holes, like I mentioned the only opening in the entire thing is maybe 3" wide and 3 feet long, at the top of a 6' privacy fence. The pen was full of feathers but everyone had been moulting so it;s hard to tell what happened. I did find some feathers out in the driveway where I had seen the tracks earlier. What I've read about fox says that they'll often kill several birds, but take only a few of the bodies up to MILES away to eat. I am worried that it will come back for the 8 birds I have left in the other coop. The pen around that one also has 1/4" hardware cloth screwed down, but there are a few small gaps in the hardware cloth surrounding the bottom of the (elevated) coop. It was getting too dark to do much about it tonight, but if they can make it through tonight then I'm off work tomorrow and will fix it then. I left the bodies of the 2 girls in their run, so maybe if Mr. Fox comes back tonight he'll snack on those instead of killing more.

 

[lalaland]

So I think Pia is doing a little better. She was still sitting in her nest a lot. She's stand in the morning eat and I'd leave for work. Yesterday I decided to bring my broody Silkie up to keep her company because I picked Tiger up to put her back in after free at and she is so skinny!!! She comes out every morning like she's breaking the broody cycle. And has been for a good week but still sits during the day. I didnt realize how thin she is. So I figured she'd benefit from some sick ward catering. I'm not sure Pia really needs to be inside but as I haven't been able to monitor her, I just don't know and I want to make sure she's back to normal. She hasn't laid an egg since I brought her in.....

thanks for the update, I was wondering but didn't want to ask.

I'm in the background.



Busy with giveaways and lots of farm work. We vaccinated our birds yesterday for ILT. It is suitable for organic operations.
I wanted to do a tally at the time, but it was so busy I couldn't. He is going to email me a copy of the records so I will FINALLY have a real number!

um...what is ILT?

Of course when I got home tonight the very light dusting of powdery snow we'd gotten last night was gone, along with the footprints. The prints were definitely not coon or possum, something I know we have a lot of around here. I had also thought about the possibility of a cat being the culprit, but the prints definitely had claws. I really believe that it was a fox, and although I've never seen one around my neighborhood I know they are defintely living in other parts of town. I checked the entire coop and pen carefully for holes, like I mentioned the only opening in the entire thing is maybe 3" wide and 3 feet long, at the top of a 6' privacy fence. The pen was full of feathers but everyone had been moulting so it;s hard to tell what happened. I did find some feathers out in the driveway where I had seen the tracks earlier. What I've read about fox says that they'll often kill several birds, but take only a few of the bodies up to MILES away to eat. I am worried that it will come back for the 8 birds I have left in the other coop. The pen around that one also has 1/4" hardware cloth screwed down, but there are a few small gaps in the hardware cloth surrounding the bottom of the (elevated) coop. It was getting too dark to do much about it tonight, but if they can make it through tonight then I'm off work tomorrow and will fix it then. I left the bodies of the 2 girls in their run, so maybe if Mr. Fox comes back tonight he'll snack on those instead of killing more.

Yikes! I take it your coop has a way of locking your girls in it at night?

 

[Allysha1990]

What about a skunk or weasel? I know those only eat things like the throat, but of course that wouldn't really explain why 2 are gone. I hope it doesn't come back

 

[lalaland]

tonight I'm dreaming of having a game camera inside the coop. Would love to be able to see the dynamics of all 19 hanging out in the coop while it is so cold outside. got to be a bit crazy.