The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

well that's enough excitement for the evening... shot one possum right up next to the back door, under the deck (had to remove one board to get it out...)

then while depositing that in the pickup for proper disposal at the buzzard yard (bend in the road near the river LOL) tomorrow.

then on my rounds to lock up the chickie coops, I collected 1 sfh egg (from their own nest box!) 1 EE from the cochin's nest, and 3 cochin eggs, 1 buff orp and 1 'dotte egg from the horse trailer. 1 dorking has been laying the last few (also in the cochin nest) but probably took today off.

the egg drought is over! (I hope)

 

[delisha]

Yes!

Egg production is picking up here too..I still have two hens with chicks and two that have gone broody..I expect one to kick her chicks to the curb soon..They are doing well and growing well..I should have enough egg layers by next month to get back to selling...I hope.

 

[lalaland]

well that's enough excitement for the evening... shot one possum right up next to the back door, under the deck (had to remove one board to get it out...)

then while depositing that in the pickup for proper disposal at the buzzard yard (bend in the road near the river LOL) tomorrow.

then on my rounds to lock up the chickie coops, I collected 1 sfh egg (from their own nest box!) 1 EE from the cochin's nest, and 3 cochin eggs, 1 buff orp and 1 'dotte egg from the horse trailer. 1 dorking has been laying the last few (also in the cochin nest) but probably took today off.

the egg drought is over! (I hope)

yikes on the oppossum, and hooray for eggs

Yes!

Egg production is picking up here too..I still have two hens with chicks and two that have gone broody..I expect one to kick her chicks to the curb soon..They are doing well and growing well..I should have enough egg layers by next month to get back to selling...I hope.

nice. any news on your interactions with the feed company? and an update on your flock? I'm hoping everyone is out of the woods.


me, I'm getting a tiny pullet egg from an unknown pullet about 4 out of 6 days. most of those are frozen solid and cracked open! Buster has badly frostbit wattles, I'm sure from drinking water and Booster looks awful with his comb. Hens are fine except for a tip on one pullet's comb.

Everyone is eating up a storm, and Booster has behaved himself so well that I forget to even watch out for him while I'm in the coop doing feed and water chores.

Today I'm going to try to deal with some frozen poop piles under a roost. When I walk in the coop, the frozen poop cracks under my boots. I have been covering it with clean hay, and I have salted the litter with BOSS but I fear the mice get more than the hens. Hay is a) kind of long for them to dig in, and b) frozen solid to the globs of poop. If I had my druthers (in this case both money and time) I would clean it all out and start them fresh. THese two weeks of solid indoor time have been hell on the litter.

Hay is going for 6-8 bucks a bale, if you can find it.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: why not use shavings instead of hay? easier to dig the poops under and for them to find the boss (while burying the poops).

 

[delisha]

Between humidity and poo many people are dealing with poopsicles. I usually do not use this product, but, I do have some on hand to help me with the huge humidity issues. Sweet PTZ? I think that is the correct spelling. I bought a bag a few years ago. It turns poo into dust and helps with humidity. Many hard poo issues is from not having a good base of DL and moisture. This weather is making it harder and harder to keep on top of it if you have not prepared for it. This is not the right time of year to get the coop dry...that was last month. Some of you might need a warm weekend to kick the birds out and get heat in the coop and get the DL dry and those poopsicles out. Last month I loaded up with leaves and a bale of hay in each coop and got that bottom layer on top. I also have mice problems this time of year and need to take care of it come spring. I am over feeding my birds and those suckers are all over. I need to cut back on feed. My birds are not hungry enough to kill them...

We are expecting some warmer weather next week. I am hoping for at least a few 40 degree days. My poop boards are loaded with poopsicles.

 

[aaggjg]

Great news about Pia

Vets have little knowledge about chickens..I have had them for 35 years and I still know very little..


http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=818


[COLOR=000000]1 cc of Ivomec injectable, mixed with 4 parts mineral oil.

Apply 3 drops of this diluted solution to the very top of the bird’s head (close to the eye, but not in the eye).[/COLOR]
[COLOR=000000]Do this twice, five days apart.

Also, treated all the birds with an antibiotic in their water for 8 days.[/COLOR]

Yeah. It's so frustrating!! My mom puts pressure on me to take my hens to the vet at first sign of anything ... I tell her I know very little about chickens but my knowledge is on par with what many vets know! Nugget doesn't seem to be scratching her eye nor is there any discoloration in the eye. She is almost finished molting but is still running from me like I'm going to torture her! I'll try and get a good look today!

 

[CoopChick719]

Hey I have my total animal count! WOOOHOOO for me! 

161 chickens (EEs 10, Crested EEs 3, Buckeyes 2, Silkies 31, Barred Rocks 33, SPPR 11, Frizzle 5, Layers 38, Houdans 9, CX 3, Naked Neck 10, Mixed 5, Ameraucana bantam 1)
2 geese
1 duck
4 goats
1 alpaca
3 dogs
2 cats

I really didn't expect to have that many chickens. I had my Partridge Silkies vaccinated in June, and don't know how many I have now, as I sold a few.

Very nice!! Do your Silkies get heat? I've got 2 Sizzles in my flock so I'm just wondering?

 

[ki4got]

Between humidity and poo many people are dealing with poopsicles. I usually do not use this product, but, I do have some on hand to help me with the huge humidity issues. Sweet PTZ? I think that is the correct spelling. I bought a bag a few years ago. It turns poo into dust and helps with humidity. Many hard poo issues is from not having a good base of DL and moisture. This weather is making it harder and harder to keep on top of it if you have not prepared for it. This is not the right time of year to get the coop dry...that was last month. Some of you might need a warm weekend to kick the birds out and get heat in the coop and get the DL dry and those poopsicles out. Last month I loaded up with leaves and a bale of hay in each coop and got that bottom layer on top. I also have mice problems this time of year and need to take care of it come spring. I am over feeding my birds and those suckers are all over. I need to cut back on feed. My birds are not hungry enough to kill them...

We are expecting some warmer weather next week. I am hoping for at least a few 40 degree days. My poop boards are loaded with poopsicles.

it's sweet PDZ... and yup. used it in horse stalls for years to neutralize the urine smell that can build up in closed barns.

 

[ravenseye57]

Take a q-tip and dip it in oil...wipe it on the ears..(any type of oil)
I have to disagree about seeds ..apple seeds have a place for chickens.

Depending on where you live, the breed of bird, how old they are and when they were hatched, they will molt in fall and/or late spring. Most of my birds hard molt in fall and light molt in spring. They hard molt in fall so they have full thick feathers to carry them all through the cold weather.

My broody's raise chicks with my whole flock. Some of them are not very good with chicks(protective and some are over protective) and I do take the chicks away and give them to other moms if they are available, or move the group if I have to. If no mom's are available I do put chicks in the brooder barn with out a mom. The chicks are healthier raised with the flock. I have 3 week chicks outside in -13 weather now. My whole flock is good with chicks except juvies. Roosters usually keep the juvies in line.

Thanks for the advice Delisha..I'll give it a try. Lots of DE and ash in the dustbath seems to be helping and hopefully this will do the trick. I sure would hate to resort to chemical insecticide.
Also, glad to hear what you said about apple seeds. That's what I had found in my research before I let my flock have the fallen apples (a few at a time) this Fall.

 

[Scott H]

Quote:
I am confused about this statement Vicki......
Although they contain a small amount of cyanide why make their bodies deal with any?

Quote: