The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Jewelwing]

Tonight I moved in one load:

25 lb bag of grit
12 lbs. of water
3 jars - weight apx 5 lbs
apx. 2 lb. feed
And a couple other misc. items probably weighing about 3-4 lbs.

So..what does that add up to...

Close to 48 lbs.

So I'd say you could do one bag...maybe try it out to see if you could stack more without breaking the plastic.

It sounded like Aoxa's bags are 50kg (110lbs) each, so I wonder if the sled would hold over twice as much as you loaded on it?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Sled:
Well...think of the weight of a couple people on there. Probably would hold it just not sure if it would tend to fall off.


Rat Trap:
I have never seen one of those but I'm impressed!

 

[TeaChick]

On my hillside I need a tram...not a wagon or sled.

cheaper smaller wagons are available at garage sales and parents of multiples sales if you don't mind using a kiddie wagon. Personally I think they are great as there are straps to hold the buckets, some have extra back support, and many are made up durable plastic with drains holes so they can be left out in the rain.

Brilliant idea!!! I'll have to check that out!!!

Sleds are the best when there's actually snow in the ground. I keep thinking how much I need a good wagon.

Need distractions, I can't seem to stop checking my email hoping for test results from the roosters.

I need a wagon too.

I'm sorry; I try to keep up, but I know I miss stuff. Which roosters are you waiting for test results on?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I need it in the small coop. I'm not out there all the time, not nearly as much as I visit the large coop. The small coop is empty for another week or so then it will have young chickens in it so no eggs. I need to look into that remote light and the distance it can transmit. Thanks for the information.

 

[TeaChick]

For whoever was needing to get rid of rats, try a Rat Zapper (google it, I had no luck trying to paste a link here). It runs on batteries and is very effective, just follow the directions precisely.

Looked it up. Couldn't find a price. I'll show it to DH. =)
Thank you!!!

Oh nothing hopefully! No symptoms or anything. These guys were the chicks that were inside in the brooder when our flock contracted MG and we culled the flock. They are 7 months old now and we kept the boys longer than we would have to give them time to form the antibodies that they test for.

They were not hatched from our eggs or even on our farm. So as they never had contact and I took care of the chicks while Erick cared for the adults we are hoping that they are clean. Both of the Avian pathologists think we would have seen symptoms by now so fingers crossed!

Delisha gave me some great info on the testing, thanks! I have to say drawing blood from a tiny chicken vein is not easy!

I'm with LM:

Yeah... 900' elevation change from my house to my barn.
Thinking a pulley system might be good. ;-)

Yeah, like one of those big city clothes line things!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well...I hurriedly changed my feed set-up before leaving for work this morning and caused a pretty good case of frostbite on Mister's wattles. I'm kicking myself.

I am the "Queen of Prevention" (An ounce of PREVENTION is worth a pound of cure") and have "religiously" been very careful to provide restricted opening waterers and ff bowls. Something just went wrong with this set-up change and I'm not 100% sure what right now. I do know it is directly related to how that feed is set up and I need to figure it out.

I changed it to a different warmer source as I think it will keep the feed thawed better. And I thought it would keep the wattles out like the other setup did. But something is not working right. I guess I need to observe but now I'm back to work I can't watch him in the morning to figure it out.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Well...I hurriedly changed my feed set-up before leaving for work this morning and caused a pretty good case of frostbite on Mister's wattles. I'm kicking myself.

I am the "Queen of Prevention" (An ounce of PREVENTION is worth a pound of cure") and have "religiously" been very careful to provide restricted opening waterers and ff bowls. Something just went wrong with this set-up change and I'm not 100% sure what right now. I do know it is directly related to how that feed is set up and I need to figure it out.

I changed it to a different warmer source as I think it will keep the feed thawed better. And I thought it would keep the wattles out like the other setup did. But something is not working right. I guess I need to observe but now I'm back to work I can't watch him in the morning to figure it out.

Is it going to be above freezing tomorrow? if not maybe dry food for a few days while he has time to heal. Or there is the basement hospital healing approach if you don't mind being woken up.

 

[Scott H]

Sorry about Mister's wattles, LM, they must have gotten FF on them?

We finally got some snow last nite, about 4 inches, and the girls didn't come out of the coop til about 8:30. They got their drinks and a little feed and stated dust bathing. Think they would have stayed there all day but I broke out the snow blower to do the patio and they bolted up the hill to the cedar trees.

I was at the store later and noticed they has nice bunches of chard and mustard greens for a buck so I bought one each. When I got home I drove a nail under the eve of the coop and hung the chard from it. Fresh greens!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
26 tomorrow; 38 Friday.

I still think I'm going with the "hands-off" approach and observing to be sure it doesn't start weeping and being sure he isn't acting "off", still eating, etc. The problem I see with bringing them inside is that it will likely get worse if you keep bringing them in and taking them out.

I know plenty of folks that have been "hands off" and their birds looked great in the spring. And others that "treated" that seem to have caused more harm.

So, for right now, I observe. If I do see things look like they are weeping, large swelling, etc., then I'll treat. Otherwise... watching.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

42°F right here. Really warm.