The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Thanks Scott H and Armorfirelady, I checked her all over and didn't see anything on her skin or on the base of her feathers. The bottom of her tail doesn't have any feathers, but the skin is clear and pink. (I think she's molting). These are my first chickens so I don't have a lot of experience, but I've been researching chickens and chicken care for over a year. I do have 20 years of experience as a nurse for people though.

Will keep surfing the site, including the diseases/injuries thread, mix up some eggs garlic and oregano (out of basil) and hope for the best.

Edited to add: No scratching noted.

Is she laying yet? Can you palpate her abdomen and see if any swelling? If she is laying she may be egg bound? (just a guess)

 

[fenwickchic]

Thanks for that tip. Hadn't given washing the bags a thought yet. Just got the burlap.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm with you Leahs Mom. I would love to listen to books while doing household chores and would probably love a Kindle, BUT... call me paranoid but if TSHTF and or electric fails, then printed books will rule. Plus, maybe I've read too much of George Orwell's "1984" or Huxley's "Brave New World: Brave New World Revisited", or Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", but I know that my printed reference manuals, and other intellectual gems are going to be much harder to get rid of in physical form than they will be if they are all electronic and "in a Cloud". So, yes I prefer the physical book. Showing my age and paranoia. LOL

Agreed with both of you re: written materials. It's much harder to re-write history when it resides in the hands of the people. I wouldn't call myself a prepper, but I would say that I am looking at the signs of the times with my eyes wide opened. Also with the economic hardships facing our nation, as well as personal situation, it's wise to be as self sufficient as possible. Chickens are an excellent beginning place.

 

[Scott H]

Thanks Scott H and Armorfirelady, I checked her all over and didn't see anything on her skin or on the base of her feathers. The bottom of her tail doesn't have any feathers, but the skin is clear and pink. (I think she's molting). These are my first chickens so I don't have a lot of experience, but I've been researching chickens and chicken care for over a year. I do have 20 years of experience as a nurse for people though.

Will keep surfing the site, including the diseases/injuries thread, mix up some eggs garlic and oregano (out of basil) and hope for the best.

Edited to add: No scratching noted.

Yes, molting will make them look (and feel for a while) quite miserable. Keep an eye on her.

 

[ki4got]

well, had a slight 'almost oops'... I had set some eggs, wrote down the lockdown date as the 18th... well yesterday I opened the incubator to take the eggs out and put them in the hatcher, there's 2 mille fleur bantam cochin chicks looking out at me! LOL

6 more eggs were also due at the same time as well. so they went to the hatcher (3 had pipped already!).

last night had a nice blrw pop out before bed but no other progress on the 2 pipped eggs. this morning I had another blrw and a red dorking running around the hatcher! first chicks of the year!

the other eggs had quit somewhere along the way, but with the pipped ones I didn't take the time to candle like I normally do...

 

[FridayYet]

Is she laying yet? Can you palpate her abdomen and see if any swelling? If she is laying she may be egg bound? (just a guess)

You were right.

Although I couldn't feel anything in her abdomen last night when I checked her before bed, this morning she had egg contents hanging out of her cloaca. I popped her in a warm bath and was able to get the rest of the soft shell out intact from the middle of the prolapse.

Now I'm off to read about prolapse and to see if anyone has long term success with a problem like this.

Thank you!

 

[lazy gardener]

preparation H

 

[lazy gardener]

well, had a slight 'almost oops'... I had set some eggs, wrote down the lockdown date as the 18th... well yesterday I opened the incubator to take the eggs out and put them in the hatcher, there's 2 mille fleur bantam cochin chicks looking out at me! LOL

6 more eggs were also due at the same time as well. so they went to the hatcher (3 had pipped already!).

last night had a nice blrw pop out before bed but no other progress on the 2 pipped eggs. this morning I had another blrw and a red dorking running around the hatcher! first chicks of the year!

the other eggs had quit somewhere along the way, but with the pipped ones I didn't take the time to candle like I normally do...

 

[Jewelwing]

I'm with you Leahs Mom. I would love to listen to books while doing household chores and would probably love a Kindle, BUT... call me paranoid but if TSHTF and or electric fails, then printed books will rule. Plus, maybe I've read too much of George Orwell's "1984" or Huxley's "Brave New World: Brave New World Revisited", or Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", but I know that my printed reference manuals, and other intellectual gems are going to be much harder to get rid of in physical form than they will be if they are all electronic and "in a Cloud". So, yes I prefer the physical book. Showing my age and paranoia. LOL

I agree! There are certainly plusses to a Kindle (my daughter is an avid reader and loves that she can take hundreds of books with her on a trip without having to carry them all!), but there's just something about holding a real book.

I keep thinking the same thing about all my pictures, too. Since 2001, I've been moving to digital, and now have no "real film" photos. On my to-do list is to use a software program to make photo albums with my digital photos (not just squash them on a page, but do more of a scrapbooking type album like I used to do with my Kodak prints), print them out, and bind them into real albums, so I have something physical to hang on to and pass down.

The funny thing is that my 72 year old mom LOVES her kinde - in fact just got a Paperwhite for Christmas, and hardly ever uses DTBs now (dead tree books). She even makes fun of us for not being more electronic in our reading habits!

well, had a slight 'almost oops'... I had set some eggs, wrote down the lockdown date as the 18th... well yesterday I opened the incubator to take the eggs out and put them in the hatcher, there's 2 mille fleur bantam cochin chicks looking out at me! LOL

6 more eggs were also due at the same time as well. so they went to the hatcher (3 had pipped already!).

last night had a nice blrw pop out before bed but no other progress on the 2 pipped eggs. this morning I had another blrw and a red dorking running around the hatcher! first chicks of the year!

the other eggs had quit somewhere along the way, but with the pipped ones I didn't take the time to candle like I normally do...

Wow, so cool!!

You were right.

Although I couldn't feel anything in her abdomen last night when I checked her before bed, this morning she had egg contents hanging out of her cloaca. I popped her in a warm bath and was able to get the rest of the soft shell out intact from the middle of the prolapse.

Now I'm off to read about prolapse and to see if anyone has long term success with a problem like this.

Thank you!

Oh, goodness. I hope it all turns out well for her. Or rather, turns in and stays in! Reading your posts, I was hoping it was just that she was molting.

 

[FridayYet]

Oh, goodness. I hope it all turns out well for her. Or rather, turns in and stays in! Reading your posts, I was hoping it was just that she was molting.

Thank you, That's what I was hoping, too. She's feeling much better now, ate 1/2 a chopped hard boiled egg mixed with a clove of garlic and a bunch of oregano. In a bit I'll treat with preparation H and move the dog crate over by the run so she won't be too lonely.

She's kicking the shavings all over the place, so that's a good sign.