The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

I have also been a little concerned about the roost "cake walk" lately.  It seems that there is always 1 that roosts by herself as the others won't let someone on.  Especially in these temps that concerns me.  But so far so good.

Every night there is a different line up on the roost & it can take them up to half an hour to decide They were fine when I moved them last night.

There are a,couple pecks at the cabbage. Hope its a big hit. I can't put any frozen veggies I have out. Even after I defrost them they freeze again :/ cabbage would be a great substitute till it warms up. And I give them some grapes also.

Went out to give the girls some eggs and top of ff in their heated bowl. Surprise,surprise the top of the ff in the heated bowl was frozen. I could break it up with my finger tho. I've never had that happen. I though being in a dog crate, covered by a tarp would of kept it warm enough to prevent it from freezing in these temps., I put the ff I brought out in the coop surrounded by hay to see if girls could eat it before it froze. Wil def being going out later to give them their sprouts & break up the ff again :/

Lily my blue heeler mix. She is my love. Best dog I have ever had. I'm going to work with her more this spring with the chickens. She has chased an escaped hen before but I had her in the electric netting last year & she ignored them. Of course I was there with her

Bear my Aussie/lab mix. He would have chicken for a meal every day if he could lol. But he keeps the predators off the property

 

[chicalot]

You guys im freaking out right now.. several hens sneezing and my roo sneezed and has green poo hanging on his hiney. This seems sudden. What do I do? No new chickens. They free range. What the heck!?

Im going to post to emergency help

 

[Ms Jellybean]

The farm where I grew up (my mom and dad) still breed sheep! Here is their first baby of the "lambing" season.... was born over this past weekend....(it actually has a twin). Dad is hoping that there are no more babies born until Thursday!!!!!! ...because of the cold...

I love black faced sheep. I'd like to raise sheep someday.

 

[delisha]

You guys im freaking out right now.. several hens sneezing and my roo sneezed and has green poo hanging on his hiney. This seems sudden. What do I do? No new chickens. They free range. What the heck!?

Im going to post to emergency help

Have you changed feed?
Do you use different shoes when you leave your yard?
Have you added new bedding?
Have they lost weight?
What breed are they?

 

[chicalot]

Have you changed feed? Not lately, Dumor layer feed. I had switched a month ago to a local feedmill brand but hated it due to loose stools, thin crumble, so back to Dumor.

Do you use different shoes when you leave your yard? Yes, I only wear my mud boots to the chicken coop but they can free range right up to the yard/door/drive.

Have you added new bedding? Started with straw in early January purchased from TSC.

Have they lost weight? Doesn't seem so.

What breed are they? 3 White Rock, 3 Wyandotte, 3 EE bantam roos, 2 EE hens, 1 partridge rock, 2 Blue Copper Marans

My Roo with the green poo has a dark comb. It's a pea comb. I thought frost bite but now wonder if it might be lack of oxygen. They seemed slightly less sneezy when I went back out but I know there is an issue here. It's hard to spend a lot of time out with the weather. I might send to roo for necropsy. I'm thinking I'll get Tylan 50 to have on hand but monitor for now. I'll also get yogurt today.

 

[chicalot]

I'm going to shower and get read to go to town. Will check here for any suggestions before I leave. I did call the vet and got very little info but he can send for necropsy, do stool sample,order antibiotics.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Have you changed feed? Not lately, Dumor layer feed. I had switched a month ago to a local feedmill brand but hated it due to loose stools, thin crumble, so back to Dumor.

Do you use different shoes when you leave your yard? Yes, I only wear my mud boots to the chicken coop but they can free range right up to the yard/door/drive.

Have you added new bedding? Started with straw in early January purchased from TSC.

Have they lost weight? Doesn't seem so.

What breed are they? 3 White Rock, 3 Wyandotte, 3 EE bantam roos, 2 EE hens, 1 partridge rock, 2 Blue Copper Marans

My Roo with the green poo has a dark comb. It's a pea comb. I thought frost bite but now wonder if it might be lack of oxygen. They seemed slightly less sneezy when I went back out but I know there is an issue here. It's hard to spend a lot of time out with the weather. I might send to roo for necropsy. I'm thinking I'll get Tylan 50 to have on hand but monitor for now. I'll also get yogurt today.I

Are any of them acting sick or different than normal?
What age is the roo? Interesting that you say it's dark and may be lack of oxy...possibly heart failure?

 

[chicalot]

It's so hard to tell about how they're acting because of the cold. Some of them take it well and others not so much. The roo is puffed up. some of the hens puff up but it's only about 7 degrees and they don't tolerate that well, southern bell's don't like the cold. It was probably 0 degrees last night. Bertha (WR) sneezed repeatedly. Miss Prissy (BCM) sneezed a few times. A couple of others sneezed. The roo sneezed once. The green poo throws me cause those roosters have always been clean crappers and then that comb. It's very concerning that my BCM sneezed. They're the tough girls. You know how some chickens in the flock wouldn't be surprising to get sick and some it's totally unexpected? My husband is out of town and I'm freaking out, lol. I'm going to run out for the yogurt,etc.

 

[hellbender]

I'm going to shower and get read to go to town. Will check here for any suggestions before I leave. I did call the vet and got very little info but he can send for necropsy, do stool sample,order antibiotics.

Soooo. he must have died?

 

[aoxa]

It's so hard to tell about how they're acting because of the cold. Some of them take it well and others not so much. The roo is puffed up. some of the hens puff up but it's only about 7 degrees and they don't tolerate that well, southern bell's don't like the cold. It was probably 0 degrees last night. Bertha (WR) sneezed repeatedly. Miss Prissy (BCM) sneezed a few times. A couple of others sneezed. The roo sneezed once. The green poo throws me cause those roosters have always been clean crappers and then that comb. It's very concerning that my BCM sneezed. They're the tough girls. You know how some chickens in the flock wouldn't be surprising to get sick and some it's totally unexpected? My husband is out of town and I'm freaking out, lol. I'm going to run out for the yogurt,etc.

How is your ventilation?