The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

YAY~!!!!!!!

I have a thought on the head and face feathers. I hope it's not right. I remembered Delisha talking about mice and rats running all over the chickens on the roosts at night if you have an infestation.

Check this out:

RATS
And this video...
This is a pretty disturbing video. At least when they go towards the chickens they peck them away. Chickens can't see at night, however, so if there are enough of the rats you can see how this could be a problem.

I am SO AFRAID to click on this video.... I already HATE RATS!!! I fear seeing this will burn an image in my brain I won't be able to erase!!!

 

[Scott H]

Domestic rats....good......those big brown Norway's.... not so much. I struggled thru it.

 

[armorfirelady]

Kassuandra I remember when you first posted that. To bad you couldn't train the chicks to dust with them when they are done

Leah's mom- I know I have mole/voles and mice around. Rats? Doubtful. I've never seen them or tracks. I haven't even seen the mice tracks. They prefer to live in the wood pile for the winter. If my dogs don't get them the neighborhood outdoor cats sure would. I even rarely see the mice or moles. I only know their around because sometimes when we move wood we see them take off or find their babies. Now I know there is a bunny around. I see his tracks and poop all over where the girls are except in the coop. I believe once I wrap the hoop coop in the hardware cloth nothing small will get in the coop.

I think it's the big girls pecking at her, but I'm still keeping an eye on it.

I wish the warm wx would get here. I'm itching to get the billboard on the coop as well as the new "windows". I'm going to try & make the south end all "windows". It was amazing the temp difference in the coop today with the sun shining in

 

[TeaChick]

I posted this on another thread and was asked to repost it here, so here it is.








The computer is having a seizure and won't let me paste, but these are groups of feather dusters suspended in a brooder, they allow you to have less heat light, the chicks to have a natural action of ducking under mom, a way to stay warm and be out of the light. It makes them less noisy more seemingly content. They LOVE it.

This is genius!!! I'm going to go find everything in my house with feathers and try to rig up something like this!!!

I have a White Rock that does the same to some of the younger pullets that we have. She hops on their backs and pulls their feathers on their necks. The younger pullets are scared of her and try to avoid her. They seem okay after she is done, but I thought it was a bit strange at first too. She is for sure a hen and she lays a nice extra large egg. She will probably be one of the first to go here since she is the most aggressive hen, everyone else seems to get along fine together, she is the only one who adds trouble of my 22 chickens. (Well for now, anyway)

Oh, okay. Thank you.
My chickens don't seem afraid of her; they're all hens and older than her, just a bit smaller now that she's beginning to grow into her full size.
As long as she's not scaring them or hurting them, I'll keep her. I think she'll settle down as soon as she knows she's at the top of the pecking order.
I just got rid of an aggressive hen, so I know what you mean.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think it's the big girls pecking at her, but I'm still keeping an eye on it.

Have you observed your bigger girls going after her? I'm wondering how she reacts when they do as my "hair cut girl" is just not standing up for herself. She's healthy so there's no issue there. She just won't face them and stand up for herself.

So...does your girl run? Submit by squatting? Stand her ground? Fight back?

I need to figure out how to do some chicken assertiveness training around here.

 

[CoopChick719]

Thanks I have read a lot of literature on the subject of egg binding....I just don't know if anyone I know has ever been successful in helping a bird with it.

So...what I'm asking is:

1. Have YOU ever had an egg bound hen?
2. How did YOU treat it?
3. What was the result..was is successful? Not successful?

1. I haven't but my sister had one she thought she was going to have to cull. She noticed the hen 3 yr. old LF Cochin was walking like she was drunk--stumbling around. She didn't know what was wrong. We did some research and started treating for cocci, mites & egg bound.

2. Treatment: Brought her into the cellar. Kept her warm but no added light to slow down the egg laying process. 2 Warm baths--found she had mites during the first bath. Treated for mites--not sure what she used. After the cocci med, she got some molasses water for a few days. Fed 50/50 unflavored pedialite & water; extra calcium, scrambled egg with 1 Vitamin E capsule squirted into it & plain yogurt, garlic, oregano.

3. Successful--I think she was in the cellar for about 3 weeks. The last week she laid 2 eggs one day and then a soft-shelled egg the next day. After that she started acting like her old self--complaining that she'd like to go back to the coop. She escaped the pen a few times. Sis found her walking around the cellar when she got home from work one night. I told her to be thankful she didn't find her way upstairs through the cat door. We had some very cold nights so Sis waited a few days to bring her back to the coop. Knock on wood--she's happy, healthy & still laying.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thank you!

Did any of the other chickens in the coop have any issues with the mites?
Did you see any signs of cocci or did you just treat it as a possibility?

 

[armorfirelady]

I think it's the big girls pecking at her, but I'm still keeping an eye on it.

Have you observed your bigger girls going after her? I'm wondering how she reacts when they do as my "hair cut girl" is just not standing up for herself. She's healthy so there's no issue there. She just won't face them and stand up for herself. So...does your girl run? Submit by squatting? Stand her ground? Fight back? I need to figure out how to do some chicken assertiveness training around here.

Stella usually squeaks when she gets pecked on the head, shakes & puffs herself up. Then she is back in there to get some food. Did I mention she is all about the food? Lol once we get over polar vortex 3 I will put some more,stuff on her head

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL - this weather stuff is getting old, eh? It was already at the high for the day at 6:00 am (18) and it's downhill from there.

At least we got some electricity re-rigged for the heated bowls this weekend.

Could you re-post your electrical setup? (I guess I'm too lazy to go look for it

... actually, though, I"m supposed to be working...) I just wanted to look at that again if you have it handy.

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL - this weather stuff is getting old, eh?  It was already at the high for the day at 6:00 am (18) and it's downhill from there. 

At least we got some electricity re-rigged for the heated bowls this weekend.

Could you re-post your electrical setup?  (I guess I'm too lazy to go look for it ... actually, though, I"m supposed to be working...)  I just wanted to look at that again if you have it handy.

I had enough of the winter like a month ago. I'm using next years wood already. I'm ready for spring. My inside projects are getting old lol
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/electricity-in-coop-for-winter-or-anytime