The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I am perhaps a bit jaded but I think your son is in A Top University.

Right out of high school, I went into the Army, serving 3 tours in Vietnam. Yes...I'm 'crazy' but that time served in the military provided me with as much education as the nine years I spent at WVU but with different emphases.

In South East Asia, I developed a strong empathy for my fellow human being and saw what politics can do to our world. I have never failed to vote after that portion of my education.

After a year of rest in Central America, I entered WVU and nailed down the finer points required to speak and act on behalf of others.

Oddly enough, the time spent in the first 'class room' helped to defray the costs of the second level...Strange world.

Thank you for your service to our country in the army...and to your neighbors at home. I have a great deal of respect for that.

 

[lazy gardener]

Ditto, my thanks from afar. It's refreshing to hear that someone cares for those around them, and actually does something for them in this me-first world. I call it: "Putting shoes on your prayers."

 

[armorfirelady]

I heard that my area is supposed to get a foot of snow. What is the expected amount up north for this weekend?

Well we are having a good old fashion blizzard today. 0 visibility the whole way into work. I believe that said up to a foot of snow. It just depends where you live. I live south of the city so we tend to get more snow than the city or north of it. The fact that Lake Erie is not completely frozen does not help. They are saying Saturday its suppose to *warm* up but until then the temps are back in the single digits with wind chills -20 to -30 again.

Quote:
I burn what they bring me. I get my logs from a tree service in my area. Normally its some kind of maple with a little birch thrown in from time to time. Very little pine which is ok since I wont burn it in my wood stove. I stack the pine for the outside fire pit. The wood from last fall I got in October so while its been 4 months sitting outside it really has not had time to season much. And its under a couple feet of snow.

I also share my fire wood when I have some extra. Those friends who like to have a fire for show not to heat their house.

At the age of 4 years, I'm going to let my Heeler beotch have a litter this spring...in season now.

I love my heeler. She is a house dog but one of the best dogs I have ever had. I am going to try her in with the hens this year. Kind of late to the party but she likes to come in with me to check them out (& eat chicken poop

) but I would like to know I can keep her in with them & have no problems. That way when one flies the fencing she can herd the hen back to the coop without trying her for a snack first.

I'm extremely fortunate. I have free natural gas and so is my water free...I have a artesian spring so it doesn't hurt me to help others once in a while. I have eggs delivered to my wood person and a few other folks who have a hard time of it. This weather has been especially hard of everyone but the less fortunate have taken some pretty hard hits.

Someday if I ever get some property somewhere way out in the country I am hoping I get some with a creek or gas well on it to help me even firther get off the grid. And hopefully somewhere where its a little warmer

 

[aoxa]

I just hatched a chick with NO EYES. I don't even know what the heck could have caused this. Never seen anything like this. I am going to cull it, but didn't yet. Still has 3 days reserves from hatching.

Actually, I may not.. Reading this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/520492/newly-hatched-chick-no-eyes-update-1-31-12-she-layed

If it manages okay, I will let it live.. If it suffers, I will put it out of it's misery.

It can hear incredibly well. If I peck the ground of the brooder with my finger it follows the sound. I think it would do well with a broody. I have 7 of them. May just add it...

 

[Leahs Mom]

I wonder if it could be vitamin A deficiency in the parent?

When I get some time I'd like to do a little research on that one. Just don't have time today. Maybe someone else will find something before I get "a round tuit".

 

[hellbender]

Well we are having a good old fashion blizzard today. 0 visibility the whole way into work. I believe that said up to a foot of snow. It just depends where you live. I live south of the city so we tend to get more snow than the city or north of it. The fact that Lake Erie is not completely frozen does not help. They are saying Saturday its suppose to *warm* up but until then the temps are back in the single digits with wind chills -20 to -30 again.


I burn what they bring me. I get my logs from a tree service in my area. Normally its some kind of maple with a little birch thrown in from time to time. Very little pine which is ok since I wont burn it in my wood stove. I stack the pine for the outside fire pit. The wood from last fall I got in October so while its been 4 months sitting outside it really has not had time to season much. And its under a couple feet of snow.

I also share my fire wood when I have some extra. Those friends who like to have a fire for show not to heat their house.

I love my heeler. She is a house dog but one of the best dogs I have ever had. I am going to try her in with the hens this year. Kind of late to the party but she likes to come in with me to check them out (& eat chicken poop

) but I would like to know I can keep her in with them & have no problems. That way when one flies the fencing she can herd the hen back to the coop without trying her for a snack first.
Someday if I ever get some property somewhere way out in the country I am hoping I get some with a creek or gas well on it to help me even firther get off the grid. And hopefully somewhere where its a little warmer

Most maple, especially sugar maple should burn fine as should birch and pine should burn like paper! Sounds like you don't have a straight flue. I wouldn't burn any fuel (wood or coal) unless I had a straight flue..if you have a bend in the pipe, it creates problems with creosote...even with with well seasoned wood. Also, you would do well to cover your wood.

As for your Heeler...she's pretty old but they are the smartest dogs I've ever seen. I'm breeding mine to start out a couple pups in reserve and I have friends screaming for pups...They will be born in the chicken house and the second thing they smell will be chickens..the first will be chicken poop.

I'm so very glad and fortunate to have the free natural gas...I've heard of some horror stories where people have sky-high bills and propane is extremely high if it can be found at all....rationed in most places.

Get out from where you are as soon s you can....land prices are going up everywhere. So mamy people are beginning to flee the cities and burbs!

I started writing this in reg. font and it's really blurry....gotta' get that cataract surgery over with...I have an appointment ...not looking forward to it!

 

[Alibabe]

Alibabe: if hubby is saying that the run is too small... I'd listen to him... and I'd follow that up with a conversation with him... encouraging him to decide that the coop needs to be bigger too. If my hubby so much as suggested that anything related to my "farming" was too small, I'd take it and run with it so very fast that he'd wonder if a tornado just passed through!

@Alibabe and @lazy gardener

I agree. I'd let him build it as large as he'd make. You will NEVER be sorry for having too much space because there IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH SPACE.

Most people also end up fining that they want more birds than they originally thought so if you're in the building process I'd say to plan for at least double what you are not thinking if you can. More if possible.

You'll never regret that.

Last year I hatched eggs and at 1 time we had 33 chickens before I sold the babies. At present I have 5 babies in a brooder inside who are 2 weeks old this weekend so many more to come if I am going to do as many as I did last year .

We are hoping to look at purchasing a large plot of land next year so in the future I can breed lots of chickens and have the space to rear them but for now I have to keep the numbers down.

I like to let my birds have the run of the whole garden but with Mrs Fox producing spring litters, I have to lock them up during the day whilst I am at work so we should have 2 or 3 pens in the back garden until Autumn comes around again and all excess birds are sold.

 

[aoxa]

I wonder if it could be vitamin A deficiency in the parent?

When I get some time I'd like to do a little research on that one. Just don't have time today. Maybe someone else will find something before I get "a round tuit".

I've gone back and decided to cull it for sure. I don't have time to baby it. It's better that way..

I'm going to be watching for these deformities again. I'll have to really watch if it is a certain hen that throws them and stick her with the layers...

 

[Leahs Mom]

CHICKS WITHOUT EYES:

Here are a couple of things. (Only had a few minutes..there is another place I want to look too.)

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Note this talks about phytic acid content/phytase enzyme. PHYTIC ACID IS (one of) THE ANTI-NUTRIENT THAT IS REDUCED BY FERMENTING OR SPROUTING FEED; PHYTASE ENZYME IS INCREASED IN FEED THAT IS FERMENTED OR SPROUTED.

Both are associated with legume and grain-based feeds that are pretty much what we feed at this time in history (an un-natural diet for a chicken but it's what we have to work with).

Read more about anti-nutrients here and here.

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In young chicks, signs of zinc deficiency include retarded growth, shortening and thickening of leg bones and enlargement of the hock joint, scaling of the skin (especially on the feet), very poor feathering, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, mortality. While zinc deficiency can reduce egg production in aging hens, the most striking effects are seen in developing embryos. Chicks hatched from zinc-deficient hens are weak and cannot stand, eat, or drink. They have accelerated respiratory rates and labored breathing. If the chicks are disturbed, the signs are aggravated and the chicks often die. Retarded feathering and frizzled feathers are also found. However, the major defect is grossly impaired skeletal development. Zinc-deficient embryos show micromelia, curvature of the spine, and shortened, fused thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Toes often are missing and, in extreme cases, the embryos have no lower skeleton or limbs. Some embryos are rumpless, and occasionally the eyes are absent or not developed.

Quote: http://www.avianweb.com/deadinshell.html Vitamin A: Death at about 48 hours of incubation from failure to develop the circulatory system; abnormalities of kidneys, eyes and skeleton - See more at: http://www.avianweb.com/deadinshell.html#sthash.fxMD3GfF.dpuf

 

[aoxa]

CHICKS WITHOUT EYES:

Here are a couple of things. (Only had a few minutes..there is another place I want to look too.)

*****************************

Note this talks about phytic acid content/phytase enzyme. PHYTIC ACID IS (one of) THE ANTI-NUTRIENT THAT IS REDUCED BY FERMENTING OR SPROUTING FEED; PHYTASE ENZYME IS INCREASED IN FEED THAT IS FERMENTED OR SPROUTED.

Both are associated with legume and grain-based feeds that are pretty much what we feed at this time in history (an un-natural diet for a chicken but it's what we have to work with).

Read more about anti-nutrients here and here.

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Now that you have found stuff like this, can we discuss how to fix any deficiencies in my breeding flock? Right now they are getting only lightly fermented food. 24 hours to 4 days of fermentation at most. I just go through it so fast...