The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[misbhaven]

I've often wondered if dusting them with sulphur or just adding it to the dust bath would have the same effect but have no idea if sulphur would be a safe thing to inhale. Maybe with little chicken dust masks...

I know my mother was having issues with her puppy's skin and I recommended adding some sulphur to her dog shampoo. Instead she took her to the vet and $200 later she left with shampoo containing an active ingredient of sulphur haha!

I have used generic people shampoo the dark brown sulphar/tar smelling kind on dogs with dry skin cost me less than $2 ..I used to have a dog that was allergic to just about everything a really old vet now deceased told me to do that worked like a charm...

 

[Scott H]

One of our friends from the chicken island to get that butt downsized....

 

[Leahs Mom]

One of our friends from the chicken island to get that butt downsized....

OMGosh! If the chickens catch him will they eat him?

 

[lalaland]

I've often wondered if dusting them with sulphur or just adding it to the dust bath would have the same effect but have no idea if sulphur would be a safe thing to inhale. Maybe with little chicken dust masks...

I know my mother was having issues with her puppy's skin and I recommended adding some sulphur to her dog shampoo. Instead she took her to the vet and $200 later she left with shampoo containing an active ingredient of sulphur haha!

yes, dusting works but you woud want it diluted. I have been reading old poultry books and when I had mites/lice last summer, and no wood ash, I used some advice from one of the books and did a sulphur dip. Thats basically a dunk of warm water with a bit of dish soap and a tablespoon of powdered su lphur per gallon . Have to work a bit to get the feathers good and wet, and keep it out of the eyes ears etc. worked for me but it was a heck of a lot of work, mostly because of how long it took to get it down to their skin. maybe more soap would have helped.

also, you can put a bit in the food and that helps them repel the mites/lice. I can't remember the amount but it was miniscule. like maybe 1/4 tsp sulphur to 25 pounds of feed.

 

[armorfirelady]

One of our friends from the chicken island to get that butt downsized....

Great pic & they will get a lot of exercise chasing that lizard to try & have it for lunch

 

[Scott H]

Quote:
We just got back from Kauai...they have millions of feral chickens and definitely 50/50 hen/cock ratio! Don't seem to put a dent in the lizard population.
We stayed at the Coconut Cottage on a little farm. Goats, pigs, chickens, both feral and domestic, and lots of geckos and chameleons (Anoles) for $69 a night. It was really nice! And warm!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Scott -
Do the "wild" chickens hang out and eat feed with the "kept" chickens...and are the folks able to gather eggs from the "wild" ones at all?

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:
We just got back from Kauai...they have millions of feral chickens and definitely 50/50 hen/cock ratio! Don't seem to put a dent in the lizard population.
We stayed at the Coconut Cottage on a little farm. Goats, pigs, chickens, both feral and domestic, and lots of geckos and chameleons (Anoles) for $69 a night. It was really nice! And warm!
Jealous!!!

I will share pics I get on the game cam. Going to leave it for a few nights & see what goes by. All I saw this morning was bunny tracks in the snow. Thats kind of boring lol

 

[lalaland]

I just want to say that muddy runs = dirty eggs. got 5 inches of snow but there is mud under the coop.

Leahs Mom, I found a chicken book you might like. It is written by an english woman who lived on bainbridge island in washington (that island is magical) - moved there in the 20's and raised dairy cows. At age 86 , n 1975, she wrote a very short book about raising chickens. Minnie Rose Lovgreen's Recipe for Raising Chickens. it was reprinted in 2009, and I found a copy online for 4 bucks. It is very anectdotal vs scientific, though....but I am loving her discussion of broody hens. she says hens talk to their chicks when they are in the gg.

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok fellow BYCers here is a weird question.............

Anyone have owls near them? DO they who...who at night? Why I ask is because I have heard several nights after dark someone Who..whoing while I was out at the coop. And it seems close.......there are no barns near us. But I have a dozen pine trees on my property & some woods behind me so I wonder if its in there nesting?

I live in town so it seems kind of weird to hear them. Usually we here morning doves but they havent come back this spring yet & we only hear them during the day and I have never heard them at night.

Thoughts??