The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hellbender]

Sand is definitely ground too small. They need the larger pieces. Very important!

And...sand is somewhat porous and can actually dissolve in the gizzard of a chicken, the larger granite grit is much denser and will do a great job, working with the chicken's digestive system.

 

[g67fam]

Thanks so much for this thread! I'm subscribing!

 

[lalaland]

Lost my little stuck shut eyed chick. I thought he might be ok, since I've had it happen before and they were fine with a little extra care. But he stopped taking water this evening and was getting weaker. He was laying out from under the heat when I got home from class tonight and was cold. I put him in a container and under the heat, but he died shortly after. I'm sorry he died, but I'm glad it was now if he wasn't going to thrive. The other 14 seem to be doing great.

its always hard, isn't it? glad your other 14 are doing so well.

 

[lalaland]

Thanks so much for this thread! I'm subscribing!

Welcome!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
This raises a question for me. There are a lot of folks that use sand as their litter. I KNOW that the chickens eat it while scratching through, picking up food from the ground, etc. Seems to me like that kind of litter base has the potential to cause damage and illness over time.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks so much for this thread! I'm subscribing!

Glad to have you! Just jump right in. Are you new at chickens or have you had them for awhile?

 

[lalaland]

Ack! I still haven't culled Booster, but he's added another reason to do so - the 3 sulmtalerhens with him are showing feather loss as they won't submit and he chases after them pulling neck feathers out in the process.

and....12-16" snow coming tonight and tomorrow.

Seaquist, the little white hen in the pic below, is broody. She can barely fit two eggs under her as she is so tiny. No idea what breed she is, she is from that mystery group of chicks from last spring.

t

 

[g67fam]

Glad to have you! Just jump right in. Are you new at chickens or have you had them for awhile?

Very new - I'm just getting my first batch today! SO excited!

 

[chicalot]

What do you folks think of these chics? My DH picked up 6 chips from tractor supply on March 3. He said they were labeled as Americana so I assumed easter eggers. Two of them don't seem to have tails are they defective?

I wonder about the electronets.. how do they hold up in high winds. Winds seem to be a big battle when picking things to use here. I have to get my garden season plans for the chickens under way or my neighbor will have them for dinner!

P.s. I don't know how they spelled Americana .. my phone is auto correcting it

 

[RedRidge]

What do you folks think of these chics? My DH picked up 6 chips from tractor supply on March 3. He said they were labeled as Americana so I assumed easter eggers. Two of them don't seem to have tails are they defective?

I wonder about the electronets.. how do they hold up in high winds. Winds seem to be a big battle when picking things to use here. I have to get my garden season plans for the chickens under way or my neighbor will have them for dinner!

P.s. I don't know how they spelled Americana .. my phone is auto correcting it

Electronetting does great in high winds IF you get the "double"step in posts. That's why I got mine from Kencove originally, although I've heard the Premier now sells the double also. I use mine year round (wind, snow, tall grass, etc)and have some rolls that are 10 years old. You also want to look for brands that the bottom row is not hot on (reducing grounding)