The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[CoopChick719]

For starters...Valbazen, administered by mouth or by waterer is enormously effective when prosecuted in a clinical manner.

I also spread feed-grade salt in my bird houses. This dehydrates the eggs and causes no harm to the bird's feet.

I feed FF daily, included in the regular diet, always a moist mixture. My birds carry a very low parasite load ...my flock is tested monthly by floating several fresh fecal samples..

I didn't have Valbazen but they did get Safeguard. Even though I'm trying to do natural ways, I'm not opposed to using modern medicine if need be.

On the feed-grade salt--Do you mean table salts, epsom salt or salt like what's used in a salt lick? Of course, I've heard not to use salt near the birds.

Thank you hellbender for the advice!

Just a suggestion. Why not try fermenting only the grain portion of the diet? That works very well for me but I do mix a layer mash with FF at time of feeding. My feeding program is far more complicated that that but for all practical intent, my bird's feed is always mixed and served semi-moist. They love it that way too.

I tried fermenting the factory prepared stuff but there seems to be ingredients that don't take well to fermentation and are more likely to ROT...Just my observations that might help.

I have started just fermenting their scratch which I mix w/soaked feed at feeding time--mixed like a crumbly cookie dough.

I usually feed 20% Flock Raiser w/calcium but I have a girl laying soft-shelled eggs. I bought a bag of layer feed hoping this would help. So far the girls do not like it!

Well, I know many many people believe a healthy chicken can keep from having a worm overload. Personally, I don't know what more I could do to have healthy chickens with strong immune systems (except to have unlimited land and unlimited time and unlimited money - I could improve with that). The run I have is large, has been used for 8 years, and has lots of wild birds and rodents in addition to the chickens.

I'm with you, CoopChick, the worms are there despite my best efforts. My run is muddy for a week or so in the spring with the snow melt, but thats about it. Run is about 75' x 40' so plenty big. I don't use DE, or lime, but wood ash is there, deep litter, good feed although not FF in the winter. I don't think you or I are managing the flocks in a way to encourage worms!

I'm trying to avoid the chemical wormer - don't want the side effects. so, off to try Molly's~

I'm going to try the food-grade salt in the run & the coop to see if it helps. So far so good w/the Molly's.

Thanks. Hope you will give us updates. I'd be interested to see how it works for you!

Will keep you posted on the pine pellet bedding experiment. Just waiting for a nice weekend to clean out the coop.

I'm using the Molly's Herbal wormer Formula 1 & 2 as directed.

You're not too far off! Except you won't "pick them up" to get them back in their run. They'll know you as the bringer of food. You can use some sunflower seeds or some raw meat and they'll come running!

 

[MrsHall28]

Going to be putting to be putting together my coop kit today! I'd like to put a fan in the coop for the summer and a heat lamp in the winter. I'm guessing I should just run an extension cord from the house to the coop? It already going to get up to 95 degrees this week! Also, I heard that it is a good idea to put a small dim light in the cool at night. Any suggestions?? I'm going to see if I can find some small battery powered or solar powered dim light.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I don't use heat or light. The chickens will acclimate to the cold of winter very well.

As far as light, folks use that to "force" them to lay during seasons that they wouldn't normally lay. The length of light per day tells their body when it's time to lay and when it's time to "rest and restore". I let my chickens run on a natural light cycle that they are designed for. It makes for healthier chickens in the long-run.

In the summer, I have often run a fan during the day to keep the air moving inside as I foolishly placed my chicken shed in a place that receives full sun during the hottest part of the day. (If it was in the shade I probably wouldn't need to run a fan at all.)

While they spend little or no time in the shed during the day, they still have to go in there to lay their eggs and sometimes it is VERY HOT in there...upwards of 10 degrees hotter than outside unfortunately. When it get like that I'll often run the fan just to help keep it more bearable when they have to lay.

I also keep the doors fully open all day long and at night too in the summer when it's very hot. I have internal predator-deterring walls made of 1/2" hardware cloth inside the main doors so they can remain open.


You can see part of the internal walls here.

 

[aoxa]

I don't use heat or light. The chickens will acclimate to the cold of winter very well.

As far as light, folks use that to "force" them to lay during seasons that they wouldn't normally lay. The length of light per day tells their body when it's time to lay and when it's time to "rest and restore". I let my chickens run on a natural light cycle that they are designed for. It makes for healthier chickens in the long-run.

In the summer, I have often run a fan during the day to keep the air moving inside as I foolishly placed my chicken shed in a place that receives full sun during the hottest part of the day. (If it was in the shade I probably wouldn't need to run a fan at all.)

While they spend little or no time in the shed during the day, they still have to go in there to lay their eggs and sometimes it is VERY HOT in there...upwards of 10 degrees hotter than outside unfortunately. When it get like that I'll often run the fan just to help keep it more bearable when they have to lay.

I also keep the doors fully open all day long and at night too in the summer when it's very hot. I have internal predator-deterring walls made of 1/2" hardware cloth inside the main doors so they can remain open.


You can see part of the internal walls here.

I'm going to be splitting my 10 x 12 baby barn into 4 breeding pens. Can I borrow your hubby?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm going to be splitting my 10 x 12 baby barn into 4 breeding pens. Can I borrow your hubby?

He started using "Ranch Hand" as his email signature title

Right now I wish I could borrow him! I've been wanting to do some projects since last spring

@MrsHall28

I'm thinking your coop may be like the one that @armorfirelady originally started with. She may have some good ideas for you

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:

I'm going to be splitting my 10 x 12 baby barn into 4 breeding pens. Can I borrow your hubby?

He started using "Ranch Hand" as his email signature title

Right now I wish I could borrow him! I've been wanting to do some projects since last spring

@MrsHall28

I'm thinking your coop may be like the one that @armorfirelady originally started with. She may have some good ideas for you

Ranch hand.........I could use one of those as well. He has to go by me to get to Aoxa

MrsHall28
I had a coop that was a kit for my first coop. I used it the first winter when they were small. It said it was for up to 6 hens. Perhaps if they were miniature silkies.........my large fowl girls certainly would not fit in there now

But it did work for the first year but only because we put an attached run on it. I insulated it that first year but where it was insulated is not where they slept. They slept at the end that was open to the weather.

Here are a couple pics of the mini coop with the run attached. See on the picture on the right where the pvc pipe is? Their roost was right there & where they slept all winter. Those girls were toasty warm. Heck their feet were warmer than mine in boots !!

I added the red roofing material. I thought the roof would last longer. But last fall noticed moisture was getting into the layers below the cedar roof itself. I had to peel all the rotten woof off. The cedar roof was fine tho. I haven't decided if I will put the red roofing back on or not. The nesting box(not pictured) is now attached to the hoop coop. And the 2 pieces of the mini coop are now entrance ways for the hoop coop. Everything gets repurposed here.

Oh and I saw this online today for those who use purina feeds. Its a food recall.
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/p...wners-in-oregon-washington/?blogger=rslabaugh


Mine have never had heat, light or fans. They now sleep in a hoop coop made from cattle panels with a billboard covering it. They survive our cold winter with wind chills in the -30s.

 

[MrsHall28]

Greeeaat
In the city of San Antonio we are allowed 3 chickens. I asked my husband if our HOA had anythig against it and he said he was pretty sure they didn't. I bought the coop, have it all out ready to put together PLUS a run extension. Now he's telling me that their IS a HOA rule against poultry. WTH?!?! I hate HOAs!! Now I'm stuck with a coop and have chickens on the brain and technically can't get them! Might just have to be a rebel! Sounds like it's time to have a little talk with the board. Maybe get a lawyer if thy don't see things my way. I *will* have chickens!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Greeeaat
In the city of San Antonio we are allowed 3 chickens. I asked my husband if our HOA had anythig against it and he said he was pretty sure they didn't. I bought the coop, have it all out ready to put together PLUS a run extension. Now he's telling me that their IS a HOA rule against poultry. WTH?!?! I hate HOAs!! Now I'm stuck with a coop and have chickens on the brain and technically can't get them! Might just have to be a rebel! Sounds like it's time to have a little talk with the board. Maybe get a lawyer if thy don't see things my way. I *will* have chickens!

There is an old saying: "It's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission."

There are definitely ways for you to set up that your neighbors wouldn't even know the kiddos were there. Seriously. Do you have any fence at all..I think you mentioned a 6 ft chain link...but you could actually divide off an area with a privacy divider (similar to what folks use to hid their trash cans) but just make it big enough for the kiddos to run.

Edited to add: This is not necessarily the best course of action....just brainstorming. No legal advice implied

 

[MrsHall28]

There is an old saying:  "It's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission."

There are definitely ways for you to set up that your neighbors wouldn't even know the kiddos were there.  Seriously.  Do you have any fence at all..I think you mentioned a 6 ft chain link...but you could actually divide off an area with a privacy divider (similar to what folks use to hid their trash cans) but just make it big enough for the kiddos to run. 

Edited to add:  This is not necessarily the best course of action....just brainstorming.  No legal advice implied

Oh, I'm finding a way! Lol

My worry is that I have the feeling hens are going to be louder than I thought. I have a 6 foot wooden privacy fence pulse they'll be in there coop/ run most of the day. I was under the impression that they'd just quietly cluck and make an occasional noise here and there, especially since it would only be a couple of them. Would two hens get crazy loud?

I'm still believe I'll give it a go...

 

[delisha]

Going to be putting to be putting together my coop kit today! I'd like to put a fan in the coop for the summer and a heat lamp in the winter. I'm guessing I should just run an extension cord from the house to the coop? It already going to get up to 95 degrees this week! Also, I heard that it is a good idea to put a small dim light in the cool at night. Any suggestions?? I'm going to see if I can find some small battery powered or solar powered dim light.

No insulation or lights in those small coops. They are way too tiny to do anything. A chickens normal temp is 106 degrees. Put three of them in that small tiny space and you get moisture and heat enough to be a sauna. All that moisture turns into mold and it rots the building in a very short time. I am not going to go into what it does to a chicken. They are adorable and perfect for 3 tiny bantam chicks. If you use it just for chicks it will last a while.

Greeeaat
In the city of San Antonio we are allowed 3 chickens. I asked my husband if our HOA had anythig against it and he said he was pretty sure they didn't. I bought the coop, have it all out ready to put together PLUS a run extension. Now he's telling me that their IS a HOA rule against poultry. WTH?!?! I hate HOAs!! Now I'm stuck with a coop and have chickens on the brain and technically can't get them! Might just have to be a rebel! Sounds like it's time to have a little talk with the board. Maybe get a lawyer if thy don't see things my way. I *will* have chickens!

sorry to hear you can't have chickens..YET
Just ask for a zoning ordence to change for you and only you to keep chickens based on your particular circumstances for now. Say for example:
your kids need the eggs but store bought eggs use cleaner they are allergic too..etc.what ever it might be..or:

Ask your city clerk, township supervisor, or other local government official whether you need to attend a planning commission meeting, other special committee meeting, or the general city commission meeting. Find out the date, time, and location of the meeting. In some areas, you need to make an appointment to speak at a meeting or bring up issues. etc..It helps if you can find other people in your area who would also like to keep chickens and who are willing to come to meetings to support you. Local experts such as a 4-H poultry leader, veterinarian, or agriculture teacher who can speak on the behalf of poultry-keeping could help. You can also draft a proposed law or ordinance and get people to sign a petition in support of it.

http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0L...nge-them/RK=0/RS=fOUtJwli5WY8uC3lifR5MDp_1.s-