The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Update on Miss Gray...






To "recap" - she is the little skittish girl that I thought needed a "pet chicken" home. She's a "runner" and seems to run away even from the other chickens. She won't stand up for herself like the other lower birds in my flock will. The others will "take it like a man" and continue with their business. Miss Gray runs even if a chicken is just walking her direction.



She was apparently hit by a hawk on May 6 and has done well in recovery. Continued to lay regularly with no break even through the trauma of the hawk attack an some pretty bad wounds.

She went to a new home on Sunday to one of the young ladies on the Indiana thread. She has a good plan with many back-ups if necessary. Met her and her mom on Sunday where they met "Miss Gray" (who will likely soon have a "real name") and took her to her new home for a period of quarantine before trying various options to integrate her into their possible housing situations.



It's really strange to just give away this chicken...even though I look at mine as farm animals (at least I try to really hard) the flock is so small that I know them all. And this girl in particular since she would come like a puppy and want to be protected from the other birds.

So...now she has a new home and I hope it will work well for her.

Just to clarify, I did not give her away because of the hawk attack. I felt that she was not fitting into the flock and housing options here in the present. I just don't have the facilities or the time (I work full time) to have an individual that isn't fitting into the flock.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I find it interesting that in the report that Leahs Mom quotes on the dangers of 3 specific neonicotinoids, it also cites evidence that pyrethroids ( a synthetic form of pyrethrin which is widely regarded as a "natural", "organic" pesticide) pose the same dangers. This only serves to reinforce my belief that just because something is "natural" or "organic", it may very well be just as, or even more, damaging as "man-made" materials. A chemical is a chemical is a chemical..... the entire world is composed of nothing but various chemicals, it's a basic law of nature! So please before you decide that one chemical (or plant) is perfectly fine whilst another is toxic, THINK about it. Ricin is perfectly organic and derived from a plant that's been around forever... however I would NOT recommend feeding castor beans to your chickens.

I agree. You really have to watch what you're using - both for yourself, your land, and your animals.

I read quite frequently about folks using items with their various livestock that I really question the safety of using. Many times, actually.

I love all the new research stats on really natural items...
--like spraying a diluted raw milk as a fertilizer
--letting cattle graze on REAL GRASS pastures with no antibiotics, and no seeds (grains or legume) other than they'd pick up on the grasses in the pastures or in their hay in the winter
--rotating grazing to emulate the movement of cattle on the plains when following the new growth of the grasslands
--then letting chickens come along and spread it into the ground as they look for bugs and anything leftover from the fermentation process in the cattle's digestive system...etc....


I've even read research that seems to point to the whole parasite issue in animals as being related to their being fed "industrialized diets" (read "processed chicken feed", "processed dog/cat... any kind of animal feed".... It seems that when they really can get their natural diet without man-made stuff that parasites are almost non-existent. Then when switched to the "industrialized model", parasites become rampant. The theory is that the whole system begins to deteriorate over generations as they are fed that kind of diet over the years.

Anyhow... That's why I try to provide as natural a situation for my animals as possible .... trying to emulate what they would live like on their own as much as possible. Of course it isn't possible to give them the opportunity to go to warmer climate during the winter, etc. And a lot of what they get here is not natural to them (read "legumes" for protein...something they'd never eat if they had any other choice).

But for natural chicken keepers, we do whatever we can within our ability to emulate the natural.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS:

LOVING ALL THE BABIES!!!!!! AND ALL THE MAMMAS TOO!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

To Heartsizedfarm......Anyone can try all they want but NOBODY  can make a hen go broody......When the hormone levels and the genetic trait for broodiness coincide the hen will go broody....Fake eggs and putting them in special places will not work........Reports of incidents where these efforts have worked are only COINCIDENCES...

I think you meant to direct this advice to PNoah1?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

that's so interesting.  my broody is a first time momma, and she took the babies outside today at one and two days old.  It is going to be stormy tomorrow and I'm feeling guilty about leaving them shut up in the small broody space - it isn't a very bright space the way the windows are positioned, which was perfect for a quiet broody but not so great for mom and chicks.  

do you find there is a typical age when momma is done being "momma" with the chicks?

It certainly does vary with hens. One of my hens hatched only one egg from her little clutch of three, but that chick, her daughter, is now almost five and the two hens are still inseparable. Another hen hatched two chicks and when I let her out of the coop after, I think it was a day? she took off like lightening for the veg garden and left them both behind! Ha! I had to catch her and remind her of her little charges, and she was sometimes mindful but usually very dotty and forgetful of them. They got to sleep under her wings but during the daytime they had to look out for themselves. Fortunately the big yellow chick took excellent care of the little red chick. But there you go, different kinds of mothering, just like humans.

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

I am currently treating my hens swollen foot with epsom salt baths and a topical paste made of tumeric, honey & ginger to reduce swelling and the sugars in the honey act as an expectorant. Garlic is a natural antibiotic, it's said to be better than a prescription antibiotic because it doesn't kill off the good bacteria. If your hen is taking a prescription antibiotic it's suggested you add plain yogurt to their diet as well to combat any diarea & replenish good probiotics.

Anyone know of any natural/herbal antibiotics for chickens?
I don't need any but I like to be prepared just in case.

 

[Leahs Mom]

It certainly does vary with hens. One of my hens hatched only one egg from her little clutch of three, but that chick, her daughter, is now almost five and the two hens are still inseparable. Another hen hatched two chicks and when I let her out of the coop after, I think it was a day? she took off like lightening for the veg garden and left them both behind! Ha! I had to catch her and remind her of her little charges, and she was sometimes mindful but usually very dotty and forgetful of them. They got to sleep under her wings but during the daytime they had to look out for themselves. Fortunately the big yellow chick took excellent care of the little red chick. But there you go, different kinds of mothering, just like humans.

I wish my resident broody had kept friendship with her kiddos like your first described.

She does take care of them WAY LONG... 13 weeks the last time and it was hilarious seeing those huge kiddos still trying to crowd under their mamma!!!

But when she's done, she's done. One day she's mom and the nest she's attacking them if they come near her. Then it's "ever kid for themselves" and she won't defend them from the others after that.

I decided that if she or any of my others brood again that I'll keep them in a more protected area way longer. I'll let them go outside whenever the mamma wants, but I want overhead protection so it will likely be some kind of pen. I don't like restricting them like that but those tiny kids are such an easy target and sometimes one will lag behind a bit and get away from the group. Not too far, but far enough that it would be easy pickin's for a hawk.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Hello, I am a Newbie here trying to do my chickens (like my life) as natural as possible. I figure this thread should keep me busy with lots of reading material for awhile!

I have a question - I'm wondering do any of you give Kefir or Kombucha to your chicks. My chicks will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, (with one that is 5-7 days older than the rest). I am just thinking there are so many good healthy probiotics in both that they could be good for the chicks. I always have both on hand b/c I make them so it would be easy for me to give to the chicks. I was thinking I would mix it with their water. Right now I put ACV in their water.

So what do you think? Thanks for your help!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Hello, I am a Newbie here trying to do my chickens (like my life) as natural as possible. I figure this thread should keep me busy with lots of reading material for awhile!

I have a question - I'm wondering do any of you give Kefir or Kombucha to your chicks.  My chicks will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, (with one that is 5-7 days older than the rest). I am just thinking there are so many good healthy probiotics in both that they could be good for the chicks.  I always have both on hand b/c I make them so it would be easy for me to give to the chicks. I was thinking I would mix it with their water.  Right now I put ACV in their water.  

So what do you think? Thanks for your help!

Keffir is a kind of yogurt right? But what is Kombucha?

 

[potagergirl]

Hello, I am a Newbie here trying to do my chickens (like my life) as natural as possible. I figure this thread should keep me busy with lots of reading material for awhile!

I have a question - I'm wondering do any of you give Kefir or Kombucha to your chicks. My chicks will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, (with one that is 5-7 days older than the rest). I am just thinking there are so many good healthy probiotics in both that they could be good for the chicks. I always have both on hand b/c I make them so it would be easy for me to give to the chicks. I was thinking I would mix it with their water. Right now I put ACV in their water.

So what do you think? Thanks for your help!

Welcome

I can't answer your question as I am still quite new.
But when it comes to reading, I have read several posts on byc of people using kefir, yogurt and
other probiotic healthy items. Recently I believe it was kefir, yogurt, with some sprouts and seeds on the top.
Sounded like a salad I would want to eat