The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
We brooded ducklings this past Feb. I like having the eggs now but going forward, I'm only getting ducklings in warmer weather so I can brood outside. No more 6 week old ducklings in the house because the outside temps are still below freezing.

 

[misbhaven]

I agree I had duckling in the winter..inside yuck..i love the clowns now but duckings are very messy compared to chicks or and poults

 

[lazy gardener]

Almost got some this weekend from someone but we got there and he said there was cedar in the pile.

Yesterday, after being confident that the coop is now watertight, I finally did my deep litter. The girls seem to be trying to dig to the bottom of it. Question: How deep to I rake into the litter each day? I almost did not do it, we found a nice big wood playhouse for free on Craiglist, and we will be transitioning to that (when we get it here), but I just decided to go ahead start in our little tikes coop.

Okay, I have a sink full of dishes and am working VBS at our church this week, so they need to get done now b/c I won't have time in the morning so I better go. I also seem to sleep better when the dishes are done!

Hi Flyladyrocks. Re: the chipped trees: If you're using it in the run, I'd dump it in an out of the way spot, let it age for a bit and then throw it in the run. If it's in the run, a bit of cedar shouldn't be problematic. (Just my opinion) If your run is huge, you could just dump it in a corner of the run. Generally, when worms have moved into a pile, it's in perfect shape for the girls.

Re: DL in the coop: Is there a reason why you want to rake it every day? I generally let the girls take care of it. They are so busy mining for creepy crawlies that there is never any visible poop or odor. And if I feel that they have been too busy outside to tend to the DL, I just throw a bit of scratch around, and they get back to work.

Thank you for your dedication to the VBS program at your church. So many children benefit, and so few people step up to the plate to make the program work.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Hi Flyladyrocks. Re: the chipped trees: If you're using it in the run, I'd dump it in an out of the way spot, let it age for a bit and then throw it in the run. If it's in the run, a bit of cedar shouldn't be problematic. (Just my opinion) If your run is huge, you could just dump it in a corner of the run. Generally, when worms have moved into a pile, it's in perfect shape for the girls.

Re: DL in the coop: Is there a reason why you want to rake it every day? I generally let the girls take care of it. They are so busy mining for creepy crawlies that there is never any visible poop or odor. And if I feel that they have been too busy outside to tend to the DL, I just throw a bit of scratch around, and they get back to work.

Thank you for your dedication to the VBS program at your church. So many children benefit, and so few people step up to the plate to make the program work.

I guess I read somewhere to rake it every day and that is the only reason why. The girls tend to dig in their 2 favorite corners in the coop and nowhere else. They are only 10 weeks old today - can I give them scratch yet? I do like that idea. Seriously, I can't believe how far down they get in their absolute favorite corner and what is so darn special there?? They did the same thing before DL! They seem to think there is some amazing treasure down there. They honestly don't spend much time at all in the coop right now other than sleep at night, so unless there is an incentive to dig I am not sure they would really do enough. I can see visible poop in the AM when I open the door. Most of their digging and scratching happens while they are free ranging - they recently discovered the compost pile and all its treasures.

If we ever get our pile of wood chips I was going to ask about the aging, one of those things I thought I read somewhere. Maybe our neighbors would trade some of their aged shavings for some of our new ones. They have these two giant piles they are doing nothing with right now.

I was shocked how few people are helping with VBS. I haven't helped with Sunday school in a few years other than to sub and tend to feel a little guilty about that but just felt I needed to serve elsewhere. I won't feel guilty anymore! Our VBS is a huge neighborhood outreach. We are an inner city church. It will be exciting to see what God will do! Please pray for us this week.

Thanks for your input.

 

[LindaB220]

That sounds more like overfeeding the CX's and it affected their hearts. I think it's different.

 

[subhanalah]

@aoxa


Can you tell the story of your chicken that  had the fungus?  What age?  How did you know that was what it was?  How do you think he/she got it?  How long did it take the Oxine to work?  How did you administer the Oxine?  What is your mothers' maiden name?

hahaha

 

[flyladyrocks]

 

[lazy gardener]

Flylady: Praying. I've been tithing my Sundays for the past 2 - 3 years with Jr. Church. If everybody who WAS ABLE did that, they'd have more volunteers than needed! It's really not that difficult, and it's neat to crawl around in the head of a child! I come away blessed every week!

 

[Phoenixxx]

At what age do y'all start letting young chicks NOT BROODY RAISED begin to [COLOR=FF0000]range[/COLOR] outside of a protected pen with the adults?

I'm also going to mention @aoxa
@delisha
@MumsyII
  @Kassaundra
just to bump this question up for discussion/experiences.

When I refer to ranging I'm saying totally without any overhead cover, in the greater yard unless they return to the kennel pen.

My first bunch of hatchlings this year went into the coop, and therefore free range with the grownups, at 3.5 weeks. Last night I put my second hatch in the coop,most were not quite 2 weeks and they were full free range all day today, mostly because they fit through the holes in the chicken wire

 

[flagirl]

here is great video on organic, natural what to put in your chicken run