The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I think we need to see some photos of your boy looking all "manly"

 

[Leahs Mom]

Chickens make great therapy, but one gets back what one gives. Come to think of it, I have lots of family that just might pass out if chickens showed up at their place or if they were asked to take care of chickens. Too much of their upbringing has been that animals and birds are dirty and should be avoided. The peacefulness of watching the animals has long been lost on them.

You know...I love to see the birds walking around on the property. Scratching. Going in and out of the chicken shed. It really is a peaceful thing and just feels good.

The CAFOs have given all animals a bad reputation for filth and disease and mistreatment and disgustingness.

But look at cattle on the pasture. Goats in the woods browsing. Chickens running free in meadows and woods. With good husbandry they are "clean" and a delight!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Leah's Mom, congratulations on your cockerels. I prefer started birds too. I don't mind raising them at all but shipped eggs (in my opinion) are a waste of MY money! Ugh! Such disappointing results each and every time.

Did you notice how nobody touched your quarantine comment? I feel the same way!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Leah's Mom, congratulations on your cockerels. I prefer started birds too. I don't mind raising them at all but shipped eggs (in my opinion) are a waste of MY money! Ugh! Such disappointing results each and every time.

Did you notice how nobody touched your quarantine comment? I feel the same way!

I haven't had much luck with shipped eggs either. But the disclaimer is that I put them under a broody and they may have done better in an incubater (which I don't currently own). I think that after the shipping, even if you do rest them, etc., they just aren't as stable and laying under a broody doesn't work very well. I think in an incubator they probably have a better chance.

And....yes

 

[armorfirelady]

 
Leah's Mom, congratulations on your cockerels.  I prefer started birds too.  I don't mind raising them at all but shipped eggs (in my opinion) are a waste of MY money!  Ugh!  Such disappointing results each and every time.

Did you notice how nobody touched your quarantine comment?  I feel the same way!

I haven't had much luck with shipped eggs either.  But the disclaimer is that I put them under a broody and they may have done better in an incubater (which I don't currently own).  I think that after the shipping, even if you do rest them, etc., they just aren't as stable and laying under a broody doesn't work very well.  I think in an incubator they probably have a better chance.

And....yes

My eggs weren't shipped and I ended up with 5 out of 12. I thought that was pretty good, I don't think I would ever buy an incubator. I like when the hens do the work. These chicks are hardy, learned from theor co moms how to look for food and it didn't coat me anything but grains

I did quarantine when I got started birds from Sally8. I know how she raises her hens and they are all healthy but that doesn't mean there couldn't of been a problem. (I hope that didn't come out wrong). Anyways I would quarantine started chicks,pullet, regardless where they came from.

I'll get pics of him when the rain stops lol

 

[Leahs Mom]

I quarantined these also - and no it didn't sound bad.

The issue as I see it is that my birds may have immunities to what is in their environment; the new kids may have immunities to what's in their environment. But the things they've been around may be different for each group. So after the kiddos are around a couple of weeks with no incident, I will test out one of my own together with them.



I know other folks who free range their birds that feel that THEIR flock would pose more of an issue to any new bird coming in that may not have been free-ranged. Their thought is that theirs are around wild birds, mice, snakes, toads, squirels, ete.etc..... and that the newcomers may have been more sheltered and not had that exposure. Since they range, they put the new birds right into the flock area, penned in a "see, no touch" environment long enough for the new guys to become familiar w/everyone. Then they let them out into the flock.

That is a thought that I never really considered...but she may be right that the newcomers in that kind of situation may be more at risk than the current flock.

Since Leigh's boys and my girls all range in their respective environments, it's likely that they are of strong constitution. But I'm not ready to take that risk just yet. That being said, it really seems almost impossible to keep things COMPLETELY separate here. Though I'm using different shoes, I don't think I'll be changing my clothing several times a day!!! I'll wash hands and maybe put on a different "overshirt" when I'm around the boys. Use different shoes and try to be aware of crossing paths where I walk. Roll up pant legs.

But really, unless I was a whole lot more careful, the reality is that the current flock will likely have some exposure anyway.

 

[armorfirelady]

The way I did it is not for everyone. I am limited on space. So the new pullets went in the old run & coop. They could see the old girls and only fencing separated them. It's the only way I could do it. I did have the old girls DL in with fresh litter where the pullets were put. I felt exposing them early to it was a plus. I didn't change shoes or clothing. I would of had to change everything in my yard. Def was not the true quarantine but the best I could do in my circumstances. The fact I knew the person I got birds from was a plus.

And I agree what you have in your yard is different from everyone else's. And I do believe my hens are hardier because they are outside so much. I don't worry about rodents or wild birds around my hens. I want them to have the best immunity they can. I know for a fact mice burrowed under the hay bales around the coop last winter and I'm sure they went thru the coop to get back and forth. They had no ill effects. And I think that's helped the chicks who were hatched here as well. They were on the ground a day after they were born walking thru the others DL and out in the yard in the mud, dirt and compost. Chicks have been healthy and cocci was never a problem. Even green, dirty water probably helps lol.

I've always believed that kids outside playing in the dirt and woods made for healthier kids. I wasn't the mom who cleaned their kids hands constantly. A little dirt is good for the soul. And he was in daycare so colds were a given but by the time he started school he was rarely sick while his friends caught everything. People who clean and sterilize everything make me cringe. I really think that's why viruses and colds are always mutating because of this.

Ok think I need to get off my soap box lol

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have never "quarantined" a bird on the ground. Not to say that I wouldn't . Quarantines I have done have been cages of some sort off the ground with shavings for bedding and in a room separate from the others. I don't change my shoes or wash my hands between pens. Like armorfirelady said, they need to be exposed to whatever is here in small doses and visa versa.

As far as kids and relatives are concerned, I didn't wash my kids hands every 5 minutes either. My kids do get sick from time to time and I have never run them to the doctor for help. Only one time. My very young son had a very high fever for too long. Then I took him to a doctor. I don't remember the details of how it was handled. I don't remember any antibiotics being given. Anyway, we have an immune system for a reason. A fever is not a bad thing. A fever is only the body fighting and making it very uncomfortable for the invader germs to survive. Mucus is the pathway and carrier of white blood cells which do the fighting. Instead of being a microwave society where we have to have everything right now, including a cold being gone, we need to let our immune system flex its muscles and do the job for us. That is what it is there for.

Can't live in a bubble.

 

[armorfirelady]

Had to upload from phone. This is mr grey, he looks bigger in real life lol. His wing feathers look off because I trimmed them to stop him from getting in veggie garden. Obviously he can still get over stuff. He was flying over the pallets because big girls came into compost area to see what I was doing. I noticed today he is starting to get red hackle feathers in. I think he's going to be a big boy. I still find it amusing he runs from the big girls even though he is as tall as them

 

[Shan30]

ok, I'm sad because I took the hen down to be necropsied.  She was a sweetie, and even purred on the way down.  Rooster went too, but I would have culled him anyway as mentioned before.

Oh lala, I'm so sorry. Definitely know the feeling. The day we culled our entire flock...felt like a total monster.

Try to remember that this way is faster and far more painless than the death she mostly likely would have endured otherwise. Not to mention that she will be helping your gather information to help the rest of the flock.

On another note, I am looking for a refresher on what everyone uses for a natural wormer. My girls have basically stopped laying which I thought was due to a heavy molt in the older girls and stress from the bear attack. Plus the younger birds (6 months ish) have either not started laying or have only ever laid a couple eggs. However it has not picked back up and now many of them are having consistently watery poops. A few are a bit pale but otherwise appear and act totally healthy. Maybe a bit more impatient with one another.

I grated six carrots and crushed about eight cloves of garlic this morning but didn't have time to finish before work so covered it all with water and left it in the fridge. Planning on adding eggs, oregano, some high protein chick feed (help with feather regrowth) and possibly some pumpkin seeds if I stop on the way home. We are having the kids over to carve pumpkins tomorrow though so I might just wait since they will get tons then. Any point in adding plantain? Anything else? This is going to 35 birds.

Also, how long would you wait to see a change? At what point (if any) would you resort to a conventional wormer?