The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

@Leahs Mom maybe you could keep the most mothering of hens and get her to raise the chicks. I think Stony had a favorite broody hen for many years. Makes me wonder if the broody hens keep laying years after a production hen might be done since the broodies don't lay as many eggs a year.

I guess I just need to see how it all works out and make the decisions based on what's going on with the birds I have or want to have. I tend to "worry about tomorrow today" and try to get things all figured out before it comes which often wastes a lot of good time that I could be doing something else!

 

[lalaland]

@lalaland

Just curious. How many eggs was your 6 yo doing on average per week? What breed is she?

And I think it's notable that this girl hasn't been affected by disease even though some of the others were. Sounds like this is the kind of girl you'd want offspring from!

Jezabel is an EE. she was down to maybe 4-5 eggs a week. I did hatch an egg from her this spring, but don't know which ee mutt hatched - only one blue egg hatched, the other was a dud, but there were two chicks that could have been hers - one is now a pullet, has a beard, and the other was a solid back ee with a beard and muffs. Kind of confusing, because the eggs I selected for hatching shouldn't have led to those possibilities. THe rooster was an unknown breed from the previous spring's chicks from that woman who messed up the hatching order and gave me mysterious breeds.

I'm all excited about the 5 pullets coming tomorrow. One buff orp, which I am thrilled about because I love that breed. 3 ee's and one - I think he called her a red star?

 

[Leahs Mom]

You'll have to post some photos!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Cute little Wilma. She must have some powerful cute genetics cause she makes super cute chics in spite of old ugly Fred.

lalaland, I keep my "eye candy" hens also. I have an Easter egg'er that hasn't laid sine last Winter but she doesn't eat much.

Wilma with this summer's chics..because I want to dream of warmer days already....


and some Wilma mama pics from this Summer

She IS a pretty bird!

 

[vpatt]

She IS a pretty bird!

I want one like her!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Does anyone on here have any experience with treating... I don't know for sure, but I think one of my son's birds has a recluse bite or two. I've been treating her, just by keeping it clean for over a week. One of the lesions seems to be improving but the other seems to be spreading, slowly.

When I discovered her, she had a huge swollen area just under the top of her folded wing... a huge cheesy mass. Apparently it had been that way for a while. She didn't appear sick at all. She was active and eating/drinking... all normal. That's the only reason I haven't given her any antibiotics. She seems to have a remarkable immune system.

Any suggestions?

 

[lalaland]

lacyblue....what about nustock? the cheesy mass part - if you are thinking it was infectious stuff/puss, definitely nustock.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I don't have any nustock but I remember somewhere, sometime, that I saw a recipe on how to make it yourself. Do you happen to have that info?

 

[hennible]

Recipes for sulfur lotion:
Nu stock is 73% Sulfur, 25% mineral oil, and 2% pine oil...

To make 5% lotion (for babies under 2 months old)
1 tablespoon Nu-Stock + 6 oz lotion = 6.5 oz of 5% sulfur lotion (note: 6 oz = 3/4 cup)

To make 10% ointment (this is the normal concentration)
1 oz Nu-Stock + 6 oz lotion = 7 oz of 10% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 6 oz = 3/4 cup)
One tube of Nu-Stock mixed with baby lotion makes over 2 quarts of 10% lotion! Of course you can mix up smaller amounts.

To make 14% ointment
1 oz Nu-Stock + 4 oz lotion = 5 oz of 14% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 4 oz = 1/2 cup)

To make 20% ointment
1 oz Nu-Stock + 3 oz lotion = 4 oz of 20% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 3 oz = 3/8 cup or 6 tablespoons)

Like this stuff?
From http://www.greendept.com/maximpulse/permethrin/soothing_itch.html

 

[ronott1]

Recipes for sulfur lotion:

To make 5% lotion (for babies under 2 months old)
1 tablespoon Nu-Stock + 6 oz lotion = 6.5 oz of 5% sulfur lotion (note: 6 oz = 3/4 cup)

To make 10% ointment (this is the normal concentration)
1 oz Nu-Stock + 6 oz lotion = 7 oz of 10% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 6 oz = 3/4 cup)
One tube of Nu-Stock mixed with baby lotion makes over 2 quarts of 10% lotion! Of course you can mix up smaller amounts.

To make 14% ointment
1 oz Nu-Stock + 4 oz lotion = 5 oz of 14% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 4 oz = 1/2 cup)

To make 20% ointment
1 oz Nu-Stock + 3 oz lotion = 4 oz of 20% sulfur lotion
(note: 1 oz = 2 tablespoons, 3 oz = 3/8 cup or 6 tablespoons)

Like this stuff?
From http://www.greendept.com/maximpulse/permethrin/soothing_itch.html

Thanks for posting this!

Does anyone on here have any experience with treating... I don't know for sure, but I think one of my son's birds has a recluse bite or two. I've been treating her, just by keeping it clean for over a week. One of the lesions seems to be improving but the other seems to be spreading, slowly.

When I discovered her, she had a huge swollen area just under the top of her folded wing... a huge cheesy mass. Apparently it had been that way for a while. She didn't appear sick at all. She was active and eating/drinking... all normal. That's the only reason I haven't given her any antibiotics. She seems to have a remarkable immune system.

Any suggestions?

One thing those recluse bites do is damage internal organs leading to total organ failure. That is a different thing than soothing the skin. I do not know if you can do anything for that other than use anti venom. She is in a quiet place separated from the others?