The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

cute chickies jen !!

-- one of these days I'll figure out how to upload some pics of my big girls - I have the pics, They're on the other laptop -not too bright of me -- gotta fix that some day

Just had Goldie outside my office window perched on top of a 5' japanese lantern - egg crowing to get attention -bring us worms, we want worms...the little beggars - as bad as the dog & cats! -- too funny.

 

[aoxa]

Jen,

It's big enough for sleeping, but that's about it. I think you'd be better off winterizing your run and removing the heat slowly so they can acclimate. That's why they are so puffed up in the cold.

By winterizing, I mean make sure no snow gets in there, so they continue to spend the majority of their day in the run instead of all crammed in the coop.

 

[jendodd79]

I agree with the assesssment
Too small, too much heat, and too many birds for deep litter.

You choose to heat ..and that is ok
as a suggestion..next year..don't heat and see if you notice a difference in your birds.

Yes. I was thinking about your pen size and whether you may have too many birds in it for the DL to keep up. If they are in there more than 24 hours multiple times a week, your DL can't keep up with the load. My five chickens only roost in the pen. They go into the barn isle to eat and drink and then leave the barn for most of the day. I have to really watch it that the poo under the roosts doesn't pile up more than a day or it will smell. Thus the reason I fork it under every morning when they leave.

It's about time I remove a couple wheel barrows from that pen and put in some fresh raked leaves, peat moss, shavings, and grass hay. It's a recipe that works for me. This mix plus poo breaks down very quickly in our climate I have found. Getting it right is the challenge.

Thanks! We are rookies so this is great information!!! When we moved the chicks out we had a cold snap so we moved the light outside and then it just kept getting colder. At this point could I start turning it off? When it isn't raining, unfortunately it rains here more then naught. We'd love to get our low electric bill back!

If the rain can hold off for a few more days, I will have some good dried leaves to put in

 

[jendodd79]

Jen,

It's big enough for sleeping, but that's about it. I think you'd be better off winterizing your run and removing the heat slowly so they can acclimate. That's why they are so puffed up in the cold.

By winterizing, I mean make sure no snow gets in there, so they continue to spend the majority of their day in the run instead of all crammed in the coop.

It only snows here 2 days a year, so we'll be ok with that! They just have been choosing to stay out of the rain. But we can definitely cover our whole run. It also rarely hits freezing, it will probably be back to 6 degrees by the end of the weekend.

 

[jendodd79]

yep Jendodd & mumsy -- water frozen in the run just now --sun out, rain & snow stopped, cold blast on the way. I'm likely a bit colder & wetter than you both - 350-ish elev - 15 miles east of Everett - if they say snow in the foothills - that's us.

mumsy - WI gets that little rain shadow break from the Olympics -- I'm unfortunately in the convergence zone -- ugghh

don't ask -- land was cheaper out here in the wilderness!

I would take the wilderness any day over where I live!

 

[jockeyeba]

Here is the inside of our coop. We're putting up a roost right below the window at the top right. That window actually looks in through to the window of our mud room. We wanted to be able to watch the chicks - lol! Yes, the heat lamp is still on, lol! Ventilation window I was looking forward to this wyandotte, but she has no personality! She looks funny puffed up though. She always hides and never makes a sound. I thought Little One was going to be plain, but she's getting an amazing "mane" Puffed up in the cold! What are you doing crazy lady? Puffed up Anne Shirley Love the colour of this buff!

Love Little One's color

 

[chickiemomy]

Can ff ever get TOO fermented? Mine has been going for about a week and a half and it has a scum across the top. I keep stirring it up but the scum forms again. And it definitely smells sour! Seems I might be brewing some kind of grain alcohol soon!

I don't believe it can get TOO fermented -- HOWEVER, if you are not feeding it regularly, and it's warm, the good stuff will eventually die off, leaving room for the bad guys. This doesn't happen for awhile but can't give you a time as it is very dependent on heat - summer it will reach the 'end' before cooler weather. Important also, I feel to keep the feed submerged under liquid.

The only time I've had people veggie ferment get moldy & spoil is when I ignored it for tooooo long - & the liquid evaporated below the layer of the veggies. They say you can just scrape off the mold, the food under the liquid is still ok - but it was too unappetizing for me to keep. I'm more vigilant now!

people & chicken fermenting is using lactic acid fermentation - why it turns 'sour' think good crunchy deli pickles. The longer I leave my 'kraut, the more sour it becomes - then I refreigerate it & eat over a couple of months. Cold slows the fermentation down to a real crawl. Kim chi is another common lactic acid fermented product.

And the scum is really just the byproduct of the fermentation process -- should be kind of a white, almost dusty-LOOKING product. I always see it on my pickles - it really shows up there - sauekraut it kind of disappears into the cabbage.

hope this helps -- sour is good - what you're looking for.

 

[Mumsy]

Phoebe sounds close!! Does she like Johnny's nest selection?

HAH!

After posting I went out to take a peek and she had already rejoined the flock! I ran into the barn and yep! She laid her first egg in the top nest that Johnny picked out. So excellent! She dropped that egg in less than an hour. Her first. It is perfect too. No weirdness at all. And what else is interesting to me? There are numerous nest sites to choose from. I've got pots and boxes throughout the barn and runs. (just in case) She laid her egg in the only one Johnny liked and the only one with NO fake egg in it!
My husband is going to be happy. He likes Phoebe.

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote: near vancouver?? -- I love Canada -- been lobbying to move there with all the latest stuff going on in the states - but hubby can't be convinced as your weather is really no better than ours. I'm really a canadian at heart - a (said with affection) we're retired, so don't need to stay near jobs anymore -- FREEDOM - sort of!!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

BDM- I am glad you shared about your girl with impacted gizzard. I think I have a 17 week old pullet with the same thing(the pullet that survived the hawk attack on New Years Eve). This poor girl is standing with eyes closed alot, extending and shrinking her neck, no firm poops. She has been inside all day and I got about a teaspoon of EVOO down into her crop and massaged it for a bit. Gonna do that again tonight.

Jenn- You think being a bunch of pages behind is bad, try going back to look for a post for advice you saw posted(I had to go back about 30 pages). I would rais you lamp by 4" everyday until it is putting the same temp under the lamp as the ambient air temp, then turn it off. This will give them a chance to adjust to the change. I did this with my 8 week old chicks to wean them off the lamp faster in the last 2 weeks(although I was raising 2" every other day)