The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[MargaretYakoda]

Yeah I'm all for the simple method. Quicker the better.

Brilliant! I wonder if you've ever stuffed them before freezing? Would probably be best to steam veggies first and that would take away the easy factor. Never mind! So simple to just put it in with the bird, and to think I've been doing this in two steps when one would work! Thanks for the idea!

A note of caution: I'd be wary of stuffing a bird before freezing. If you're just stuffing with an onion, some carrots, or (what my partner does, and it's DELICIOUS!) an apple, that might be OK? But it wouldn't be that much simpler, and any stuffing before cooking the bird would introduce the possibility of harmful germs, which would flourish during the longer thaw time that would be needed before cooking the bird.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I need a lesson in breeding Salmon Faverolles. I'm not currently breeding them but I would like to learn more about them and the difficulties that come with breeding them.
I'm thinking with the variety of people on here, there must be a good amount of information that could be posted rather quickly. Maybe even a link to a few good breeders or at least their general locations.

 

[lazy gardener]

Sally, have you checked out the SF page?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Sally, Bridget Riddle in California has great salmon faverolles. I know for sure she has bantams but I'm only fairly certain that she has large fowl. I think she does, just not positive.

 

[RedRidge]

I need a lesson in breeding Salmon Faverolles.  I'm not currently breeding them but I would like to learn more about them and the difficulties that come with breeding them.

I'm thinking with the variety of people on here, there must be a good amount of information that could be posted rather quickly.  Maybe even a link to a few good breeders or at least their general locations.

 

Don't know anything about them but they caught my eye at the APA national today. Cute little buggers. I had never seen any before.

 

[Lacy Blues]

RedRidge, did you see large fowl or bantams? Bridgett's bantams are the cutest little things! They made it very hard to resist picking some up!

 

[RedRidge]

RedRidge, did you see large fowl or bantams?  Bridgett's bantams are the cutest little things!  They made it very hard to resist picking some up!

They were bantams. In not a bantam person so if they'd been LF I would have swiped them (jk)..;-)

 

[sunflower4you]

I have noticed that my 2 BA mixes have thick, rough, almost chalky dry legs going on. One BA has a few feathers on her legs, while the other has no feathers. I thought it could be leg mites, but my 3 EEs' legs are fine, so I wasn't sure. I thought if it was mites it would have spread to my EEs by now. So I was thinking it was just something to do with the breed. The BAs are not acting like they are in pain and their legs have been this way for a long time. They are 26 weeks old. Why would just the BAs have it? Anyone seen this before? Should I be concerned? How do I treat it?

Close-up of Caillou's foot:


Another close-up. The black things coming out of the left side of the leg are feathers.


Here is a picture of the foot while standing. The picture looks whiter than actual.


An EE leg for comparison:

 

[Shan30]

Looks like mites to me but then I've only had them personally once and helped a friend get rid of them on hers.

Some of our birds legs looked bad and some looked fine. I think they spread slowly and I noticed that they see worse on the feathered legged birds for some reason.

Nustock (or my homemade version of it) worked best and for Intermittent follow up treatments I just sprayed all their legs with Pam while they were roosting haha!

 

[lazy gardener]

If in doubt, it doesn't take much effort to treat. I'm wondering about the feet of a couple of BR hens that I've ended up babysitting. Friend in Arizona, and her coop power went out, so I picked up her entire flock yesterday and brought them home to my old coop. Not my first choice, but, I know she'd do the same for me if she could. Her flock provided the eggs for my hatch last spring.