The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[COChix]

I loved using Pam for follow up treatments every second night simply because its so easy and only ever did the one (heavy) treatment with nustock. I seem to recall it taking a long time to be able to see the difference as the old damaged scales stay in place for so long. Have you noticed any improvement or have they gotten worse?

So if you use Pam, would it be more beneficial to the hens to try and find the Coconut Oil Pam?

That's an awesome vid.  

I think I wanna go with the one that inspired Geoff tho.

http://www.geofflawton.com/fe/59960-feed-chickens-without-grain

Also credit should go to Karl a Hammer of Vermont Compost, who uses flocks to work their piles. I posted a video awhile back of Geoff interviewing Karl, who started in the 60's. I personally do not like the seeming large "Buy a video" that Geof uses. Most Permaculture principles involve sharing skill sets to spread the word. Some hold workshops to build a rocket stove for example, but build it in someone's home, that is a win-win for everyone involved. Less knowledgeable individuals get taught how to do and the people that teach them get a stove built. That is just my opinion and view.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Geoff has a sign up list to receive notification of new videos that are available to watch for free on his website. He sells a permaculture course if you want to take one. I don't know what the cost is, but I suspect it is high. But you have to remember that he flies all around the world helping people and giving free seminars and permaculture pep talks. I don't believe he is independently wealthy and has to make a living somehow. He's a natural when it comes to this kind of thing and he's willing and charismatic enough go to everywhere.

 

[chicalot]

Just peaking in real quick. Thought I'd say my rooster with the frozen wattles looks much better now. I didn't treat them for fear of making it worse. They simply fell off where they were black. So now they're an inch or so shorter. Guess that'll help keep ' em dry, eh?

Of the 7 eggs I set, 1 was blood ring at 7 days. They popped before lockdown, but I didn't open them up to add water or anything. It was set to auto stop turning on the day they pipped. 2 pipped the wrong end and 1 didn't make it. I think it drowned when 2 hatched and brought the humidity up or it simply got stuck. Luckily the other made it out. So 5 feisty little goobers! Leg horn over EE x2, leg horn over NH red x2, leghorn over white silkie x1.

 

[lalaland]

congrats! it will be fun as they get older to see what they look like. nothing like baby chick pics.

 

[vpatt]

I believe that Geoff would have his workers go in the pen once per day and scoop everything back into a pile... this turns it and eventually, as the trailer is pulled away, the chickens are restricted from accessing the fourth pile.

I thought about how a person with a small flock could do this and this is my idea...

Have a bin in the center of your chicken yard.  Only finished compost goes into the bin to rest.  On each of the four sides of the bin you pile up your stuff for the chickens to eat... one pile per week.  Let them eat and scratch at that pile for the week and the next week you start another pile... leaving the first one in place and daily go out there and rake up everything from being scattered back into their respective piles.  Once you reach the fourth side and  have to rake everything back together, you move the first pile into the bin in the center and don't let the chickens in there.  Let that compost rest.  Then you can add your fifth pile in the place of the first and go on the next week, adding the second pile into the bin... and so on and so forth.

Depending on how many chickens you have you must collect food stuffs for them to eat enough for a week.  I think this system would work and yes it is more work and that is why buying feed in 50 pound bags has become so popular.  No work involved.

I may have responded to the wrong post...I am not using a chicken tractor just piling up the litter whenever I scoop out the coop. With ten chickens and five chicks....I only have so much litter. It is poop with pine shavings and I add straw and leaves. I add some scraps and seeds or scratch from time to time. I do wonder if I should rake it back into a pile every so often. I could start a big pile of leaves to get more size. Being in the woods we have a never ending supply of leaves.

 

[COChix]

Geoff has a sign up list to receive notification of new videos that are available to watch for free on his website.  He sells a permaculture course if you want to take one.  I don't know what the cost is, but I suspect it is high.  But you have to remember that he flies all around the world helping people and giving free seminars and permaculture pep talks.  I don't believe he is independently wealthy and has to make a living somehow.  He's a natural when it comes to this kind of thing and he's willing and charismatic enough go to everywhere.

Glad to hear he does some free stuff as well.

 

[potagergirl]

Thanks, Shan. I thought I was seeing improvement, but once winter set in with the cold I think their legs are just lacking moisture now. I just noticed a small crack on one of my girls where the leg meets the foot. It looks like when you get really dry skin on your fingertips and the skin can dry out and split. So I want to give her some relief and I'm not sure what type of moisturizer/lotion to use. I treated with NuStock 3 times (once a week) and have not used anything since.

I just finished reading the thread for this and have a question. Can you put Vaseline on to help protect legs from cracking?
I'm curious because I read past post where people were using it on combs and waddles so that's what I've been doing and it works wonderfully.

 

[hellbender]

I just finished reading the thread for this and have a question. Can you put Vaseline on to help protect legs from cracking?
I'm curious because I read past post where people were using it on combs and waddles so that's what I've been doing and it works wonderfully.

Excuse me for jumping in here but before I could advise anyone to add some slickum for what seems to be a dehydration problem, I'd be sure it's not parasites and doubly sure the birds have fresh clean water in sufficient quantities!!!

 

[potagergirl]

Geoff has a sign up list to receive notification of new videos that are available to watch for free on his website. He sells a permaculture course if you want to take one. I don't know what the cost is, but I suspect it is high. But you have to remember that he flies all around the world helping people and giving free seminars and permaculture pep talks. I don't believe he is independently wealthy and has to make a living somehow. He's a natural when it comes to this kind of thing and he's willing and charismatic enough go to everywhere.

I get the Geoff thing. I started something like this last year before I saw any of his videos.
When we moved out here there was a large area of weeds right where I want to put my garden this spring.
Anyway I just started dumping all our scraps on it, all the straw from the raised bed garden and that from the chicken pens. I'm guessing because it was in the middle of a weed patch it's what kept the pile from scattering. I never touched the pile but when the chickens got big enough to discover they could free range more than 5 foot from the house they found it. I guess with the first snow we had the pile was still hot enough the snow melted because it was the only dirt you could see in the yard. It took the chickens to the end of January to rip through the pile but it is the first place they run to look for bugs when I let them out.
Next year I am going to do the same with another pile of weeds/brambles I want to rid from the yard. It will be above the garden area so I hope the chickens will keep the bug population down and away from my garden. Hubby is not happy about fencing off the garden it's one more task on his list but since I have trained the chickens to eat in the area it is the wise thing to do =). Chickens are so awesome!

 

[COChix]

I just finished reading the thread for this and have a question. Can you put Vaseline on to help protect legs from cracking?
I'm curious because I read past post where people were using it on combs and waddles so that's what I've been doing and it works wonderfully.  

Rather than a petroleum based product, what about applying coconut oil to the skin and it can be added into their feed. It is great for skin, plus it is has ant-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.