The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lacy Blues]

Sorry lalaland. I know it wasn't pleasant to see. I only put it up because there are some people (not necessarily on this thread...I don't know) who think that having chicken saddles and the like is pampering your birds.

 

[lalaland]

Lacy, I think it was a really good thing to post - for lots of reasons - so people can see what cannibilism can look like, so people could learn about blue kote, saddles, etc. Better someone see the pic and read the posts and avoid that happening . And I hope you aren't blaming yourself - once you leave for the day, all hell can break loose. We do the best we can!

I probably could have been more sensitive in the way I worded my post about your poor hen - it was so sad I just wanted to add a diff pic.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I understand completely. I don't blame myself at all except for not looking hard enough for where the blood was coming from.

 

[lazy gardener]

Speaking of which: does any one know where I can find a pattern for a chicken saddle? I have one gal who needs one, and a second one who is heading in that direction.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Speaking of which: does any one know where I can find a pattern for a chicken saddle? I have one gal who needs one, and a second one who is heading in that direction.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/424354/free-chicken-apron-saddle-pattern

 

[vpatt]

Lacy, I think it was a really good thing to post - for lots of reasons - so people can see what cannibilism can look like, so people could learn about blue kote, saddles, etc.  Better someone see the pic and read the posts and avoid that happening . And I hope you aren't blaming yourself - once you leave for the day, all hell can break loose.  We do the best we can!

I probably could have been more sensitive in the way I worded my post about your poor hen - it was so sad I just wanted to add a diff pic.

I agree that it helps teach others more about keeping chickens.

 

[lalaland]

can you believe it? three of my hens are broody this morning - the growling, puffed up, nest-hogging slackers!

 

[COChix]

Lacy, I think it was a really good thing to post - for lots of reasons - so people can see what cannibilism can look like, so people could learn about blue kote, saddles, etc.  Better someone see the pic and read the posts and avoid that happening . And I hope you aren't blaming yourself - once you leave for the day, all hell can break loose.  We do the best we can!

I probably could have been more sensitive in the way I worded my post about your poor hen - it was so sad I just wanted to add a diff pic.

I agree with Lala on that, being newer to chicken keeping, I am continually reading and learning from others. I think others could benefit from hearing your story and us newbies look to people with more experience for advice. Who knows someone may even offer a different perspective on the whole situation.

 

[COChix]

There is a thread titled "I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking"  or something very close to that.  As it turns out, she didn't and she/we have tried multiple things including pinless peepers and they work temporarily.  However, it seems that  every year between spring and fall they start up again.

I read that thread an conversed with the person that started it as they are in Colorado and had been feeding the same probiotic as us. She thought the FORCO was the savior but like you said it started back up. I notice our suspect feather picker has been better, as soon as the weather got warmer and they could be out free ranging most the day now, it stopped. I chalk it up to the long winter months, changes in light and obviously lacking some sort of nutrition. I definitely notice a difference when I feed around 18% protein compared to the 16% protein found in most layer feeds. Not sure if this is because they are younger birds, 10 months, and I wonder if this will change as they age and slow down a bit.

 

[vpatt]

Ebony the bantam Phoenix did not show up for roll call and I found her sitting on 11 eggs...oh my.