The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[COChix]

So I have been reading up on AI, Minnesota has declared a state of emergency over this issue. There are currently two different strains of AI in the U.S. currently, one is highly pathogenic. 3 million egg layers will be culled this next week. In Minnesota they have not been able to figure out how it is getting spread. There is some talk about wild birds getting into stored feed or possibly the disease is traveling by air, throughout dirt and dust. It is concerning and we should all read up on this issue. It all is a little concerning.

 

[slordaz]

garlic is usually a good choice for helping protect for it's anti- viral/bacterial/fungal properties, But I have not tried it on my chicks or duckling yet as they are inside. I know for my dogs I just infusion a clove into virgin olive oil shaking daily for 5-7 days then straining and putting in a dark bottle and add 1 tsp a week to their food. it can be feed internally or put in a spray bottle and applied externally, works for keeping fleas ticks and ear mite off the cats and dogs.

I will let you know how it goes with our chicks, as will be starting some ff feed for them will add the oil on their reg feed as they still eat a lot of that until they go outside next week.

Warning our baby chicks and duck were spoiled rotten they are inside the house in the wash room lol. But we did take them out on a nice day to see where their new home is going to be. We are using an insulated shed that was originally an outhouse, we have cleaned and sanitized it and are currently making the changes we wanted inside and out and building the run for when they aren't free ranging. We changed the door to a screen door even though it had 2 high up ventilation screens to let the sun warm it when it's cooler but get extra ventilation when it's hot by opening the window screen. The chicks must have approved they didn't want to leave when we took them out. When they get bigger they will be free ranging as do not have an established flock.

Also another idea I am thinking of doing as we are up north and have longer winters is doing trays with foraging food inside the house to take out to them when it's cold and they can't be outside due to deep snows, will start them soon to see how long it will take to grow so can plan for winter time. Also thinking it might be a good idea as the first ones that won't be needed immediately could be allowed to go to seed so would not need to purchase more growing seeds. then I wouldn't have to worry about whats in my feed either as can keep the soy and legumes out of it.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I meant to post this here yesterday when I found it and got side tracked by cute little fluff balls (mixed in with lack of sleep!)

Here is a map of where they have found AI. The most disturbing thing to me is that I thought it was all west of us here in Indiana but it is also NE of us in in Canada:

https://batchgeo.com/map/2015-avian-influenza-outbreaks

armorfirelady it is not far from you! I can't even find the post I read that you mentioned being in NY so I quoted the wrong post so I'd make sure you'd see this! I read it on my phone and can't find it on the desktop. 

NY is of particular interest to me b/c my son goes to camp on Lake Chautauqua. The area of Canada where it has been found is just a hop skip and jump across lake Erie from his camp as well as my family and friends in the Cleveland area and east of there. 

Thanks to everyone for posting the herbal antivirals info. 

 

[atmaclean]

I have a question for those of you who are experienced with feeding fermented grains and commercial feed. I have been feeding about 12 cups of fermented Nutrena scratch grains in the evenings to my flock of 40 chickens and about 50 guineas. I mostly feed it to keep the guineas coming up at night. The chickens, however, love it and always come running when they see us head to the fermenting buckets in the evenings. My chickens free range all day, but come into the coop at night after they've had their scratch.

I was reading about grains causing excess fat in the internal organs and wondered if I may be unintentionally harming my girls! I also read that feeding the grains would unbalance the amount of protein that the girls consume. The commercial layer feed that we feed is also the Nutrena NatureWise 16% layer pellets. I always provide oyster shell and they get occasional left overs.

My question is, should I cut out the fermented scratch grain? Should I attempt to ferment the Nutrena pellets? I have had great luck fermenting the grains, but have no experience with fermenting pelleted feed. It seems like it would be a terrible mess and I don't know how I would fish it out of the fermenting liquid.

We get about 12-15 eggs per day right now, but several of them are moulting so that may be why it is so low. The guineas are laying like crazy this time of year!

Thanks for any info on this or tips on fermenting the pellets for a flock of 40 + guineas.

Angela in NC

PS I found the map of the AI very interesting - and a bit scary!! Thanks!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Regarding fermenting of pelleted feed. I do it.

At first I kept it too wet and it was a terrible mess and I hated having to deal with it. Finally, I stopped adding so much water. Here is a picture of my fermenting feed. It's a 5 gal bucket. I add BOSS and rolled barley for texture and interest, only to the evening feed. You can see the lighter bits of barley in it. This was just started a few hours ago, right after feeding the birds their dinner. This bucket has been going for several months, probably more like at least a year. I use half to two thirds of it for a single feeding and add more back to it when I come back in. I put approximately the same level of water as feed each time I add... maybe slightly less water.



And this is the way it comes out... it's thick and moist and they love it. Sorry for the blurriness, it was pretty close to the camera.



Regarding feeding the fermented grains, I would just limit the amount I give them. You can still use it to bring the birds in when needed. In fact, if they are free ranging all day and get lots of exercise, I wouldn't worry too much about it... limit the amount and they will work it off. It will unbalance the amount of protein they get.

If you feed a 16% feed, they are barely getting enough anyway, however, since they free range they probably get a little bit more. The fermenting process makes the protein in the feed more available to the bird as fermenting is a form of "pre-digestion" and it's broken down some already and since the birds have such a quick digestive process, this is an important help.

 

[lalaland]

The Mill photos.

oohhh Momo, you have a REAL mill there. what did you decide about feed? did you find anything you could use? thank you for posting the pics. When I travel, if there is a mill anywhere near I'm always trying to stop. Love seeing the different regional products, and talking to the people that work there.

 

[lalaland]

I should have included "anti-virals" in what I was asking. There are also anti-viral resistant stains of virus.

now see, I didn't know the hatcheries were dosing them with anti-virals. I know this gut science is getting really very interesting. The idea that most of us in the US are walking around with damaged gut flora which is showing up in all kinds of autoimmune diseases (chronic fatigue, lupus, celiac, etc), and the difficulty in introducing probiotics/prebiotics to try to restore the natural flora/fauna....

and a bacteria morphing into a virus....hmmm that should stand the epa approval process for disinfectants on its head.

 

[lalaland]

So I have been reading up on AI, Minnesota has declared a state of emergency over this issue. There are currently two different strains of AI in the U.S. currently, one is highly pathogenic. 3 million egg layers will be culled this next week. In Minnesota they have not been able to figure out how it is getting spread. There is some talk about wild birds getting into stored feed or possibly the disease is traveling by air, throughout dirt and dust. It is concerning and we should all read up on this issue. It all is a little concerning.

yeah, the scary thing in Minnesota is that the first outdoor flock was found with AI earlier this week. Guineas and chickens, but a large flock of 130. W have been wondering about the conditions of the 130 flock - thinking it is unlikely that they are on good pasture because of the size of the flock, but maybe.
The commercial farms are leaning towards it being windborne - as the biosecurity stuff was all in place, and while there could have been some missteps, they are thinking wind.

The turkey hunters are being asked to report about any dead turkeys or waterfowl or birds they come accross, but I haven't heard anything about anything getting AI or being dead, other than these affected farms. DNR has also been collecting wild geese and duck droppings to test fecees for AI, but has come up totally negative . They concentrated on counties and areas near AI infected farms. Baited with corn, came back after to collect the droppings left by the birds attracted to the corn. As of late last week, NO AI was found that way.


Speedee delivery has halted all transportation of chicks and adult fowl in MN. It has kind of messed up somethings for local breeders. I know of several that have stopped hatching (early in their hatching season) to wait things out, and I've heard from others in MN that have changed their own egg selling practices. People are not letting others come to their homes/barns to pick up eggs or chickens...meeting in town, etc. which is good biosecurity anyway, but a new step for many.

 

[Leahs Mom]

now see, I didn't know the hatcheries were dosing them with anti-virals. I know this gut science is getting really very interesting. The idea that most of us in the US are walking around with damaged gut flora which is showing up in all kinds of autoimmune diseases (chronic fatigue, lupus, celiac, etc), and the difficulty in introducing probiotics/prebiotics to try to restore the natural flora/fauna....

and a bacteria morphing into a virus....hmmm that should stand the epa approval process for disinfectants on its head.

On the bacteria to virus thing...I may be using the wrong terminology on that. I HAVE to find the research article that I read because I think i"m not portraying that correctly. I don't have time to find it (wishI had made a note somewhere as to where/what I read) right now but I will do my best to find it. So I need to find that to be sure I'm stating that correctly.

They do know that bacteria can get a virus! That's pretty interesting...and I do have the source for that

As far as anti-virals, I'm not sure what or if they are using them in the commercial farms; I just know that there are anti-viral resistant virus and that antivirals are losing their ability to affect them. The damaged gut flora and gut permeability (allowing things in that normally wouldn't be able to cross the healthy barrier) has been related to antibiotics, glyphosate and other herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers...all things that our food supply and our animal food supply is contaminated with. Even the overspray and run-off from fields and farms getting into the general water supply.

It's good to be aware and try to be proactive in not directly using those things unless necessary and trying to get food from the least contaminated supply. But boy, is that hard when its our normal way of producing food for the whole nation.

 

[Leahs Mom]

And....

I'm pretty excited to have gotten a bit more of the forest ground area cleared this spring!

We had an area that is almost an acre that was overgrown forest that hasn't been tended to as it's on my dad's property and he hasn't been able to work on it for more than several years. We found a great crew that has been just getting all the fallen logs/dead trees out a bit at a time, but it has opened up almost another 1/2 acre that the chickens can use.

Got the electronet up on more of that area so they are in bird heaven getting to expand and dig through forest floor type soil. They're having a worm fest!