The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

there's some links on here that are really good for symptom checker, i haven't had to deal with much so far so not going to be much help


https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/maintaining-a-healthy-flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/clinical-signs-for-common-respiratory-diseases-of-poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

 

[SherrieC]

I bought her in the out door area today so I could collect a couple of poos, neither was watery. One looked to have lots of undigested grass and the next one looked like a normal orange/brown colour. I gave them some mash earlier with some garlic and kimchi juice. I will feed them some yoghurt etc shortly before they go to bed and on my way home again tonight I will pick up some sardines for them tomorrow.

I had a look at her vent area and it looked fine with some new feathers growing, I think she must be moulting. I couldn't feel any eggs and I couldn't feel her crop, I will try to feel for her crop again before locking them up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have given fermented feed before, I wasn't sure it I was taking it to far as it smelt yeasty so I stopped plus I was making a mess, I put too much feed in to begin with. Do you think adding a little kimchi juice to start it will help?

Your are right..... the ferment for chicken feed should not smell of yeast.

The studies that were done for the benefits of fermented feed were done on Lacto-ferrmented feed, not yeast fermented feed, so you are right that it should not smell yeasty. You can use some of your fermented sauerkraut juice if you want to use a starter and it usually works quite well.



As far as fermenting chicken feed.....

There is some confusion about different kinds of ferment and what is produced with yeasts vs. Lactic Acid Producing bacteria.

This gives a good overview of the difference...the studies that were done on the feed were done using Lacto-fermentation rather than yeast fermentation which initially produces alcohol, then acetic acid rather than lactic acid. http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

Also, a podcast was done that addresses the differences and an easy method here:

http://www.urbanchickenpodcast.com/ucp-episode-048/

You have to scroll all the way to the bottom to get the player. The podcast is long, but interesting.


Here are a couple of the studies that are linked in the article referencing LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION for chicken feed:

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/viewFile/60378/48610

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19373724

 

[COChix]

Hi gang, I am trying to find the discussion on this thread about giving baby chicks plugs of sod, I cannot seem to find the post. Can someone remind me at what age should they get their first plug? Also at what age do you start introducing some litter from the main coop? I just have to figure out where the brooder will go next. We have it inside, in our tub for now, but they will quickly outgrow it. We are tight of space inside and would prefer to have them outside asap. We have a second coop In our enclosed run and that is where I want to put the babies. We can block off part of the run so the babies would have some run space and a coop. I know however that the babies need to build up their immunities before they come in contact with the chicken area.

Yesterday we dug a few worms our of our compost bins for the baby chicks. It was rather comical to watch but interesting to see the dynamic play out. We had one little BO x EE that figured it out first and loved them. Once everyone saw how much she enjoyed it the game was on.

I will be starting the on FF tonight, for some reason I had it in my head that I should wait. Not sure why but re-read a few things.

So since this is our second batch of babies, I have additional questions based on stuff I have been reading. I have heard varying advice as to when to try and co-mingle the main flock and the babies. I have heard if you have a rooster, you shouldn't combine the younger pullets too soon if they are not APL. Not sure the reasoning behind their logic, also I have read about people integrating babies with their flock early. Can you all give me your advice and experience on how to best integrate those babies? I remember Vpatt had a set up where the littles could get away from the bigger girls. Thanks in advance!

 

[Leahs Mom]

In a hurry at work so I only have time to comment on the sod. Here is one post on it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eeping-thread-ots-welcome/36330#post_15148372

FYI: You can search this thread specifically by going to the top of the page. Under the title of the thread, there is an option to "search this thread" so you can narrow it just to this thread. Looks like this:

0 Unread Posts Subscribed Search This Thread Preferences


I put the sod in around the end of the first week. Same with a handful of litter from the regular coop...usually at the beginning of week 2 and just a little at first mixed with their litter. I put in a little more each day throughout over the next several days. This is just the way I do it. Others may have a different time-table....it's worked well here.

 

[COChix]

In a hurry at work so I only have time to comment on the sod.  Here is one post on it:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...eeping-thread-ots-welcome/36330#post_15148372

FYI:  You can search this thread specifically by going to the top of the page.  Under the title of the thread, there is an option to "search this thread" so you can narrow it just to this thread.  Looks like this:

0 Unread Posts Subscribed Search This Thread Preferences


I put the sod in around the end of the first week.  Same with a handful of litter from the regular coop...usually at the beginning of week 2 and just a little at first mixed with their litter.  I put in a little more each day throughout over the next several days.  This is just the way I do it.  Others may have a different time-table....it's worked well here.

Thank you!

 

[potagergirl]

Need help with some chicks. We purchased them about three weeks ago from a local store (27 pullets) They are about 5 weeks old. They came with a nice batch of coccidiosis. Which I discovered from some bloody poop on Saturday (2 days ago). With so many I wanted to get the problem under control so I went to the vet and got all the Corid I would need for a 5 day dosing. (9.6%) the vet dosed it out at 10 ml per gallon of water which I have been measuring faithfully. I have been cleaning water dishes and giving fresh water with Corid in it each day. I got enough for 2 extra gallons of water a day in case the temps turn off hot and they begin to drink more.
Anyway, today is day 3 of treatment and I am still seeing bloody stools from one chick. Is this normal? If so when should I expect them to stop? I can tell it is coming from maybe 2 birds but I'm pretty sure it is the single bird with the bloody stool. Even though I am treating the group should I isolate the one chick I see with the bloody stool? So far all the birds look healthy, act healthy, stools look like medicine stools now but were in good color and form before treatment started.
Another question I have, some of the reading suggests continuing treatment for another 10-14 days at 1/2 strength. Does anyone suggest this course of action or should I go ahead and start with the vitamin treatments after the 5 days? I also plan on worming but I want the vitamin drench to help the birds for a couple days before I do the worming.
We do not feed medicated feed. Everything I have is non-gmo and I mix the seed myself for the birds. This is the first time I have seen this problem this being our second season (year) having chickens.
Thank you for any info on this situation,
cristi

 

[COChix]

Need help with some chicks. We purchased them about three weeks ago from a local store (27 pullets) They are about 5 weeks old. They came with a nice batch of coccidiosis. Which I discovered from some bloody poop on Saturday (2 days ago). With so many I wanted to get the problem under control so I went to the vet and got all the Corid I would need for a 5 day dosing. (9.6%) the vet dosed it out at 10 ml per gallon of water which I have been measuring faithfully. I have  been cleaning water dishes and giving fresh water with Corid in it each day. I got enough for 2 extra gallons of water a day in case the temps turn off hot and they begin to drink more. 
Anyway, today is day 3 of treatment and I am still seeing bloody stools from one chick. Is this normal? If so when should I expect them to stop? I can tell it is coming from maybe 2 birds but I'm pretty sure it is the single bird with the bloody stool. Even though I am treating the group should I isolate the one chick I see with the bloody stool? So far all the birds look healthy, act healthy, stools look like medicine stools now but were in good color and form before treatment started. 
Another question I have, some of the reading suggests continuing treatment for another 10-14 days at 1/2 strength. Does anyone suggest this course of action or should I go ahead and start with the vitamin treatments after the 5 days? I also plan on worming but I want the vitamin drench to help the birds for a couple days before I do the worming. 
We do not feed medicated feed. Everything I have is non-gmo and I mix the seed myself for the birds. This is the first time I have seen this problem this being our second season (year)  having chickens. 
Thank you for any info on this situation,
cristi

Hi, so I will take a small little stab at a part of this. I have book called The Complete Herbal Handbook For Farm And Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. Here is what is says about Coccidiosis and the use of garlic for treatment and as a preventative,

"Garlic, either one flaked clove (clove is a small section of the compound root) per chick....continue treatment for an average of ten days."

Now I cannot offer anything more than that, I am sure Leah or someone will jump in on the use of garlic for this.

Also about the vitamins, something else you can do is to give a few drops of warmed honey, as it is an immediate resorative.

 

[Jessimash]

there's some links on here that are really good for symptom checker, i haven't had to deal with much so far so not going to be much help


https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/maintaining-a-healthy-flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/clinical-signs-for-common-respiratory-diseases-of-poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Thank you!

 

[lalaland]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this: A chicken farm with 1.1 million chickens .... has H2N2 virus/bird flu in Minnesota.

It is about the 15th turkey or chicken farm in Minnesota struck by the virus, but what I'm struggling with is, what does a million chickens look like?