The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[JulesChicks]

Thanks @slordaz , I was thinking I should still offer the FF along with the regular and then once they are stronger start taking away the other feed.

@Leahs Mom was it about a week you said to introduce sod plugs to the brooder? (I think it was you).

Is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks!

 

[slordaz]

YVW, not experienced enough yet Jules. Mine are free ranging supervised now, ,but I personally like to leave some dry and give option of FF when they get back into the coop or run.

Can't find any Raw ACV locally so going to start some at home. did a search on doing it and found one that sounded like was easy and had some good clear explanations.

Some say on the sod in brooder 3 days old others at a week so not sure on that one.

 

[Jewelwing]

I'm sure this has been talked about several times over on this thread, but there's kind of a lot of pages to look through, so please excuse me for bringing this up.

I have a flock of 7 hens of various breeds that I've raised since they were day-old chicks two years ago. I decided it's time to add more pullets, so I ordered eight more day-old chicks from MyPetChicken, and they'll be arriving tomorrow. This time, though, I have a broody hen that I'm hoping will be their mama! She's a Speckled Sussex, and this is her fourth time being broody (twice last year and once already this year before this time), although her wooden eggs have never yet hatched. She's been broody for a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping she'll accept that her wooden eggs have hatched just a little bit early.

My plan is to keep the chicks warm in the garage tomorrow after I bring them home from the post office, supplying them with food & water of course, and then sneak them under her in the middle of the night tomorrow night. She's sitting on 7 wooden eggs, so 8 new chicks should not surprise her too much, right?

Here's a look at my set-up. The three nest boxes on top are individual nests, but the row on the bottom is all one big space inside, with three door holes. That's one of my Australorps waiting to lay an egg in the middle top nest, and my broody hen is in the bottom section at the far left hidden behind the wood. My hens have a completely enclosed run, but usually I leave the door to that open and they free range over a couple of acres of grass, bushes, flowers, and woodland areas. So they only spend time in the coop to roost at night or to lay an egg.






In the picture below, you can see the broody hen at the very end of this section of nests. I've filled it with shredded paper, so one of my questions is if that's OK to do. When I raised the chicks myself, I put down a rubber shelf liner for the first couple of days so they wouldn't slip, and because I read you shouldn't have them on wood chips immediately or they'll try to eat them. Does that still apply if they have a chicken mom to show them what to eat? Should I leave the shredded paper? Or should I line the area with wood chips instead? Or take everything out?



I'm going to put the chick's food and water in that bottom section of nests also, so they're handy for the chicks. I'm feeding everyone fermented chick grower - is that okay instead of chick starter? I figured they'd all eat the same food (the new chicks, the mom hen, and the laying hens), and I just leave out crushed egg shells & oyster shell for the hens.

That's a 2x4 at the bottom, which I think is too tall for day-old chicks to hop over. Should I put some netting up to keep them and their "mom" hen trapped in the bottom nest area for a few days? Or should I put a little ramp up so they can follow mom in and out?

Thanks for any advice! I'm excited to see this lovely lady finally get her chicks!

 

[slordaz]

Jewel that is so exciting for you, hopefully one of the experienced members can answer your question as only have experience with a pullet not old enough to lay eggs yet but she was He double toothpicks bent on raising the new chicks we got, GL and hope it all goes well

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks @slordaz , I was thinking I should still offer the FF along with the regular and then once they are stronger start taking away the other feed.

@Leahs Mom was it about a week you said to introduce sod plugs to the brooder? (I think it was you).

Is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks!

I would wait to add a sod plug, just because of how the chicks are acting. It just sounds to me like the chick is tired and doesn't want to let its guard down in a new place so will stand there trying to stay awake but falling asleep... much like a child who refuses to take a nap.

A day or two to wait won't hurt anything.

 

[slordaz]

We are getting ready to plant the outter ring in our garden today which is herbs, would it be ok to plant any of these in the run. Cilantro,dill,thyme,mustard, mint?

 

[Leahs Mom]

. One of the week old Ameraucana chicks was standing with its wings looking droopy and making rotations (almost like dance moves) with it's head. It's was almost sleeping while standing there. It seems to be walking normally. I think it is drinking and eating but I'm not sure. I don't know what to call the movement the chick is making so I really don't how to search about this. If any of you can offer me any insight and maybe how to support this chick and whether or not I should separate it I would much appreciate it. Should I add garlic and/or ACV to the water? Diffuse essential oils in the bathroom where they are? If so, which ones are safe (or not safe for chickens).
Thanks in advance!

Not totally caught up yet but...

Sounds like this "could be" a vitamin B deficiency or Vitamin E.

Natural route: Get some good liver, chop into tiny pieces or grind and feed raw. Another alternative: Brewers yeast.

Synthetic Route: Either poultry nutridrench (usually can find at Tractor Supply) or Poly-vi-sol children's vitamins liquid NO EXTRA IRON in the waterer...this can be found an almost any store that sells baby food.




I put the sod in about a week but you can do earlier if you want.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Jewelwing

If you put those babies under the mamma... be sure it is totally dark night. (And remove all the other eggs.) Then get up early in the morning before dawn and be out there to watch to be sure she accepts them. If she doesn't, she will kill them. I don't do anything.... just watch the interaction to see. Since this is the "first hatch day" for her, she might remain on the nest for awhile thinking that more may hatch.

I put chicks under a mamma that had only hatched 1 baby when the original hatch was 1 day old. In the morning the mamma got up and treated them all as her own with no problem. But I have heard that other mammas have rejected chicks. It will all depend on your particular girl. Getting them under her in the dark with as much time as possible for them to be under her before morning light as possible will give more them for them to take on a familiar smell.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I also sectioned off the broody and mamma for about 3 days so she could work with them without other flock interference. She WILL move them somewhere away from the setting nest. That is normal protocol.

Be ready for a fight when they first connect with the rest of the flock. The mamma will show the others not to mess with her kids. But you will likely see some face to face fighting. The first time mine met, I made sure I was out there. I stepped between the mamma and one she was fighting at one point just because the babies were going to get trampled if I didn't. But that's all I did. I let them "have it out" a couple times and that did the job. After that no one bothered her or the kids.

 

[Jewelwing]

I also sectioned off the broody and mamma for about 3 days so she could work with them without other flock interference. She WILL move them somewhere away from the setting nest. That is normal protocol.

Thanks, LM. The nest spot she's in now is about 18" x 6' long. Do you think it'll be okay to just block off the doors with hardware cloth for a few days? Is that enough room for the mom & eight new chicks?

Also, the floor is vinyl covered with shredded paper. Should I do something else?

Lastly (for now!

), can I grind the fermented grower feed in a food processor, or do I need to run to the feed store & buy some (non-organic, cuz that's all they carry) starter for them and get it fermenting right away?

Thanks!!!