The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

If anyone (else) has opinions on these breeds I welcome them to comment. Thanks again slordaz.

Here's a video you may enjoy.... Cornish X truly ranging and healthy...running around out on the grass

You have to get past the goats...

 

[slordaz]

I am not much help there Jules but what little I can provide I do, Leah,Beekissed , Al, MFB a lot of others that are just awesome resources with all their experience.

Thanks Leah that was interesting to watch, ours were happy they got almost 4 hours out free ranging today as they have birdzilla, oops ducky(Blue Swedish) that watches over them like a hawk and alerts then starts herding them away from danger.

off to search for information now on herbs we are planning on planting to double check make sure that they are ok for the chickens ducks to be around

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh, I was going to say earlier ad apparently forgot... anything you plant in their run is subject to decimation if they like it. If you can put some kind of grazing frame over it before it gets big, they can graze it but not kill the roots with all their scratching. Good luck.

 

[slordaz]

Thanks Lacey for advice will try that to keep them going , just had some left over herb seeds from planting in the garden , herbs could work but not sure how the sunflowers would.

Next project will have to think about that too so far we are getting some oat and alfalfa seed to grow inside in a flat and see if that will work for putting in run for fresh forage during harsh northern winters Thinking should have something else in that but for life of me cannot think of what.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I think they will be thankful for any green sprouts to eat during winter.

When I have time and space and don't forget I sprout all kinds of things for them. BOSS (Black oil sunflower seeds) barley, wheat, oats (if I'm feeling particularly patient) and milo. They seem to love them all! They especially like fenugreek sprouts and so do I.

I have to sprout year round as I live in a desert climate and green stuff is fairly hard to come by. I am working on plans though to make grazing frames and plant small fruit bearing trees in their yards for shade and goodies.

One thing that I think will be a very good idea (in my case) is a large area (like a yard) planted with all sorts of broadleaf weeds/clovers that can take fairly constant mowing. I want a large area that I can run a rotary mower over just about every day... not necessarily the whole plot every day but just enough that I can take trimmings and have them land in a catcher basket that I can then distribute to all the pens. So far, I have the rotary mower and I have seeds but I need a watering system ready to go and a working plow or rototiller to break up the surface a bit so I can get things going.

 

[slordaz]

I would recommend planting trees first, Based on the summit I attended recently,so you get the shade for stuff yo grow, as long as you plan accordingly so you don't have to move it they will develop a very long tap root to bring up any under ground water it can find too. I can imagine how hard it would be to grow in a desert climate but it can be done, I will look up the info for a name as all i remember is they had a bone dry desert and turned it into a very nice oasis in just a few years, that might help you out too. I did buy that whole summit so have all the notes somewhere. most of the gardening ideas are for space saving along with conserving water, would be most likely different types though to start with in desert climate than her in colder climates but it's worth a shot

 

[Lacy Blues]

We were able to pick up some trees this year finally! Got to silver maples for shade from that blazing sunrise. Also got to purple leaf plum trees. I think they might make some very small plums and if they do, they'll be gathered up for the chooks.

The maples are planted but the plums are not yet. The wind has been blowing here every single day since we got the trees and I really feel for the poor things. I am watering them well though to help with any drying. It's not hot, just windy! You would think it was March instead of May!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I wouldn't feed molasis to the babies. Like LB said, it would be more conducive to a different issue.

Your Countryside will have a good pre-mix in it for the minerals. Just be sure to get those b vitamins (thiamin riboflavin niacin) in. Very important on the neck/leg issues along w/vitamin e. I think I'd just stick to the vitamins right now.

Do you think that chicks hatching with one or both of their hock joints basically petrified, that it might be from a deficiency of some of these vitamins? I remember having more in the past years. This year, I've had two. The first one was dispatched after a couple days with no improvement. The second one only hatched yesterday so it has a little bit of time left.

What levels are recommended? Next time I get feed, I'll check the nutrient info, if its on there. If not, I don't know what I'll do. I'm not good at research on a computer. I do searches and come up with something from the other end of the spectrum in most cases... let's just hope its on the bag.

 

[slordaz]

My first thought though I am no expert would be a mineral deficit, if they don't have all the minerals they need they cannot use the vitamins they are getting. Also it's always good to watch the packages due to they change their formulation sometimes, hopefully for the better but never know when it comes to commercial stuff

 

[Lacy Blues]

ok. I have a mineral supplement that I put into their feed when I remember. I'll just have to feed it free choice in some kind of hopper. I did have fewer in this year's hatches and I have given them the supplement on occasion, just not every day. Hopefully that will take care of it.