The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hellbender]

@dutchlion It really does suck that this is happening in our flocks and that it happens in general. I haven't heard back from the breeder since she said they would test their birds. We did end up treating with abx for 9-10 days with no improvement. The smallest Marans still had a crusty nose and sneezing/coughing but was perky otherwise. The young CL was perky also and just had the runny nose and no coughing/sneezing. The other sickie was killed by a dog on the 4th so we didn't have to cull her. The other 2 was a tough decision as they were the friendliest in the new bunch but since they didn't respond to the medicine we decided to cull. My husband and a friend did it last night, along with the aggressive rooster. It was a tough night for us (I'm not much of a drinker and I had a little help from some Patron) - thankfully my husband had his friend with him and that helped lighten the mood. His friend actually took care of the cockerel that my DH didn't want to kill. At least it's over now. I just hope everyone else remains resistant to it.

Regarding the Egyptian Fayoumi- my brother and his family have one. His wife picked out a lot of random birds last year (at their co-op so they are hatchery birds) based on looks and such and picked out the Fayoumi. It is aloof and certainly not friendly like their Orps or Comets or RIRs - BUT this spring when they bought 2 Guinea keets she adopted them to raise. And, when most of their flock was picked off one by one over the winter by a coyote, she and a Buff Orp were the only two left (my guess is the Orp got lucky but the Fayoumis flightiness and maybe predator savviness saved her). So, they have decided she has value and will keep her around, hopefully to brood chicks in the future. She is indeed a pretty bird and certainly not useless.

Interesting to see the discussion on Buckeyes and the mention of Chanteclers - both of these were on my list this year but I had to narrow it down a bit. The breeder I got the littles from also breeds Buckeyes and Barnevelders that I was considering. There was someone selling Partridge Chanteclers on Craigslist and I was on her waiting list but she didn't follow up or answer messages. I may try again later for those. If anyone has more to share on these breeds I would love to hear it - or on other good heritage breeds that are calm but predator savvy (tough, I know), gentle roos, and lay a brown egg (DHs strong preference, well requirement

Sounds like you folks might do better with Hatcheries....most of them are tested like crazy...for everything. I do feel badly for your situations.

 

[Leahs Mom]

How much apple cider should you put in your chickens water?

I, personally, don't use ACV routinely. The normal amount that most say is a TBSP to a Gallon.


If I do put anything into a waterer, I am sure that they have a clean, fresh, plain water source as an alternative so that they can choose which they want.

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
You will want to be careful in Hot temps adding Apple Cider Vinegar can be hazardous as well as if it is added to a metal waterer. In hot weather I use electrolyte powder and probiotics instead. And just Like Leahs Mom I have more than one water source one just water.

Hope this helps

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Regarding the Egyptian Fayoumi- my brother and his family have one. His wife picked out a lot of random birds last year (at their co-op so they are hatchery birds) based on looks and such and picked out the Fayoumi. It is aloof and certainly not friendly like their Orps or Comets or RIRs - BUT this spring when they bought 2 Guinea keets she adopted them to raise. And, when most of their flock was picked off one by one over the winter by a coyote, she and a Buff Orp were the only two left (my guess is the Orp got lucky but the Fayoumis flightiness and maybe predator savviness saved her). So, they have decided she has value and will keep her around, hopefully to brood chicks in the future. She is indeed a pretty bird and certainly not useless.

Thanks! It seems like the breed's best trait is its survival skills.

 

[mlowen]

Last night, the hens let the new pullets on the high roost with them for the first time! 10:30 pm, flash, no lights in coop.

 

[mlowen]

One of the hens is laying really fragile-shelled eggs. Apparently her instinct did not get the memo to gobble oyster shell & egg shells while we have "all flock" because of the young pullets. The pullets will be 13 weeks, tomorrow. If I offer both layer pellets and all flock, when's the soonest I can put the layer pellets back in their free feeder? (separate feeders--one layer, one all flock.)

 

[lalaland]

How much apple cider should you put in your chickens water?

about a tablespoon in a gallon. I don't measure, just pour it. Don't put it in a metal waterer as it reacts with galvanized metal. I don't like to constantly provide only water with vinegar, so I usually do it in one waterer and leave the other plain. Or if that flock has just one water source, I do it every other day or so.

 

[lalaland]

this has been the worst summer for broodies. I was feeling relieved that one of the two broodies was behaving normally this morning, but returned home tonight to find not one, not two, but THREE hens sitting in nests, growling, flattened out like pancakes, with hot eggs under them. I swear, tomorrow all are having cold showers.

The theory behind having them in a wire cage off the ground so their heated bellies cool down doesn't hold up to the reality of the heat - there is no cold air, no cooling breezes. I am just frustrated. This has been going on for months, 3, 4, 5 days of a hen being broody, then taking a break, and back at the nest a few days later. I'm talking continually having a gol-danged broody or two or three - for months

And, there is no option to just let them hatch out chicks, - with the mareks in the flock I can't sell or give away the chicks, and adding to the flock at this point is not really optional.

Shoot. I need some magic to happen here.

and ok, fine, I am extra cranky because it is extra work to constantly be dealing with triple the number of waterers that must be emptied, cleaned, and refilled, and preparing extra feed bowls, and standing guard in the coop at roost time to keep the broodies from the nests -waiting until it is dark enough that they are stuck on the roost and can't return to the nest. And making sure I am out there before dawn to get them off the roost before they sneak into a nest.

add to that, egg production is down because the little darlings are either going broody and not laying, or recovering from being broody.

so holy guacamole, I can't take this anymore

 

[Lacy Blues]

I wonder if you could set up a sprinkler underneath your broody breaker cages and have it on a timer? Might be something to save you a lot of effort? If you have a tree you can hang the cages from and set the sprinkler up under them, it might be worth a try?

 

[JulesChicks]

this has been the worst summer for broodies. I was feeling relieved that one of the two broodies was behaving normally this morning, but returned home tonight to find not one, not two, but THREE hens sitting in nests, growling, flattened out like pancakes, with hot eggs under them. I swear, tomorrow all are having cold showers.

The theory behind having them in a wire cage off the ground so their heated bellies cool down doesn't hold up to the reality of the heat - there is no cold air, no cooling breezes. I am just frustrated. This has been going on for months, 3, 4, 5 days of a hen being broody, then taking a break, and back at the nest a few days later. I'm talking continually having a gol-danged broody or two or three - for months

And, there is no option to just let them hatch out chicks, - with the mareks in the flock I can't sell or give away the chicks, and adding to the flock at this point is not really optional.

Shoot. I need some magic to happen here.

and ok, fine, I am extra cranky because it is extra work to constantly be dealing with triple the number of waterers that must be emptied, cleaned, and refilled, and preparing extra feed bowls, and standing guard in the coop at roost time to keep the broodies from the nests -waiting until it is dark enough that they are stuck on the roost and can't return to the nest. And making sure I am out there before dawn to get them off the roost before they sneak into a nest.

add to that, egg production is down because the little darlings are either going broody and not laying, or recovering from being broody.

so holy guacamole, I can't take this anymore

So sorry Lala. What breeds are your broodies? Is the main reason to break them so that you can gather the eggs without them pecking at you and so they don't starve themselves while trying to hatch/waiting to hatch some eggs? They don't stop on they're own after a few weeks if they are not sitting on eggs?

I think I mentioned that we culled the remaining sickies and the mean cockerel. Waiting to see if the remaining three older pullets show any signs of illness before integrating them with the flock. I'm taking a more laissez-faire attitude about this now and am not going to stress about it. Last week (and the weeks prior) were rough. I want to enjoy our chickens so I will do that as long as the remain healthy. If the MG crops up again we will have to probably cull and start over. However, since it could be brought it from wild birds at any time I see no point to culling our existing healthy flock just because they may be carriers. I guess it's a waiting game.

Meanwhile, we finally got our first CL egg on Sunday! Maybe she was too stressed with the other sick girls in with her, IDK, but I think it's interesting she laid a couple of days after they were gone. We have had her now for over six weeks and she was 32 weeks and 3 days! when she started laying. They usually start closer to 24-26 weeks. Anyhow, we have a pretty blue egg from her now. We have a few more days of tossing eggs and then we can eat them again (based on the 10 day withdrawal period I found online from a vet recommendation - which does not agree with our vet who said the FDA says there is no longer a withdrawal time.)

I hope you all are enjoying your summers! And Lala, I hope you can break those girls soon!