The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

was actually an old wooden storage box, pretty sturdy wood sat on top of a hay bale, it's turned on the side and she cut different size holes to accommodate the different hens in the lid. We can just pull it up to clean out the nesting box/gather eggs, as some of the hens get rather testy if stick your hand in through the hole lol.

it has walls just can't see them that good in the picture, bad picture takers fault lol

will get an inside picture next time I am out, we have chicks getting ready to hatch, had to start lock down early

first time hatching eggs, learned a new perspective, poor dads what they must go through lol

 

[JanetMarie]

We had a spiny hen who went into a nest box to sleep at night. We had some of those warmer packets that you shake before use to put in your mittens or in boots, that we put underneath her. We made sure it wouldn't touch her skin. That was when it was exceptionally cold.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So far my extreme molter gets on the roost and has never even tried to sleep anywhere else. I keep thinking I'm going to go out there and find a dead hen under the roost that has gotten too cold in the night.

This year it's been no lower than about 33 f, but last year it dipped into the teens while she was in that condition so I brought her inside to a dog crate. Then I had to re-acclimate once she had enough feathering. Luckily there was a break in the temps and it wasn't going from inside to the teens....

 

[slordaz]

ok, I think our birds are trying to drive us insane lol, the RIR hens all turned out to be roosters, and the Ameracuana that acted like a rooster has now officially layed a blue egg. at least that's one less rooster a good way.

anyone ever used a brooder?

was wondering if there is a way to prevent the window from fogging up when it's on lock down due to the high humidity

 

[mrsamplias]

wondering what is growing on our chicken's beak and feet. Thanks for your help.

 

[EastNashChick]

...

wondering what is growing on our chicken's beak and feet. Thanks for your help.[/quote

Looks like scaly leg mites.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@mrsamplias

The toes do look like scaley leg mites. VetRX is pretty good at taking care of it.

Strange on the beak, however. I wonder if it might be a fungus (like favus)? If so, it's also relatively easy to treat.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Couple Quick questions on the beak -

Do you feed wet or fermented food? Sometimes the wet feed can day on their beak like that and build up crusty...just needing to be softened up with some water and removed.

Is there any of this at the nostrils? Is it possible that there is a discharge from the nostrils getting encrusted with dirt/etc.?

 

[Leahs Mom]

If you garden or purchase any "mulch" or "compost" - even if it's marked "organic", this article will be of interest to you.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...n=20151101Z1&et_cid=DM89702&et_rid=1191664580

 

[artsyrobin]

does anyone use eucalyptus herbs in the nest boxes? I am reading some nestbox mixes have it but then also people saying they are toxic?