The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[beginnergirl]

I'm not using additional light either. My girls can take a break if they need to. Though 2 of mine are laying but it is their first year.

I hate how production chickens are raised.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Mine was great with 5 Grandkids and son/wife who came up but now I'm sick. Maybe I should have eaten CHICKEN to keep me healthy!! LOL Chickens can't figure out why I am in and out quickly now instead of snapping photos and sitting and watching them.
Fred wanted to hold some cockerels I hatched for his selection for a friend. So the 4 get to live longer. One attempted a crow the other day!! Will either have to sell or cull them before too long as their little outside pen won't be good enough for all winter. No room for them in the larger coop. Already have two selected breeder cockerels in there. One is sectioned off from the rest in there. Need the rest of the room until laying starts heavy again.... then the hens will be selected for breeders, for layers, and oldest for stew.

 

[slordaz]

my hens and the drake did well with kids visiting the farm for the holidays but apparently the Barred rock rooster is going to be put in chicken jail when theres visitors, he's been really mean since one of the buff orpingtons died to a mishap with a new heifer that wasn't used to being around other animals, while they were free ranging. We have a chick outta her from this last hatch but it's not a purebred daddy was the Barred rock rooster. These 2 hatched last Saturday

She is a little camera shy so can't see the face m she's the one at the back

 

[lalaland]

chicks, so nice to see chick pics!


I'm nursing a badly injured hen who was attacked by a dog on Monday. She has very very deep puncture wounds and bad gashes. I am hoping she has no internal injuries, but don't know. I slathered her with nustock, and poured the more liquidy part of nustock into the really deep holes.

I have her in a kennel in the house. She eats and drinks a bit, but I think movement really is painful. Seems to stand in one position. Prefers the darker end of the kennel where I have covered the sides and tops with towels. Talks very quietly, eats more if I can sit there and offer food.

I gave her electrolytes the first two days, and plain water today.

I was able to work from home on Tues and Wed, so could tempt her with food for often during the day. I was able to work from home on Tues and Wed, so could tempt her with food for often during the day.

The nustock has hardened almost like a cast - and I can't remember whether it is over a gash, which would be fine, or a hole, which would be worrisome, I think.

I don't know if I should try to soak her to get the nustock that has hardened out, or whether it would be better to leave her be. I did pull her out late yesterday to get a better look - I couldn't see any sign of infection - but the handling caused her some distress and she was panting (a sign of pain), so I thought bathing would be too much for her.

any suggestions?

 

[slordaz]

sorry to hear that Lala, note sure bout what to do for her, but adding garlic to some warm oatmeal can't hurt. I think sometimes my hens just play like they are getting sick to get it lol

and advise ya on the nustock as I have never used it just paper tape with garlic infused oil on it for wound care or neosporin, the one hen that got hurt really bad there was no saving her, got trampled by a nervous 300 lb heirfer, and the other one that got hurt brought her in the house for a couple of days as she'd had unknown amount of blood loss from a leg injury

 

[lalaland]

paper tape with garlic infused oil sounds interesting. It stays on even though oil soaked?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think I would try soaking just to be sure on the puncture sites. Then maybe mark them for the future.

My other thought is that Nustock is pretty strong, so it may not be a problem on the punctures. But the usual advice is to keep punctures open by soaking and let them heal from the inside out so as not to have an infection internally hiding.

 

[slordaz]

I put it on some gauze then apply tape sorry , and yeah it does

but you need to have it made up in advance, s takes 3-5 days depending on how string you want it.

Works great on dogs and cats ears, human ear and tooth aches, and sinus issues applied externally that we've found so far

 

[lalaland]

I think I would try soaking just to be sure on the puncture sites. Then maybe mark them for the future.

My other thought is that Nustock is pretty strong, so it may not be a problem on the punctures. But the usual advice is to keep punctures open by soaking and let them heal from the inside out so as not to have an infection internally hiding.

yeah, thats why I am a bit nervous about this. But the sulphur should keep any infection well at bay, I just don't know if I should try to have her soak. Moving her causes such pain.
She was talking when I got home today, and she had eaten some and been drinking the water.