The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[MargaretYakoda]

Life Cycle

The apple maggot overwinters as pupae in the soil. Adult flies emerge in late spring and begin to lay eggs just under the apple skin. The eggs hatch, and the larvae begin to tunnel through the fruit. When mature, the maggot leaves through a small opening made in the side of the fruit and enters the soil. One or two generations per year.
http://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/tree-pests/apple-maggot-control/

Exactly. And all you need to do is put a table and some chairs out in your orchard. Then either let them free range the whole time, or sit at your table and relax for an hour or even a half hour most evenings before dusk. The chickens will go to town on the bugs under the apple trees and you'll have a relaxing time watching them. AND They'll all head back to the coop by themselves when the sun heads down. And, be honest... it's not like we don't all love chicken watching, right?

 

[lazy gardener]

Just for grins and giggles, I planted some apple seeds from some old apples in the veggie bin. Don't even know what kind of apples they were, but they were tasty. One of them has sprouted. Such simple little pleasure! But, the next step is to wait a bit and then tuck it into the orchard. Nothing to loose by letting it grow to see what it does. My graft onto seedling pear failed. But that little stub left behind has lots of healthy new growth coming on. So... will wait and try a bud graft in a few years. If nothing else, it will feed the wild animals.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Where the orchard would be planted they would get to range all day at leisure! Thank you both for the information!

My dad used to have an orchard in that area but with age and the "stuff of life" the area became an overgrown forest. The goat boys are doing their job and we may even be able to get the ground taken care of soon enough to plant trees next spring. That would be wonderful!

 

[slordaz]

hey everyone @home for a change but got a 3 1/2 month old don't wanna be put down after first aid, not sure if its scared or going into shock and no answers on emergency board

what ever it was got the back of neck pretty good, seems alert and drinking little bits at a time

 

[lazy gardener]

Pic?

 

[curious chickee]

Just got my necropsy report back. My flock has mareks. Lost several birds already as they were fighting fowl pox at the same time. I just got a turkey poult to hopefully help. I will vaccinate planned incubation, but a lot of my chicks are broody raised.

Any suggestions.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just got my necropsy report back. My flock has mareks. Lost several birds already as they were fighting fowl pox at the same time. I just got a turkey poult to hopefully help. I will vaccinate planned incubation, but a lot of my chicks are broody raised.

Any suggestions.

I had some Mareks birds a few years ago but haven't seen any since. I read that turkeys carry a strain that is milder and can inoculate chickens, so I think that's what happened in my flock, though I will never know for sure, but no Mareks birds since I started keeping turkeys.

I don't vaccinate and we did cull any positive birds. I did read an article that said that vaccinating for it causes it to spread more rapidly and keeps it alive in your flock as opposed to it dying out with sick birds.

 

[curious chickee]

I had some Mareks birds a few years ago but haven't seen any since. I read that turkeys carry a strain that is milder and can inoculate chickens, so I think that's what happened in my flock, though I will never know for sure, but no Mareks birds since I started keeping turkeys.

I don't vaccinate and we did cull any positive birds. I did read an article that said that vaccinating for it causes it to spread more rapidly and keeps it alive in your flock as opposed to it dying out with sick birds.

That's why I ordered turkeys (more eggs coming Friday) and didn't want to vaccinate (increase resistance in virus and weaker natural immunity) but losing my daughters show birds makes me question vaccinating. Originally planned on just keeping those that survive but losing chicks often is tough emotionally (was gone a lot this summer, plus fowl pox, and heat extreme) birds off their normal routine for care

 

[Phoenixxx]

They have found that there are now chickens who are resistant to bird flu. This cycle of disease and becoming resistant with only the strongest surviving has been going on for eons without human intervention. I believe we should follow nature's model, and rather than wiping the slate clean when something emerges to instead breed the survivors. I no longer have losses from coccidiosis, for example, because the chicks that survived a particularly bad bout of it two years ago are now the parents.

 

[lazy gardener]

Just got my necropsy report back. My flock has mareks. Lost several birds already as they were fighting fowl pox at the same time. I just got a turkey poult to hopefully help. I will vaccinate planned incubation, but a lot of my chicks are broody raised.

Any suggestions.

You've done the most pro-active thing, IMO by getting a poult. However, I think I'd get several b/c they tend to be fickle till you get them past the infant stage. Also, birds of a feather flock together! Also, keeping a closed flock is important, especially if you've had flock test positive. Keep it at home, practice good sanitation by sterilizing shoes, or using special "away from home" shoes.

That's why I ordered turkeys (more eggs coming Friday) and didn't want to vaccinate (increase resistance in virus and weaker natural immunity) but losing my daughters show birds makes me question vaccinating. Originally planned on just keeping those that survive but losing chicks often is tough emotionally (was gone a lot this summer, plus fowl pox, and heat extreme) birds off their normal routine for care

Had your dtr showed any of the birds? Many folks who show birds make plans to show, but never bring the show birds back home, due to all of the pathogens present at shows. Makes me wonder why anyone would risk showing, but that's just my mental outlook on it. I'd enjoy going to a show, but would never take a bird to a show, and would immediately wash everything just as soon as I got home.

They have found that there are now chickens who are resistant to bird flu. This cycle of disease and becoming resistant with only the strongest surviving has been going on for eons without human intervention. I believe we should follow nature's model, and rather than wiping the slate clean when something emerges to instead breed the survivors. I no longer have losses from coccidiosis, for example, because the chicks that survived a particularly bad bout of it two years ago are now the parents.

Fully agree.