The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

Here's something you might want to read that mentions worms a bit: http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/11/chicken-keeping-food-for-thought-and.html

I haven't had to deal with "worm overload" myself so I'm not sure how I'd handle it if I got there. One thing I'd encourage, for sure, is to look at possible reasons that there may BE an overload and take some steps to avoid getting there again.

As you've prob. heard from several of us, worms are a normal thing and all animals have them - including us

. The thing that's important is BALANCE and providing an environment in which there doesn't become an overload.

ETA: Stony and I must have been writing at the same time...

great minds....

 

[delisha]

Quote: I purchased the eggs from someone right here on BYC...He just started showing them this year. His birds are beautiful and should do really well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Bulldogma...

(I couldn't find the worm link at the blog....glad you put it in!)

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote: I'm getting my rooster from the same place I got the rest of them. She brought in some from a different bloodline for her flock, and I'm getting one of those. I also love my brahma rooster. He's never been human-aggressive, and it's fun to watch him with the hens when I bring kitchen scraps down to them. Honestly, I don't spend enough time outside with them to say that I've see him call an alarm or anything like that, but the hens are always near him so they must like him or feel safe with him.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I purchased the eggs from someone right here on BYC...He just started showing them this year. His birds are beautiful and should do really well.

Thanks! I've begun to think that the way to get quality birds is to look for breeders here instead of hatcheries. Good to know!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Good knowledge.
so a little background.
I had a hawk issue about 3 weeks ago. Killed three of my chickens in 3 days. 2 roosters and a hen. My chickens ranged on a huge 1/3 acre chicken yard.
After that they wanted to stay in the coop for a week or so. This came along with all the rain we had which turned the ground into mud. I had not had a worm problem before.
They do get Apple Cider Vinegar in there water and pumpkin seeds in the fall ( though I will check the bulk food section in my organic section at the store for more and grind them some.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

OK - what kind of worms are you seeing in the poop? Can you be certain that it wasn't just that flies came along and laid their eggs in the poop - the eggs hatched and you're seeing fly larvae?
If you're sure its internal parasites -
First, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in the water. The U-ACV makes the chicken's intestines a "hostile environment" for internal parasites by changing pH levels.
Next, chopped up pumpkin seeds in the feed for at least a week.
Soap - yes... soap. Like the blue Dawn dish liquid - just a drop or two in the water. It destroys a worm's outer slime coating that protects them from being digested... and then they die (hopefully).
Garlic - either chop up a fresh clove and add it to their feed each day for a week, or you can use the powdered kind. No - it won't make your eggs taste funny.

Also, peek at this link for some more information: http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/11/ask-bee-help-my-chickens-have-worms.html

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

they look like round worm. I have only seen it is about 5% of the pooh so not all of it. we have had hawk issues and tons of rain which stressed them out and kept them in the coop.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

mine RIR's are very friendly birds. I love them. I have 7 RIR hens. I should get more. Great birds

Mine are great. I have 2 10 week old RIR and a 7 month old roo (all my 10 weekers are pullerts) the pullets are sweet as can be, the roo dominant and likes to let you know that, but he will turn around and begin dancing for you after he lets you know he is the boss.

I have 1 Australorps and 4 Dominiques. When I got them at 2 days old they were all suppose to be Doms. But turns out one was a BA---glad for the mix up in the chicks. The BA is a beautiful girl. Her eggs are always perfect shaped and very large. She is very friendly.The only issue with her is she likes to complain(loudly) when one of the other 4 chickens is in one of the 5 nest boxes we have--she likes to have FULLchoice of boxes when she is going to lay an egg. LOL!!!

cute lol. Mine doesnt care. I have one of laying age and the other 2 are !0 weeks. They are just loveable and gentle.

 

[lalaland]

Good knowledge.
so a little background.
I had a hawk issue about 3 weeks ago. Killed three of my chickens in 3 days. 2 roosters and a hen. My chickens ranged on a huge 1/3 acre chicken yard.
After that they wanted to stay in the coop for a week or so. This came along with all the rain we had which turned the ground into mud. I had not had a worm problem before.
They do get Apple Cider Vinegar in there water and pumpkin seeds in the fall ( though I will check the bulk food section in my organic section at the store for more and grind them some.

Cooper, I've found hawks and owls come back daily once they know they can get the chickens. After a hawk attack last year, I ended up making a 12x12 enclosure - really, just 2x4's holding up a wood frame for the "roof" which is fencing. And I had some snow fence (old wood slats wired together) for the sides, and used chicken wire too. It made for a safe place for the hens. When the snow melted in the spring, I removed the snow fence so it was all open - still provided some protection overhead.

I did not put the snow fencing back until recently, when I had an owl attack. Now they are on lockdown again - which really isn't as bad as it sounds as in the winter, they don't go in the deep snow, only where I shovel. So I shovel out the enclosure, and they also have the whole length of the coop to be under as well.

Good luck with the worms.

 

[delisha]

One of the things I would like to bring up is *How to introduce a new chicken(s) to the flock*.

How do the rest of you do it?

I understand that many believe in *tossing* them in and let nature take its course, let the fit survive etc.(nothing wrong with this)
I do not.

I would never ever purchase a bird and bring it into my flock. I never have. I did not do it with my horses, goats, sheep, or any other live stock. Even with the purchase of a new dog or cat I took it to the vet or had the vet come out and check them first. Since I do not take my chickens to the vet or have the vet examine my chickens, I do it myself.

I keep the new birds in a different building. I introduce one of my birds into the new birds after 2 weeks. That does two things.
1. You can have separate coops and everyone looks and acts healthy and nothing will pop up. Introduce a new bird and you can have some serious issues. I would rather cull the introduced bird and new birds than my whole flock.
2. My flock has resistance to my land, the new birds are requiring that resistance being on the land and the bird I put in with them adds to the resistance. If they act and look good for two weeks, it is good to go.

I have had one of my birds act off when introduced to new birds once in all the years, and find this works best. That time I simply culled out the birds since I have no idea what it was and I was not going to deal with what ever it was. I did an autopsy and found nothing, however since I did not know..I simply over cooked the meat and composed it. It is better to cull one of my birds than my whole flock.

do not believe in lets *wait* and see when it comes to illness. If a bird is *off*, there is something wrong. I either find out what it is that day or the bird is culled. I sometimes let my emotions wait it out and I have usually regretted it. It is usually an older hen that I have affection for. Than I beat myself up for letting them suffer. I am human and I sometimes let my *girl* feelings make my decisions...lol