The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Mumsy, that is exactly what my boys feet look like! Red between the toes and up just a little.

Looks pretty close to Black Foots feet.

His name is black foot because he hatched with ..you guessed it...black feet..right now his feet are not all black..they have the *blush*

 

[Mumsy]

I have a question about putting DL in the runs - is it OK if the run isn't covered? It seems like it would get really soggy in there, but I really don't know what I'm talking about (yet!)

I was out in the garden today and decided to fork over some DL I had filled beds with last month. We have had rain rain rain for weeks on end. My DL out there in the elements was still fluffy. When I turned it over though, it was crawling with huge night crawler worms! It was breaking down further but still looked like litter. Not muck. If you build your DL with the right ratio, it remains bulky and non mucky. Even when it's out in the weather. That is my experience with my mix in the Pacific North West.

 

[lalaland]

I use Oregano..for an additional antioxidant and to keep my egg layers strong and lung healthy.
I use Cilantro for K for chicks to avoid wry neck
Garlic for mosquito deterrent and internal worms
Basil for strong heart and lungs

delisha, i didn't know that about basil. interesting, it is the one plant in the garden they ignore totally if they have escaped into the garden.

 

[jendodd79]

I was out in the garden today and decided to fork over some DL I had filled beds with last month. We have had rain rain rain for weeks on end. My DL out there in the elements was still fluffy. When I turned it over though, it was crawling with huge night crawler worms! It was breaking down further but still looked like litter. Not muck. If you build your DL with the right ratio, it remains bulky and non mucky. Even when it's out in the weather. That is my experience with my mix in the Pacific North West.

Thanks! I'm getting soooooo tired of the rain!

I just checked out the aromatherapy link for herbs. Nasturtiums being a laying stimulant, well I can tell you what I'll be planting around the outside of the run this summer! Vining peas for shade and nasturtiums!

 

[delisha]

Quote: LM..you are a talented writer..I really enjoyed reading that. Thank you

 

[delisha]

Tossing out the DL out of the coops and into the runs have added benefits. You are not loosing all that work you put into the DL. It is going to condition the soil and bring back some important bug life that is missing in those hard packed runs...Yes in the beginning when you have rain and rain it might look like a soggy mess, but, deep litter filters out really well and will break down into some really soft loamy dirt. Eventually the hard packed dirt will soften and the chickens will have a hay day in all of that soft dirt. It will take years for them to work it in. Cheap excersize and removes bordom on those days they are locked up.

 

[delisha]

Tossing out the DL out of the coops and into the runs have added benefits. You are not loosing all that work you put into the DL. It is going to condition the soil and bring back some important bug life that is missing in those hard packed runs...Yes in the beginning when you have rain and rain it might look like a soggy mess, but, deep litter filters out really well and will break down into some really soft loamy dirt. Eventually the hard packed dirt will soften and the chickens will have a hay day in all of that soft dirt. It will take years for them to work it in. Cheap excersize and removes bordom on those days they are locked up.

I took out half of the DL in the basement that the chicks were on, I just took it out and dumped it into the duck pen. The chickens spent the afternoon kicking it all over the snow. They had a ball.

 

[pcappy2]

Took my grandson down to pick up a few hatchery mutts. We incubated last summer but didn't have the time to do it again. We couldn't believe how small these chicks were. It really shocked both of us. Nothing to compare to the chicks we hatched before. At 8yrs old he said...well,we will see how this goes but we might not do this again...I had to laugh. Most of u hatch your own or have Broodies, but can u tell me your opinion for having the chicks vaccinated at the hatchery? They r cute little chicks, already on acv in the water. We have some wheat grass sprouting to add with some bedding from the coop. Starting ff tomorrow. To vaccinate or not is the question

 

[armorfirelady]

Leah mom- I had heard that about grass clippings before but e only time I put grass clippings in their run is when I pick up leaves in the fall. The hens picked out all the grass clippings first but we haven't had any sour crop issues. Maybe the mower cut it up into small enough pieces.

Delisha- I never thought about garlic helping with mosquitoes. I add garlic to my ff bt we don't have any mosquito problems in the snow lol. Also loving ur chick pics

Sally8- congrats on ur chicks hatching !!!

Ok DL question. When u get new birds would u put them on the DL from ur current birds?

Mumsy- great idea on using DL for a berm.....I don't need a berm but I have low spot in the yard that fills with water and I think I will put some compost & DL in there to fill it up since its where I want to put the new coop in the spring

 

[Sally8]

I hate to persist with this but the eggs under the hens weren't there all the same day so they could continue to hatch for the next week. If I move them to the ground do I move the eggs into a nest there too? I'm still somewhat traumatized over such a failed incubation that I'm hesitant to intervene very much. I have zero experience with a broody hen.

Then, a few weeks ago I had 2 Silkie roo's given to me. I have a Frizzle hen and had been looking for "friend". After quarantine I moved them inside the chicken coop in a large wired dog crate. I opened the door today to let them mingle with the rest. (They've been in each other's company for 2 weeks). I'm surprised I'm not in the news for being arrested for cock fighting. What a battle. The solid black Silkie was absolutely beautiful, all puffed out, hackle feathers up and out and very angry. Where's my camera when I need it? How long do you let them fight it out, do I go through this process every now and again for a while to see if they will ever get along? I'm only keeping 1 and to be honest I know nothing about Silkies but I don't think that these are even a pure one. Naturally, I like the feisty one, He is solid black but the fluffy feathers around his butt and legs are more grayish. The other is black with light brown coloring on his neck but he is also more laid back. Doesn't matter if they aren't pure, just looking for a friend in size for Cecilia. (They look somewhat like the Cochin I raised and culled for the very nasty temper he had.) Any experience or ideas?