The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

in these pics, it hung on the gate better that way).




Hmm, I only charge $30-35 for my dry skins depending on the color, (or $15 for fresh/raw)... maybe I should jack up my prices a little, lol.

Beautiful! I had to laugh when I read your post. You need to remember. I stepped away from the poultry world over 20 years ago. I just re-entered recently and joined BYC a few months ago. I've been playing catch up ever since!

If you were raising Pearl Guineas for skins in 1994, you'd have been making some serious money in some parts.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: You're welcome! Hope we see you around more

The thing about tanning with brains or salt or cornmeal is this. If you want a supple and soft tan that can be used for sewing or crafting, then the brains method is the best. If you are tannning a bird skin and all someone is going to use it for is a wall hanging or pulling individual feathers out for making tie fishing lures, salt and cornmeal is the way to go.

Thanks again!

 

[delisha]

I wanted to share 2 pics I managed to get of the new additions. My sons are enthralled with them! My oldest (kindergarten) has been asking the second he gets home from school "Did they grew up into big hens to give us eggs yet?" I love how interested they have been!

awwwww too cute

 

[Bulldogma]

And thanks to Delisha, we now know it is possible to brainwash a dead bird!

All this information from Peeps, Delisha and Mumsy (did I miss anyone - if so, you too!) is fascinating!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I have a feeling I'll be skinning some chickens/guineas in the future and curing the skins. I want to try both methods. I don't like strong smells, but after working as a vet tech (20 years ago - LOL) I know I can handle it. Worst ever?? Even worse than puppies with parvo? A GSD with a broken leg - the cast had been allowed (by the owner) to get wet and then sit a few weeks... the entire back leg from the hip to the toes was gangrenous! And I was PREGNANT at the time! I had to debride - scrub that leg down with a wire brush.

So yeah - I'm going to try the brains sometime! I always wanted to know how to do that!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just for clarity - can you do the brain curing with any animal?

 

[delisha]

Because I have both LF and Bantam in my incubator for the first time, I decided I need a better incubator. That way I will never have this much stress since the silkies are not going away. I will probably have to reorder them. I do not think these are going to make it. They are still viable, but, I did candle today and the heartbeat is not as strong and they are less active. The rest of my eggs need more humidity, so I will end up drowning the silkies.

I am going to try to raise the silkies in the incubator, by building a ledge to add heat, less moisture, and hope that might save some of them. I will be doing it tomorrow. I do not want to loose all the rest of my hatch and I have pushed them as far as I can. I probably will have some issues with them, but they have not all internally piped yet so it should be OK for the most part. I should have some external pipping tomorrow night.

 

[delisha]

Just for clarity - can you do the brain curing with any animal?

yes...all of them

 

[pigeonguy]

Up at the crack of dawn to turn up the house thermostat and turn eggs. Did an eggtopsie on the ? marked egg that troubled me at the seven day candling. There was no change in the size of the embryo and instead of getting more pronounced in darker shade, it was getting cloudy and seperating. Upon opening it was definitely a quitter. Looked to be at the four day mark. Tomorrow is lock down and there are still two eggs with a ? mark from the fourteen day candling.

I won't go on and on about artificial incubating unless I'm asked directly. I put first pullet eggs into the incubator because I was curious. My books and people always say don't do it. I want to know why? Just like finding out first hand that Wood Ash kills mites and lice by dusting my chickens myself. Or finding out a drop of kerosene will certainly worm a chicken. And all the other bits of knowledge best put into use by just doing it and finding out for myself. Then making up my own mind.
As always, my note book will be filled with the findings from this hatch.

Could you tell me more about the kerosene and worms Mumsy. My internet has been bad very bad. I really don't want to go back through the pages it would take days. Maybe even pm it to me because I can't hardly surf at all right now. They are working on it but for now it is terrible.

 

[armorfirelady]

So I decided to investigate further on herbs/flowers that are edible & beneficial for chickens.

Here are a couple interesting links I found for those who are interested

http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/01/nesting-box-herbs-chicken-aromatherapy.html
http://www.herbcottage.com.au/blog/2010/10/herbs-for-healthy-chickens/


I listed a few that I knew others might be interested in, Def some great info with the upcoming planting season:

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Oregano - combats coccidia, salmonella, infectious bronchitis, avian flue, blackhead and ecoli
Fennel -laying stimulant
Garlic - laying stimulant
Sage - antioxidant, anti-parasitic, general health promoter

I also read parsley was a laying stimulant

I might just but some parsley & add more garlic to their FF for a week or two & see if it increases their laying. I keep a daily log so it should be interesting.

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[delisha]

I wish I had a better camera that could take better pictures in the dark.
TThis is what my silkie eggs look like. The air cell is on the right and the bottom of the egg filled with clear liquid is pretty large. The chick is in the center of the egg and takes up less than a 1/2 of the egg....