The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote: What a darling!

 

[jockeyeba]

MB I might have missed it in all of these posts but how did/are you faring with the bad weather? A lot of snow?

Thanks for asking jockeyba! This give you an idea of what i am going to be doing this afternoon? urg....The winds were so awful, it blew so much snow into the tiny cracks in the coop, it's amazing how much snow can get through a pin hole, or where the nest box cover was. I am going to have to completely empty their coop and put fresh bedding in. Temps supposed to rise to 40 tomorrow, and dip to freezing at night, I am sure that is going to create an awful lot of unwanted moisture in their coop. I also took an incredibly nasty fall on my kitchen floor of all places. Kids took off their snow bootsnear the garage door, and I didn't see a wet spot on the tile. **** Crocs aren't safe either, I keep meaning to throw them in the garbage. LLBean stopped making my very favorite house slippers, and I've been using Crocs in house. I truly thought I broke my hip the first few seconds, the pain was searing. I'm no doctor,,but am fairly sure I pulled my hamstring. I did that running track in high school, and I remember the pain till this day...it's back. GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... MB

Being a native Texan and living in Texas almost my entire life I can't imagine that much snow So glad you didn't break anything, tile floors have no give

 

[delisha]

What a precious moment with your grandson. I love those the most.
I am so glad your hatch went well Mumsy.

I ordered a new incubator and it should be here on Valentines day.
I contacted the woman who sent me the silkie eggs and have not heard back from her yet. I am going to hatch out Silkies again. The DH said we need to have them ready for the September show and waiting to long will blow the chances of a good show. I will post pictures of the chicks once they get out of the incubator. I do have a few that survived even after the Silkie tragic event. I put the Orpingtons outside with the mom. She is still tight on that nest..hopefully she will take care of this group.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

How old?
Are they coming out of molt?
A rooster will mate with an old hen who has not layed for years. A cockerel will mate with a cat or a shoe

the females are 21 weeks, the males are 1yr and 2-3 yrs.
There are a few tail feathers lying around but I was thinking it was more the roosters settling their differences. The females are not showing any real loss of feathers maybe 1 feather per bird was in the litter.
I will be sure to lock up my shoes Even if I think it would be a funny site. Maybe I can talk DH out of his work boots when they finally are of no use to him.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Your males are mature..so they are breeding your girls knowing they are at POL

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Your males are mature..so they are breeding your girls knowing they are at POL

Is it possible that the chickens are laying but the other chickens are eating the eggs? If so would I find some kind of egg remains?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Lovely work... this will soften the scab but not remove the infection. You most likely will have to remove the scab and pull the infection capsul out and then follow up with disinfecting and wrapping. I have done a few. Sooner you do it the sooner she will heal and stop the spreading.

Sounds like what you're describing is the way a cyst works. You have to remove the "sack" in there or it just keeps re-filling.

So I wonder if bumble foot is really a type of cyst? Here is the video of the bumblefoot surgery that some of us watched before.

When you watch this - all the way to the end - you'll see why (if it is really the same kind of infection as this is) it wouldn't draw out with just a drawing salve. I hope it doesn't come to this but I'm prepared if need be. I think I'll give it a week and see what happens. Here's the video.

 

[Sally8]

Thanks for asking jockeyba! This give you an idea of what i am going to be doing this afternoon? urg....The winds were so awful, it blew so much snow into the tiny cracks in the coop, it's amazing how much snow can get through a pin hole, or where the nest box cover was. I am going to have to completely empty their coop and put fresh bedding in. Temps supposed to rise to 40 tomorrow, and dip to freezing at night, I am sure that is going to create an awful lot of unwanted moisture in their coop. I also took an incredibly nasty fall on my kitchen floor of all places. Kids took off their snow bootsnear the garage door, and I didn't see a wet spot on the tile. **** Crocs aren't safe either, I keep meaning to throw them in the garbage. LLBean stopped making my very favorite house slippers, and I've been using Crocs in house. I truly thought I broke my hip the first few seconds, the pain was searing. I'm no doctor,,but am fairly sure I pulled my hamstring. I did that running track in high school, and I remember the pain till this day...it's back. GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... MB

I also wondered how you fared. It sure was a nasty storm. We got 7 inches and 5 miles down the road they got 3 in. Thankfully we had very little wind as it was so cold. Some of my chickens came out yesterday, today the sun is out but I don't see many out. Hope you're feeling better soon. Sue I think early on in the other thread we talked about croc's and having to hide them from ourselves. It took a month of snow before I put mine away! lol

 

[delisha]

Quote: Chickens do not typically eat eggs. They do on occasion *test* eggs by pecking on eggs, and if they are not *quality* they do break. The chickens will eat the eggs obviously. You will see staining like yolk in the nest or on the ground. Shells would be littered here and there. Just assume your hens are going to start to lay soon. Once rooster start to breed POL pullets it is usually a good two weeks before they start to lay.

 

[delisha]

MB..I hope you recover soon..

Crocks and water do not mix.. I use mine for coop running. They sure wash nice the the dishwasher.

LM..I hope your bandage works and surgery is not needed. I have been fortunate and have no experience in that surgery. Epsom salts have done the trick.


One tiny Silkie..it is soooo small. Half the size of a regular chick