The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

Necropsy results are liver and spleen failure. Both were severely enlarged. Her heart was on the small side(yes even for a bantam). Crop had grit ad food in it, but not impacted or sour, I could squeeze the contents out. Her intestines were fine, just poo. No evidence of cocci overload. I did not take pics, just too hard when dealing with a chick. Teriyaki looked way different inside compared to Parmesano. She just had the blocked intestine. This is how I know what was too small and too big. Teriyaki was healthy except for the piece of meat that blocked her intestine. With another person close by me losing 7 of 8 chicks that came from M Best, I will not be getting anymore of her birds until she adds new lines(I don't think she will). I am going to send her an email with my findings.

Aw Trav - I'm sorry to hear this! I know your DW must be pretty upset too.

 

[Melabella]

Hey so I am looking barn plans over with Susan, and we both fell in love with this one.

http://www.backroadhome.net/djb-411s-maple-barn-plans.html

It's a good size. I really like it. Ideas? Of course more windows would be needed.

Beautiful! Love it, you can customize the areas any way you want. Reminds me a bit of my barn.

 

[Leahs Mom]

How about this picture of a beautiful English Shepherd protecting her rabbits, ducks and geese by making sure this racoon didn't get to far into her territory!

Steak dinner for her I say! Love these English Shepherds!

That's incredible! It doesn't even look like she has a scratch on her. The last time one of my (now deceased) dogs went after a raccoon she almost lost an eye - ripped the eyelid right open! Those raccoons are deadly!

Necropsy results are liver and spleen failure. Both were severely enlarged. Her heart was on the small side(yes even for a bantam). Crop had grit ad food in it, but not impacted or sour, I could squeeze the contents out. Her intestines were fine, just poo. No evidence of cocci overload. I did not take pics, just too hard when dealing with a chick. Teriyaki looked way different inside compared to Parmesano. She just had the blocked intestine. This is how I know what was too small and too big. Teriyaki was healthy except for the piece of meat that blocked her intestine. With another person close by me losing 7 of 8 chicks that came from M Best, I will not be getting anymore of her birds until she adds new lines(I don't think she will). I am going to send her an email with my findings.

So sorry for all of that. Somehow I didn't see the original post that said you were having trouble. I've tried to find it but can't. Can you either send me a link or refresh ... what was happening with your birds? Did you say you lost 2? How were they acting...what were the symptoms? (Asking because I want to learn.)

 

[aoxa]

Beautiful! Love it, you can customize the areas any way you want. Reminds me a bit of my barn.

It does look similar

I like the option for a green room. I'd love to have a very bright area for gardening or for natural light for the chickens who hate going out during the winter.

This time around I want to house my waterfowl separately.

If they have to remove the foundation, should I use all dirt ground?

 

[Sally8]

Aoxa - love the look of the barn and plans. Looks like you can do so much with it.

I candled some eggs tonight trying to figure out a detached air sac. I found this egg with the dime size cells(s). They look like a cluster of tadpole eggs. Is this normal? The dark spot was just dirt. These are the same egg.



Is a detached air sac easy to see?



Checking out lunch.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa...such a pretty barn! One thing I would want would be lots of doors leading to the outside from every possible "stall" or "chicken divider area". Several others posted about being able to have separate pens inside with separate entrances to the outside in case you needed to separate runs for various reasons. That is something I'd wish for in a barn!

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa...such a pretty barn! One thing I would want would be lots of doors leading to the outside from every possible "stall" or "chicken divider area". Several others posted about being able to have separate pens inside with separate entrances to the outside in case you needed to separate runs for various reasons. That is something I'd wish for in a barn!

Yes for sure. I need separate pens and runs for breeding season, which is why I liked the first barn I posted.. but it was far too small for my needs. Oh and doors, yes. Doors I can walk in to the pens for each breeding group.

I need a big area for layers, a separate area for goats and larger livestock, and up to 10 pens for breeding birds. I am not sure how many, but more is always better than less.

 

[Leahs Mom]

My only other comment on the barn is - get the largest structure you can afford and that makes sense on your property! I think that there is always more that we find we want to do and wish we had room for!

I also love that you can drive into the barn easily.

Is it possible to alter that barn a little to fit in a regular stairway?

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Pigeonguy or others that have used white wash;
Have you added a pigment to it? If so what have you used for pigment, I've read brick dust for red, I was hoping for a grey green color.
How often do you repaint? Is it really every year?
I'm in the process of collecting pallets to build a new (bigger!) coop and planned on white washing it.

 

[delisha]

My sister called me at work today to tell me she saw 2 foxes at my Brahma coop! They bolted when they saw her and she said all the Brahma's were back in their covered run with one of my geldings standing guard at the pop door (they usually have the run of the horse pens during the day). I lost 2 pullets to these foxes 5-6 months ago. I don't want to lose anymore, but now I'm afraid to let them out. I've heard that they're really hard to trap. I live in a subdivision and I don't think I'd be able to successfully use a gun - especially since they seem to come during the day, I've never seen them and I don't know how to shoot. Plus, I'm deaf, so wouldn't be able to hear them when they show up anyway. I don't know what to do!

You need a couple of containers of tennis balls and a qt of ammonia. soak the tennis balls in the ammonia for 24 hours and place them around your property. You will need to gather the tennis balls once a week and re soak them. I keep a container always in ammonia for replacements.