The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

http://www.permies.com/t/11693/chickens/Chickens-compost-heaps
http://creativecoops.com/chickens/chicken-coops-should-go-near-the-compost-pile/

two pretty good places for information about compost and chickens

 

[rowerjen]

Del -
I'd like to see some photos of your roost branches if you have time to take a photo or 2.

Also - do you use ALL branches or do you have some flat boards too?

When I was building my coop I discovered the "cull" bin at home depot. One of my finds was a piece of deck railing with beveled edges. My birds love it and it cost me 50 cents for 4 feet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

smaller roosts about 2 inch diameter

large roosts about 6 inch diameter

Diameter of larger roosts

Thank you. Very helpful!

Quote: I hope you're right that its a pullet!
9

Good thing I only did the 4 in this cold weather!

Can't wait to hear!

I think people in general don't realize chickens taste things differently than people or even most other animals. However...A chicken has a very excellent sense of smell. Many studies have been done on this. If a hen scoots a bad egg out of her nest it isn't because she has some sense of knowing it's bad, she can SMELL that it's bad. When introducing chickens to FF for the first time, it is that aroma of vinegar that they often do not recognize and are reluctant at first to try. Studies have shown that chickens can also smell blood from some distance. Many of us have wittnessed them come running at processing time and it's why some cannibalism goes on in too crowded conditions.

It used to be worried in some of my old books that chickens can get botulism from rummaging in compost piles but I don't know how that would happen. Botulism grows in an oxygen free environment. If anyone has more info on botulism/compost piles, and chickens, I'd like to know.

Thanks for that. Good info.

When I was building my coop I discovered the "cull" bin at home depot. One of my finds was a piece of deck railing with beveled edges. My birds love it and it cost me 50 cents for 4 feet.

Could you also show us a photo of those?

 

[Leahs Mom]

http://www.permies.com/t/11693/chickens/Chickens-compost-heaps
http://creativecoops.com/chickens/chicken-coops-should-go-near-the-compost-pile/

two pretty good places for information about compost and chickens

Couldn't get the first link to work. Thanks for the info!

Here's another link:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/composter+chickens.html

I had read about a composting company that uses chickens to break down the compost. The chickens run in it free-range and it's the only feed they get. They sell finished compost AND chicken eggs. The photos look like a big dump with huge hills of compost and chickens running throughout.
.
The company doesn't do any work...the chickens are the "hired help" and work for food

. They also give the owners a second business - EGGS!

I don't have time to look up the company right now but I'll try to find it later!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Here is is. Found it.

http://www.vermontcompost.com/about.html

 

[aoxa]

Couldn't get the first link to work. Thanks for the info!

Here's another link:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/composter+chickens.html

I had read about a composting company - huge - that uses chickens to break down the compost they pickup from the city. The chickens run in it free-range and it's the only feed they get. They sell finished compost AND chicken eggs. The photos look like a big dump with huge hills of compost and chickens running throughout.
.
The company doesn't do any work...the chickens are the "hired help" and work for food

. They also give the owners a second business - EGGS!

I don't have time to look up the company right now but I'll try to find it later!

My birds had free access to the compost piles. Nothing wrong with that But if you want to keep the compost in a neat pile, don't let your chickens have access. Because they will scratch it all around.

 

[Leahs Mom]

You're right on the compost Aoxa! I've seen folks that build a temporary fence around where the garden is going to be, dump all the compost in there and let the chickens scratch through it until it's ready for spring planting. Then remove chickens and plant!

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok quick question-

Is this normal scales on a hen?

To me looks like one popped off? I have no idea just know it looks different than the other scales.
Also are the pads on the bottom of their feet flat or like the pad on a cats foot. Soft little pillow like?

And the discharge from the vent? It doesn't look like fleet. And I think because the skin around the vent is clean, dry and pink that its not either. Perhaps something they ate and they all just had varying degree of dysentery from it? I did give them all yogurt the week before with some granola mixed in. They only get yogurt once a month or so for a few days till the container is empty. The only other new foods given was fresh cilantro and parsley & I didn't think the herbs would cause an issue?

Thanks didn't mean to ask again just was trying to see if what I saw and thought was normal was correct & curious on vent discharge.

(I do know that with them banded different colors now it will make it easier to watch them and note changes. ESP the 2 with prolapse vents. They do go back in. Just the one was brighter red. But she has the defect in her comb to. But everything is written in a notebook now so I can look back and note any changes. It's like when u had a newborn and kept track of feelings and diapers lol

 

[aoxa]

Ok quick question-

Is this normal scales on a hen?

To me looks like one popped off? I have no idea just know it looks different than the other scales.
Also are the pads on the bottom of their feet flat or like the pad on a cats foot. Soft little pillow like?


And the discharge from the vent? It doesn't look like fleet. And I think because the skin around the vent is clean, dry and pink that its not either. Perhaps something they ate and they all just had varying degree of dysentery from it? I did give them all yogurt the week before with some granola mixed in. They only get yogurt once a month or so for a few days till the container is empty. The only other new foods given was fresh cilantro and parsley & I didn't think the herbs would cause an issue?


Thanks didn't mean to ask again just was trying to see if what I saw and thought was normal was correct & curious on vent discharge.

(I do know that with them banded different colors now it will make it easier to watch them and note changes. ESP the 2 with prolapse vents. They do go back in. Just the one was brighter red. But she has the defect in her comb to. But everything is written in a notebook now so I can look back and note any changes. It's like when u had a newborn and kept track of feelings and diapers lol

That's normal for her feet.

I'll let someone else answer about the vent.The scale you think looks popped off looks like a spur bump.

 

[delisha]

Nothing wrong with your scales. Chicken breeds have different scales. The back of the legs look different than the front. The larger ones are sometimes from too much corn if they are yellow in color, and called corn legs. Yours look fine. Your vents do not. What you are doing by changing feed, washing, and using Nu Stock is all you can do for now. You might want to use a tube of hemorrhoid cream to shrink tissue faster. Keep it as clean as you can.