The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Sally8]

Sorry, posted twice.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Just got 3 ,5 gallon buckets full of wood ash from a friend. He has a wood burning stove and saves it for me. I also got a bunch more feed sacks to finish up covering drafts. I got my dd and ds's early xmas gift last night. They wanted d'uccles for xmas, well they got some. They were so excited.

 

[Bulldogma]

Wow I get swamped at work for a week and ..... Glad I found the new thread as I enjoy the sage advice from all of the posters and AOXA's photographs!!!

So BDM big props for keeping it going!!!

Happy Holidays!!!!

So glad to see you here! Welcome!

Oh you did get the silkies!!! Yeah!!! I bet your daughter is so happy! I currently have 3 BROODY Silkies out of 6!!!

Yes - my dd wanted a Silkie after we lost 2 of our Swedish Flower Hens. Went for one and came home with two. Isn't that how its supposed to work? LOL. Better to have more than one in quarantine anyway.

Here's mine. Sex link in far left front corner, My heritage BRs lay darker eggs, but at this time of the picture - they weren't laying. The blue eggs are from the EEs. I have some really good blue egg genetics in my EEs. I won the egg contest at our provincial show

Love this illustration of types of eggs! Thanks for sharing!

see you guys tomorrow...off to play some rock n roll at a Christmas party at our favorite Pub

Ooo - have fun!

Just got 3 ,5 gallon buckets full of wood ash from a friend. He has a wood burning stove and saves it for me. I also got a bunch more feed sacks to finish up covering drafts. I got my dd and ds's early xmas gift last night. They wanted d'uccles for xmas, well they got some. They were so excited.

Chickens just make perfect Christmas presents, don't they?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Chickens just make perfect Christmas presents, don't they?

Chickens are the best gift. I was super happy everyone was so surprised and thrilled. That makes my xmas just seeing the happiness in my kids' eyes

 

[cbuffy]

wow! Finally caught up!

My dh (darling husband) surprised me with 4 Buff Orpingtons yesterday! 2-day olds. I am going to talk to the feed store and see if they can also get me 4 BAs. I wanted those - but am pleased with the BOs as well... so far they are brooding in a rubbermaid tote in the spare room - it was 38 outside last night which is COLD for Florida. But it won't be too long before they are outside. They have a red light keeping them toasty for now.

For natural remedies for a cold - megadose Vitamin D3 (50-100k units daily for several days until you get feeling better...) and add to that Oil of Oregano capsules (cuz it tastes NASTY straight...). It works for me anytime I get sick (which isn't often). Even living in Florida, my D levels test low, so I take 5,000 units every day, upping it up 10,000 if I feel a little off and up to 100,000 if I am actually sick. Oil of Oregano is such a great natural anti-biotic! (The only side effect is an occasional oregano-flavored burp - just feels like you have been eating pizza... lol) Hope you get feeling better right away!

 

[aoxa]

One of my Silver Spangled Hamburgs isn't roosting tonight. She's laying in the pine shavings. Rosie the turkey did some fierce stomping today. I could'nt find anything wrong with the Hamburg. Maybe she's bruised. Rosie and Chuck are now in their wn enclosure. They're not too happy.

Sorry to hear Rosie was being so aggressive today. They go through phases. I think teenagers are always more aggressive than adults. Goes the same for chickens. Probably establishing a pecking order, and it can be dangerous when you have small birds who are the target.

I try to have lots of good hiding spaces for the smaller birds. It really comes in handy! My younger chicks are now integrated in with the flock (they are 10 weeks old) - they sleep under the shelves on which I hold my recycling bin nesting boxes. Works for me.

Just got 3 ,5 gallon buckets full of wood ash from a friend. He has a wood burning stove and saves it for me. I also got a bunch more feed sacks to finish up covering drafts. I got my dd and ds's early xmas gift last night. They wanted d'uccles for xmas, well they got some. They were so excited.

I never use my feed bags for anything other than holding garbage. That's a fine idea though!

Chickens are the best gift. I was super happy everyone was so surprised and thrilled. That makes my xmas just seeing the happiness in my kids' eyes

BDM, is your daughter bonding with them yet? Watching cartoons until they can't stand it anymore?

 

[aoxa]

wow! Finally caught up!

My dh (darling husband) surprised me with 4 Buff Orpingtons yesterday! 2-day olds. I am going to talk to the feed store and see if they can also get me 4 BAs. I wanted those - but am pleased with the BOs as well... so far they are brooding in a rubbermaid tote in the spare room - it was 38 outside last night which is COLD for Florida. But it won't be too long before they are outside. They have a red light keeping them toasty for now.

For natural remedies for a cold - megadose Vitamin D3 (50-100k units daily for several days until you get feeling better...) and add to that Oil of Oregano capsules (cuz it tastes NASTY straight...). It works for me anytime I get sick (which isn't often). Even living in Florida, my D levels test low, so I take 5,000 units every day, upping it up 10,000 if I feel a little off and up to 100,000 if I am actually sick. Oil of Oregano is such a great natural anti-biotic! (The only side effect is an occasional oregano-flavored burp - just feels like you have been eating pizza... lol) Hope you get feeling better right away!

Thanks for that tip! Will get some or see if my in laws may already have some upstairs! I had to start an extra large fire because I'm FREEZING. So cold in this house right now..

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Sorry to hear Rosie was being so aggressive today. They go through phases. I think teenagers are always more aggressive than adults. Goes the same for chickens. Probably establishing a pecking order, and it can be dangerous when you have small birds who are the target.

I try to have lots of good hiding spaces for the smaller birds. It really comes in handy! My younger chicks are now integrated in with the flock (they are 10 weeks old) - they sleep under the shelves on which I hold my recycling bin nesting boxes. Works for me.
I never use my feed bags for anything other than holding garbage. That's a fine idea though!

BDM, is your daughter bonding with them yet? Watching cartoons until they can't stand it anymore?

I like to find use for everything I can.
My kids dont watch alot of tv at all. They would rather be running around outside. Really chicken tv is the best tv. It has been hard to get her out of the master bathroom today, that is were they are set up to brood, she has been in there talking to them and letting them eat feed from her hands lol. You would think this was her first chicks lol.

 

[aoxa]

I like to find use for everything I can.
My kids dont watch alot of tv at all. They would rather be running around outside. Really chicken tv is the best tv. It has been hard to get her out of the master bathroom today, that is were they are set up to brood, she has been in there talking to them and letting them eat feed from her hands lol. You would think this was her first chicks lol.

So cute! How many did you get? I personally love the D'Uccles personality and appearance, but the one I had was so unthrifty, and a friend of mine raises them. They don't do well in cold at all, so she has to keep the barn above freezing. Hard to do without spending a fortune. It would be so much easier to watch chicken TV though if my barn was heated.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

So cute! How many did you get? I personally love the D'Uccles personality and appearance, but the one I had was so unthrifty, and a friend of mine raises them. They don't do well in cold at all, so she has to keep the barn above freezing. Hard to do without spending a fortune. It would be so much easier to watch chicken TV though if my barn was heated.

I have 2 d'uccles originally and love them so much. We got 4 mille fleur d'uccle chicks and 4 polish/phoenix chicks. I havent had a problem with any of my bantams in the cold. Sometimes my duccle hen will take an hour nap in the coop when it is cold and windy but just cold seems to be no problem. It was the heat over the summer that had me worried. What do you mean unthrifty? By the need to heat the barn? That is too bad they are really such a delightful bird. I agree about a heated barn, I sure miss sitting in a lawn chair watching their antics,, oh spring hurry up!!