The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TurtlePowerTrav]

That is pretty tuff. Doing for a neighbor is a good thing. Start a wood fire and make a little dusting area, and use some Nu stock on the legs. Perhaps you could pick up a bail of hay for yourself and bring half to their coop and spread it on top,stir it up a bit. People our age do not see as well as you young people do and we appreciate a helping hand. if you completely change things they might be offended. If you do little things they might be appreciative. Use your good judgment and it should work out great. If they have leg mites you are probably bringing them home to your birds. It would be a good idea to get rid of them if it is a practice of yours to trade chores. Spray neem oil on all roosting areas. I am sure they would love for you to spruce things up a bit.

I am pretty sure the neighbors see ok, they just believe in letting the chickens be chickens. They feel if they are laying they are ok. I will try and get some Nu-stock on the legs. I have a full bag of DE and poultry dust. I think I will dust the nest area and put some new straw down. We don't trade chores. Just collect eggs and let birds out in morning and lock up at night.I wash my shoes off before coming back into my backyard. The hard part is that the chickens are not used to being handled, and they have light on in coop 24/7.

This ain't non of my concern but I will say what I would do. Take some nu-stock over and put on legs. three days later I would do it again. At that same time I would clean the coop and white wash it.
White wash (My recipe)
In a five gallon bucket
1 gallon barn lime
!/2 box mule team borax.
Hot water till it is thin enough to paint with.
2 cups salt dissolved in hot water.
Stir every thing together
Let set over night for at least 12 hours
Stir again add more water if it needs it to paint with.
Put on old, old cloths and a pair of safety goggles not glasses.
Take a 6 inch paint or dry wall brush slop the white wash on with a painting motion, Get it everywhere roost in the cracks all over the walls. No need to be neat you will see why after it dries. Reapply litter same kind they had before.
You have done killed every creepy crawly critter in there. That's why out buildings were white washed not for looks.

I am sure when they get home and you say what you did they will be grateful. If not just say You ask if I would look after the chickens and I did. I WOULD NOT ASK FOR MONEY FOR DOING THIS I WOULD DO IT BECAUSE I AM NEIGHBORLY.

The white wash is a good idea, but a little too invasive. Pretty sure they would take offense to that. But replacing the nest and litter materials and dusting is something I can do without upsetting them. I will do the nu-stock too. We don't get paid for it, just collect the eggs.

 

[pigeonguy]

Chance is about 75-80lbs. We got him when he was 10mo old, the people that bought him could not trust their son with him(behavior issues). He is pure Tri-Color Working Breed(We lost his papers in a move). His eyesight has been going for about a year now. His hearing in the last 6 months. I think part of his hearing is ear-mites(I treat with baby oil, but then he doesn't hear at all for 2 days). I will be taking him to the vet to get updated shots and ears checked after Hawaii(hoping it is just the mites causing hearing issues). Chance only shows interest in the chicks, although I don't think he would eat one. He got too close to one with my broody and she let him know that he was too close(big peck to the nose). My rooster and Chance will sleep on the porch next to each other. He also has arthritis, so he sleeps inside at night during the winter months, which means I get to hunt raccoons(they stay away if he is out). Got me a HUGE male last weekend, 35-40lbs and almost 3' hanging from feet to nose.

Again this is just what I do and yes I do use a shot glass to measure it.
1 shot nu-stock
1 shot vegetable oil
1/2 shot white vinegar ( why not ACV my ear doctor said to use white and added never put ACV in your ear. I figure if I can't put it in mine I'm not putting it in my dogs)
The dose I have a syringe no needle not as big around as my little finger but not as small as a pencil. Numbers are worn off got it at TSC. If you look at your little finger from the tip to the first knuckle. I put that much in each of my lab or bloodhound ears. It will cure ear mites or yeast infection. Yeast infection is the most likely if he can't hear.
Do the dogs ears smell that is a sign of yeast infection in the ear very common in dogs. More so in droopy eared dogs though.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
I will have to try that. Certainly can't do any harm.

 

[pigeonguy]

I forgot to mention after you squirt it in rub the outside of the ear canal to get it to go way down in there. It should make a good sloshing sound. I also put it in a small bottle and shake it up real good before each dose.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I forgot to mention after you squirt it in rub the outside of the ear canal to get it to go way down in there. It should make a good sloshing sound. I also put it in a small bottle and shake it up real good before each dose.

That's what I do with the baby oil. A breeder told me that is what they used to treat mites, drowns them.

 

[Sally8]

This ain't non of my concern but I will say what I would do. Take some nu-stock over and put on legs. three days later I would do it again. At that same time I would clean the coop and white wash it.
White wash (My recipe)
In a five gallon bucket
1 gallon barn lime
!/2 box mule team borax.
Hot water till it is thin enough to paint with.
2 cups salt dissolved in hot water.
Stir every thing together
Let set over night for at least 12 hours
Stir again add more water if it needs it to paint with.
Put on old, old cloths and a pair of safety goggles not glasses.
Take a 6 inch paint or dry wall brush slop the white wash on with a painting motion, Get it everywhere roost in the cracks all over the walls. No need to be neat you will see why after it dries. Reapply litter same kind they had before.
You have done killed every creepy crawly critter in there. That's why out buildings were white washed not for looks.

I am sure when they get home and you say what you did they will be grateful. If not just say You ask if I would look after the chickens and I did. I WOULD NOT ASK FOR MONEY FOR DOING THIS I WOULD DO IT BECAUSE I AM NEIGHBORLY.

I agree this would be tough but I agree with you entirely. I am not one to sit back and let animals suffer. It's possible that it isn't neglect on your neighbor's part. Some people just don't see things. Thank you for having such a kind heart. That would be a lot of work for anyone. Sue

 

[pigeonguy]

I had already hit the "multi-quote" botton - but Delisha and PigeonGuy beat me to it. You have some good advice here! There's a link to buy Nu-Stock (if you don't already have some) on the blog's "Gr8 Products" page as well as a recipe to make it on the "Recipes and DIY" page.

And PigeonGuy - I may have to add your whitewash recipe to that page. That's some good info!

That's ok it worked for me.for 42 years.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
They are good people, they just don't spend time with the chickens like I do with mine. I will do what I can for them without stepping on toes.

 

[jockeyeba]

Aoxa I just love that barn scene but only to look at lol, I couldn't take all that Ice in some of those pictures I just love "Bonnie's" coloring

 

[Leahs Mom]

Okay thanks pg at least what we are doing is a benefit, I was beginning to doubt my own method, I did start another bucket this afternoon so I can have one going a bit longer. It's a good thing we don't get alot of company since I have buckets sitting in my house now with ff in them.

Course unless i take the top off the bucket there is no smell. and i like the smell actually.

Yes! Even just soaking is a benefit!!!

salt water

What ratio, please?

Again this is just what I do and yes I do use a shot glass to measure it.
1 shot nu-stock
1 shot vegetable oil
1/2 shot white vinegar ( why not ACV my ear doctor said to use white and added never put ACV in your ear. I figure if I can't put it in mine I'm not putting it in my dogs)
The dose I have a syringe no needle not as big around as my little finger but not as small as a pencil. Numbers are worn off got it at TSC. If you look at your little finger from the tip to the first knuckle. I put that much in each of my lab or bloodhound ears. It will cure ear mites or yeast infection. Yeast infection is the most likely if he can't hear.
Do the dogs ears smell that is a sign of yeast infection in the ear very common in dogs. More so in droopy eared dogs though.

BDM...I know the forum is about chickens but I vote to put this recipe on too!