The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SandBsmom]

Let us all know when you come up with a solution. Those cups are awesome!

I've got a little off topic question but I think you all are the ones to ask. All this talk of the health benefits of ff and ACV makes me wonder what else I could feed this to. Do any of you feed your horses ff and acv? Rabbits?

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Let us all know when you come up with a solution. Those cups are awesome!

I've got a little off topic question but I think you all are the ones to ask. All this talk of the health benefits of ff and ACV makes me wonder what else I could feed this to. Do any of you feed your horses ff and acv? Rabbits?

I know some people take a shot of ACV daily. I tried and just can't handle it. I tried putting it in a 16oz glass of water with lots of honey and still can't do it.

 

[pigeonguy]

I posted this on the broody thread but thought I'd put it out here for comment as this is often a different group. Miss Lydia weighed in over there. So...here it is:

********************************************************************************************************************


Question ... hopefully this will make sense.

So far I've kept the kiddos and mamma in their separate area of the hen house because it's been very cold and they can't be out for a long time. If it had been a warmer time of year, I think I would have opened the door to the other side so they could get used to each other.

I was afraid if the babies got onto the other side they may get separated, get cold, and have a hard time finding mom...not all of them...I was just worried about a stray getting separated from the group.

When one of the other ladies has been able to get in their side it has been peaceful and mom lets them know not to come near but I usually catch and take out the sneaker before too long.


Now this week it's in the mid 30s - Low 40s I think I'd like to open the door between and observe how things go. But that leads me to my question.

My hen house is up off the ground about 2 ft. w/a pretty steep ramp. I'm concerned that if a baby gets down there by itself, it may not be able to find mom and mom would have to hunker down to warm up the group and a baby may be lost. Of course, I'll hang out at first and watch everything and won't let that happen.

But I'm wondering - considering the temperature swings and the fact that it's going to be cold again shortly.... should I even open things up between the 2 sides at all right now? Perhaps the smart thing would be to open the door between the sides when the pop door is closed and not have the possibility someone will get separated outside.

Experienced folks...thoughts?

Photo: although it is finished differently now (this was an early photo) this is what that ramp looks like. This is an 11 week old hatchery RIR going up the ramp. It's a long way down/up for a tiny little one in cold weather if they get out there!

You don't let the chickens under the coop that is my chickens favorite dusting spot. Eaven dust under there in the winter.

That was exactly what I wanted to get! It's pretty expensive so I was thinking of getting a roll and cutting it in half lengthwise (so if it is 4ft high it would then be 2 ft high, for example) so I could just put it along the bottom part.

Funny thing...every time I go to get it, I see the price again and keep coming home without it!

I guess I just need to go down there, not look at the price, and just pick it up!

Found this at TSC not plastic in my book it is better. A lot of wire for the money. How much area you have to do.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/poultry-netting-24-in-x-150-ft--3627152

Not very often! My bucket is 3 gallons. I actually end up re-filling just because it starts to get dusty in there since you have to keep it ajar. All the dust the kiddos stir up scratching around in the litter settles down in there to some degree so I try to change it out and clean out the bucket about 1x/week. It isn't always that often though!

I usually re-fill 1x/week whether it needs it or not. When the weather's hotter I probably do it more often just just to keep it from getting "old" and stagnant.

You could always do those on a smaller bucket... the deli has 2 gallon buckets here where I live too. The main thing is that it be tall enough that the water is above the cups enough to create the pressure to fill the cups. Even something tall and narrow would be fine as long as the plastic is rigid enough to take the cup being screwed in.

That is why I don't bother with UP/ACV in the water if they don't drink it or don't drink very much of it why bother and waste the UP/ACV. I put it in the Fermented feed on a regular basis. I have changed to doing it every other day now just before I serve it. Not in my main ferment bucket but the bucket I carry the feed to them in. That way I know they are getting it and it can do the job it is suppose to for them.

 

[Ashdoes]

Let us all know when you come up with a solution.  Those cups are awesome!

I've got a little off topic question but I think you all are the ones to ask.  All this talk of the health benefits of ff and ACV makes me wonder what else I could feed this to.  Do any of you feed your horses ff and acv?  Rabbits?

 

I know some people take a shot of ACV daily. I tried and just can't handle it. I tried putting it in a 16oz glass of water with lots of honey and still can't do it.

I tried some in water and didn't like the taste either, but it's pretty good in apple juice.

 

[Ashdoes]

Thanks for the video!
My only coment would be is, you now need a bigger bowls. That was a lot of feed.

Yeah It was the only bowls I had on hand at that moment. Ill have to go hunting tomorrow(Payday) at the dollar store.

Check the bakery at your grocery store and you may score a couple free buckets, with lids.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Or...Why did the chickens cross through the gate?


Okay....I opened the door between the 2 sides this afternoon to see what would happen when the oldsters wanted to get near the chicks.

WORLD WAR 3

For one thing, mom parks herself in a really crazy place in a corner right in front of 2 doors - 1 leading out of the hen house and the other leading into the other side.



So I open the door as you can see. The others venture over to see what's to eat and really aren't minding the chicks at all. But mom GOES BALLISTIC!

I call mom "little red" because her combs and wattle are small compared to "big red" whose are really quite large for a lady. Anyway...Big Red comes over and mom flies at her talons to front and a huge brawl ensues. I finally stick my foot between the 2...rest a min....then back at it. Separate them again and Big red goes outside.

Then comes a Barred Rock. Fight again. Barred rock puts up a fight but it ends more quickly and she goes outside. Then poor Charlie - the total underdog - comes over to check out the food. Mom goes after her but Charlie is not a fighter and she's out the door right away. Then Charlie's sister (these 2 are Hatchery Araucanas). BIG FIGHT...and Charlie's sister seems to want to really have it out but I give her "what for" and out she goes.

Now...mind you...I didn't interfere a lot... just enough to keep it from coming to bloodletting. I figure they need to learn what she'll tolerate and what she won't.

This is after the fray...in that crazy corner again and watching the others carefully. (And that's Charlie by the waterer.)




After the chicks are completely terrorized with a crazy mom doing things they've never seen before, she tries to get them to eat but everyone's kind-of dazed...she backs into the corner THAT I THINK MAKES SENSE FOR HER TO BE IN, and they all rally behind and under.


With the door still open...the others are keeping their distance, but 3 of them venture over to the kid's side while mom is in this far corner. They're completely ignoring mom and scratching around for food in the litter. There was some spelt and barley on the floor there. They finally wander away. I could see her visibly relaxing while she was watching the others on her side eating since she was in a "position of strength" in that corner...

Afterwards she got up and enticed the kiddos to eat and hang out. THEN WENT BACK TO THAT STUPID CORNER BY THE DOORS AGAIN!

I finally had to go in so I shut the doors between. Enough for 1 day. And...I kind-of chased them back to the corner that makes sense to see if she'll take up permanent residence there. We'll see.

 

[delisha]

Just wanted to thank all of you for sharing your info on your colds. I feel awful but I clean local funeral homes after caring for my twin granddaughters. I cleaned all afternoon, came home to read 100+ posts on BYC and now off to another funeral home. Everyone's dying. Even 40 eggs in the incubator and 3 broody hens don't mean anything right now. Supposed to get freezing rain tomorrow. Good night all.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I tried some in water and didn't like the taste either, but it's pretty good in apple juice.
I have the trick for you guys..
two shot glasses
one have ACV
the other has Tequilla
Tequilla is first..the ACV does not taste like ACV after the Tequilla

 

[Leahs Mom]

You don't let the chickens under the coop that is my chickens favorite dusting spot. Eaven dust under there in the winter.

This is what it looks like around the base of the coop now... no, we fenced them out from under for a couple reasons.

 

[Ashdoes]

Let us all know when you come up with a solution.  Those cups are awesome!


I've got a little off topic question but I think you all are the ones to ask.  All this talk of the health benefits of ff and ACV makes me wonder what else I could feed this to.  Do any of you feed your horses ff and acv?  Rabbits?


 

I know some people take a shot of ACV daily. I tried and just can't handle it. I tried putting it in a 16oz glass of water with lots of honey and still can't do it.

I tried some in water and didn't like the taste either, but it's pretty good in apple juice.

I have the trick for you guys..
two shot glasses
one have ACV
the other has Tequilla
Tequilla is first..the ACV does not taste like ACV after the Tequilla

LOL