The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

Quote: The sand is good advice! I haven't drilled the glass yet but I have been contemplating ways to do it. I kept thinking that It needed something to stabilize the structure of the glass during the drilling process and the SAND IS BRILLIANT.

Probably wouldn't have thought of it without you so thanks again!

I do use water when grinding & polishing marble tile -- it does help -- may not be necessary, but won't hurt -- I do really like the sand idea! that gives you a third hand as well - if you placed it in a bucket of sand, filled jar with sand - then you wouldn't need to worry so much about breaking glass scattering anywhere!

 

[jendodd79]

Our first morning of freezing temperatures today! And it's sunny! And the air is DRY!!!! Wow. I would take freezing cold any day over damp

 

[Bulldogma]

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

LOL! Great play-by-play! Great to know Little Red is such a good and protective mama! She's not letting anything hurt her babies!

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

My stomach hurts just thinking about it - LOL!

Chick Pix - 2 Weeks Old
(These were taken after WW3)

Mom still being vigilant just in case someone comes her way. FF in the foreground.
Digging into FF. Dry feed in background. I still offer a little dry free-choice.

Whole lot of "Squee" going on in this post!

The broody here on the nest is nasty as all get out..she is so loud and growls enough to scare the poor dog. i think I am going to make a short tape tomorrow so others can see a funny broody, not being so funny.

Yes! I want to laugh and your nasty broody, please!

An average horse produces beween 40-60lbs of manure a day. In winter when grass isn't available any more, you tend to feed a bit more hay, subsequently, a bit more poo!
Levi, DH's SpottedSaddle/Tennessee walking horse.

Beautiful barn, beautiful horses and beautiful pictures. Your DH has a gaited horse?? LOL!!! I never would have guessed he'd gravitate to a Spotted Saddle/Tennessee walking horse cross. I guess it wouldn't feel so much like "work," now would it?

 

[jendodd79]

I'm trying to ignore all of the cuteness broody and chick posts. I can't have any more chicks, but I soooooo want to hatch eggs!!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Oh my gosh you guys! 3 days I'm gone and I'm behind 62 pages!!

LOL!

I'm getting frustrated with my deep litter, I keep stirring and adding some "brown" stuff and I can't get the ammonia smell balanced. It's so darn damp here with our humidity and weather that I'm not sure I can get it dry enough at this time of year. I have probably a 12-16 inch base going of shavings, I put "dry stall" stuff down last week - I'm stirring it up. What am I doing wrong? It's an 8X4' coop and I have 8 hens. They have access to a run during the day, but hang out most of the day inside right now because we're hitting close to freezing and it's also been raining forever!

I was having a similar problem but I think mine was because I have a very small coop. I solved it by removing about 1/4 of the litter and replaced what I removed with fresh pine shavings and the problem was solved.

 

[chickiemomy]

Oh my gosh you guys! 3 days I'm gone and I'm behind 62 pages!!

LOL!

I'm getting frustrated with my deep litter, I keep stirring and adding some "brown" stuff and I can't get the ammonia smell balanced. It's so darn damp here with our humidity and weather that I'm not sure I can get it dry enough at this time of year. I have probably a 12-16 inch base going of shavings, I put "dry stall" stuff down last week - I'm stirring it up. What am I doing wrong? It's an 8X4' coop and I have 8 hens. They have access to a run during the day, but hang out most of the day inside right now because we're hitting close to freezing and it's also been raining forever!

not certain - but I think the dry stall will work against your attempt to have it compost -- I believe that stuff, if its PDZ - zeolite type stuff -- it works by inactivating the ammonia & that stops the composting....

what part of the country are you in?? -- I'm on the wet side of WA state - & when I had that problem I was also asked if there was enough ventilation in the coop - even if it's cold - you need a really drafty coop - not sure at what temp you need to worry - depends on your chickie breed at least in part - I know I'm fine here with my birds & a very leaky coop.

that sounds like a super deep base - how many chicks, what square footage??

I solved my ammonia problem by FINALLY training the chicks to roost (actually they trained me to change out the roost pole - sigh) -- but that was a pretty wierd situation - they were just piling up in the same area of the coop all night long- right by the elevated people door thus greeting my nose each morning with that wonderful ammonia smell- piling was not cold related - anyway - I'm sure that's not your issue - it was my own inexperience at coop bldg - one prob solved... many more to come I'm sure ;-) thankful for so many good folks to ask!

 

[chickiemomy]

O & jendod - am curious - what's a whoodle? -- poodle + ?? wire hair terrier?? - how does it do with the chicks??

 

[jendodd79]

not certain - but I think the dry stall will work against your attempt to have it compost -- I believe that stuff, if its PDZ - zeolite type stuff -- it works by inactivating the ammonia & that stops the composting....

what part of the country are you in?? -- I'm on the wet side of WA state - & when I had that problem I was also asked if there was enough ventilation in the coop - even if it's cold - you need a really drafty coop - not sure at what temp you need to worry - depends on your chickie breed at least in part - I know I'm fine here with my birds & a very leaky coop.

that sounds like a super deep base - how many chicks, what square footage??

I solved my ammonia problem by FINALLY training the chicks to roost (actually they trained me to change out the roost pole - sigh) -- but that was a pretty wierd situation - they were just piling up in the same area of the coop all night long- right by the elevated people door thus greeting my nose each morning with that wonderful ammonia smell- piling was not cold related - anyway - I'm sure that's not your issue - it was my own inexperience at coop bldg - one prob solved... many more to come I'm sure ;-) thankful for so many good folks to ask!

I was having a similar problem but I think mine was because I have a very small coop. I solved it by removing about 1/4 of the litter and replaced what I removed with fresh pine shavings and the problem was solved.

I'm on the BC coast, so I'm sure that you're having similar weather!

I have a 4X8 by 8ft high coop. With 3 nesting boxes. I have a 2ftX6ft open ventilation area on the front, a 1X2ft ventilation over the door and then during the day, the coop door is open to the run. 8 pullets in there

I think that a few of the girls are roosting, but the rest are just doing a huddle it would seem like!

I'll try replacing some of the litter this weekend and see if we can get it started.

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote:

duh - just saw you had the number of chicks & size in your orig ?? -- sounds a bit on the small side -- I have 6 chicks in 50 sq foot coop & 75 sq ft attached, covered run - & I don't think I'd add more (as tempting as all those chick pics are!). Think I'd try the option of pulling out maybe half the compost that's in there now & re filling with some new pine shavings -

 

[aoxa]

not certain - but I think the dry stall will work against your attempt to have it compost -- I believe that stuff, if its PDZ - zeolite type stuff -- it works by inactivating the ammonia & that stops the composting....

what part of the country are you in?? -- I'm on the wet side of WA state - & when I had that problem I was also asked if there was enough ventilation in the coop - even if it's cold - you need a really drafty coop - not sure at what temp you need to worry - depends on your chickie breed at least in part - I know I'm fine here with my birds & a very leaky coop.

that sounds like a super deep base - how many chicks, what square footage??

I solved my ammonia problem by FINALLY training the chicks to roost (actually they trained me to change out the roost pole - sigh) -- but that was a pretty wierd situation - they were just piling up in the same area of the coop all night long- right by the elevated people door thus greeting my nose each morning with that wonderful ammonia smell- piling was not cold related - anyway - I'm sure that's not your issue - it was my own inexperience at coop bldg - one prob solved... many more to come I'm sure ;-) thankful for so many good folks to ask!

I use the same stuff, and I'll tell you that mine is composting magnificently.

Stable Boy (Farm Boy?) Does not seem to affect my DL except help take away dampness around feeders and the waterer. You gotta do what you gotta do.

All of that was just talk from Bee and no back up to prove it would affect the composting.


Stable Boy is an all-natural product made from a unique blend of diatomaceous earth and montmorillonite clay.

Quote:

nitrogen and phosphorous that plants thrive on. This gives you a more compost able drier product for spreading in your garden.

From the PDF I'm reading about the product I use.