The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

Quote:
yippee

 

[Pullet Surprise]

HAH!

After posting I went out to take a peek and she had already rejoined the flock! I ran into the barn and yep! She laid her first egg in the top nest that Johnny picked out. So excellent! She dropped that egg in less than an hour. Her first. It is perfect too. No weirdness at all. And what else is interesting to me? There are numerous nest sites to choose from. I've got pots and boxes throughout the barn and runs. (just in case) She laid her egg in the only one Johnny liked and the only one with NO fake egg in it!
My husband is going to be happy. He likes Phoebe.

Well, she must like Johnny to honor his choice! Congratulations!!

 

[armorfirelady]

Congrats Mumsy

and to Phoebe of course

 

[chickiemomy]

Jen -I have my heat lamp on a timer -- it comes on from 4 in the afternoon for a couple of hours - so they have a little heat to dry off if need be - you know the sauna thing! then on the really cold nights I let it come on just before dawn for a couple of hours. More to make sure the water in the coop doesn't freeze up.

I probably don't need this at all, but my brother who's had chicks for a whole year longer than I -- & who also lives out this way, found a little supplemental heat on a timer to help out his more sensitive chicks. One of his will sit under the lamp when it comes on - it's a little bantam.

My birds were born first of May - it looks like yours are younger -- but out here I'm thinking daytimes are warm enough??? guessing your at mid 40's F daytime, most days?

You might try a timer??? I found one rated for outside bldgs... & see what they do as it comes on & off - if they're ignoring it, they don't need it - if they sit under the light, they do. Remember we did this when they were chicks???

also like the move the lamp up a bit at a time advice - think that's a good idea

 

[delisha]

Can ff ever get TOO fermented? Mine has been going for about a week and a half and it has a scum across the top. I keep stirring it up but the scum forms again. And it definitely smells sour! Seems I might be brewing some kind of grain alcohol soon!

Some have been doing the same original for years. My current one is about 1 months old for the layers. I did stop during really cold weather and than started it back up. I have personally had them for months and months. I would think the scum is the mother forming. It can be grey in color too. If you make sure your *brew* is covered in liquid, you are fine. The brew smell means it is working well.

 

[delisha]

Contats Johnny and Phoebie!!

 

[Bulldogma]

The last couple days one of Johnny's pullets has been nosing around the nest boxes. I found Johnny sitting in one yesterday calling out sweet nothings to Phoebe.
This morning after feeding, Phoebe jumped up into it then jumped out and looked into a pot full of hay under the table. It made me smile.

HAH!

After posting I went out to take a peek and she had already rejoined the flock! I ran into the barn and yep! She laid her first egg in the top nest that Johnny picked out. So excellent! She dropped that egg in less than an hour. Her first. It is perfect too. No weirdness at all. And what else is interesting to me? There are numerous nest sites to choose from. I've got pots and boxes throughout the barn and runs. (just in case) She laid her egg in the only one Johnny liked and the only one with NO fake egg in it!
My husband is going to be happy. He likes Phoebe.

Congratulations on Phoebe's first egg - and what a pretty egg it is!

BDM- I am glad you shared about your girl with impacted gizzard. I think I have a 17 week old pullet with the same thing(the pullet that survived the hawk attack on New Years Eve). This poor girl is standing with eyes closed alot, extending and shrinking her neck, no firm poops. She has been inside all day and I got about a teaspoon of EVOO down into her crop and massaged it for a bit. Gonna do that again tonight.

Trav - my girl isn't 100 percent yet, but seems to be on the mend, albeit slowly. More solids in the poops, but still a lot of urate. She loves a nice, long soak in warm/hot water!! That seems to really relax her and she perks up well afterward... and poops better. I let her out with the flock for a short time today... she kept up with them but was still a bit lethargic. The other birds were pecking her a lot, poor thing, so she followed me back to the house and walked right into her cage.

And you know what I noticed this evening after her hot soak?? Her keel is really crooked! I'll bet this conformation issue makes her crop/gizzard more likely to become impacted. She's also a lot thinner than I initially thought - - it can be so hard to tell with a giant, fluffy Orpington!

All in all, I'm not sure how this girl will fare. I sure don't like her "S" of a keel! Not that I was going to breed her, but I don't want to have to go through this with her on a regular basis. I will say, her comb is a brighter red today. *sigh*

 

[delisha]

You already know what you need to do..sorry hun

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Trav - my girl isn't 100 percent yet, but seems to be on the mend, albeit slowly. More solids in the poops, but still a lot of urate. She loves a nice, long soak in warm/hot water!! That seems to really relax her and she perks up well afterward... and poops better. I let her out with the flock for a short time today... she kept up with them but was still a bit lethargic. The other birds were pecking her a lot, poor thing, so she followed me back to the house and walked right into her cage.

And you know what I noticed this evening after her hot soak?? Her keel is really crooked! I'll bet this conformation issue makes her crop/gizzard more likely to become impacted. She's also a lot thinner than I initially thought - - it can be so hard to tell with a giant, fluffy Orpington!

All in all, I'm not sure how this girl will fare. I sure don't like her "S" of a keel! Not that I was going to breed her, but I don't want to have to go through this with her on a regular basis. I will say, her comb is a brighter red today. *sigh*

This is one of my EE's. I am gonna give her 3-4 days in the house with treatments, if she shows signs of improving(more than just urates) then I will keep at it, otherwise I think putting her down will be best at that point. I can tell she is in discomfort. She is eating a little of the FF and I have a 50/50 electrolite/water mix in the waterer. Just gonna have to keep our fingers crossed

.

 

[stonykill]

ugg....lots of pages since this morning. Here is what I can remember to comment on

Heating coops....bad. I agree with the assessment that the coop shown is too small for that many birds in a heated coop with DL. Heating coops is bad for chickens...as can be seen from the way they act all puffed up while outside
All dogs...cute. The poodle pic with the chicks is adorable.

my brain is fried after working on my sons car all day. I can't remember what else I wanted to say.Oh well