The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

OK "loin"wizard

 

[Mumsy]

Avian Leukosis. It can be shed into the albumen or yolk of eggs passed from the hen. All chicks in an infected flock would be susceptible.

Everything known and not known can be found here.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203603.htm

 

[Melabella]

Good night Peeps

 

[countrygirl74]

Thought I would share this - thought it was interesting. Has anyone else figured out that keeping chickens was either money-saving or money-taking?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/city-to-country/chicken-economics.aspx

Right now it feels to me like lots of money going out but that's because I had to build a coop and buy feed and bedding with still a couple more months to go before I even see an egg. Can't wait!!

 

[Melabella]

Thought I would share this - thought it was interesting. Has anyone else figured out that keeping chickens was either money-saving or money-taking?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/city-to-country/chicken-economics.aspx

Right now it feels to me like lots of money going out but that's because I had to build a coop and buy feed and bedding with still a couple more months to go before I even see an egg. Can't wait!!

I hear you there, I cannot figure this out yet. I spent FAR too much money building the run. I will be in the red for a very long time!

Great article, thanks for it!
MB

 

[pcappy2]

The floor of my coop is cement. I didn't have any choice, it was the only place I could use for chickens. Does anyone have any advise on how I can keep the floor dry? I put down several bags of leaves from our yard, wood shavings and also wood ashes from my neighbor. I also have thrown in some hay, when we had a bitter cold snap..I turn it over with a rake weekly. At first some areas like the north corners were frozen so I just kept added to the DL. Now the few days that we have temps above zero those areas are damp/Wet. Should I have put something over the cement? Or should I just keep adding to the DL?

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Im the 2nd new yorker

 

[midnightroo]

Ye

Thought I would share this - thought it was interesting. Has anyone else figured out that keeping chickens was either money-saving or money-taking?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/city-to-country/chicken-economics.aspx

Right now it feels to me like lots of money going out but that's because I had to build a coop and buy feed and bedding with still a couple more months to go before I even see an egg. Can't wait!!

 

Yes interesting article, but I thought that was a lot for feed. I keep track of our expenses and I don't think I have spent that much including the cost of the coop. They also didn't factor in the cost they would have spent I fertilizer, time to dig beds, and insect control that the chickens eat. I would love to come out ahead with the cost of keeping chickens, but my husband has his bee hobby and I have a chicken hobby. We figure the pleasure we get from them is better then the gym and if it doesn't put us in debt then all is good.

Gotta go check on the chickens, was a windy night and it is going to be a windy day. Chickens were up at 6:30 all freaked out.

 

[aoxa]

I honestly don't know about Mareks and eggs from birds that are carriers. There are a number of nasty diseases of poultry that can leave survivors and they remain carriers for life. If Mareks gets into your flock you can have devastating losses. Birds will be survivors but will infect any new birds or chicks you bring on to your property. Maybe someone else knows first hand knowledge about Mareks, NewCastle, and if it affects eggs? There is lots of information to google but first hand knowlege is best in my opinion.

Leadwolf on here has first hand knowledge about Mareks. I'd search her on here. She had absolutely devastating results.

Chicks born from parents with Mareks are carriers, but are mostly immune themselves. SO if you had a flock with mareks, you would want to close that flock and hatch from your survivors. Or cull them all and move far away to start over, as Marek's is really hard to get rid of in the environment once it is introduced.

CRD can be carried through the eggs as well.

The floor of my coop is cement. I didn't have any choice, it was the only place I could use for chickens. Does anyone have any advise on how I can keep the floor dry? I put down several bags of leaves from our yard, wood shavings and also wood ashes from my neighbor. I also have thrown in some hay, when we had a bitter cold snap..I turn it over with a rake weekly. At first some areas like the north corners were frozen so I just kept added to the DL. Now the few days that we have temps above zero those areas are damp/Wet. Should I have put something over the cement? Or should I just keep adding to the DL?

Where do you offer drinking water? If inside, move it outside if you can. Inside water somehow always gets messed around and cement does not drain like dirt.

I have cement in one coop and dirt in the other.

If you want to keep adding shavings it will help soak up the water and aerate the litter properly. Keep forking it over. Try to minimize the water introduced into the litter. My litter is always a little damp, I was using stable boy, but am going to switch over to Agricultural lime... I have plenty of ventilation as well, but wet + shavings + poop = stink. Lots will tell you not to add any DE or stall dry to your DL because it kills the beneficial bacteria in it.Which is why I did some research, and found an article written about DL published in 1949.




Quote:

 

[Leahs Mom]

The floor of my coop is cement. I didn't have any choice, it was the only place I could use for chickens. Does anyone have any advise on how I can keep the floor dry? I put down several bags of leaves from our yard, wood shavings and also wood ashes from my neighbor. I also have thrown in some hay, when we had a bitter cold snap..I turn it over with a rake weekly. At first some areas like the north corners were frozen so I just kept added to the DL. Now the few days that we have temps above zero those areas are damp/Wet. Should I have put something over the cement? Or should I just keep adding to the DL?

Other folks may have some good advice on this but I wanted to say at least a couple things. Disclaimer is that I'm not using cement and I know there are folks here that are that will be able to advise!

So...here's some thoughts:

-On cement, I know that the heating and cooling does create condensation. I'm thinking that this will only be a short-term problem due to the crazy temperature/humidity swings and it will "right" itself once spring come in.

-I do know folks that laid down a tarp on their floor and put the litter on top of that rather than doing it right on the cement or wood.

-A long-term option...once spring is here you could try to find a piece of vinyl flooring to lay on the cement. I have vinyl on my floor then put a thin layer of dirt on that and the litter. I'm not going for the "totally composted/rotted" end... I'm using built up litter and remove PART of it about every 6 mos when it gets too deep, then continue to build from there each time. Purpose to provide the health benefits of the litter.

Some folks put in sweet pdz or lime to help dry things. I don't do that (lime used in excess can burn the feet) but I think there are folks that are doing that successfully if you decide to go that route.