The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

Have you ever seen anything like that? Chris09 told me to put coconut oil on her feet. I have pure organic coconut oil already - so I did. Maybe it's doing the trick?
Will do! I'll have to take some pictures.

Nope. I've never seen anything like that. Yes. Please show pictures and the results of any treatment.
This is why I read this thread. To learn natural husbandry tricks for raising poultry. Whether it's feed, housing, gardens, orchards, or treatment. This is the Back Yard Chicken forum. Most of the people that frequent this thread don't have farms. Anyone, and I mean anyone that raises chickens behind the house or on a 40 acre spread long enough will have to face weird things happening with their birds. Knowledge is a powerful thing to have. Your pictures and those that others post of those weird things and normal things are great teaching tools.

 

[aoxa]

Nope. I've never seen anything like that. Yes. Please show pictures and the results of any treatment.
This is why I read this thread. To learn natural husbandry tricks for raising poultry. Whether it's feed, housing, gardens, orchards, or treatment. This is the Back Yard Chicken forum. Most of the people that frequent this thread don't have farms. Anyone, and I mean anyone that raises chickens behind the house or on a 40 acre spread long enough will have to face weird things happening with their birds. Knowledge is a powerful thing to have. Your pictures and those that others post of those weird things and normal things are great teaching tools.

Quote: Interesting!

 

[stonykill]

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Just came on to 300 posts in 3 days to read. I'm jumping ahead...

I'm sorry if I'm re asking but how does one be-head a rooster, by them selves,with an ax, if you are only 5 ft tall, and not long arms? To me that is the most humane way and hubby likes the roo "Bruce". So, while he's gone, Bruce is going also.

Stony, still no rats, no sign of rats. Still going to wait.

My incubation experiment didn't go well. Only 2 eggs hatched, one had to be culled. "Bob" lives in the bath tub. I have to peck the food and water dish for him to eat and drink. (With my finger). (I'm not sure if it's a Bob or Bobbi, but the way things go for me....). Some of the eggs were older, I only collected 2x daily and it's been very cold. Most all were fertile but I had a temp spike that I only recently learned about. DH vows he hates chickens but was worried that the incubator only read 99, so he adjusted the knob. 108!!!!!!!. We had a little talk.

With very high winds yesterday, the turkey cage door came open. I got a phone call that Chuck and Rosie were in the road. DH went home to put them back in their cage. The neighbors came out to tell DH that the big turkey was standing on the little white chicken. ( Chuck and Rosie are mating). No white chicken, only Rosie.

Also, a car stopped and people got out to pictures. I told my neighbors they should be charging. Just when I think I've heard everything.

2 pages of idle chit chat buried your question

most humane is a matter of opinion and I agree with you on that. I use a hatchet 9 times out of 10. I have also used a full size ax. I find the hatchet easier. What I do is grab the rooster by the feet. I use a zip tie to ties the legs together. Then I lay the roosters head on a wood block. Usually they naturally stretch just enough to swing and remove the head. If they pull their head in I just reach down and grab the head, stretch it out, and then grab the hatchet and remove the head.
If this is your 1st time you may want to try something we used to do ith turkeys when I as killing 30 a year. We put 2 nails in the chopping block. Spaced roughly the size of a turkeys neck. Then I would place the neck in between the nails, pull the neck snug while having the ax in hand. As soon as the neck as stretched out, off with it's head

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy- you make me wish it was spring so I could start planting trees I ask for trees every Mothers day so I can plant them in my yard. Maybe this year I will add bushes to my list.

My seeds came in

I wish it would start warming up so I can start rototilling and get those seeds planted

Aoxa- I thought I read somewhere bumblefoot was caused by wet feet?? I dont remember but since my hens forage in muddy areas I am always watching their feet. They dont seem to mind muddy feet or wading in water. Heck even in the cold they stand in the puddles in the run. No problems so far but I figure they will have the softest feet around with all those foot mud baths

 

[Sally8]

2 pages of idle chit chat buried your question

most humane is a matter of opinion and I agree with you on that. I use a hatchet 9 times out of 10. I have also used a full size ax. I find the hatchet easier. What I do is grab the rooster by the feet. I use a zip tie to ties the legs together. Then I lay the roosters head on a wood block. Usually they naturally stretch just enough to swing and remove the head. If they pull their head in I just reach down and grab the head, stretch it out, and then grab the hatchet and remove the head.
If this is your 1st time you may want to try something we used to do ith turkeys when I as killing 30 a year. We put 2 nails in the chopping block. Spaced roughly the size of a turkeys neck. Then I would place the neck in between the nails, pull the neck snug while having the ax in hand. As soon as the neck as stretched out, off with it's head

Since I've never done this myself, I need to ask, Will blood spurt everywhere? I'm not squeamish, just like to be prepared. My ex-husband and I processed hundreds of deer every year and I always found it very fascinating. Especially the spinal column, lungs, heart. Usually people didn't want them back so I would slice and dice to check em out. Bruce is such a pretty roo but so rough on the girls. I have a nail on the clothes line that my son usually hangs them on but I would like to do this myself. I seem to remember when my parents did them, they would flop around but don't remember whether blood went everywhere also. Thanks. I'll let you know. I always have to mentally prepare myself, it could take a day or so. lol

 

[Sally8]

Since we are talking about chickens and pigs. When I was about 12 my Dad raised pigs and we had chickens. I remember watching mama pig with a dozen or so babies. A chicken flew up to roost on the side of the pig pen. I saw that huge mama pig eat that live chicken. Feathers and all. I have never forgotten it.

 

[ocap]

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I'm sorry if I'm re asking but how does one be-head a rooster, by them selves,with an ax, if you are only 5 ft tall, and not long arms? To me that is the most humane way and hubby likes the roo "Bruce". So, while he's gone, Bruce is going also.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Sally,

I've not done this myself, but if you're working alone and concerned about your swing on a hatchet or axe, I've read that you can use a good sharp pair of pruning shears. You might be able to finish the job a bit quicker and will less worry.

 

[kian]

I'd LOVE to have a pig here. Would LOVE TO. I only have a small backyard though, and I'm not sure there would be enough room, even though it'd only be for a few months. I mean, I think there would be enough if it could roam around with the big dog and only need shade shelter/sleep space. I've looked into a few breeds, thought Tamworth or Duroc would be good? I just realllllly want to raise as much of our food as I can, and a pig is the absolute biggest I could go here. (goats are out due to noise and such). I can't seem to find anyone here where I could just by a pig share or even just the meat.

We had pigs one time when I was about 9 and I can still to this day remember just how good that pork was. Never had anything like it again.

 

[JeffOeuf]

...I am strongly considering apple trees for both my hogs and to draw deer. ..

I can tell we don't live close to each other. "Draw deer" is not something you would hear anyone around here want to do. There are plenty. My experience with deer and apple trees is that they ate them down to the ground. Odd, since they don't bother most things in my garden...even the things you hear about deer destroying...but they ate three apple trees right down to the ground just as soon as the buds popped out in the spring.