The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

Look what I'm getting.... just bought 2 of em.

I want one!

 

[jockeyeba]

Look what I'm getting.... just bought 2 of em.

I want one!

me too!!!

 

[jockeyeba]

I had two pullets lay over 3oz eggs today. I bet they they are going to be some serious jumbo egg layers.

Wow! Which ones?

They are the Cornish crosses that I bred back to there dad. They just started laying a few week ago..I no longer have the male, he grew to big and I decided to eat him before I lost him this last summer. He was huge. He did not fit in a cake pan. Large pullet..she is really pretty. This pic is when she was about 12 weeks old. I love her head and body. Just a large beautiful bird. The two pullets on the right are the egg layers of the 3 oz ers., left is a cockerel..I will be butchering him out soon I debated keeping him to replace dear ole dad.. Dear ole dad..he was yummy..larger than some turkeys. I think he weighed close 18 lbs and and almost 13 lb. dressed

 

[jockeyeba]

Delisha, I'm curious to know what your Cornish was crossed with to get those big birds that lay 3 oz. eggs?? Lovely looking birds! Tanker is on the mend. No wheezing or watery eyes to speak of today. I am keeping her in until it warms up a little, though. Also treating her legs - damage from scaly leg mites. The others showed signs but were nowhere near as bad. All got NuStocked on the first day. Tanker's legs need a bit more attention. We did an Epsom salt soak tonight and scrubbed with a toothbrush. She lost a lot of the nasty scales and has some raw areas. I'll be treating her the next few nights, too. Here are some pictures from today... she is very photogenic! LOL! Her pretty and coy look. She bats those lashes and knows the boys will come running! Playing hard to get... Being inquisitive... Extreme close up!! And finally, the tough girl look. She really is a sweet bird! She was so good while I was working on her. I think she's going to feel worlds better in the next week or so once those legs start recovering.

 

[jockeyeba]

Okay.. so it looks worse than it is.. This foot here is one I didn't bother with as much. I lanced it, but didn't mess with it much more.. The other one I opened up and tried to get some of the dead tissue away. I may end up doing the same with this one, as it's hurting her more than the one that looks worse. But it's so much better than it started out being. There is gauze still stuck to her feet here. This is before I rinsed with salt water. Same foot. Remember that picture I showed you before? Wasn't mine, but her feet were WORSE than that picture. Here's the foot I took away some of the tissue. I can already see some new skin coming in. This is before I rinsed foot. That vet wrap is AWESOME! So glad I got some. Here she is with her casts on. She was up and walking around eating her food in the dog kennel we have for her. She is a trooper. Here's my little bantam girl.

pretty little girl & yes Vetrap is good stuff, use it on horses

 

[jendodd79]

Delisha, I'm curious to know what your Cornish was crossed with to get those big birds that lay 3 oz. eggs?? Lovely looking birds! Tanker is on the mend. No wheezing or watery eyes to speak of today. I am keeping her in until it warms up a little, though. Also treating her legs - damage from scaly leg mites. The others showed signs but were nowhere near as bad. All got NuStocked on the first day. Tanker's legs need a bit more attention. We did an Epsom salt soak tonight and scrubbed with a toothbrush. She lost a lot of the nasty scales and has some raw areas. I'll be treating her the next few nights, too. Here are some pictures from today... she is very photogenic! LOL! Her pretty and coy look. She bats those lashes and knows the boys will come running! Playing hard to get... Being inquisitive... Extreme close up!! And finally, the tough girl look. She really is a sweet bird! She was so good while I was working on her. I think she's going to feel worlds better in the next week or so once those legs start recovering.

I love her!

 

[countrygirl74]

Cute pics - made myself and the kids smile.

 

[Sally8]

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.

I can see how this sounds like it would work but you've never seen e pruning bushes. lol But it does give me a great idea. If I follow through, I'll let you all know. The ax/hatchet might be the best for me still. I don't want a lot of time to think this over. I still split all our wood as I married a city boy that would rather click the furnace on rather than save thousands every winter. At my age, I'm not sure how much longer. (My Mom goes in for cancer surgery on Monday and we recently learned that a woman's life expectancy is 72. I need to put my house in order! lol Who knew?)

 

[aoxa]

pretty little girl

& yes Vetrap is good stuff, use it on horses

That's the section it was in I was talking with my fiance on what they use it for in horses. You see it a lot in pictures. She thought it was for chafing, but she hasn't raised horses in years.

 

[aoxa]

I love her!

x2, that close up picture is so stinking cute!!

LM, was it you who asked how you notice? Well I didn't notice until it was quite obvious. I find the first signs are pale dirty legs.