The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

Wow this is a long thread, I searched "soy free layer feed" and it directed me here. I am raising my laying hens naturally and organic and have a question about feed. My husband is afaid soy will make him girly (haha) so we recently switched to soyfree organic feed. It's about 21$ for a 50lb bag, really no different than the soy. I am unfamiliar with the benifits of soyfree. Does anyone have any info on this topic, pros or cons. I was worried the eggs would taste fishy because of fish meal but they actually taste better to me, richer flavor. Thanks ahead for any answers, Claire

Hi Claire,

I was wondering the name of the feed you are using? I feed soy free as well, and am trying to learn all the feeds that are produced without it as a point of refrence. Countryside organics was not an option as it doesn't deliver to my area. Thanks for your help!

MB

 

[jockeyeba]

If I shouldn't be asking for opinions on this thread just tell me I'm wondering what crosses ya'll think my little black girl is. The possibilities are Orpington roo & either an Orpington,Welsummer, Maran or Partridge Rock hen. The Welsummer looking pullet looks like she could be a pure Welsummer? Roo's were Orpington or Welsummer with the above mentioned hens I know the Speckled Sussex is pure, she's the only one that made it from our incubator experiment, got the other 2 so she'd have friends from a lady that had these several breeds in together.

 

[delisha]

Quote: They were in a turner..Catdance said to lay them down, the people in the silkie thread said to keep them in the turner till piped. I have never had a chick pip the wrong end. I have never assisted a hatching chick. Crap. They said to keep humidity low..so did catdance. She said she does not raise it till pip. She also said they drowned..ugh

 

[delisha]

Del: You mentioned the inspection that they do at your place for your certification. Could you enlighten us on what's involved in that and what you have to do to maintain the certification?

For NPIP you purchase the antigen for the testing. You schedule an appointment with a certified tester (you can also take the class and get certified), and someone comes to your home and draws blood from each bird over 3 months. It is a pin prick between the toes.They send the results in with your check. You get your number in about a month if your flock is clean. Your tester will tell you if you are clean too. It is pretty easy to do and the cost is minimal. The antigen for me with this test is about $15.00. That is enough to do 100 birds. The cost of the tester is nothing(she is my friend). The cost for the certification is determined by your State. Most are under $100.00. Your have them come out to renew your license the first year than you need to contact them monthy with any new birds on your property, birds sold, consumed. Each State will be different. Once you are certified you must only bring certified birds onto your property.

I will post some links for you to find your local agents and more information.


http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/participants.shtml
http://datcp.wi.gov/Animals/Poultry/index.aspx

 

[delisha]

I have tested to make sure my flock has been clean..I have to test show poultry, however this will be the first time I am being certified by the State and limited to what I bring on my property.

 

[delisha]

If I shouldn't be asking for opinions on this thread just tell me

I'm wondering what crosses ya'll think my little black girl is. The possibilities are Orpington roo & either an Orpington,Welsummer, Maran or Partridge Rock hen. The Welsummer looking pullet looks like she could be a pure Welsummer? Roo's were Orpington or Welsummer with the above mentioned hens

I know the Speckled Sussex is pure, she's the only one that made it from our incubator experiment, got the other 2 so she'd have friends from a lady that had these several breeds in together.

Speckled Sussex pullet for sure
Looks like an American Blue Orpington pullet
Looks like a Welsummer possible cockerel sickle feathers look possibly pointy ..can't really see..I am blind.

 

[kian]

I'm so very sorry to hear that!  I can only imagine.
I second that! 

Thank you! Chocolate cake worked alright

 

[jockeyeba]

Delisha- Here are more pics. I think this is the closest I can get. Hope this is better. Thanks for the video that was great. In these pictures you can see the cord better, that's what made me think it might be a chick. Sorry about all the gross pictures. I did not open the egg it was a soft shelled egg that I found under the roost this morning.

What is so fascinating is the veining throughout what should be the yolk... but there is still yellow yolk around it. If I didn't know it was an egg, I would say I was looking at a tumor. I used to work as a vet tech and we removed tumors from critters all the time. Bloody, nasty tumors. Makes me wonder if she had a tumor in the oviduct and somehow her body passed it and as it went through the oviduct it was treated like an ova and encased in egg white and put in a shell?? Crazy!

X2 but your reasoning makes a lot of sense to me

 

[jockeyeba]

My new chicks are gone. In the classic "I thought the door was shut and I was away for two minutes" my terrier mix jumped into the brooder box and killed all four. He was in the box still and must have just finished it. My older kids took care of the bodies for me because I am just broken. I know its my fault, thinking that the door was shut and he was with me. I just feel horrible and sick. Just dreadfully sick. Sorry for the sad post but I think you all understand.

Sorry for your loss, it's always a possibility when you have cats or dogs around tiny little peeping chicks

 

[kian]

I wish I could hug everyone of you. Thank you all SO MUCH for your encouraging words. You have made me feel so much better. I have lost animals before and some in unpleasant ways but this just really got to me hard. My dog knows he messed up, I can see it. Definitely will be worked with. Its interesting because he has never tried anything like this with the other chickens, in fact, he's watched over them and went after another of our dogs for getting too close. Not sure what changed this time but both of us are having a learning moment. I just so appreciate everyone who commented about this.

Arkansas, thank you for posting those photos, that was really crazy! I hope your hen got rid of whatever the issue was and you'll be able to keep her. Aoxa, Walter is very handsome. Love that pewter gray.