The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Quote: When I empty and clean out my fridge if it is not moldy the chickens get it. Even if it is moldy they probably do anyway since they have access to the dump/compost pile.

 

[lalaland]

Leahsmom, in the hole on your hen's foot, you can see the yellow plug. It might not have hardened enough yet for you to be able to grap it with tweezers and pull out - I've had that happen. Sometimes if you squeeze, you can get some pus out. I'm thinking with the nustock you should be fine - as soon as that ichthammol drawing salve comes I'm going to try it on one of the bumblefoot cases I have.

It's quite the production, isn't it?

 

[delisha]

re: food for chicks -- I would think that scraps should be a minor part of their diet tho - even if it's ok for them to eat - just sayin'. Been looking at sour crop issues - doesn't look like any fun at all. Cause for sour crop can be too much refined starch - think too much bread or pasta. Mine will get some leftovers that have pasta on occasion, but not cooked for them as a treat, if you know what I mean. Scraps of produce - seem like would be good anytime - I'm referring to other scraps of leftover people food - mine have had chili, sausage, pasta with sauce - but not every day & not a lot...They get fruit & veggie scraps most days, and PLAIN yogurt everyday tho.

hadn't heard onions were bad??? - mine scarf up the tops off my walking onions all the time?? I figure if it's just available in the garden & they eat it, can't be all that bad. I'm trusting them to be somewhat instinctual when it comes to survival, and access to lots of stuff - food deprived, produce deprived is different.

Unrelated question:

What does 'shrink-wrapped' mean w/respect to incubating??? - membrane shrink around chick?? - caused by ? - not enough humidity?

just curious - all the baby chicks you all are posting are sure cuties - as is mumsy's grandson! -

hope you east-coasters are all surviving ok - just heard there's another storm forecast for this coming week?? no fun!

My honest opinion of shrink wrapping is the chick pips a hole or too large a hole and it i not quite ready to enter the world. It has to absorb more yolk. The air surround it is too dry and it tightens the inner membrane around the chick. It also happens when humans open the incubator. When humans open the pip hole larger than it should be.

 

[jockeyeba]

jockeyba, I feed them anything I eat, except breads, sweets. or salty chips.   chili leftovers haven't hurt mine, nor have onions. I've never had chickens eat citrus, bur some folks say theirs will. 

Thanks for responding

When I empty and clean out my fridge if it is not moldy the chickens get it. Even if it is moldy they probably do anyway since they have access to the dump/compost pile.

Me too

 

[Mumsy]

Well, we did it!
.......

I just try to keep thinking of all the positives every time I start to get teary again.

You did it and now you are not a newbie in that area of chicken raising any more. Congrats.

 

[delisha]

In spring and summer I rarely feed my layers. They are gone all day. They find there own food. I do feed my meaties at night. With having HRIR now I have no idea what I am going to do. I know I am going to run one if not two males with my egg layers later this year, so I guess I will make that decision when the time comes. I guess my feed bill will be higher too.

 

[rambunctious]

So, is the general consensus that chicks can eat most anything as long as grit is given?

I have some one week old chicks, I have some dried meal worms arriving tomorrow. If I set out grit, can they have some as a treat? Some lettuce in the fridge that's on it's way out? I've checked the chicken treat article here, and those things would be alright. But it doesn't say much about AGE you can start getting treats. They're on FF right now and UnACV in their vitamin water. I have several that are feathering out on their wings already (some are just starting!)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Leahsmom, in the hole on your hen's foot, you can see the yellow plug. It might not have hardened enough yet for you to be able to grap it with tweezers and pull out - I've had that happen. Sometimes if you squeeze, you can get some pus out. I'm thinking with the nustock you should be fine - as soon as that ichthammol drawing salve comes I'm going to try it on one of the bumblefoot cases I have.

It's quite the production, isn't it?

Thanks to both of you and to Delisha. Tomorrow when I work on it I'll see if I can get the edge like you're saying. I'm thinking it will all come out well


SHE HAS THIS ON BOTH FEET. I was going to do 1 at a time but if they both pull out I guess I'll go for both! (I was only able to get the cap off one of them today. The other may be more "hardened"...who knows..it may come off first!)

 

[Ashdoes]

I liked the BYC link for bumble foot much better than that video. I just kept thinking, why are they cutting such a big hole?! Granted, I was quite surprised at how much came out of that foot, but the giant cut seemed unnecessary.
Question about butchering...do you all hang the bird over a bucket? Or just the ground? do you just feed the innards to the flock, or trash em?

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

So, is the general consensus that chicks can eat most anything as long as grit is given?

I have some one week old chicks, I have some dried meal worms arriving tomorrow. If I set out grit, can they have some as a treat? Some lettuce in the fridge that's on it's way out? I've checked the chicken treat article here, and those things would be alright. But it doesn't say much about AGE you can start getting treats. They're on FF right now and UnACV in their vitamin water. I have several that are feathering out on their wings already (some are just starting!)

As long it is chick grit, yes you should be able to feed most anything. Be warned about hard things to break apart. Meat should be somewhat finely chopped, no bigger than a pea. I had the unfortunate learning lesson of a 9 week old Silkie getting a blocked intestinal tract from a piece of meat she gobbled down. Even with grit she couldn't break it apart inside.