The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

Quote: x2!

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote: Angela,

You are doing every thing right

As an option and suggestion

If you have to use medicated, I have no idea if you should ferment it or not.I know nothing about medicated feed other than my opinion not to feed it. I would soak it in water before feeding. Use the electrolytes as the soaker for new chicks for the first week. It is probably good you are cutting it with flock raiser. You might want to add fresh/frozen vegetables like sweet peas, corn, carrots, brussel sprouts. Chopped up pretty fine. I also give green beans. You need very very little of this stuff and left overs from your dinner is great. Like less than a tablespoon should be a nice treat for a dozen chicks.I would add raw liver chopped very very fine..every day. a good teaspoon full.

I use a flock raiser when they are POL or about 12 weeks. I always use grower for my chicks and flock raiser for my other birds. Chicks eat very very little and a 50 lb bag will grow out 50 chicks to 12 weeks easy. (I free feed too). I am on the same bag I purchased last year for my last group of chicks. They just got off it and were moved into the juvie pen. I only had a few, and than I had the NYD hatch(10) and now 20 more that are on it. It will last me at least one more month I hope. Than it should b nice enough out for all the kids to get outside.
wonder if the medicated feed -- being ANTI-BIOTIC would kill off, or at least reduce the effectiveness of the lacto-bacillus good guys???

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote:
it's the same good guy stuff, doesn't matter where they come from - they are all sources of lacto-bacillus which creates the fermentation. & if you already have a batch going, you already have lacto-bacillus in it - you don't need to add anything.

 

[chickiemomy]

Stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway.

I don't make my own milk and cheese etc...where can I get kefir?

If I use kefir, I don't use UnACV? Do I still add UnACV to their water? What does the kefir do differently than the UnACV?

if you are fermenting - use either keifr, or whey from unpasteurized yogurt, or MISO or ACV with the mother --- they are all providers of concentrated lacto-bacillus - the good guys.

the ACV in the water is a separate issue - that some use for other health issues -- not to be confused with fermenting feed.

 

[Bulldogma]

Welcome to all the first-time posters on the thread. We're happy you have joined us. Keep those questions coming!

And just for fun, here are some of the silly things I did with my new babies today.

Grumpy Chick





See? You can housebreak a chicken! (OK - no... not really.)







Racing stripes!




Hula, anyone?


Look at all those toes!

 

[Elliemae 77]

FINALLY! I have Chick Pics

 

[Bulldogma]

FINALLY! I have Chick Pics

YAYYYYY! So cute!

 

[chickiemomy]

What do you guys think of this barn? Just a bit bigger.



http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/2011/09/29/chicken-coop-photos-and-description-from-maria-beason/

Someone has asked us to take images of the loss. I have documentation, but didn't think anyone would ever want to see it.

What is everyone's experience with Black Copper Marans? I want to know how they forage. How well they lay. What their personalities are like, etc. I am considering adding them when we rebuild. I have always wanted dark eggs.

that's beautiful! - I love the screened pens under the eaves.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I have 15 baby chicks in the basement and I started them in FF on day three. It took them a bit at first to get them started on it but now they gobble it up. Glad I started FF. I had been reading up on it for awhile but just hadn't taken the plunge and started it. This might be off topic but after reading about the barn fire I thought you might laugh like we did this morning. Chicks out grew my box set up in the basement and grandsons were obsessed with watching them. So I brought the boys kidding pool inside. But some shavings down and got the light all set up for them. Day two the feed dish was outside the pool, we can't imagine how they flipped it out of there.....come to find out, our dog had gone downstairs and stole the FF and licked the dish clean. Crazy dog! He has no interest in the chicks just luvs the FF.....so now I'm researching FF for dogs.. DH is wondering when does this end???

My dog love the chickens FF. When he does consume it(only if I put it out on the ground, he is very good and knows he is not allowed in the coop) I find he does not digest the seeds, they end up in his poo. And then the chickens eat it.

Thank you for the additional information..it helps my confusion
..it sounds like you take really good care of them and offer a well balanced diet. So assume it is not diet related. If you give meats..do not cook it, feed it raw.
You bird that is loosing feathers needs an exam. Make sure she is laying. Check her for mites and lice. I would give them some ground up pumpkin seeds. Add some fresh Oregano
Toss some citrus peelings in there nest boxes.
I hope you can get pictures soon,..that should help me more..
I hope others have more suggestions.

Please explain what this does, first time I have heard of this.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Cute chick pics everyone.

Aoxa, bigger is always better with a barn

Mumsy, that size difference in the 2 chicks is note-able. But cute