The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - I do love you little barn. Are you going to divide off a people place? One of the reasons we did that was to also have a short wall (about 12") at the bottom of the divide that would keep the wood chips inside.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa - I do love you little barn. Are you going to divide off a people place? One of the reasons we did that was to also have a short wall (about 12") at the bottom of the divide that would keep the wood chips inside.

Yes we will divide off a people space, but not right away. It would be so tough to do without any power tools.. No electricity at all down there right now. We'd have to run back and forth from the house to do it.

But I will before I get my chick order in April.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just saw your babies on the re-build thread. They'll sure enjoy getting all the space!

 

[aoxa]

Just saw your babies on the re-build thread. They'll sure enjoy getting all the space!

I know they will! Poor things are so cramped!

They were much smaller 2 weeks ago, and even then it was pushing the limits.

 

[Mumsy]

We didn't get snow this year. I look at the pictures del posted and my jaw dropped! *Yikes!*

The orchard is just about all mud. The only lawn that looks green is an illusion. Nothing but moss. Hah!

The potager garden is now closed to chickens. They would scratch out the newly planted strawberry plants. The onions and garlic are emerging new shoots. They would eat those too. I can see new growth on the herbs. Lost one parsley plant. I'm tired of the rain and my flock and new chicks need fresh green growing things.

Good news on the brain injured Silkie pullet! I took her out of the tub in the house (stinky) and moved her into a suspended cage into the chick house. The Johnny babies are nearly three weeks old and the pullets poo that falls through the wire will expose them to adult chicken microbes. They are happy to grab the morsels of scrambled egg she drops from her beak too.

I doubled the dose of Cod Liver and E gel caps by mixing the oil into her scrambled egg last night rather than squeezing it onto her tongue. I also started adding children's vitamin drops without iron into her ACV water. This morning her appetite was not only much increased, her head spasms have lessened to the point it's barely noticeable! She shook out the wraps in her crest and she is standing without tottering and can hold a gaze. I'm relieved. Thinking to keep her isolated like this until she can put on more weight. She likes to watch the chicks down below her. They are not so thrilled with the sight of her above them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Pretty crazy how fast they grow. I went out yesterday and wondered where the cute little babies went. The biggest one (they're 9 wks tomorrow) is almost as tall as mom but still skinny like a teenage boy

They still go under mom at night, too! (or at least as much of them that can fit...all kinds of things are sticking out)

 

[PeepsCA]

Is anyone using Vetericyn for wounds, etc.? Can you give us a review if you use it...do you recommend it?

Someone recommended it to me for various uses including after a bumble foot surgery. However, I know nothing about it and wondered if anyone else has any experience or comments on the product?


http://vetericyn.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Vetericyn-Wound-Infection-Treatment-Trigger/dp/B003679WI0

You can follow the trend and spend the big bucks on Vetericyn, or be thrifty and make a batch of Dakin's Solution when you need it.

Vetericyn is basically just a ridiculously expensive version of Dakin's Solution, with other chemicals added to preserve it/stabilize it. I got suckered in by all the ads for it on the RFD channel and the threads upon threads on a few horse forums I frequent that were raving about it for it's effectiveness on horses, so I bought a spray bottle of the original Vetericyn wound & infection care and a spray bottle of the hydro gel... but a fresh batch of home-made Dakin's Solution works just as well for pennies on the dollar, IME (needs to be mixed fresh, otherwise the chlorine breaks down pretty quickly... but it's still more cost effective). I have not had to use either one on any of my poultry, but I've used a lot of both on my horses (and myself). The Vetericyn did not out-perform the Dakin's. Some argue that the chlorine in the Dakin's Solution damages tissues... but if it did do any damage, it wasn't substantial enough for me to notice.
Maybe others have had better experiences with it

 

[PeepsCA]

Congrats on your baby barn Justine (love it, wish I had one just like it for my Silkie Crew). I am sure that's a huge morale booster for you guys, not only to have a comfortable space for your birds but also something to tide you over and give you back some of your daily chicken routine until your new barn is constructed.

 

[chickiemomy]

I know we had spoken about this before off & on but I thought I would ask again. Lots of newer people on the thread now who may be interested as well.

What kind of feed do you use for your chickens & why? (I don't mean FF but what kind of chicken feed...like grower, layer, etc)

I have been researching different kinds of feeds.......I cant afford organic but I do want something that has less chemicals in it. The feeds all start out with corn & soybeans as their first ingredients and they all say they are vegetarian diets and have NO ANIMAL PROTEINS. I know how important animal proteins are to the chickens who are NOT vegetarians so I do supplement my feed for my hens.

As I only have for 4 hens and only allowed a max of 6 total buying 50# bags of oats, corn, wheat, etc is not a good investment for me. Heck I bought a 50# bag of pellets (I think) last fall in maybe October and I still have enough pellets to last until at least June probably longer since I FF.

I know some use grower or game bird feed and just have oyster shell always available for the calcium for the hens.

Also what do you think the best protein level is for different ages of chickens?

I'm all trying to find articles as to what can cause vent prolapse. I'm curious to see if there are any articles about pullets receiving layer pullets from birth may contribute to it. I know the lady who I purchased the hens from said that she has had them on layer pellets since they were off chick starter so I continued them on layer pellets. I'm curious if the calcium at such a young age when they were growing caused some problems. Yes they are just hatchery birds but I would think that it would apply to better chickens as well

Thanks!!

have been reading about buckeyes - over on that thread -- I didn't know soon enough for my 2 - but for other's info -- seems some breeds require more protein as chickies than others. As in I guess buckeyes have some game bird in their breeding, and to have good quality animal protein at a young age helps them get to their appropriate adult size. If they do not have enough, they may be smaller, and never quite catch up to standard. So goes again to what we learn as we have our own, and to not apply what someone else says, just because...???

I gave my 6 chicks medicated chick food for the first bag, then switched to unmedicated chick food - and added free choice chick grit after a couple of weeks. When they were very close to POL I switched over to layer crumbles, free choice in the coop & have also kept oyster shell free choice in their run. They get produce and kitchen scraps, and forage for at least a couple of hours most days. Our cats are too fussy & the chickens benefit by getting their left-over canned food - maybe 1- 2 tablespoons a day for 5 chickens. They get several handfuls of scratch & BOSS in the late afternoon, in the run, after foraging. If they weren't out for long, or weather bad, I'll thrown in a handful of dry mealworms.

I do not feed FF - yet - may start this summer -- but I do give them a prebiotic I learned about over on another thread on feather picking. See, these are the first chicks I've been around - & was alarmed at all the loose feathers laying around as they grew to POL- not knowing that they molt several times in their first few months. I was afraid there was something nutritionally wrong - poked around - found some using a product called Forco. It is labeled for horses. but it is a PREBIOTIC - I know there will be those not inclined to use because of the label - but a prebiotic feeds the 'biotics' in the gut. So it would never be harmful for any living thing -- and the maker of the product uses it for their chickens, and, and, -- don't want to go into all the defensive stuff here - I use it. The manufacturers are talking about labeling it for poultry, as many use it for that - anyway, so my 6, now 5 - chickens get one Tbsp of Forco mixed into a little full fat, plain yogurt each morning. I sometimes slosh in a little ACV - & mix it to a gloppy consistency with layer crumbles so as not to waste it-make it easier for the chicks to clean it up. My personal thinking is that this prebiotic gives my chickens the same, or at least similar benefit to digestion that FF would - increasing all the gut flora to get better digestion. I have to say that after I started giving it to them, the poop really stopped smelling so bad -- the same thing that those using FF report. They've been on Forco for 8 months ? or so - & they're very healthy, active chicks.

Oh, & I sprinkle dried, crumbled egg shells over top of their morning yogurt mess. I have one chick whose eggs tend to thinner shells - so it's mostly for her benefit - and figure it doesn't hurt the others.

I have been lately buying nutrena brand layer crumbles & peck & scratch scratch. I understand & honor others concern over GMO & organic & stuff, but personally I'm not worried. I do not sell eggs, so I need not be concerned over labeling for customers -- I give away extra eggs to family happy to have non-grocery store eggs from well-treated chickens. Figure my eggs are so much better than from those poor production chickens -- having chickens has given me a new perspective.

enuf from me! -- that's my practice, FWIW - & as mumsy said -- take what you want, leave what you don't - decide what works for you - we all do what we think best! Love learning from this community in general, and this thread in particular! the only thing more addictive than keeping chickens, is reading BYC threads!

 

[Mumsy]

My #50 lb bag of Purina All purpose crumble just finished. I've been using that same bag as the base in my FF for months. Mixed with all the other stuff. I wanted to go to non GMO corn and soy free because I want to sell eggs and birds locally this summer but my local feed store keeps running out. When I was picking up my Catdance eggs, we stopped into a mom and pop feed store and they didn't carry it. So I spent some extra $ and got a #50 lb. bag of Game bird. 26% protein. I haven't read through the whole label yet. So much going on with two incubators percolating, an injured silkie in intensive care, chicks, new birds, blah blah blah. When I was raising mainly bantams, all I ever used was Game bird. Everybody in the barn and breeding pens are getting it now. Chicks are still on FF Purina un-medicated chick starter for one more week. The Game bird crumble doesn't smell as good in the FF. I really need to read that label.

I give free choice grit and oyster shell in the barn when birds can't get outside. All egg shells are crushed and thrown in the kitchen scraps and go into the runs or compost pile. Either way, the layers find it. Karen of Catdance was adament about not feeding Layer to Silkies. I don't feed Layer. Ever.

At this time in my life, it is enjoyable custom mixing and arranging the FF. When the Game Bird bag runs out, I may try something else. The birds are all healthy. No sickness, no unthriftiness except that one injured Silkie. The eggs I'm collecting are all fertile. Those pullet eggs I've set have had good hatch rate and the shells are so dense, I almost need a hammer to crack them! So far, everything I'm trying is working well with my flock.