The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

I put this on the blog post about lead and zinc, but wanted to pose the question here too:

I had never considered zinc issues with galvanized before on the feeding pans and chick feeders. I wonder how much is leached into DRY FOOD in a galvanized pan?

The next thing I'd like to hear is how does RUBBER affect chickens? I'm thinking of those large rubber feed pans and floor mats. I've always wondered about the fumes from rubber too. It is a natural product but I've not read anything on it's effects!

I have a rubber floor mat on the people side of the coop to scrape my feet on when I come out. It is a mat that had set outside in the fresh air for several months before moving it into the hen house so there are virtually no fumes at this point. However, I have another small mat that sits under one of the feed bowls that gets feed on it and they peck on it to pick up the dropped feed.



I've moved to using GLASS (Pyrex or Anchor) pie pans for feed pans. They're heavy enough that they don't get knocked over and were shallow enough for the chicks to eat from.

ETA: In the winter I need the pans to be round to set on a heater to keep the ff from freezing. In the summer I'll use 13x9 pyrex/anchor pans for the feed.

Anyone know anything about rubber?

I have never used rubber..even with my goats and sheep. I never knew it would be harmful in any way and do not think it could be unless it was poor quality and was consumed.
I use quite a few glass bread pans for feeding. They are cheap and usually found at rummage and garage sales.

 

[OohLaLa]

Thanks for the welcome. I test ran the two books mentioned along with a stack of others from my local library. I've purchased Storeys and a couple others so far. I'll take the advice and fight the urge to pick up early birds and wait on my babies. My husband's running joke is that my chickens will be living better than us.

 

[Bulldogma]

I have silkies hatching...two so far are out..three pips and three nothing.

I saw the update with 5 out! HOORAY!!

Hi Y'all So new to having my own flock that all I have is my nearly finished coop. My assorted chicks wont arrive until May (unless I just can't wait and pick up 2 from the local feed store). My intent is to keep them as natural as possible. There is so much conflicting information out there, can any one start a gal off right here?

Welcome. Here's another helpful link - there's an index tab at the top too for quick reference.

 

[Eggcessive]

How many birds do you currently have?

I had 63 birds in winter, but after giving away some hens and separating my salmon faverolles to a separate coop, there are 47 including 6 banties. They have 42 feet of roosting space all along the walls of the coop, and they free range outside when not laying eggs.

 

[Loghousemom]

I think the only problem I remember reading with galvanized was to not use vinager with them as it causes some sort of chemical reaction that can make the birds sick or dead.

I currently use a plastic hanging waterer since I have not made th e jump to FF yet.

 

[Mumsy]

Del has Silkies hatching!

I have quite an extensive collection of galvanized buckets. Some are really vintage from the farm I grew up on. I never use them for feed or water. I keep fencing supples, garden supplies, and other miscellany barn items in them. I use them to tote things around when I'm working on fencing or gardening and stuff like that.

I used to use rubber pans and buckets when I raised horses and dogs, but I didn't like how they started to get rough and chewed up looking with long time wear. They would get so pitted, I'm sure they were getting a lot of bacteria trapped in the pits and grooves so I don't have any now. I only use food grade dense plastic buckets for my FF and some water buckets in the LF pens. I get them for free at the local deli. Dense heavy duty plastic pans for the LF pen. I use glass for feeders and waterers in the chick, grow out, and breeding pens.

Welcome oohlala and other new comers to the thread I may have missed.

 

[Sally8]

Thanks for the welcome. I test ran the two books mentioned along with a stack of others from my local library. I've purchased Storeys and a couple others so far. I'll take the advice and fight the urge to pick up early birds and wait on my babies. My husband's running joke is that my chickens will be living better than us.

You are going to find out how true this is! Welcome!

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some pictures of my coop and poop boards for anyone interested. Can't wait for some green grass in the coming weeks. Kim

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some pictures of my salmon faverolles with their chicks being brooded byone of my ameraucana hens.

 

[Sally8]

Ohh, Eggcessive, pic's are beautiful!!! I love the mailbox. Thanks for sharing.

Mumsy, I bought half doz of rubber bowls because I used to use glass/ceramic but I have a pile of broken ones. I'll use the rubber ones in the winter and change to plastic in the summer, although I have a lot of cracked plastic ones too. New York winters are not a good place to use glass.

I finally took a pic of Thor my only living survivor of a dozen Silkie eggs shipped through the mail. After opening each and every egg I found 8 that never started, 2 that quit half way through, 2 made it but when Thor came out he cracked the only egg with a full grown live chick in it. I so wish I had helped. It took Thor 36 hours to come out. Is that normal? One more point for my Marans. How old before I know if he's a she? Never mind that Ill spend all afternoon crying, I'd still like to know.






My reason for thinking it's a he. Look at the stance and attitude.