The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

When she pooped, did you notice any of the pine shavings in it? I can't even find a vet around here to check poop for me without going to Cornell University, an hour away. Who know's what it would cost. I'm so sorry Mumsy. Just when we don't think our heart's can take any more. My prayers have been going up for you.

Nothing that had the appearance of anything with shape to it. The coloring is very dark. No greenish like they usually do. The roo and Bonney in that pen have greenish tinges with seeds here and there. As per usual.

She is still panting and fast respiration. But she is upright and alert. The crop is now empty and I can feel those little grit bits or seeds? I can roll them between my fingers through her skin. She doesn't mind my massaging her crop but she pants harder so I'm leaving her alone now. I turned the heat down in the house. She must have a fever? To take a birds temperature, do we place the thermometer under the closed wing? A chicken is supposed to have an average of 102 degrees. Right?

Thank you Sally. This just is too much right now. So. Hard.

 

[delisha]

Quote: You can do vent check thermometer test
Average and normal is 102-105
When I took my birds in, one was 104.7 the other one was 105.2. They used a regular child's thermometer. The beeping kind.

 

[lalaland]

yeah, I think you have to breed them back to an ee/aurancana to get the blue again, otherwise next gen will revert to the leghorn white?

I can't wait for picks.

 

[Leahs Mom]

QUICK!

Who has "splinted" a spraddle leg with the band-aid or whatever? There is a friend asking how to do it and I'd like to send him some photos. I know someone on here once showed one. Can you direct me or put up the photos and "how-to"...I'll send it to him!

 

[delisha]

QUICK!

Who has "splinted" a spraddle leg with the band-aid or whatever? There is a friend asking how to do it and I'd like to send him some photos. I know someone on here once showed one. Can you direct me or put up the photos and "how-to"...I'll send it to him!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/41693/spraddle-leg-splay-leg-treatment-instructions

 

[delisha]

OK
I think I took a few better pictures..I hope this will help with color

Black and blue?

Paint?

Buff and black?

 

[MsMickeyMom]

For a topical antibiotic, many folks swear by Nu Stock ointment. It's hard to find in stores, so just get some on the internet. Also, putting unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in your chickens' water can help keep other nasties at bay internally.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Those kiddos are starting to sound like an ouchie bruise

They SURE ARE CUTE!

Thanks for the link. I also found this if anyone is interested: Very concise with photos: http://poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and Del...on the spur removal -
-After you remove the outer casing, how long does it take for it to harden up / heal?
-I assume the casing grows back and needs to be removed again. How often is this usually done?

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well I will be doing Chickens. I have until Mid to Late April to get things ready!!!! A lady at Church daughter will be moving and has 3 Rhode Island Red Bantam Hens she wants to give away where they will be used for eggs and pets... ie not killed for stew pot. Free!!! 2 year olds. She is getting 2 eggs a day.

So her mom told her I wanted chickens. She has "free ranged them in summer" but coops in winter. And the feed they are used to is not organic so I will have to wean them to FF.

I do not know the condition of them yet. So I will be getting the house ready for the contractors AND getting a place ready for the Chickens!

So everyone gear up to give this newbie help making sure they are healthy or nursed into health as Bees story portrays.

I will be over seeding an area which will be used later as a fenced free range yard for when I am not home. I have these two mixes now...
1. 2# Perennial Clover Food Plot: Red Clover, Barblanca white clover, Balady-1 Bereseem Clover, Forage feast chicory, weed seed but no noxious weed.
2. 5# Throw & Gro: Annual Tetraploid Ryegrass, Barsica rape, Balady berseem clover, other crop seed, inert matter, weed seed, no noxious weed seed

Are all of those things ok in free range yarded areas?

Well looks like I am diving in over my head right from the start! Not the Buff Orphingtons I wanted to start with but are established egg laying... free chicknes. They are used to a "shed with a light" for winter. So will go from there.

So what should I feed first get them... wean them from their regular diet to natural then FF?