The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Hope you don't mind me butting in on the poop problem...

Could be just just the change in water or even different bacteria in the soil.

On a side note, I also noticed a change in my IBS after quitting corn. I had quit eating eggs before I got chickens because they gave me such bad flare ups and outrageous gas... My girls get no corn and their eggs do not bother me at all... I miss corn on the cob, though, and I am thinking of growing a heritage variety. No one growing it near me so I do not have worry about cross pollination contamination.

Yes I can't wait to grow my own corn and not have these issues!!

I also find that bacon gives me bad flare ups. Oh how I love bacon.. but I just recently bought grass fed pork bacon. No corn. We shall see if that helps!

 

[Kikiriki]

I have gone gone back and read the pots on Vermx.... I am trying it with my girls. They had been dropping weight, and looking a bit dull. I am on the third day, but as I have never wormed, I want to do an extended course. The first day they did not want to eat the pellets. Yesterday, I gave them the pellets before dinner, instead of afterward and they did a bit better. Today I decided to try first thing upon opening up the coop: hungry chickens was the ticket! They gobbled them up like candy!

I need to find some raw pumpkin seeds just for mixing in their regular feed: anyone have a good source online? Our local healthfood store is kind of pricey...

 

[Kikiriki]

Hope you don't mind me butting in on the poop problem...


Could be just just the change in water or even different bacteria in the soil.


On a side note, I also noticed a change in my IBS after quitting corn. I had quit eating eggs before I got chickens because they gave me such bad flare ups and outrageous gas... My girls get no corn and their eggs do not bother me at all... I miss corn on the cob, though, and I am thinking of growing a heritage variety. No one growing it near me so I do not have worry about cross pollination contamination.

Yes I can't wait to grow my own corn and not have these issues!!

I also find that bacon gives me bad flare ups. Oh how I love bacon.. but I just recently bought grass fed pork bacon. No corn. We shall see if that helps!

I hope it works for you! I really find it interesting that what the animal eats can have such a huge effect on the products from the animal. I would love to see someone conduct a controlled experiment just for some data to throw at the FDA. I have seen a ton of anecdotal info, but it is too easy for the FDA to ignore that or claim it was some unknown factor. It is getting to where I feel disgust when I think about what to possibly eat! If I were independently wealthy, I would move to a country that bans GMO's...

 

[armorfirelady]

Sorry I have been absent guys..My FIL is in the hospital and I have been running around and trying to get stuff done. I have been trying to keep up and have not been posting much.Some poopy but is not going to go away. Those skirts catch it on the way down.
Loose stools on the other hand is a problem..
Pellets..it has glue in it..some chickens intestines do not like it....ACV...sometimes more is not always better in FF
One way to find out..buy a small bag of calf conditioner or calf manna to try..give it to them on top of the food for a few days and see if it improves. For 10 birds you need a cup.
I have Orpingtons..they have skirts to the ground..talk about poopy butt..gross..calf manna works to keep them clean (I think it is the licorice in it)

Get rid of the corn for a week.

Delisha- hope your FIL gets well soon. Thank you for replying

They have had scratch with corn in it since I got them before the messy bottoms. That's also when they didn't have such fluffy butts. I will get some calf manna and try that & see if it helps. Its not loose stools more messy bottoms. And its not a lot.....just the feathers below their vent and some a little further down. Like I said its like they forgot to wipe well

They dont have the fluffy butts of Orps tho.

I will see if I can get a sifter of sorts that will let the corn sift thru but keep the pellets and other stuff in their FF. I mixed everything together in a big tub so the corn is everywhere.

Oh and I think my girls missed the memo about not laying after 3 pm.....I checked last night at 5 and only collected 2 eggs. When I got back home at 8 there was 2 more eggs. These girls of mine just don't know how to follow chicken rules

 

[Ashdoes]

Oh my gosh! The ducks are so stink'n cute! We were able to keep them a secret from the girls this whole time, not easy for hubby. They woke up early, I'm sure from the slight noise we made, and rushed to get ready so they could see a surprise. They were total girls about it, lol. Giggling and awwwwing at the ducks.
Two things I've noticed about ducklings. Unlike chicks they eat the shavings, a lot. They also don't follow what the others do, so when one eats they didn't all run over to eat, which kind of made the chickens a little smarter. I'm sure they'll catch on though. I've got the FF on a plate and in the little trough we made. They're happy and warm and extremely lively, especially for how cold it was. They had eaten all the grow gel Metzer put in the box. Overall I'm very happy with their shipping, except they didn't send us a shipping email, so we called on Monday.
Really wish it would warm up already.

 

[armorfirelady]

Ash enjoy your new ducks & I hope you post some pics of the new additions soon

 

[aoxa]

Oh my gosh! The ducks are so stink'n cute! We were able to keep them a secret from the girls this whole time, not easy for hubby. They woke up early, I'm sure from the slight noise we made, and rushed to get ready so they could see a surprise. They were total girls about it, lol. Giggling and awwwwing at the ducks.
Two things I've noticed about ducklings. Unlike chicks they eat the shavings, a lot. They also don't follow what the others do, so when one eats they didn't all run over to eat, which kind of made the chickens a little smarter. I'm sure they'll catch on though. I've got the FF on a plate and in the little trough we made. They're happy and warm and extremely lively, especially for how cold it was. They had eaten all the grow gel Metzer put in the box. Overall I'm very happy with their shipping, except they didn't send us a shipping email, so we called on Monday.
Really wish it would warm up already.

Pictures or it's all hearsay

 

[midnightroo]

Thank Delish for the reply. I hope your fil gets better soon. I left them out and they were fine. Just concerned about if it drops Saturday night. Hubby wants to put the heat lamp in there because they weren't roosting when he checked on them early this morning.

Bulldogma glad your daughter is home and I hope you are both doing well.

Ash congrats on the ducks! I can imagine the excitement! I am thinking about having my daughter join 4h this fall and surprising her with a bantam. She loves our chickens, but I think she would love something smaller and more cuddly. I guess our cat isn't cuddly enough.

Are bantams like LF in that they do better in at least a pair?

Could poopy butts be caused by mating? I noticed my laying hen had poopy butt after the roo started mating her, my other did not. The eggs are fertile, just wondering if maybe he wasn't getting it all in.

LW good luck with your business!

Christine

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I am only going to say this once. IF you are doing nothing against the rules, If you are 100% within your rights, DO NOT allow a neighbor to buffalo you.

You are a lady and trying to appease your neighbor by doing as he says. He chose to be a bad neighbor by even saying anything to you about it. How DARE he cause stress to your daughter. He is complaining about noise pollution. I would complain to him about his visual pollution as I can just picture him entering and leaving the hot tub... He SURE ain't no Loinwizard.....

On another subject, mosquitoes breed in an ideal environment. If I remember correctly, old tires are a good spot.... so.... dark, hot, stagnant water is ideal for them. If you shade it so it isn't so hot, or go the other way if you have to.... change the environment. I would probably put in a small (300GPH) pond or bilge pump. A little current keeps the water fresh and bug breeding free.

Maybe some recall how I have been struggling in business.... Just had a meeting at the bank today and they decided to lend me a bunch of money to sell cars on EBay. I hope that I can make it work and not make myself and them look like idiots. Of course the top dealer on EBay sells 1000 cars a month on there, and number 4 sells 250. I would be happy with 10 month....

Time will tell.
I will lurk but have to devote my passion and energy to my business.
Much love to all!

Shawn

PS.... CG, I have 12,000 acres behind me. Wanna come? LMBO!

I hope your business does well. If you find a great suburban for a steal, please let me know. It would be really great if it was located near me and not you too
Also how is your female dog, the one you thought the wild dog might have impregnated? We had a neighbor's golden retriever break into our yard a while back. I quickly got the owners to come and get it but not before my children saw it. They so want a dog. It reminded me of your dog's possible puppies.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
I think it could be mites, but likely just sticky bottoms. My BR and BO's all have poo on the rear feathers all the time, they are super fluffy. Same with the Silkies. Some just always have poo on them. Now if it is running out of them like a slow faucet, then you have an issue(vent gleet)