The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

Maybe a small town post office would be more responsive and understanding about not x-raying. I don't know, just throwing out an idea. I wonder if Fedex or UPS would be a better though more expensive option?

it was a great idea, and I don't think that NYC PO workers are unresponsive or not undestanding and being from a small town would make one more so, it is just the reality of the world we live in, and their training. We all wish that there was a way to get those eggs to us in a more viable fashion, I truly think it is amazing that any of them hatch at all!

There are good PO, Fedex and UPS workers, and then there are the ones who are not careful. There are tons of videos of the Fed Ex, UPS and mailman chucking packages over fences, bushes, and from the trucks themselves. I try to let the workers on my route know I appreciate them, and pray for the best!

Good Luck to everyone recieving shipped eggs!
MB

 

[delisha]

As far as the wound...if you have a power hand spray on your sink, place her in the sink and power spray the wound as best as you can to get all dirt out if it. You need to flush it. If you have a hand held shower head you can do it in the tub too. Blu-kote..until you get nustock. It looks like it is trying to heal so she has a good immune system.

Check your males spurs. They may be short, but sometimes they can chip and have sharp points that are like razors. Check there nails and get those trimmed. Those also can be very very sharp. Make sure you have styptic pencil. Those nails bleed if you cut them to short. I usually do. Poor things look like a killing field sometimes at my house.

you need to keep the roos off her..or she will get worse. Get a temp fence and give her a friend to hang with for the day. Just swap the friend around so she does not get lonely and does not loose her place in the pecking order.

 

[delisha]

For shipped eggs....

Yes..xray can kill a developing egg. However always do an eggtopsy.If you do not see development and always take notes and mark air cells. Fertility does not change because of an x-ray. Hatch rate can. If packages are packed half way decent, the PO can't break the eggs. For an experiment, candle an egg that was freshly layed and mark the air cell. Shake that egg and try to scramble it all threw the day. Let it rest fat end up for an hour. Candle it that night. Note any difference. Take an egg that was layed two weeks earlier and repeat the experiment. Note the difference.

 

[armorfirelady]

All 4 of my hens used to lay a variety of light brown eggs. I know get an almost white egg every few days. I don't know who lays it but one does. And when all 4 lay they are usually brown so I know she does lay brown ones also. Theo other day I got one half brown half tan. Almost a perfect line around the egg where the color changed.

I remember reading an article on how's hens eggs get their color and meant to try and find it again to see if it could indicate a deficiency. If I find it I will post it.

Thanks Delisha for letting me know he messy hurts are normal. I wasn't overly concerned since the vents and skin are clean. My fiend suggested getting the girls the moistened wipes to use maybe they would do a better job wiping that way lol

Winds here are picking up. Forecasting gusts over 60 mph.......checked on the girls .....all is well. I did tighten the strap I have over 2nd tarp on the hoop coop that blocks my vents that aren't rainproof.......I don't know how the girls are going to sleep with the tarp flapping but I know they will be dry

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy- other than wetting down the ground around your barn nightly the only other suggestion I have is smoke alarms in the coops with a baby monitor in the house so if something occurs during the night you would hear the smoke alarms? Keep any dry straw/grass bedding away from outside the perimeter of the barn.

How sad that someone who says they want to help others actually is trying to harm them. Unfortunately it's not the first time I have heard of this in my 23 years in the fire service, I hope they catch the person ASAP

 

[BScott03]

Awesome thread glad I found it! My first chicks will be here in about a month! I'm trying to learn as much as possible!

 

[hotrodflash]

My Question. We have a jr fireman in our area but not from our department that has made a torch that he can use from the car and drive along the edge of the road setting the ditch and bank on fire. Last summer we had 11 fires and burnt a lot of the wooded land all around my house. The authorities say they know who it is but can't catch him. This has gone on for 5 yrs. We've already had 2 this year. So, what do you do with the chickens? Only once did I feel threatened enough to round up cat and dog carriers. This deranged person will set several at one time. In my case, I have too many chickens to pack up.

I have been thinking about this and we had an issue like this two summers ago when we had an awful dry summer. Someone finally caught them lighting the fire and called the law and made sure they were caught. If I have to evacuate, I will pack up the cat and load the dogs in my truck and let the chickens loose to survive until I can get home. I will put out as much food and water, also lots of land and a creek very close, as I can and hope for the best. I know that is not an optimal situation but at least they would have a chance to survive. Has anyone else thought about what they will do in an evacuation?

 

[Bulldogma]

As a bedtime present, there is a new thing in that place.

Awesome thread glad I found it! My first chicks will be here in about a month! I'm trying to learn as much as possible!

Welcome! Feel free to jump in any time and ask any questions you may have about getting ready for your new flock!

 

[cuties]

Hi everybody! Ive been lurking and learning A LOT from you... sooo, thankyou!!!!!!

Tonight I would like to ad some things that havent been mentioned.

For the injured chicken, I think you should be very carefull when giving her a buddy in isolation. Now that the wound is cleaned and very visible, the other girls may want to check it out... with their beaks. Just something to watch for...

And if I had some a $$ o lighting fires in my area, I would teach my chickies that all of their treats are fed in a large dog crate. Practice shuttong the door. Easy to transport!

 

[delisha]

Quote: it they are pullets..don't worry..the second color gets layed on last. It might not be working quite right yet in the coloring department.

Awesome thread glad I found it! My first chicks will be here in about a month! I'm trying to learn as much as possible!

welcome to the thread

Quote: Scary stuff..I would have to many to pack up too..I would be at a loss for what to do in the same situation other than I do have a natural water area at the back of the yard, so if it did happen I could open doors and hope they would head for safety. I would probably be more concerned for human safety and let them fend as best as they could on there own. I wnt yard to startould do the same as you. Perhaps make sure they did not have a dry area in my very own front yard to start a fire.
In an evacuation..I would open doors- dump feed-fill all waters and hope for the best. I have an advantage. My birds can survive as long as there is no snow on the ground and they can find food. They know what to look for and where it is.

Hi everybody! Ive been lurking and learning A LOT from you... sooo, thankyou!!!!!!

Tonight I would like to ad some things that havent been mentioned.

For the injured chicken, I think you should be very carefull when giving her a buddy in isolation. Now that the wound is cleaned and very visible, the other girls may want to check it out... with their beaks. Just something to watch for...

And if I had some a $$ o lighting fires in my area, I would teach my chickies that all of their treats are fed in a large dog crate. Practice shuttong the door. Easy to transport!

good points! and welcome to the thread cuties.