The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mikkles]

i know people use DE internally on dogs and cats for worming purposes..

 

[FridayYet]

I'm still curious about citrus and chickens - I have 6 different citrus trees in my yard, and end up composting what we can't eat, juice, or give away. Nothing better than a blood orange fresh off the tree!

So I guess I won't offer any to the chickens, just put peelings in the coop?

 

[jeepgirl13]

I have noticed this too. People say things without having evidence. Just, oh someone told me or I read it somewhere. That's why I like to triple check everything I'm told. Its like someone else said on here, chickens may not be super smart, but they are smart enough to be chickens! Although I have my doubts on how smart they are after watching my girls chase each other around over a big piece of plastic. Lol. Oh Ya! I got my first egg from one of my buff Orpingtons! It is a jumbo sized egg to! It makes my eggs from my Rhodes islands look like jelly beans!

I believe it is the same reason you have so many people parrot the same old same old advice on so many threads giving advice that is hearsay. Coming from someone who read something from someone. It amazes me how much advice is bogus. I've been raising chickens for fifty years. I learn something new every day. But one thing is for sure. I didn't know citrus and parsley was poisonous to chickens. I didn't know a lot of things were bad until I read about it recently on the internets. I always believed my chickens knew what they wanted to eat and not eat. I kind of figured the chickens had some instincts in this area and I leave them to it. They free range. I feed them the best I can when those  pickings are slim. So far...The chickens know best.

 

[countrygirl74]

and it is snowing this morning again.

lordy lordy mz clordy I'm sure a whiner this morning.

It froze here last night too but at least not snow like you're getting. I had removed all the heaters from the water and they all had a bit of ice on them. Was 20 degrees when I went out - suppose to get up to 55 today.

Lalaland - I would whine too if it was snowing right now. I like when we get snow, but it's Spring! I got a little too much sun today and we got so warm cleaning out the ducks' pool, we sprayed ourselves a bit with the hose. 75-80 all week, nights around 40 - baby chicks are officially out of the house!
If it makes you feel better, we did have a freak cold front last week with horrendous winds, cold temps, and a thin layer of ice a couple mornings on the waterers...

I too have been wondering about this. I haven't tried malign fermented feed my self, I'm afraid I'm going to do something wrong and poison my girls.... I would love some tips on how to make it. I live in the desert, and its hot already. Does this change the process of making it?

I started mine in the winter and it was taking too long because my house was a little too cool, especially at night. I finally ended up putting it on a heater vent and had it bubbling the next day. I've been adding to the same 5 gallon bucket for several months. Temps are currently 75-80 here now and I don't have a cooler on yet - ff is doing great. I just always keep enough water to cover and stir it a couple times a day.

I do the same, K. I don't add anything else to my ff WHILE IT'S FERMENTING. I just feed them the other things in addition to the feed.

X2

Our Barred Rock has always been the friendliest we've had.
When oh when will these ducks stop eating the shavings? I bought an eight pack of cheapy paper towels, and we've used three so far. I wait two minutes after I pull it all up, to see if they're still eating it, and they haven't stopped yet.
We have started our spring projects. Had the barn wired last week, that'll come in handy. Hubby is insulating the shed connected to the barn, and the ff and worm bin will go in there. I have trees and bushes being delivered every other day. We're going to block off the fruit bushes with plastic fencing, to keep the chickens off them. Really wish it would warm up all the way, having two days of warm doesn't make up for six cold days.

This is what I used after the paper towel time... I never saw them eat it. When they got too big for the brooder, we moved them to a bathtub and used straw. They weren't quite ready for single-digit temps as they were late fall babies so they lived in the house a LONG time. Others might have some different ideas, but this is what worked for me - First, paper towels, Second, pine crumbles or pellets, Third, straw, Final, straw and pine shavings in their outdoor coop and run.

Well...it's not really a clod of dirt...it's a piece of sod you dig from the yard (AKA a "sod plug").

Unless you live in Arizona, in which case it's a big clod of dirt with one weed sticking out of it.

Today I was cleaning the coop and run. My coop sits about two feet off the ground. And the ground under the coop stinks stinks stinks. Raked and shoveled all the acclumated shavings,leaves, poop and food. Is there anything i can on the ground to get rid of the smell?

I like Delisha's ideas of the citrus peels! I spray LAB in my run if I notice it starting to smell at all. I have only sprayed twice in the last 6 months - still no smell. The only time it got bad was when it was wet for days on end, and it was mostly the ducks' side - the chicken side I have only sprayed once.

Oh heck - I do numbskull things all the time. I'm forgetful as can be and stress does nothing for improving it - LOL! And with my kids... well... there is plenty of stress to be found! That's where chickens come in. On any nice day, I can be found lying dormant in my yard covered in chickens. People probably think I'm dead and the chickens are eating me.

 

[amberr]

Has anyone done the molasses flush before? It is generally when there is some kind of poisoning suspected (moldy grain, toxic weeds, chemicals). I have never needed it, but am trying it this am. No feed for 8 hours. All surviving hens were ready to come outside, looked good, talked, responded, - can you tell I'm nervous and scrutinizing them? So not sure if I need to do the flush or not, but worst case they will have the squirts and will be hungry at 2 pm when the 8 hours is up. So

And no poison where the hay bales are stored, but good thinking. On a side note, one of the kittens I adopted has allergies to something - poor coat, constant diarehheaa (ok I will learn to spell that one day). I've tried everything, vet has given up- pricey grain free food, probiotics, now they have a chicken free, grain free food but she hates it. I can tell you I don't have the will or time to go the make your own ground up meat food raw route . The orange kitten, Mia, is just about a year old and the one with the poor coat etc. And from two weeks ago when it seemed like spring might actually come: and it is snowing this morning again. lordy lordy mz clordy I'm sure a whiner this morning.

On the cat with allergies, when we got our Lab he had splotchy dull fur. Weren't sure if it was allergies or just poor cheap dog food diet he had before, I added an egg and tablespoon of flax seed oil to his food everyday for a month and his hair started growing back and coat shined right up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Maybe this question belongs on the sfh thread but...here goes:

On your roos getting along well - are they all the same age or do you have different ages that do okay together? Just wondering if adding another roo that is younger would cause him to be attacked more.

My little roo is a "weanie" around the older girls. He's TERRIFIED of them. (But I should add that he is LARGER than they are already at 16 weeks.)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well...it's not really a clod of dirt...it's a piece of sod you dig from the yard (AKA a "sod plug").

Unless you live in Arizona, in which case it's a big clod of dirt with one weed sticking out of it.

 

[lalaland]

Lalaland - I would whine too if it was snowing right now. I like when we get snow, but it's Spring! I got a little too much sun today and we got so warm cleaning out the ducks' pool, we sprayed ourselves a bit with the hose. 75-80 all week, nights around 40 - baby chicks are officially out of the house!
If it makes you feel better, we did have a freak cold front last week with horrendous winds, cold temps, and a thin layer of ice a couple mornings on the waterers...

I heard a rumor we might make it to 40 today! And the turkeys are gobbling, the skunks are strolling, the owls are calling, sandhill cranes are circling, the woodpeckers are still hammering out their territory, the spring warblers are singing....I know its spring and (drum roll) ....I have less than a foot of snow on the ground!

On the cat with allergies, when we got our Lab he had splotchy dull fur. Weren't sure if it was allergies or just poor cheap dog food diet he had before, I added an egg and tablespoon of flax seed oil to his food everyday for a month and his hair started growing back and coat shined right up.

I've heard that eggs work wonders for dogs, I'll check that out, and maybe add some fish oil to her food. couldn't hurt! I have $30 of grain free salmon and venison dry food she won't eat, but its going to get mixed into the grain free chicken she will eat. poor baby. funny thing is, she is the only cat I've ever had that really doesn't like canned food. she does eat plain chicken though.

Off to do chicken chores.

 

[lalaland]

bdm, I'm excited to hear that about swedish flower hen roos. SInce I'm getting straight run, you know I'll get roos, and maybe, just maybe will be able to keep one or two.

Are yours old enough to be acting like roos?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Mumsy - I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your HRIR as they are growing. I've never see real RIR before so it will be an education! (That's a request for photos!)