The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

PS: On the LABS like above - I haven't done them but the other folks mentioned do.

I do make cheese from raw milk, however, and the next time I make cheese I'm planning on experimenting with spraying the whey on the litter in an experimental section and seeing what it does. I already use it for smoothies, soup bases, feed it to the chickens, put it on the garden, plants, or compost pile, etc. The LAB thing at that link got me wondering what it would do on the chicken litter.

(FYI - whey from the kind of cheese-making that I do is full of LABs. I'm currently not making mold-ripened cheeses.)

 

[brandislee]

Basil - antibacterial, mucus membrane health
Catnip - sedative, insecticide
Cilantro - antioxidant, fungicide, builds strong bones, high in Vitamin A for vision and Vitamin K for blood clotting
Dill - antioxidant, relaxant, respiratory health
Fennel -laying stimulant
Garlic - laying stimulant
Lavender - stress reliever, increases blood circulation, highly aromatic, insecticide
Lemon Balm - stress reliever, antibacterial, highly aromatic, rodent repellent
Marigold - laying stimulant
Marjoram - lay stimulant
Mint (all kinds) - insecticide and rodent repellent
Nasturtium - laying stimulant, antiseptic, antibiotic, insecticide, wormer
Oregano - combats coccidia, salmonella, infectious bronchitis, avian flu, blackhead and e-coli
Parsley - high in vitamins, aids in blood vessel development, laying stimulant
Peppermint - anti-parasitic, insecticide
Pineapple Sage - aids nervous system, highly aromatic
Rose Petals - highly aromatic, high in Vitamin C
Rosemary - pain relief, respiratory health, insecticide
Sage - antioxidant, anti-parasitic
Spearmint - antiseptic, insecticide, stimulates nerve, brain and blood functions
Tarragon - antioxidant
Thyme - respiratory health, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic

OMG thanks! This is awesome, I'm so going to start a reference notebook for all of this information so I can more easily remember it and pass it on to others!

During the summer my hens have full access to my herb garden, so I knew they were getting the good things they needed then when they needed them, but I never really thought about winter. I'm thinking about getting/making a hydroponic fish tank to grow fresh herbs all year... that would benefit all of us

 

[brandislee]

I do not add anything to my fermented grains. The whole reason for fermenting the grains is that they have anti-nutrients that block absorbtion of a lot of nutrients (both macro and micro) by the bodies normal digestion in single stomached animals, and the fermenting (or sprouting) of these grains makes the nutrition more accessible. To my knowledge the things mentioned as additives (garlic, herbs, peppers, cuberits etc.....) have no such digestive inhibiting issues. During the growing season my girls get many of these things free choice either grown in thier normal range area or given to them from the garden. I am such a proponent of the K.I.S.S. method of most everything. My life is complicated enough w/o complicating my chicken habit. jmho

I completely agree with you on the KISS thing... but I am a complicated person, so while I agree with you the OTHER side of my psyche tries to make simplicity as difficult and complicated as possible!

 

[blipit007]

OK, another question. I have one 3 week old Silkie, and all the other girls are 4 weeks old. What is a safe and nutritious treat / supplement to give them. I started with the meal worms and they love those. What else can I give that is fun for all of us?

 

[jeepgirl13]

Sorry for the stupid question, im a newbie and trying to follow.  What is DL and LAB?

Lol i was wondering this too. Since it has been explained, any one want to share what KISS is? I kiss my chickens all the time, but I don't think that's what y'all mean. Lol

 

[brandislee]

How very exciting!!!!

I love the idea of the frozen strips...thank you very much
You can't stress about what has been. Stop beating yourself up. You are now on a different path. Once you change and correct a bad decision, you need to reward yourself instead. I am not going to say I am sorry you killed that chicken..I am going going to say I am sorry you are going threw this. I too hope all will be well. Make sure you give that coop a good air out and try to let in as much sunshine as you can. No matter how cold out it is..get them out of the coop all day. Add Oregano and some Cilantro daily. Bleach is hard on chickens lungs..please be careful. You might want to choose Oxine instead.

I recently read that adding ACV does nothing for chickens and if you add it to chick vitamins they null each other out. It did not make sense to me but I do not know every thing.And what I do know does not fill a thimble. I did some research and found some information where some company made that statement and was in fact selling there own chicken vitamins.It was a sales technique and tactic.People must have read it, repeated what they read and it became gospel. So people..even thought I might make a statement and share what I have been doing does not make it something you should do. Do your research if it does not sound right to you. Use your own gut feeling.
ACV is one of the cheapest things you can do for your chickens to extend the quality of life. It has been heavily researched. I never read any of it till I came on here. I added it because it has been used for hundreds of years on farms.

I read the same... didn't skip a beat. I don't do much research anymore unless my gut is totally clueless, and then I look for advice from people like Mumsy who have been raising chickens NATURALLY (not the way my grandparents-in-law and unfortunately pretty much everyone I know personally used to...) for years and years and doing so successfully. No matter what you believe, you can find "research" to back it up. So I listen to my gut. I did do some really primitive research on the ACV, though- I compared the nutrients found in the chick vitamin replacements w/ my own personal mix that I add to chick water (ACV, molasses, and brewer's yeast) just to make sure I was providing all of them. But that was all.

 

[jeepgirl13]

How does your grandparents raise chickens? Are you revering to the cages here? *shudders*.

I read the same... didn't skip a beat.  I don't do much research anymore unless my gut is totally clueless, and then I look for advice from people like Mumsy who have been raising chickens NATURALLY (not the way my grandparents-in-law and unfortunately pretty much everyone I know personally used to...) for years and years and doing so successfully.  No matter what you believe, you can find "research" to back it up.  So I listen to my gut.  I did do some really primitive research on the ACV, though- I compared the nutrients found in the chick vitamin replacements w/ my own personal mix that I add to chick water (ACV, molasses, and brewer's yeast) just to make sure I was providing all of them.  But that was all. 

 

[brandislee]

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!

Our snow is mostly gone, other than the big piles and the shady spots... jealous? Of course, we're supposed to get another 3-6 inches tonight

It's supposed to be in the upper 60's and 70's next week... I'll believe it when I see it!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Keep It Simple Stupid

ETA:

Quote:

 

[jeepgirl13]

Oh! How.dare you call me stupid! Lmao. I've never seen the abbreviation but I.live by that statement! My hubby is.over here making dun of me for chickening first thing in the morning. He said I'm going BA-GAWK!Lol