The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Camille - if you scroll down to the bottom of this page there is a video showing the horse trailer hen house that bulldogma made. In that video you will be able to see how she did her chick roosts.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/horse-trailer-to-chicken-coop_5.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

On my first batch of kiddos I used paint sticks (I work for a paint place but you can get those free for the asking) taped to 2 small cardboard boxes. As they got older, I put 2 sticks flat right next to each other so they were wider. Cheap. disposable.

 

[DeesHens]

Quote: Thanks. Those are good tips. Yeppers. They have tiny chick grit accessible at all times. Plus when they are 3 days old ... between tomorrow & the next day ... I am going to put a sod plug in with them as Leah's helpful article suggested. Love that idea! ~Dee~

Glad you liked the article...but I have to correct one thing.....

(Or is that "thing one"?)

I have to correct this just because the names are kind-of close. The article on the sod is by Bulldogma (who is Leigh).

Now I, Leah's Mom, am Sue, and I do write articles from time to time that get out there! (There are also articles out there by Stony and Delisha and Mumsy and a few others ) And there were several photos in the sod article that are from me (Leah's Mom).

But I wanted to be sure that the credit for the thing

goes to Leigh! We are so blessed that she takes the time to keep that thing going and indexed so that we have a great quick-reference out there so we can find things quickly.

So maybe Leigh is "Thing One" and I'm "Thing Two".....

Great pic and my kind of humor!
Well, in my book you BE 'sisters in heart' giving good tips on caring for chickens IMHO. So I thank Leigh and you, Leah's Mom (Sue), both for your good sharing. Also I appreciate that you brought it to my attention that I made a mistake in identity. I have never been good with names but I never forget a face. But since I haven't seen either of you it is understandable to me that I got mixed up.

BTW, I gave my new chicks some of the FF which isn't all together fermented yet but partly so with the water kefir in it I imagine. Better than plain dry. I sprinkled a bit of dry feed on top as well as some chick grit and mixed it in a bit with my finger. They are eating a bit but not sure if they are getting the FF or the dry and grit. Like I told my DH ... "it is a work in progress". The chicks are having a good time today with a chunk of sod. They are full of energy and pecking and pulling at the dandelion leaves and what not. So cute! I'll see if I can do a little vid of it. ~Dee~

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Stony - You DO sell hatching eggs from your Sumatras...do you ship them or just sell locally? If you ship, how has the hatch rate been for you?

Asking 'cuz I thought someone might be interested in getting some from you!

x2 someday that interested one might be ME!!! Am so much looking forward to your article!

On the chickens and meat thing, my girls are almost better mousers then my cats. They go crazy over mice they find, snakes, frogs, lizards anything they can catch and is small enough to swallow or is small enough to swallow after some keep away and tug of war. The also get feeder insects they will knock you down for.








Here are the results of finding an unfortunate snake.

Oh! Love these photos. So glad it was not video so I could enjoy them too! just didn't know they would eat mice, snakes and frogs!

Great pic and my kind of humor!
Well, in my book you BE 'sisters in heart' giving good tips on caring for chickens IMHO. So I thank Leigh and you, Leah's Mom (Sue), both for your good sharing. Also I appreciate that you brought it to my attention that I made a mistake in identity. I have never been good with names but I never forget a face. But since I haven't seen either of you it is understandable to me that I got mixed up.

BTW, I gave my new chicks some of the FF which isn't all together fermented yet but partly so with the water kefir in it I imagine. Better than plain dry. I sprinkled a bit of dry feed on top as well as some chick grit and mixed it in a bit with my finger. They are eating a bit but not sure if they are getting the FF or the dry and grit. Like I told my DH ... "it is a work in progress". The chicks are having a good time today with a chunk of sod. They are full of energy and pecking and pulling at the dandelion leaves and what not. So cute! I'll see if I can do a little vid of it. ~Dee~

Awww everyone does these videos that I can't run on dial up.

Will you also do some still shots for dial up users like me? Please.

My girls were much happier today. They gave me three eggs again (all look normal again) and then they got to free range from afternoon till just a few minutes ago. Took very long dirt baths by house. But of course that ended up with my clay making a mess when they got up and then pooped!!! If they hadn't been in the clay sand mix by house I would have thought messy butts!!! But at least one of them had herself preened by diner time. Will check on other two tomorrow between Church services.

 

[delisha]

Thanks everyone,

Sounds like I was doing somethings right already but maybe not long enough or maybe it was not having a waterer that is the problem...thats the only thing I know it could be. I will buy 2 new wateres...i will put UPAV into one and probiotics that you can mix into water into the other. I will start fermenting feed agian, I will give yogurt weekly and I will bath them all in ACV and apply monistait cream on them until I get in the nustock.

I should bathe them and apply the monostait/nustock 3 times a week until they are healed?

I use hay for bedding because my husband makes hay so we dont buy it....should I use pine shavings instead? Can I go to a lumber mill and just get the raw shavings they have or does it have to be pine?

Thanks agian for your responses. I have talked several times throughout the year with a large animal vet about this issue and he always said it was probaby the worms causing the issue and that once I wormed them it would get better and if it didnt send in another fecal sample to have sent off for bacteria....I assume he was talking about a bacterial yeast infection. When i asked him about vent gleet he didnt know what it was and I told him I thought it was basically a yeast infections so he said we could send off the fecal sample to test for bacteria. Does it look like I need to do that and medicate them for this issue or will the nustock, yogurt, upacv do the trick on its on?

I would not be worming those birds anymore. IMO worming with drugs makes the worms resistant and it becomes an ever ending battle. If you give them fresh air, room to roam, fresh water, fresh food, garlic, oregano, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, tomatoes, and all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetable that have seeds I believe a chickens intestines can be come resilant to worms and help you keep a good balance.A place to dig in the dirt. They do not need much to be healthy happy and tarrific.

I think we talked about this a looonnnnggg time ago but I'd like to bring it up again...

I have a good pair of muck boots that I wear when I go out to work around in the coop or when it rains/snows, etc. They are full high calf boots, and I do use them year-round BUT -

I want to purchase a pair of shoes/short boots that I can use in the summer. Here's the criteria:

-Slip on/off EASILY (no ties, velcro, etc.) Want to be able to just get them on really quickly when I want to go out.
-Waterproof - or at least pretty water-resistant so I can wear them in rain/mud.

So...show me what you have/recommend. I want to buy something NOW.

http://www.northcoastgardening.com/2012/06/bogs-gardening-shoes/

I have crocks I use. I toss them in the dishwasher. I have a red pair and a yellow pair. I bought them at a rummage sale for a buck a pair.

These are my German New Hampshires and Ron Fogel heritage RIR's at 1 and 2 weeks. They are getting big fast.

too cute!! this be a girl

Eggsesive: they are so cute!

leahs mom/delisha
One more question about this vent gleet....is it a problem to eat the eggs? Obviously I didn't know what was wrong with them so we have eaten them with no problems however is it wise? What about after putting the antifungal creams and nustock on them?

I would not eat them. You do not know the cause of the yeast infection and it can be all the way inside the reproductive tract. The treatment with the antifungal creams and nustock will not make a difference on your choice to eat them or not. You need to give your birds time to get rid of this infection from the inside. If you could get them to eat one clove of garlic a day, you might be OK in a week. But look at the vent..if you see any white..the answer is no.

Camille - if you scroll down to the bottom of this page there is a video showing the horse trailer hen house that bulldogma made. In that video you will be able to see how she did her chick roosts.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/horse-trailer-to-chicken-coop_5.html

hows that for fancy? I try to stick to natural..and cheap

 

[OohLaLa]

Okay so as you see by Bossy standing in the coop doorway my girls go in in out freely all day and know how to use their ramp. I have an automatic door with a light sensor. It opens at dawn and closes at dusk (not dark) solar lights here and there have popped on for 10 min before the door closes). Why wont they go in to bed. They have only put themselves to bed once since they have had the option to come out of the coop and into the run.

 

[delisha]

Okay so as you see by Bossy standing in the coop doorway my girls go in in out freely all day and know how to use their ramp. I have an automatic door with a light sensor. It opens at dawn and closes at dusk (not dark) solar lights here and there have popped on for 10 min before the door closes). Why wont they go in to bed. They have only put themselves to bed once since they have had the option to come out of the coop and into the run.

That is really cute...I do not see any vent holes.

 

[armorfirelady]

I think we talked about this a looonnnnggg time ago but I'd like to bring it up again... I have a good pair of muck boots that I wear when I go out to work around in the coop or when it rains/snows, etc. They are full high calf boots, and I do use them year-round BUT - I want to purchase a pair of shoes/short boots that I can use in the summer. Here's the criteria: -Slip on/off EASILY (no ties, velcro, etc.) Want to be able to just get them on really quickly when I want to go out. -Waterproof - or at least pretty water-resistant so I can wear them in rain/mud. [COLOR=006400]So...show me what you have/recommend[/COLOR]. I want to buy something NOW.

I have several pairs of lands end shoes I wear for work and such. My slip on I use around the yard and in the coop are over 10 years old and still going strong (but not so pretty lol) but I trek thru mud and puddles with them and have dry feet. I use farm boots when the water is deeper and for winter. http://www.landsend.com/pp/womens-all-weather-mocs~130683_253.html?sku_0=::ZME This is one I wear for work rain and snow and keeps my feet dry. They are the more fashionable duckie versions I like to think lol My clogs I use for the coop are similar to these but I couldn't find them on the website. Guess they don't make them anymore lol I use an equally as old pair of crocs for the summer months......rarely do I wear ever pair off my property

 

[jendodd79]

My lavender orpington started laying last Sunday and she layed 6 eggs in 7 days!!! So excited - they are a pale tan/pinky colour. My BCM and Blue Copper Maran both started squatting for me today as well. The BLRW has started getting a comb and pinking up. Even one of my EEs has started to get a comb! Rainbow eggs....

 

[OohLaLa]

The eves under the roof line on each side are not flush with the side walls. I used hardware wire sealing the walls to the rafters and roof for venting and security.