The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mg15]

Hey all - I've been here and reading from the start and offered a few comments - have rec'd no replies - no worries, may be a fault of my nteowrk connection or the site.
I have been doing my resaerch and was crazy excited about my new venture - and then found they've changed our municipal ordinances to: no roosters ever (okay with that), 1 bird housed not less than 20' from any structure designed or used for human habitation. No more than 20 birds not lessw than 50' from habitation. also goes on to state not less than 100' from properties of 3 or more family res.
I'm a realtor and see this as punitive or at the very least unreasonable as this rules out more 95% of properties in my city, Signal Hill / Long Beach, CA. I haven't yet called to speak with the Mgr of Animal Control who oversees the implementation of these reg.s. Not sure how I hope it could go - wishing for a miracle of getting a variance - kep dreaming. My only option now is to organise and hope for relaxing the numbers back to 25'.
I'm really broken-hearted! Sorry to sound so whiny. I know this is of no concern for those on a farm, must think any city peeps like me are dumb for trying. I'm still in the fight. Any advise from anybody who has experience with this situation is welcome.

Color me BUMMED,

Brian G

Well, here is what I would do. Get myself some bantam chickens. Keep in the house and let them walk around outside in that sunny California weather. You will get eggs and the prettiest sounds they make, that you may not hear when they are in a coop. I bought a diaper for my indoor bantam so we are good to go. check out the forum, people with indoor chickens.
What can they do to you with a bantam that is smaller than one of those big coocoo birds people have.

 

[delisha]

I have no way to quarentine so I don't bring in birds that aren't young chicks.

I don't add any grown or teen bird to my flock, basically only add day olds but they stay in the brooder for several weeks then go to the chicken coop and live among the chickens but in their own run, and they are usually my own hatched birds so keep that in mind before jumping what I'm about to type.

I don't really get the whole "quarentine" thing, if you have a new bird that has parasites (external) you should be able to see that already, internal okay I'll give you that one, if you have a bird that is actively sick or unwell why are you bringing it home at all anyway, if you have a bird that is a carrier of some fowl disease it doesn't matter how long you quarentine as soon as she mixes w/ your flock they are now exposed.

Usually this thread does not have jumping..it might sounds like it at times when people have different opinions. I quarantine for 30 days and add a bird for 2-4- weeks after the 30 days. I am terrified of diseases that do no kill but leave them ill and unproductive. CRD and any type of URI. Even pox is something I will not deal with. I had bird here in quarantine that one of the birds started having spots. I never bothered with any sacrificial bird. I left out the part of the sacrificial bird..sorry..most know my practice. I was sort of clarifying what I do. I was quoting as saying I do two weeks when I do not. I hope that helps.

There is a massive forest fire here.. I am freaking out. Not anywhere near our place, but close to Jamie's house and all his animals. I can smell it here... 50 km away.

It's bringing back flashbacks.

I am soo sorry

phew. Stage one of the demo/remodel is done.I that means I sorted thru tools/boxes/canning jars/gardening tools, ripped out a wall, rebulit the roosts in the current coop, opened up two windows that were boarded over, hauled a little coop up to be used as a garden shed.
Stage two is dry vacking 5 years of poultry dust and mouse droppings (yup, facial mask to be used) and then whitewashing the whole danged thing.
Stage 3 is putting up a chicken wire wall divider, and hardware cloth over the windows.
Stage 4 is setting up the brooder - it is going to be on an eye level shelf


Can't wait!

Of course, there is also gardening to be done, the coop trailer needs a new coat of roof tar, the old coop needs to be painted, and construction debris hauled ot the dump. And...kayaking....wildflower hunting.....yikes!

I did a ton of stuff today and now after reading what you did I am exhausted.

Funny, I was thinking about quarantine, today, too. How far apart should they be? I am trying to figure out how to get 4-8 pullets/hens of up to four different breeds from the same place within driving distance, so I won't have "anybody" who needs to be quarantined. But odds are low that anyone at all near me has the breeds I think I want AND some day I may want to/need to add to my flock. I can't have a rooster, so I really don't want to hatch or get chicks. How can I do this right on a postage sized lot? (My coop/run will be very big and they can range some on weekends with supervision.) I just don't have much extra space to separate them.

As far apart as you can get them. Mine is only about 30-40 feet. Not really far enough. Adult birds are in the garage, chicks used to be in the double decker or hospital. I have a closed flock now and do not bring in adults.

 

[Mrs.SB]

I just have one thing I would like to reiterate about bio security and bringing in new birds to your property.

I have gone threw all of my post to double check I have always stated I confine the new birds for 30 days. They are in isolation. I have never ever made a statement about two weeks. I have been quoted as saying I do two weeks and I do NOT. I do not put new birds with any of my birds until 30 days are up.


Hello and welcome!!
Post  a picture of your birds legs, feet, (bottoms) and over the top of your bird as it is standing.
Welcome to the thread Brian..sorry I know nothing about law and ordinance changing..good luck!

I watched them for a little bit this afternoon and she pooped. The first time it sounded like it was squeezing and squishing out (gross, I know. Sorry) and was very runny, almost foamy... She did another one right after is and it was pretty solid but smelled horrible. (She was right by the fence where I was sitting)

DH said he would take care of her for me, but she has gotten better. But I don't want to prolong her suffering if she isn't going to get well.

I couldn't get one above of her standing because she was already trying to roost and we had her stirred up after these pics

 

[loanwizard]

Hi Y'all!

Just stoppin in to say Hi!

Miss you all and hope all is well.

Just picked up 2 miniature horses for Carla. They already got away, were found and walked them home. Thankfully no foundering. Buildin fence in about 12 hours I reckon. Birds are up to 4-5 dozen a day.....

Shawn/Loan/Loin/Hero to swooning females

Car Dealer, Landlord, Farmer, Auctioneer, Masseur, Fisherman

 

[delisha]

Quote: She looks good. Nice healthy shinny feathers..clean feet. The pasting might be something, not sure. Does she feel light in weight? I really wanted to see the bottom of her feet, to see if she might have something going on, but I do not see swelling or redness. She might have had a stroke and fell. Injured her leg/hip in her fall? Had conflict with a predator and was injured? Hard to say..sorry I was not more help. I see nothing obvious other than a well cared for bird.

 

[Bulldogma]

Well, here is what I would do. Get myself some bantam chickens. Keep in the house and let them walk around outside in that sunny California weather. You will get eggs and the prettiest sounds they make, that you may not hear when they are in a coop. I bought a diaper for my indoor bantam so we are good to go. check out the forum, people with indoor chickens.
What can they do to you with a bantam that is smaller than one of those big coocoo birds people have.

I have to respectfully disagree. Historically, chickens don't tend to do well in houses as opposed to outdoors where they can get plenty of sun (very, very necessary for the uptake of vitamin D, without which a chicken's system does not work properly) and fresh air. It is in the nature of chickens to scratch, dig and peck throughout the day - something that is nearly impossible in a house. A house chicken would have to be caged. While there might be larger and cleaner accommodations than the average battery chicken has, a cage is a cage. Because it is recommended that chickens have a minimum of 3 sq ft of coop space and 7.7 sq ft of run space per bantam fowl, that would be one heck of a cage... especially if a person had more than one chicken. As chickens are flock critters, one should have more than one bird... so a minimum of 6 sq ft of coop and 15 sq ft of run for 2 birds. That would be difficult to manage in a house.

Also, anyone who has kept chicks in a brooder in the house can attest to the dust and smell created by chickens. There is a health risk for the humans involved.

I won't stand in judgement of those who choose this rout, but perhaps the suggestion of keeping a chicken in an unnatural (to them) setting is a bit misplaced on a Natural Chicken Keeping thread?

With all respect -

 

[mlowen]

Hi Y'all!

Just stoppin in to say Hi!

Miss you all and hope all is well.

Just picked up 2 miniature horses for Carla. They already got away, were found and walked them home. Thankfully no foundering. Buildin fence in about 12 hours I reckon. Birds are up to 4-5 dozen a day.....

Shawn/Loan/Loin/Hero to swooning females

Car Dealer, Landlord, Farmer, Auctioneer, Masseur, Fisherman

Hi! Good to hear from you. Glad you recovered the horses. Our thoughts and prayers are with you...building the fence and whatever else you're up to.

 

[stonykill]

Hi Y'all!

Just stoppin in to say Hi!

Miss you all and hope all is well.

Just picked up 2 miniature horses for Carla. They already got away, were found and walked them home. Thankfully no foundering. Buildin fence in about 12 hours I reckon. Birds are up to 4-5 dozen a day.....

Shawn/Loan/Loin/Hero to swooning females

Car Dealer, Landlord, Farmer, Auctioneer, Masseur, Fisherman

good to see you Mr. Multitasker

I have to respectfully disagree. Historically, chickens don't tend to do well in houses as opposed to outdoors where they can get plenty of sun (very, very necessary for the uptake of vitamin D, without which a chicken's system does not work properly) and fresh air. It is in the nature of chickens to scratch, dig and peck throughout the day - something that is nearly impossible in a house. A house chicken would have to be caged. While there might be larger and cleaner accommodations than the average battery chicken has, a cage is a cage. Because it is recommended that chickens have a minimum of 3 sq ft of coop space and 7.7 sq ft of run space per bantam fowl, that would be one heck of a cage... especially if a person had more than one chicken. As chickens are flock critters, one should have more than one bird... so a minimum of 6 sq ft of coop and 15 sq ft of run for 2 birds. That would be difficult to manage in a house.

Also, anyone who has kept chicks in a brooder in the house can attest to the dust and smell created by chickens. There is a health risk for the humans involved.

I won't stand in judgement of those who choose this rout, but perhaps the suggestion of keeping a chicken in an unnatural (to them) setting is a bit misplaced on a Natural Chicken Keeping thread?

With all respect -

agreed. There is nothing natural about keeping a chicken in the house. At least not for the chicken. Chickens like to run free and do this

 

[Mrs.SB]

She looks good. Nice healthy shinny feathers..clean feet. The pasting might be something, not sure. Does she feel light in weight? I really wanted to see the bottom of her feet, to see if she might have something going on, but I do not see swelling or redness. She might have had a stroke and fell. Injured her leg/hip in her fall? Had conflict with a predator and was injured? Hard to say..sorry I was not more help. I see nothing obvious other than a well cared for bird.

Thank you, that makes me feel good! I have tried everything I know to help her! Stray dogs broke into my coop about 3 or 4 weeks ago and killed 2 of my 5 and hurt 2. This one must have gotten hurt much worse than it appeared. She doesnt feel light at all, we were actually surprised at how heavy she was.

The other hurt one had a small spot where her feathers were gone, but those have started to grow back now and those 2 are laying again. Just started back yesterday. This one I'm worried about I started a post about. Check it out if you don't mind. I'm thankful she's better but worry about the maggots (yuck!!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/773259/dog-attach-now-other-problems#post_11058017

 

[Mrs.SB]

I just love that picture of the mama and her babies!!