The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[kian]

SO! After being all proud at how my broody is doing with her babies, and how cute it was that my other Marans was being a 'helper' to Mama....

She went a little nuts.

I had this one baby (the light splash) that I had to rescue 10 times between 8:30 and 10:30 AM yesterday morning. The last time was getting it out from under the A/C unit. When I got it out, I noticed a little blood right above it's tail. I figured I scraped it. I slathered it in NuStock and put it back with the flock. Well helper hen started going after it big time, to the point she picked it up by a wing and flung it away then pecked it. I grabbed it right up, saw a little more blood, cleaned it off and re-slathered with the NuStock.

Put it back only to watch the helper hen grab it hard above the tail. BIG hole. *sigh*

Grabbed the baby, washed it good, added more NuStock, put it in our outdoor brooder box with the run to keep it safe. Kept an eye on it and it was doing fine.

Hours later I put it back, stupid hen did it AGAIN and now, besides cursing myself, I started to think that maybe I had been rescuing it all morning because it was being rejected. Mama didn't seem to care much when I put it back or the helper attacked it.

So then, after more washing and NuStock, I put it back in the brooder and went to get Mama. I put her in with the baby and the baby ran to her and she clucked at it and tucked it under herself. So... off I went and gathered up the other 6 babies and put them all in the brooder box with Mama and injured chickie. Mama was very attentive and I watched for a long time. No one pecked at the hurt baby, Mama kept it close, it was eating and drinking, etc. I decided to leave them all in there for the night to give the baby time to heal up and be warm with Mama. I was actually expecting a dead chick this morning, from shock or Mama deciding to reject it, whathaveyou.

This morning? It was out with Mama, and eating and doing all sorts of baby chick stuff. I gave them some greens and everyone was happy. SO...

After a couple hours in there, I let them all out. She had them all over the yard, no problem. Helper hen got out and made a beeline for that splash baby. Tried to peck it a few times but I didn't let her get to it. Now SHE'S in the brooder box jail, and she is going nuts! Pacing and making noise (she has eaten). Mama has had all the babies all over the yard, and the splash has stayed close by. She's given food to it. Not one of the other chickens has even tried to peck at it, and they've all been in a big heap together when I gave them some wheat grass sprouts. So I've figured that the issue is solely with helper hen. She'll be in isolation for a couple days until it looks like she's gonna be nice. She still hasn't laid, but she won't just sit on the nest either. Maybe this will break her of that too.


This is Mama and babies one hour ago. Hurt chick is the blond splash one.

 

[Quailsong]

That's really interesting.

Here is more on that:

Thanks for that additional list of mosquito info. I'm a semi-small person so I don't breathe much, nor do I sweat much (for good and bad that brings). My partner however is a giant (in comparison) who sweats easily. He's my mosquito repellant when I'm on their next meal list.

kian, that's crazy. 'helper hen' def deserves some time-out. Hope it turns out well w/ the little one.

 

[kian]

Thanks for that additional list of mosquito info. I'm a semi-small person so I don't breathe much, nor do I sweat much (for good and bad that brings). My partner however is a giant (in comparison) who sweats easily. He's my mosquito repellant when I'm on their next meal list.

kian, that's crazy. 'helper hen' def deserves some time-out. Hope it turns out well w/ the little one.

Thank you. So far today, the baby has been totally fine, no issues from it or any of the other chickens. Helper (ha!) is staying in lockdown for a while whether she likes it or not.

 

[Quailsong]

Thank you. So far today, the baby has been totally fine, no issues from it or any of the other chickens. Helper (ha!) is staying in lockdown for a while whether she likes it or not.

Hamburger Helper...such an interesting name.

 

[kian]

Hamburger Helper...such an interesting name.

If she doesn't calm down she may become "CHICKEN Helper".

 

[armorfirelady]

 

  I'm intrigued by the garlic

I love this plant. Many uses. Wormwood also goes by Latin name Artemisia. There are a half dozen varieties. It's a Mediterranean plant so is going to want the same conditions as Lavender, Rosemary, and the like. Hard winters may take it out but you can grow it new every year like an annual if you want. It's very pungent. Has lots of uses. Watch out for toxicity with livestock and humans. Not the kind of thing to throw to the chickens for fodder or making a tea out of. Dried in bunches and hung in the rafters or a closet you can deter lot's of nasty insects. Planting Artemisia  is a great idea.

Thanks Mumsy for the information......I'm going to see if I can find it around here and pot it in a pot so I can keep it away from all the critters

 

[kynewbchickie]

The wormwood I've gotten, I ordered seeds online. I'm growing it in a deck planter next to the lavender and catnip - and toxicity is a concern so you don't want children, livestock, or other animals to go nibbling on it. Best to grow it up and away from little hands, beaks, and curious mouths. ;-)

Artemisia absinthium - the same variety real absinthe is made from:

http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/herbs/wormwood.html

 

[hotrodflash]

Anyone need pumpkins? All those pumpkins fed over winter have happily reseeded themselves........I've easily pulled out a 100+ and there is at least that many growing again...........it rains and more magically show up!!! I keep throwing them in the compost pile or in the girls run........if they take root there they can happily grow........I might have a pumpkin stand come fall

You can eat immature pumpkins, they are supposed to taste like zucchini, They would be a great to feed to the chickens.

 

[armorfirelady]

Anyone need pumpkins? All those pumpkins fed over winter have happily reseeded themselves........I've easily pulled out a 100+ and there is at least that many growing again...........it rains and more magically show up!!! I keep throwing them in the compost pile or in the girls run........if they take root there they can happily grow........I might have a pumpkin stand come fall

You can eat immature pumpkins, they are supposed to taste like zucchini, They would be a great to feed to the chickens. 

Oh they are great to feed to my chickens but they are unfortunately popping up all over my veggie garden where my other veggies are . so I have to pick them and toss them. I did transplant some in other areas around my yard and if they grow they won't hurt anything.

 

[aaggjg]

OMG looks amazing!!


I have been away from the thread for a few weeks as I had a hen get sick & die ..... I feel a bit like a failure and didn't feel like checking in. I am worried about my other girls .... The one that died had some kind of respiratory disease and a few of the others sound a little but suspect but are acting totally fine.... I am giving them tons of extra garlic, oregano oil, tumeric etc etc. So I guess I will just wait and see. I sent her body off to the UC DAVIS lab for an autopsy... They do it for free here in California to track avian diseases in backyard flocks. I got the prelim report that said the cause of death was unknown.... Here is the information I got in case any of you are interested:


5/16/2013. The cause of death of this bird was not evident on gross examination, although it was likely related to the presumptive tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea) present. A full diagnostic work-up is currently under way and may help establish a cause of death and/or rule in/out major causes of respiratory disease in poultry, including Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Infectious Laryngotracheitis infections. The carcass was in mild state of post-mortem decomposition and in very good nutritional condition, with abundant fat deposits and well fleshed. The ovary was active.
The tracheal mucosa was diffusely mildly red and the lumen contained small amounts of mucinous material. The crop and gizzard were full with ingesta.
No significant gross abnormalities were observed in the rest of the carcass. Trachea: multifocally, there were mild to moderate lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates in the lamina propria. The mucosa was mildly deciliated at places. Moderate numbers of small bacterial aggregates were present in the mucosa. Small amounts of mucinous material in which small amounts of cellular debris was entrapped was noted on the mucosal surface.

Feces 007 Heterakis/Ascaridia eggs present Rare# - Which I gather is roundworms Not sure why it says rare next to the finding??? I guess I'll wait for the full report when all of the test results come in .... I think I should get that in another week.....

I am still battling MITES and well they are winning.... Maybe I will try the white wash this weekend. My poor girls .....