The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[loanwizard]

Just took a look and commented too. Just as I visualized from your description except I thought you'd enclose the ends of the "V" of the trough and I thought the roof would be closer to the feeder. I really like it!

If I had needed one personally, I probably would have but was in a hurry. Could use one for the hogs but they would eat that little thing for lunch. Nice thing is, you can personalize it, I just gave the idea....

Very nice. Do you find it to be top heavy? We get lots of wind in our area. Right now I have pallet feeding troughs but no covers on them. I feed wet feed, but I don't really want too much rain getting added.

Yes, that thing I built would be flimsy in the wind. Take 2 4 foot 2x4's and mount them on the "feet" of the trough and it won't blow over as the foot would be wider than the top.

 

[zinia8]

Well I think my two sick girls may have turned the corner for the better. This is loudmouth queen of the coop.
May 20th

May 26th thought for sure she was a goner.

(Don't mind the chicken in the background the scraggily thing she is two yrs old and has never molted. Skinny but healthy and mean to the littles)
And today she is eating and slowly cruising the yard

Gave them an epsom salt flush.
I am keeping my fingers crossed. And no more trips through the woods to the neighbors.

 

[armorfirelady]

If it was me I would be donning a haz mat suit!! Ugh.......i am just like your husband about reacting to it.


just don't burn it because the poison can get in your lungs if you inhale the smoke.

Leah's Mom: Removing the plants while gloved up, then immediately put your clothing in the washer.
You can douse the plants with vinegar for a natural herbicide.
Chickens can and will eat poison ivy (they do not get the rash), but the chickens will be coated in the oils, and you will get the rash from touching them.  Then, the chickens will poop the seeds and spread the poison ivy to other parts of your yard.

Do not burn them!  Another thing that people do sometimes is to pour boiling water on poison ivy plants.... also a bad idea because the steam contains the oils and then infects anything the mist touches (also, it is a very slow death for the plant so takes a lot longer to accomplish).

After doing some research I found this website:
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/remedying-poison-ivy-for-the-environmentalist

I will have you know reading about it made me itchy

 

[Child of Noah]

Since I am highly allergic to poison ivy, I was interested in the topic of getting rid of it. I found this: http://www.biconet.com/lawn/poisonivydefoliant.html St. Gabriel Laboratories Poison Ivy Defoliant made from plant oils.
Active Ingredients:
Clove Oil.... 12%
Sodium Laurel Sulphate.. 8%

Other Ingredients:
Vinegar, Lecithin, Water, Citric Acid, Mineral Oil

I have never used this, but it looks like it has good reviews from what I have seen.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

What is the stuff around the yoke?

If you mean the white strings on either side of the yolk, that would be the chalaza, pronounced Ka-la-za. It keeps the yolk centered.

 

[hotrodflash]

POISON IVY QUESTIONS

Can chickens eat it?

I have a little in the area the chickens range and one husband that is very sensitive to it. I need to remove it. Can't use poison.

Should I just don gloves and keep pulling it out whenever it comes up? Or..is there a good alternative to remove it w/out herbicide?

Poison Ivy Killer
3 cups vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap, for stickiness

Mix together, making sure all salt is melted and pour into spray bottle and spray liberally on plants. Spray again in a week, this works better on young plants.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Poison Ivy Killer
3 cups vinegar
1/2 salt
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap, for stickiness

Mix together, making sure all salt is melted and pour into spray bottle and spray liberally on plants. Spray again in a week, this works better on young plants.

Wonder how well it would work. But then I think it would take tons of it for what grows around here!

 

[hotrodflash]

Wonder how well it would work. But then I think it would take tons of it for what grows around here!

It works pretty well for me at least, it helps to do it on a sunny day as well. I am at the point that I have gotten rid of 75 percent that was on my property. I cut it and pulled up the roots on the large vines that were in the trees. I am lucky, I am not allergic so it doesn't bother me to handle it. I still take precautions and wash my hands with Dawn dish soap, strip off my clothes, wash them and take a shower to make sure I get all of the pollen and oil off of my skin.

 

[Bulldogma]

lol..how freaked out will she be when they jump in the water? I have one on a nest of duck eggs too.

Well I think my two sick girls may have turned the corner for the better. This is loudmouth queen of the coop.
May 20th

May 26th thought for sure she was a goner.


(Don't mind the chicken in the background the scraggily thing she is two yrs old and has never molted. Skinny but healthy and mean to the littles)
And today she is eating and slowly cruising the yard
Gave them an epsom salt flush.
I am keeping my fingers crossed. And no more trips through the woods to the neighbors.

So glad she seems to be doing better!! Keep us posted on her progress!

 

[Bulldogma]

Loin was kind enough to share and allowed me to repost his blog post on the thing. For more info, see my signature.