The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[brandislee]

I don't get pecked until mama hen has babies to protect. And even then it really isn't very damaging.
Even my turkey hen is a real dear when broody and has allowed me to move her multiple times without conflict. Guess she knows I'm the head of the flock?

How do you keep the other hens from adding eggs? I have to check for that every day, otherwise I would totally leave broodies alone!

  no way to tell. She will or she won't. 

Darn it I want a sure answer!! J/k . Like I said, it doesn't matter either way because I'm not staying up all night. Already set my alarm for 5, so I'll probably get to bed as soon as the sun is down. Here's hoping I don't have to spend all day tomorrow on hatch watch, I have crap to do !

So the chicks I've moved to the brooder- I've never seen new hatches chicks, only after mama has brought them off the nest. How long should try be all wobbly? And they're okay with just a lamp, right? Each was mostly dry when I pulled them out, so I assumed that was okay. And I'm trying to decide what to treat their head wounds with tomorrow, so any thoughts on that would be appreciated. All the wounds are really close to or including their eyes, which is limiting my ideas. I have some boric acid solution I've been using on my kittens, is that safe for chicks?

 

[stonykill]

Darn it I want a sure answer!! J/k

. Like I said, it doesn't matter either way because I'm not staying up all night. Already set my alarm for 5, so I'll probably get to bed as soon as the sun is down. Here's hoping I don't have to spend all day tomorrow on hatch watch, I have crap to do !

So the chicks I've moved to the brooder- I've never seen new hatches chicks, only after mama has brought them off the nest. How long should try be all wobbly? And they're okay with just a lamp, right? Each was mostly dry when I pulled them out, so I assumed that was okay. And I'm trying to decide what to treat their head wounds with tomorrow, so any thoughts on that would be appreciated. All the wounds are really close to or including their eyes, which is limiting my ideas. I have some boric acid solution I've been using on my kittens, is that safe for chicks?

heat lamp is fine.

they are pretty darn wabbly and clumsy for quite a few hours.


all I can think of is Nustock. But I have never doctored a chick that tiny. But have used Nustock near eyes before

 

[aoxa]

I think it is more important to consider whether you can reach any chick anywhere in the brooder from whatever opening you have. In the shelf brooder I have, I discovered there are two corners that I can't reach which has made it difficult when I need to reach a chick (because of pasty butt, which I have never before experienced but am big time with this batch).

Also would need to be able to scrub clean possibly, or paint, or....so I would think of that reach. It is framed out so you can actually try it and pretend to grab that chick or mop up a pile of whatever.

So much progress so fast! way cool!

I didn't wait for others to answer before speaking to the contractor. We are going to make it 32" by 4 feet each brooder with removable wall partitions so we can have either large brooding pens or like I said 32" by 4 feet First one will be 2 feet off the ground, and the next one 2 feet above that. The top one will go right to the ceiling.

You did make a very good point. I'm glad we decided to do it this way as well. He is also going to put a shaving barrier of 8 inches up.

 

[brandislee]

Glad I'm sticking it out, I may end up staying a little later than dark. I caught one chick before she did any damage just now... But I caught it because she was pecking the poor thing and it was cheeping. I kind of hope the othe pipped egg hatches soon. I might just call it on the last two if they haven't pipped yet then and kick this bad mama out to the summer coop. I was going to stay up and move chickens tonight anyway...

 

[lalaland]

Pasty butt advice please!!

ok, never had a prob with this before. oh, maybe one chick, one day, type of thing, but with this batch out of the 17 surviving chicks, I am cleaning off poop covering the vent on maybe 3-5 chicks in the am, and 3-5 chicks in the pm, not always the same chicks. this has been going on for about 4 days.

I am feeding a moistened chick feed, not medicated. Fresh water w acv. sod clump. occasional minced yard greens. chicks are on pine shavings.

temp in the brooder ranges from 90 under the lamp to 75 out of the lamp range, they are 2 weeks old (13 to 17 day olds).

I've tried:
sprinkling ground up oatmeal on feed
sprinkling powdered probiotics on feed
scrambled egg w and w/out yogurt

there is plenty of room in the brooder.

the poop seems fine - it is formed ok, ok color, but is sticking to feathers or fluff, and blocking the vent. I've caught two chicks actually straining to poop without success because of the vent block. I always wondered if that was a myth, that it could actually block defecation, but it looks like it could be true.

what am I doing wrong?

 

[stonykill]

Pasty butt advice please!!

ok, never had a prob with this before. oh, maybe one chick, one day, type of thing, but with this batch out of the 17 surviving chicks, I am cleaning off poop covering the vent on maybe 3-5 chicks in the am, and 3-5 chicks in the pm, not always the same chicks. this has been going on for about 4 days.

I am feeding a moistened chick feed, not medicated. Fresh water w acv. sod clump. occasional minced yard greens. chicks are on pine shavings.

temp in the brooder ranges from 90 under the lamp to 75 out of the lamp range, they are 2 weeks old (13 to 17 day olds).

I've tried:
sprinkling ground up oatmeal on feed
sprinkling powdered probiotics on feed
scrambled egg w and w/out yogurt

there is plenty of room in the brooder.

the poop seems fine - it is formed ok, ok color, but is sticking to feathers or fluff, and blocking the vent. I've caught two chicks actually straining to poop without success because of the vent block. I always wondered if that was a myth, that it could actually block defecation, but it looks like it could be true.

what am I doing wrong?

90 is too warm at 2 weeks old imo. I'd start there.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
You know... I've been thinking about Stony's eggs myself (that sounds pretty personal

okay, there, I said it before LW got a chance) but since none of my girls are cooperating I either have to get an incubator or just wait for an "act of God".

I do have a hatchery BR that is walking around "clooking" a lot. This is not normal for her so I have been keeping an eye on her wondering if she's talking about having kids.
I hope you get your broody. If not maybe once I get my incubator and hatch some eggs there will be a couple extra chicks, so hard to say with shipped eggs from what I have read. My Production RIR eggs are hatching nicely though even with an older incubator and no fan.

Quote: I would love to see a picture when you get it all up and ready to show off.

 

[lalaland]

Stony, I've been worried about the heat being too much. they do not stay under the heat lamp where it is 90. When I made the brooder, I stupidly did not account for the fact that with an overhead "roof", you can't move the heat lamp up! so I have put it outside the brooder, against the wire, shining in. Brooder is 30"x 5 feet, with one end 90 and the opposite end 75 degrees. They tend to avoid the 90, free range at 85 - 75, and sleep at 85-80.

it doesn't help that it is an unheated coop with outside temps ranging from 30 degrees at night to 60 degrees during the day.

I am looking for a red 150 watt to replace the 250 watt -

I will try to figure out how to get the lamp farther from the side.
thanks

 

[hotrodflash]

Pasty butt advice please!!

ok, never had a prob with this before. oh, maybe one chick, one day, type of thing, but with this batch out of the 17 surviving chicks, I am cleaning off poop covering the vent on maybe 3-5 chicks in the am, and 3-5 chicks in the pm, not always the same chicks. this has been going on for about 4 days.

I am feeding a moistened chick feed, not medicated. Fresh water w acv. sod clump. occasional minced yard greens. chicks are on pine shavings.

temp in the brooder ranges from 90 under the lamp to 75 out of the lamp range, they are 2 weeks old (13 to 17 day olds).

I've tried:
sprinkling ground up oatmeal on feed
sprinkling powdered probiotics on feed
scrambled egg w and w/out yogurt

there is plenty of room in the brooder.

the poop seems fine - it is formed ok, ok color, but is sticking to feathers or fluff, and blocking the vent. I've caught two chicks actually straining to poop without success because of the vent block. I always wondered if that was a myth, that it could actually block defecation, but it looks like it could be true.

what am I doing wrong?

I would raise the lamp a little, 90 is too warm for 13-17 day old chicks. I know they can get away from the 90 but that is still too warm. Just my opinion for what it is worth.

ETA: Since you can't raise the lamp, go to a 100 watt or a 75 watt. Better to be a little cool than too warm.

 

[brandislee]

**** it, now two of the three remaining are pipped, and the third one is chirping. I mean that's good, that's potentially a 100% hatch- I never candled these eggs or anything. But seriously, my first 100% hatch is to a mama who won't accept the chicks? What's that all about???