The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Foster's Freehold]

Delisha, thanks for the info on the really bad feathers. I looked at the label of the mash I've been using to ferment and sure enough, all vegetable protein. Looks like these are going to start getting tuna and eggs, hmm makes me hungry for tuna fish salad on rye lol.

 

[kpchick]

THANK YOU AOXA! This is most helpful!! I use white vinegar to clean with as well as in my washer as fabric softener. I have read that using white vinegar & hydrogen peroxide together kills more germs like e.coli & salmonella better than either one does on it's own. However DO NOT mix them in the same bottle. Spray 1 on your item to be cleaned then spray the 2nd, let sit for just a few minutes (1 or 2 minutes, not any longer as it can turn caustic) then wipe. You can rinse if you want. Oxine is supposed to be an excellent fungicide. I haven't use it yet to clean with but do have some in a spray bottle to spray my shoes before & after I go to my sister's to care for her chickens. Tips for quoting-- To quote 1 person's post, click on Quote. It will then open a reply box with that quote, you can type your reply either above or below the quote. To quote multiple posts-- Click on Multi in the first post you want to quote then go to the next post you want to quote, Click on Multi. You can keep clicking on Multi until you're ready to Post A Reply. The Multi doesn't always work or must have a limit on how many you can multi-quote because I know some of us have had our multi-quotes disapper when Posting a Reply. Scroll down to the last posting on any page. Below the last post on a page, click on Post a Reply. Your multiple quotes should show up in a Reply box. You can also delete pictures or text within the quotes, just click on the picture or highlight the text, then hit Delete. Hope this helps!

Thanks for this! I'm electronically challenged and can't really figure out how to post but now I'll keep trying!!!

 

[Mumsy]

Ash - Your photos didn't show!!!! (And I want to see them )

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On the topic of ACV & Oregano Oil (or anything else) in water...
Just my 2 Cents worth but I'm at the point that I don't put ANYTHING in the water supply unless I have an alternate waterer that just has plain water in it.

Here's my reasoning:
I think fresh, plain water is important. Even though some of those other items are good for them (in moderation) I don't want to force them to eat anything on a regular basis unless it's an emergency or you are treating a specific illness/worms, etc. and they have to have something by force.

My thoughts at this point are that if these things are offered FREE CHOICE but not by force (meaning they have no alternative ... in this case, either drink the water that has the stuff in it or you don't get water), they will decide if they need it on their own and take what they need.

Especially with items like oregano oil - which is very strong...I, personally would not force that in water that is their only source of water...And if I put it in feed it would only be in very small amount and not every day. -----


I know I've said this before, but I firmly believe that LARGE AMOUNTS of items like cayenne, garlic, oregano, etc. in feed CONTINUOUSLY is not good.

It is similar to being on a "cleansing diet" indefinitely. In LARGE AMOUNTS, they are designed to "clean out the system" and keep you from being able to digest certain things in addition to making the digestive hostile to worms, etc.

Done long-term (in large amounts) it has the potential to cause malnutrition.

By way of explanation: I'm not referring to small amounts of these items, or free-feed of the items on a continual basis. Hope I'm making sense here. And, again, this is just my 2 cents.


ETA: Formatting went wonky for some reason and put everything in one big glob. Editing to add the formatting back.

Leahs Mom. I respect your knowledge and input greatly on this thread. However. I take exception with your comments high lighted in red. I have been feeding sixty plus birds of all ages fermented feed with LARGE AMOUNTS of cayenne, garlic, oregano, ect. CONTINUOUSLY going on eight months now and I have seen and experienced NO adverse effects in any of them based on my recipe and husbandry feeding methods. They show no evidence of purging their gut contents. They show no evidence of malnutrition. They are laying, fertile, hatching, growing, thriving, and those I've eaten were in good flesh and delicious. . The only two birds that showed malnutrition was a Silkie with lead poisoning and a pullet with twisted keel and messed up ovum. Both were dying anyway.
I appreciate very often that those on this thread give advice based on experience. I'm sharing this from my experience. I do not share your opinion on this particular subject but I respect your right to give it. For me and my birds, they will continue to be fed the same way that has worked well for them and is beneficial to their over all health. Oh...My turkeys are a thriving seven weeks old tomorrow and they get the same diet as the others. They are growing like crazy.

 

[salt and pepper]

Got a closer look at his birds today.... they have IB

I decided to treat them while he's gone since it's such a contagious disease, Hopefully I'll have some extra medicine, just in case my birds get it, will be giving inject able Tylan 50, for five days, hope that clears it up. Any other advice? Probably wouldn't be treating if it wasn't for the fact that we are so close together, and I don't want it spreading.

 

[Ashdoes]

What's IB?

 

[FridayYet]

Hi all, I'm back with my 2 OE pullets (I hope).

They are about 5 weeks old.

Unfortunately the conditions they were kept in was, um, different than I'm used to but I brought them home anyways. Immediately took off the shoes and disinfected them prior to coming in the house. Then I got some warm soapy water and gave them a bath outside to wash off the "sticky stuff" and mud so I could check them all over. No wounds, redness or raw patches, vents are pink and clean, eyes bright, feathers ratty. Scales smooth on the legs, but some areas on the little one are missing feathers altogether. (She has no tail feathers and was probably really low on the pecking order.)

They are in the front courtyard in a plastic dog kennel drying off, drinking their water with ACV, fresh dandelion greens and alyssum flowers, brand-new pine shavings. Poop looks good to my inexperienced eyes, but it seems smelly. (Stress??) They are now on organic grower crumbles, and hopefully they will eat some of my liver/cilantro/garlic/cayenne "treats" but right now they are scared to death of me.

Threw clothes in the washer on sanitize and took a shower.

Seems like they have been eating like little piggies all the way home. Just checked, and they are fluffing up nicely and taking a nap!

Now to keep up the quarantine as long as possible and get them in better condition.

 

[FridayYet]

Oh, I also wiped all doorknobs, washer door, sink handles, etc. with Sani-Wipes.

From now on, it's going to be harder to keep any germs from the front yard away from the backyard - I'm not going to change clothes multiple times a day. Definitely will be washing my hands a ton! (LOL)

Should I take some shavings from my existing coop and put them in with the newbies so the new kids can acclimate to the new surroundings and future flockmates???

 

[salt and pepper]

What's IB?

Infectious Bronchidous.

 

[groverlvchx]

I have one large rooster

who has two favorite hens. We call them his concubines. Here's a pic of one:

The other is similarly bald. I've treated with bluKote twice and with NuStock four times, but they just can't heal unless he leaves them alone for awhile. We've discussed it and neither parties are willing to cooperate with that plan. SO, plan B is chicken saddles. My mom finished one today and after slathering the hen's back/tail area with straight pine tar (sticky stuff, that!), we put the saddle on. She didn't seem to mind it! She went right up to roost. I'll see if it's still on tomorrow, try to get a pic, and Mom hopes to have the second one ready to go by tomorrow night. It's like new shoes and blisters: sometimes you just need a bandaid.

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy- thanks for sharing the pictures. It helps me learn. My 4 big girls all have pinched tails and I get eggs with bumps & one soft shelled egg. I know from you all on here pinched tails mean problems laying. Until then they get FF, herbs and foraging in the yard.

Ash- those babies are BEAUTIFUL. Enjoy them

I also use vinegar to clean in my house. With so many critters I didn't want cleaner residue to get on them.

My mom brought the hens & tots the turkey carcass over. Big girls had those bones picked clean in an hour. I chopped up the liver & heart & put it on top of the tots FF. they tried a piece or two but there was still some left when they roosted. I have found that the tots don't eat/like meat. I've tried chicken, turkey, liver and fish. They usually just leave it if served separately. I'm hoping by putting it on top of their FF they will eat it, has anyone else had that problem with chicks/tots? Any suggestions? They are trying new fruits and love greens.

Picture Friday? I grabbed a couple of cute ones today. The tots enjoyed a romp in the veggie garden while I tried to weed since today was first day in almost a month it didn't rain.

Stella having her favorite snack. Potato plant leaves. Apparently good stuff in the mulch covering the plants

Of course then Edie had to have a snack

I do give the tots credit, they are getting braver. They walk up to the gate where the big girls are on the other side to watch them. I think when I get home from vacation in 2 weeks they will be big enough to not fit thru the electric netting. And a sea gull was circling while they were in the veggie garden (it saw the turkey carcass) and Edie & Stella took off for the coop and the 2 BCMs hid under the tree. Guess they have their eyes to the skies for predators. Not that the sea gull was but it was good practice !