The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[BrownEggsnHam]

Hooray - an artist!
Well - just tell your neighbor you're playing a game of "I'll show you mine - you'll show me his." LOL!
And yes - this is an addictive thread. (Have you seen the NCK blog yet?? See my signature for details... )

Don't know how he would take that... Gotta be careful these days....

ADDICTIVE???

I've been trying to catch up (from your original #1 post) on this thread for the past four days ... and catch up so far has been at a seemingly slow rate (now on page 172) considering there is now 1741 pages, plus trying to stay tuned into these current postings which has been an additional 25+ pages since I was on the net yesterday (2 more added just while I wrote this). My four day old chicks will all either be laying eggs or in the stewpot before I'm able to say I've followed this thread in its entirety... even partly as a lurker....

Now, have I seen the "NCK blog" yet?

X10 Yes...

... and that keeps me up even later at night... fortunately the sun sets here at 10 P.M. and presently the entire night has the ambiance of dusk... so it still feels in a way like daytime. Last night I just finished reading the remaining chapters of the 'Gnarly Bunch'... WOW! What an ordeal... what a story. I truly learned a number of things from it all... among are which...

1. I immediately started a batch of FF for my small flock. That was something I was contemplating beforehand, as I had already fed the flock bits of my kombucha SCOBY... testing to see if they would eat it... they did... loved it in fact, in addition to chopped up, fermented red beets and fermented sunchokes. It really pleased me to read that FF is as good for them as it is for us other bipedal beings. I figured it was, as digestion certainly is not unique to us anthropoids. This story just triggered me to do it immediately.
2. Though I had judiciously dusted (DE) the entirety of interiors of my chicken tractor and henhouse upon the completion of construction prior to receiving our three hens and roo, I'm relieved and glad that I did, as Bee's descriptions and pics revealed to this newbie that Akmed (our roo) has or had a very bad case of scale mites, which I began today to treat with warm water soaks and vaseline. I examined him and the coop closely last night and only saw a few on his feet, but he most certainly has very gnarly looking legs with only a few non-deformed looking leg/foot scales remaining. Poor thing!
   
   ... the woman that we got them from said it was the first day that they'd been outside... that warm, bright and sunny evening that we picked them up last April. And they were about one year old at the time! My wife repeated that to me later, as my Swedish language skills are a yelling distance away from being fluent.
3. ___ is a very wonderful and special person and it's absolutely fabulous that she has been graciously willing to share her knowledge and love.
   

All in all--- pleased to have found this thread- this group- this website- and the joy that keeping and caring for chickens can bring... while they tend to some of my chores like turning the compost and eating some of the weeds not to forget about supplying entertainment and incredibly nourishing eggs.

--- rick

This post was edited in that a particular person's name was eliminated because though, as a newbie, I haven't dealt with the apparent trauma of the past with this site and certain individuals (typical forum BS). What hasn't been edited is my feelings of gratitude which apparently don't mean diddly, as seen in the eyes of others... who it seems bleed and weep through these listings of now 17414 posts. So sad, that some grownups can't just grow up and get over it!

Comments like some following this post makes me want to quit this site before I get to entrenched.

"B"-careful what you say newbies....!

 

[delisha]

Delisha next summer I plan to get more meat birds and not from the hatchery if possible. I will keep you in mind.

super..they are great dual purpose and great foragers.

This is what mad as a wet woman looks like after chasing chickens for an hour in a downpour (With thunder and lightning)

Quote:

I posted the following in emergency section but wanted to post here too...

I have a game pullet (or at least we think that is what she is, she was supposed to be rir). She is 5.5 months old. I went to let the chicks out to forage this morning and she wouldn't come out rught away. She would walk a step or two forward then a bunch backwards. She finally came out and started foraging. I went to check on her a few minutes ago. She came up to me and was still doing the same thing. Should I be concerned? She is not laying yet. Some of the others just started last week. Thanks!

Since this post, I checked on her again and she was in a corner in the run while the others were foraging. I went to get some scratch and she acted normal then except for if a rooster was around she backed up. Could it be she is trying to get away from the roosters? We have too many and will be culling soon. I have also read about heavy metal poisoning. She has acess to the barn. Thanks!

I would love to help but this is not enough information. It would help if you posted a picture and did an exam on her. Feel her belly and crop. See is she is in good weight. Check her for mites and check her feet. Chickens hide illness. If she is hiding and puffed up something is wrong. As their animal keepers we need to find out what it might be.

 

[aoxa]

With Humidex it is 99F at this present time. Feel nauseous! We Canadians are not equipped to deal with this crap!

 

[delisha]

 

[aoxa]

am I the only one who gags a little when ever i see the b word?

Nope.

 

[lalaland]

Nope.

what b word? maybe I was skimming. and then....maybe you can't put the whole word behind that b..... bee? bi.....h? .....hm.mmmmm

 

[midnightroo]

Thanks Aoxa and delisha. I have them foraging during the day. Plus I figured it would be best to allow them to find the coolest spot for themselves and not what they could find in the fenced in area. Since they are foraging, should I get something from the freezer meat wise for them or just let them find what they can. I tried to give them a few Japanese beetles, but they looked at me crazy. This is just the beginning of the summer for us, normally July or August are our hottest months. Sorry Aoxa, I agree it is too hot! I like it in the mid 80’s and no colder then the 40's.

Brown eggs, could you give me your recipe for fermented sunchokes? I have them and would love to try a recipe that we humans or the chickens would eat.

 

[BrownEggsnHam]

The sunchokes are just sliced into pieces with a typical water brine added to cover about 1"...

I've added things like sliced ginger, coriander seeds and even sliced chili pepper bits to it, for a little extra flavor kick, which I think is my favorite.


I'll have to dig through some of my notes to see what the amount of salt to water is for the brine.

From what I've read, the sunchokes are more digestible being fermented because they contain inulin which makes them difficult to digest unless fermented, which is why they are known to cause gas... I've never known flatulence eating them fermented and my wife and I actually believe the flavor is better.

 

[Quailsong]

With Humidex it is 99F at this present time. Feel nauseous! We Canadians are not equipped to deal with this crap!

I'm not sure I could take 99F. It's only 72F/22C here but the humidity must be near 100% with all the rain. I keep a cold pack on my neck/shoulder all day & now wondering if I should name it. Hehe. I've been super tempted to sleep in the bathtub this week. Couldn't imagine what you're going through there. Sending cold hugs your way.

 

[BrownEggsnHam]

Brown eggs, could you give me your recipe for fermented sunchokes? I have them and would love to try a recipe that we humans or the chickens would eat.

The sunchokes are just sliced into pieces with a typical water brine added to cover about 1"...

I've added things like sliced ginger, coriander seeds and even sliced chili pepper bits to it, for a little extra flavor kick, which I think is my favorite.


I'll have to dig through some of my notes to see what the amount of salt to water is for the brine.

From what I've read, the sunchokes are more digestible being fermented because they contain inulin which makes them difficult to digest unless fermented, which is why they are known to cause gas... I've never known flatulence eating them fermented and my wife and I actually believe the flavor is better.

Midnightroo... I looked up my figures regarding the fermented sunchokes....

I use a 5% salt brine which translates as 5% salt to weight of water.... or approximately 3 tablespoon (sea salt) per quart (or liter).

As my cooking/culinary skills seem to be based more on the chemistry of food ingredients and flavors rather than the traditional following of written recipes, I'm prone to never writing down or following written recipes much. That being, maybe I can explain how I do the sunchokes...

First and foremost... if you focus on the 5% relationship of salt to water as a must all else can be fiddled with to your own ends, which allows you to experiment with the sunchokes, or other vegetables. The red beets I do also use this same brine only substituting other ingredients for varying flavor.

So with the sunchokes, I cut up as many 'chokes (roughly 1/2"-3/4" pieces- but not critical) to fill my glass container (a glass topped-wire bail with rubber gasket jar --Fido) to within about 2" of the top. Using a one-liter jar I added about 1 tablespoon coriander seeds and one red chili pepper (de-seeded) and chopped into very small pieces. These are distributed through the mix as I'm putting the 'chokes into the jar. Then having previously mixed up one-liter of water with 3 tablespoon sea salt (dissolved into the water), I cover the ingredients with salt brine.

I adjust whether I need to add or remove a few 'chokes at this point leaving about 2" airspace with about 1" water level above the 'chokes as they are pressed down. To aid as an additional cover to the chokes from any possibility of mold I cover this with a solid leaf of cabbage and press this into the water as well. Whether this is necessary, I can't really say... though in five years, I've never had one bad jar. The jar can be left out of direct sun at room temperature for three or four days at which it should begin fermenting, At this time I normally place them in my pantry which stays around 50 degrees F. and take out whatever I need when I need them. I presently have one remaining jar containing 1/2 liter of 'chokes... I processed these and put them in storage last October and they are still good, softer texture than most people using 'chokes... but not mushy, and the flavor is still very good.

You can taste (sample) them anytime... I generally waited until 10 days before using them, but they really can be used earlier. As with all fermented foods, longer times mean more probiotic benefit.

Additionally I've read where some people say you need to 'burp' these jars as carbon dioxide builds up and can explode the jar. I don't know about that as I've never ever had that happen over these years at the temperature I store them. If you store them at room temperature, that may be a possibility, at which I would suggest maybe storing them in your fridge if you don't have a cool room. A good book to read for additional information is 'The Art of Fermentation' by Sandor Ellix Katz.

Hope that helps... and if you don't like the end results, your chickens might, as mine do.

P.S. I largely use my 'chokes placed on sourdough crusted pizza after baking, to preserve the probiotic benefits. Also use them in a good quiche with those rich free range eggs, though they are baked which destroys some of the good but retains the flavor. Either way they are easier to digest, as they are fermented.


Good luck

-- rick