The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

It is uncommon for homes to have AC here as well. New homes get it I hear. Temps above 80 on the Pacific North West coast are not the norm. If the temp reads 80 degrees in Seattle, I can count on it getting to 72 degrees here. My daughter lives in Seattle and 80 is nearly unbearable for her. She doesn't have AC either. I had two 90 degree days here and the chickens were panting but none quit laying.

Judy the Broody is now on her third go around since she started laying. She is amazing like clock work. She lays nearly two dozen eggs within a two to three week period and then sits. She is just a year old now. She just started laying five or six months ago. And she is a ferocious mother hen! Holy Carp! She is a terror to the flock when she has chicks but all other birds respect her and leave her chicks alone. That single Silkie chick may be an orphan now but the flock does not molest it at all. It has it's place in the flock because Judy made that happen.

She sounds like a keeper for sure!

It's 108 at our place right now. Susan sent me an update. All are doing fine. Hot as heck, but fine. They are sticking to the shade. Everyone is panting like crazy.

 

[mlowen]

Sally8...how are you doing? How's your family? Been thinking about you.
Mel

 

[Mumsy]

80 degrees here is truly a vacation. Almost makes you want to put on long sleeves.

So I have a question about broody girls. I have a 2 yr old Jersey Giant that keeps wanting to go broody, but she is very easy to shoo off the nest. I just wave my hand at her, she squawks and gets up. Because of this, I've never let her sit. In fact, I've never hatched chicks from either a broody or an incubator - just always bought them... I don't want to hatch chicks now - too hot - but I'm thinking about in the future. If you have a "broody" that is easy to shoo off the nest, am I correct that she probably won't be dependable enough to see the clutch all the way through hatch?

She might learn to be a great broody hen is she were allowed to sit in a nest in a place undisturbed by anything. If she were mine, I would experiment with under valued eggs and let her try. She may just need a quieter, less busy place.

 

[Sally8]

Sally8...how are you doing? How's your family? Been thinking about you.
Mel

I haven't been on much, only to skim through. I have over 1,000 posts to catch up on someday. Mom is having a rough time with her chemo. Only 2 more to go. I keep telling her 23 days left before she's done with the chemo and any other treatments. Such nasty stuff. Thanks for asking.

George came home and slipped right in his old place with his family here. This probably brings me up to 5 roo's now.

aoxa-I'm curious how you do so well with Barred Rocks. Twice I've incubated eggs. The first time 1 out of 6 hatched and the second 2 out of 12. Armorfirelady has the pullet and I've got the roo. His father was huge and gorgeous. His markings (the whole reason they're called Barred) are very pretty. I seem to do so well with BCM but not the Barred Rocks. What gives?

It's 88 degrees here and the humidity is awful Just makes you sick. Last night was the first time EVER that I considered leaving the door open to the chicken coop for added ventilation. It was awful. 6am was already too warm for me. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse. (I didn't leave it open)

 

[Kassaundra]

A couple of pics showing cross beak


This is a mild cross beak, she didn't start showing until she was about 8 weeks old, in this pic she is 10.5 weeks




This is a severe cross beak, she started showing at just a few days old.


With cross beak the most severe cases will show at earlier ages, this is a skull and beak deformity. If you want to keep a chicken w/ this problem it is doable w/ deep feed and water dishes so they can scoop the food, moist food also helps, and sometimes trimming the beak w/ a dremmel tool.

Both of these will be culled (eaten) before they start laying, I do not want these genetics in my flock, I don't do special needs. I am making sure as long as she is not culled that there is a deep food option for her, and will continue w/ that until cull time.

 

[delisha]

80 degrees here is truly a vacation. Almost makes you want to put on long sleeves.

So I have a question about broody girls. I have a 2 yr old Jersey Giant that keeps wanting to go broody, but she is very easy to shoo off the nest. I just wave my hand at her, she squawks and gets up. Because of this, I've never let her sit. In fact, I've never hatched chicks from either a broody or an incubator - just always bought them... I don't want to hatch chicks now - too hot - but I'm thinking about in the future. If you have a "broody" that is easy to shoo off the nest, am I correct that she probably won't be dependable enough to see the clutch all the way through hatch?

She might want to go broody, but it does not sound like she is truly broody if you can shoo her off. Normally they object and return to the nest as soon as you leave. Lay flat as a pancake and make different noises. Some hiss, some bite, some screech. I have one chicken that she does nothing and says nothing when broody. I can take her off the nest very easy, but she does not get off on her own. She quietly waits till I leave and returns.

Quote: x2 on the quiet place to try.

A couple of pics showing cross beak


This is a mild cross beak, she didn't start showing until she was about 8 weeks old, in this pic she is 10.5 weeks




This is a severe cross beak, she started showing at just a few days old.


With cross beak the most severe cases will show at earlier ages, this is a skull and beak deformity. If you want to keep a chicken w/ this problem it is doable w/ deep feed and water dishes so they can scoop the food, moist food also helps, and sometimes trimming the beak w/ a dremmel tool.

Both of these will be culled (eaten) before they start laying, I do not want these genetics in my flock, I don't do special needs. I am making sure as long as she is not culled that there is a deep food option for her, and will continue w/ that until cull time.

good call.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Whew. Caught up for now.

Lots of interesting posts and good photos.

I'm still prob. not going to keep up for awhile. Just checking in.



Question on the lice and sulfur came to mind. I was reading about other livestock (cattle/goats) and they will sometimes put sulfur powder right on them and rub into the coat to deter crawlies like we would with ash for the chickens. Anyone know if you could apply sulfur safely to the chickens like wood ash? I haven't seen anything about it pro or con. NuStock has sulfur powder in it and I'm thinking that is part of why it's effective for lice and nits around the vet area. Thoughts?




Sally - thinking about you and your mom

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

I have heard that it will kill the mites, lice, fleas and chiggers. When it stops raining I am going to put some down around the yard and see if it helps with the stupid chiggers!

 

[jockeyeba]

I have heard that it will kill the mites, lice, fleas and chiggers. When it stops raining I am going to put some down around the yard and see if it helps with the stupid chiggers!

My mother taught me that powdered sulphur is the only way to go for the yard & put on your pants legs, it works

 

[NanaLynn]

Here are a few pictures of my flock of six:


Ash - RIR 22 weeks and 4 eggs the past 5 days


Pepper- BR 22 weeks- she was a runt BR but is squatting now and finally getting some comb and wattle growth


Big Mama- BO- 22 weeks- the one in a trance with one eye closed and not eating after the dog attack. She is eating well now and gained her coordination back and is back to normal mostly, she is nervous around people though, never was before and her eye that remained closed works fine now.


Olivia- EE- 22 weeks- My most standoffish chicken that could never be touched but now squats for me and lets me rub her back, so I guess colored eggs sometime soon.


She is just so pretty, Olivia again.


Oreo - BR - 22 weeks- She was a huge chicken before the dog attack has really slimmed down but is acting mostly normal now. You can see the blue kote on her back, she still has a healing dog bite and bare places under her wings. I removed the vet wrap and tried to put a hen saddle on her, but she would not settle down with it on so I took it off and so far she is letting her back heal now. You can see her combs and wattles still don't look as healthy as they should. She's a fighter and is eating a lot now, so I think she is going to recover okay.


Daisy- WR- 11 weeks, she's the one remaining of my 6 11 week olds and is doing good hanging in there with the big girls and is almost there size now.


Ash and Olivia in the garden


The End