The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[beccasev]

I actually just dealt with some ground dwelling flying insects. Pretty sure they were yellow jackets. They dug a hole in my flower bed right by my sidewalk where my kids go all the time and the chickens love to dust bathe. So they had to go. After dark, I put a big glass bowl over the hole so they couldn't get out. The next day they were very angry! But they were trapped. It was really warm and they were obviously trying to evacuate. The next day was the same with no noticeable difference in amount of wasps. So that night I stuck the hose under the bowl and ran it for a good 5 minutes, took the bowl off, dumped a cup or so of ammonia in the hole, and flushed it again with the hose. Bowl went back on and the next day there were definitely fewer. Repeat the flooding that night and left the bowl on for a few more days just in case. They are gone now. These techniques were all natural ones I found on the web. I would try spraying with ammonia. Or ammonia mixed with water. The ammonia didn't seem to hurt my flowers at all and since I flushed it down into the hole, I'm not worried about my chickens either. Or my poor daughter who is very attractive to bees and wasps and always gets stung.
Edited so it didn't look like I was swearing. Not sure why it censored the word I did use.

 

[mithious]

I know bees in a house are bad. The drywall is not made to support them and when it breaks, they will swarm as if you hit them with a stick. If you know a bee keeper maybe they could take a look at it for you, if not maybe an exterminator would know how to make sure they relocate.

Thank you for the suggestions! Luckily, I have knotty pine, tongue and grove in that part of the cabin, so they won't fall through...I hope

I live wayyy up in Northern New Hampshire. Tried to call an exterminator, this spring for some suggestions on the ticks we had, we have NONE here???? I calle dthe extension and talked to the lady that does the testing and her list showed no one here either, and all they suggested for the ticks was pesticides...that's how I talked my landlord into this joint venture of chickens

He funds, I do the work, as I have been raising chickens since I was 2 with my late Daddy, back in the 60's through the 80's, then again for a bit when the kids were growing up! I do have some $$ invested too, so do own part of this venture, but not near what he has put in! This year, I bought from a hatchery for the first time, and am going back to heritage breeds next spring. ( those I will own ) and eventually faze out this one hatchery lot! Although I hear these chicks will lay eggs better, I am not so keen on supporting and industry such as it is, ya know? I also love the Plymouth Barred Rocks, that's what we had when I was working with my Daddy and love love the breed, also on a waiting list for some heritage Dom's too for next spring. WE are building building building here!!! Sooo ten heritage Plymouth Barred Rocks and 6 heritage Dominiques in the spring...both are BYC breeders so feel completely safe with them!!!!

Anyways, I will see if I can find a bee keeper, online, and see what they say...I tend to wander a bit when explaining! Really love this thread and am so glad I stumbled upon it! I have started reading it from the beginning, but you all have a very long thread here, so could take me some time

so far, I am learning tons though!!! Thanks so much!!! For the advice and the thread input and ideas!!! You all keep posting and I will keep reading!!!

 

[jlynnet]

How is this for some nightmareish stink eye?

I think she's saying "You wanna a piece of me?!" Love that picture!

 

[delisha]

Kass...cute picks

Having just the weirdest day. Day twenty two is coming to a close and TWO eggs pipped. Trying my hardest to stay out of the house NOT watching the pot boil. You know what I mean?

A bee nest is giving us grief. It is smack dab under the porch of my barn! Husband was stung and I saw two hens stung on their combs too. I made up a bottle of Dawn dish soap and rubbing alcohol. Sprayed it for a half hour. Killed some but not all. They are swarming and angry now. Chickens are hiding and husband ran too. They are not honey bees or wasps. A small bee. Don't know what kind. They are NOT happy and neither am I!

One of my Catdance Partridge pullets is injured and exhibiting wry neck. I suspect one of the randy Catdance cockerels had her by the ear and wouldn't let go. Got her in an isolation pen with vitamins in the water. Got to do the whole routine with Selenium, E, and egg yolk. Did not need this to happen right now. *Gah!*

Done ranting. Baby chicks hatching tonight would go a long way in cheering me up.

on getting rid of the bees..almond oil wiped all over makes them move.
Hope your baby's hatch soon..I am getting excited.
That silkie should recover quickly with your quick help. I also have one with wry neck. He/she was jumped on by one of the broody hens when they were to close to a chick.

Quote: The leghorn bantams started hatching at day 17. Lost 2 and had one quit in egg. The bantam Favs hatched day 18 and so did the Silkie. Under a broody. And the Silkie is running around fine with the bandaid boots. They'll come off tomorrow. And the three Silkie eggs under the broody Silkie are developing. Checked Friday on day 7.
yeah on the silkie eggs developing.

Quote: use almond oil..they will move the nest and no injury.

 

[lalaland]

It's my third night with chickens and I just saw a grey fox in the nieghbor's yard across the street! Teeny thing...thought it was a cat, at first. So glad I built a ridiculous "fort" coop. Also very grateful my dog decided to obey and "stay" instead of chasing it to God knows where.

P.S. Aoxa, I changed my avatar.

mlowen, you'll be so glad that you built a fort coop! happy first week with chickens

Thank you for the suggestions! Luckily, I have knotty pine, tongue and grove in that part of the cabin, so they won't fall through...I hope

I live wayyy up in Northern New Hampshire. Tried to call an exterminator, this spring for some suggestions on the ticks we had, we have NONE here???? I calle dthe extension and talked to the lady that does the

Anyways, I will see if I can find a bee keeper, online, and see what they say...I tend to wander a bit when explaining! Really love this thread and am so glad I stumbled upon it! I have started reading it from the beginning, but you all have a very long thread here, so could take me some time

so far, I am learning tons though!!! Thanks so much!!! For the advice and the thread input and ideas!!! You all keep posting and I will keep reading!!!

Want to say welcome to the thread, but half afraid you have been here posting for a while and I've just missed it, but I have no intention of going backwards to find out. So, welcome, even if it is a belated welcome

glad to see another person from the sticks on here, too

 

[lalaland]

so first night on the roost was a bit rough for the babies.

Y'all never saw so much consternation - running in the coop, running out, trying out the roost, seeing if there were other higher places to be like inside a potato basket, jostling for places on the roost, knocking each other off, etc. Took a good 45 minutes to settle down. Lots of loud distress peeping.

I did figure out the biggest roo is not going to be a keeper. He was merciless in chasing away a fragile, skittish chick (no idea what breed). Now the only thing that worries me a bit is I've heard a roo will keep away "ill or sick" chicks or hens. This is the one that has feathered out so badly - very patchy and feathers are dull. So perhaps the roo is a bully, or perhaps there is something wrong with the poor chick. Before I thought that one out, I worked with the roo for a good 10 minutes, just following him and not letting him settle down, so by bedtime he was avoiding me like crazy. All I did was follow him in the yard but clearly he felt challenged.

Here is a pic of the bunch on the roost posted purely for entertainment:


and more or less directly underneath in that same corner, the pile of chicks not ready to roost:




the flash makes it seem like it is daylight, but it is a little past dusk. I like how they struggle for places, cheeping away, and then some invisible signal happens and they all fall silent at once.

 

[Sally8]

Don't honey bee's need a queen? I remember when I was a kid we had a swarm of bee's come into our yard and nest in the tree. We have bee keepers everywhere here and everyone wants them. Not sure how Dad contacted someone as it was 50 years ago. But was told that occasionally when the swarm get so big they acquire another queen and the swarm splits and moves on.

Mumsy-I hope by now you have baby Silkies peeping everywhere. Last evening, I had another BCM hatch. I was all done hatching, or so I thought. Sending good egg hatching thoughts your way.

Since I'm on sporadically these days, Welcome to all the new names I see popping up on here. We love having you.

sue

Kassaundra-If I walked into the hen house for eggs and was met with this, I'd probably say "ok, you keep the eggs today" Love the pic. I've been trying to carry my camera around every now and then just waiting for the "right shots" By the time I see something, run inside for my camera and get back out, the shot is over. Chickens do funny things all the time.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Husband is grilling pork chops now and the evening is looking up. The bees are a ground dwelling sort. Bee keepers on Whidbey would not want to mess with them. I'm hoping they will decide on their own that it has become a hazardous place to make a hive under my porch. Not safe for them, me, or my flock.

They sound an awful lot like yellow jackets. We had some out where the chicken pen is now. I had no idea what they were, but they were coming out of the ground. Many many bees. I asked DH, and that is what he said they were. Not to bother them as he would deal with them when he got home.

He poured some gas on the hive....and we let it sit for months. They had built a hive undergound in an old rotted pallet, piled with old shingles, and by then covered with leaf mold.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_jacket

 

[aoxa]

Can you identify Mrs Murphy?

Remember that teeny tiny chick that you guys saved by having me give it electrolytes and vitamins? it turned out to be a banty. I'm pretty sure its a pullet, hence her name Mrs. Murphy.

Any guesses as to what breed she is? She has slate legs, and a grey beak. busy as a bee, and she has buddied up with one of the biggest chicks, a fluffly wheaten sulmtaler (thanks again Justine for identifying the sulmtalers!)

Is her comb pea? I wouldn't call her legs slate. They look yellowish pink to me.

Having just the weirdest day. Day twenty two is coming to a close and TWO eggs pipped. Trying my hardest to stay out of the house NOT watching the pot boil. You know what I mean?

A bee nest is giving us grief. It is smack dab under the porch of my barn! Husband was stung and I saw two hens stung on their combs too. I made up a bottle of Dawn dish soap and rubbing alcohol. Sprayed it for a half hour. Killed some but not all. They are swarming and angry now. Chickens are hiding and husband ran too. They are not honey bees or wasps. A small bee. Don't know what kind. They are NOT happy and neither am I!

One of my Catdance Partridge pullets is injured and exhibiting wry neck. I suspect one of the randy Catdance cockerels had her by the ear and wouldn't let go. Got her in an isolation pen with vitamins in the water. Got to do the whole routine with Selenium, E, and egg yolk. Did not need this to happen right now. *Gah!*

Done ranting. Baby chicks hatching tonight would go a long way in cheering me up.

Canadian version of hive removal (really honest to god it's how we take care of it) : at night hit with hockey stick until it is detached and bag it. Wear lots of clothing.. My father takes care of it. I have an unnatural phobia of anything bee, wasp, hornet related. I don't mind bumble bees.

Now if it was a honey bee's nest I would definitely call someone who keeps bees and ask them to remove it. They will for free if it is a good sized colony. I only seem to get wasps or hornets. I usually spot them while the nests are super small and easy enough to remove.

wow, do ee's come in banty size? I sure don't think I have seen the color pattern of Mrs Murphy before, but that is true of just about every one of these chicks from supposed hatch to order group that I have.

EEs come in every size. Her colour does look classic EE to me, but could also be a poorer example of partridge. Are you sure she is a bantam, and not just delayed?

 

[Sally8]

Remember 6 weeks ago we were shoveling snow? I wanna shovel snow..this heat is disgusting.

I know this thread is old but I so agree with this. I was thinking it myself. We've always had some "hot spots" during the summer, but never for extended days like this. It's been a little cooler and I hope it stays this way.