The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[loanwizard]

Hey all,

I just got my concession trailer licensed, so good to go on the funnel cake and lemonade tour!

In farm news..... last hatch.... 18 chicks survived their first 4 weeks. Out of 150 eggs set, that is horrible, humidity was way too low.

3 weeks (OR SO) I sett 144 eggs. Somewhere between 7-10 days I candled and threw out 25 un viable ones, leaving 119.

I calculated what I thought was day 18 and went to humidify...... what to my wandering eyes do appear? A chick..... lively and well, and two externally pipped eggs.

I am like.... Did I just waste another 3 weeks and $25.00 worth of eggs? What do I do? I decided to open the incubator anyway and put a large pan of water in it.

Yesterday, 3 days after the first chick hatched, I took 76 chicks to the farm to the brooder, leaving 4 behind, 2 which I helped out of the egg, and 2 that could not stand correctly. I also lost one soon after hatching.

1 of the ones I helped out of the shell was full of dried "stuff" and I left it in the incubator to basically die because I didn't feel like popping heads at work..... (no cats, hogs, etc.... to clean up the mess of full cycle)

This morning I walked in to 2 surprises. 1, a new chick, that pipped and hatched overnight after I had called it a hatch and opened the incubator. (reason was 76 chicks in the bottom of the incubator have some pile up problems and I didn't want to lose any)

2nd surprise was that chick that I helped out, all dried up, was still kicking but couldn't move..... I HAD to do surgery..... warm water and a paper towel and skilled finger nails.

That was at 9 am. Here it is 4:30pm, and they are all still kicking although 1 is still lame, cannot stand and may soo suffer from Shawn's Head Dysplasia.

Have a great day folks!

Shawn

 

[delisha]

Love keets

mine are just starting to lose their cuteness and become the ugly birds they will be haha!

I raised them with a few chicks in hopes of making them more sociable and want to return home every night and not wander off. I don't know if it will work but I hope so!

We culled the MG positive laying flock last Sunday so in two weeks we should be safe to move the kiddos from the grow out pen. It was awful but DH offered to do the actual culling so I was just doing the catching. He took care of my two favourites before I made it out to the coop. Thoughtful guy

I looked at neem oil at my local farm store and the label had all sorts of warnings about inhaling, getting it on your skin, in your eyes etc. this worried me as I figure the birds are more sensitive than me. Am I being over cautious here? Does everyone else's have this label?

I use it. I neem oil all of my tree branches before I put them in the coop.(except once and I got mites) Mine also have the warnings. I would never use a spray in the coop while the chickens were occupying that coop. (I have 3 coops)

Quote: Sorry you went threw this..it is very important that you share your story so people understand bio security.

I should add - she tried to find a vet that knew anything about chickens. Of course, in a farming community, most people would just cull a sick bird and go on with life so I don't think there's much of a market for a chicken vet. She never found one but one vet prescribed an antibiotic to put in her water to see if it would help.

Right now she's doing a mister with oxine in it.

From what she describes, this bird is on death's door and I don't want to go over to examine her as I don't want to carry anything home.

What kind of fee did they charge you to do the necropsy?

If you tell me your State I can find one for you and the fees. Most States are very reasonable or free.

 

[delisha]

Justine, your niece is very cute

Shawn..great outcome on the hatch

 

[loveourbirds]

I'm on cloud 9.

My niece was born today at 9:15, weighing in at 6 lbs 13oz and is the most beautiful baby in the world. She is much cuter than her brother was.

congrats! beautiful little girl.

 

[MumsyII]

More weirdness happening in my corner of the world. Bonney the silkie broody decided to leave her clutch after two and a half weeks and took Posey's chicks. I removed the nest box from Posey's pen and gave Bonney a chance to go back to sitting. She did not. So I booted her out the barn door with the Silkie flock and ran in the house with the eight eggs to candle and get into an incubator as quick as possible. Two hours later I went outside again and went into the barn to check Posey and her chicks. It was at this moment I saw my mistake. Posey wasn't sitting on chicks! It was Bonney! I had mistakenly booted Posey out of the barn. Bonney was as happy as could be on those five chicks. Posey was running around outside with the flock like nothing had happened! *Gah!* So I took Posey back into the pen and the two hens are sharing mothering duties. I have eight viable eggs in the Genesis in the house and eleven chicks in the brooder. Eight surviving with broodies. On top of all this madness, Judy the Broody stepped on and killed one of her four silkie chicks. DL is not good in this situation. Judy likes to dig it up and the Sikie chicks have a hard time keeping their footing with those five little toes on each foot. The brooder Silkies are thriving and growing like crazy. I hope the eight eggs I saved will hatch soon (no idea how long they've been under a hen) and I will slip them under Bonney.

I use Neem oil on my perches also. I don't do it when any birds are in the barn or pens. I open all doors for good ventilation too.

Baby pictures are cute. People and chicks. Congrats Justine.

My Oxine came yesterday. Got to figure out how to mix it now so I can clean the chick/brooder house.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I should add - she tried to find a vet that knew anything about chickens. Of course, in a farming community, most people would just cull a sick bird and go on with life so I don't think there's much of a market for a chicken vet. She never found one but one vet prescribed an antibiotic to put in her water to see if it would help.

Right now she's doing a mister with oxine in it.

From what she describes, this bird is on death's door and I don't want to go over to examine her as I don't want to carry anything home.

What kind of fee did they charge you to do the necropsy?

If you tell me your State I can find one for you and the fees. Most States are very reasonable or free.
INDIANA (North)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well...I've messaged PigeonGuy 3 times now with no response. I hope he's just on vacation

 

[aoxa]

Thanks Justine, it was awful. Who ever thought I would cry over chickens?

However, like all hard experiences we learned a valuable lesson and hope to pass that lesson on.

Shan, if you weren't so far away, I'd send you some chicks.

 

[aoxa]

More weirdness happening in my corner of the world. Bonney the silkie broody decided to leave her clutch after two and a half weeks and took Posey's chicks. I removed the nest box from Posey's pen and gave Bonney a chance to go back to sitting. She did not. So I booted her out the barn door with the Silkie flock and ran in the house with the eight eggs to candle and get into an incubator as quick as possible. Two hours later I went outside again and went into the barn to check Posey and her chicks. It was at this moment I saw my mistake. Posey wasn't sitting on chicks! It was Bonney! I had mistakenly booted Posey out of the barn. Bonney was as happy as could be on those five chicks. Posey was running around outside with the flock like nothing had happened! *Gah!* So I took Posey back into the pen and the two hens are sharing mothering duties. I have eight viable eggs in the Genesis in the house and eleven chicks in the brooder. Eight surviving with broodies. On top of all this madness, Judy the Broody stepped on and killed one of her four silkie chicks. DL is not good in this situation. Judy likes to dig it up and the Sikie chicks have a hard time keeping their footing with those five little toes on each foot. The brooder Silkies are thriving and growing like crazy. I hope the eight eggs I saved will hatch soon (no idea how long they've been under a hen) and I will slip them under Bonney.

I use Neem oil on my perches also. I don't do it when any birds are in the barn or pens. I open all doors for good ventilation too.

Baby pictures are cute. People and chicks. Congrats Justine.

My Oxine came yesterday. Got to figure out how to mix it now so I can clean the chick/brooder house.

I find the silkies do much better with silkies as moms. I witnessed a barred rock step on and kill a baby in front of me. it was SO sad. it must have broken it's neck. It gasped for 15 seconds and went limp.

I have some adorable new broody silkie chicks to share here. One was sitting with it's legs way out front and I splinted SUCCESSFULLY! I was so happy!

I do have a gimpy silkie chick I've dubbed Dumpling after your disabled girl. It shall be Margaret's BFF!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Photos, aoxa!