The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

were your birds vaccined?

nope ....

 

[delisha]

Quote: do you have turkeys?

 

[BlueMouse]

Well.... I'm about ready to give up on this whole free ranging thing. Which means that I'm about to give up on this whole keeping laying hens thing... Lost TWO chickens today. Assuming to the fox. Both the cornish that I was keeping to breed from, and, much worse, the buff orpington chick that I hatched from my pair this spring. I'm down to my rooster, one hen, three pullets, and the cockerell that we're probably slaughtering in the fall with the turkeys. I'm so discouraged. Tried the game camera, a trap, walking my dog around the perimeter of the property. I've lost seven chickens in two months. Turkeys and meat birds are safe in their tractors. I don't have a run to shut the layers up, and I don't really want to keep my chickens confined to a run. With the way the shed we converted to a cook is situated there's no way for me to build a run that I would consider spacious enough, not to mention a fox proof bird containing run would be expensive. I'm at a loss. And heartbroken over the cheeplet.

 

[MumsyII]

Well.... I'm about ready to give up on this whole free ranging thing. Which means that I'm about to give up on this whole keeping laying hens thing... Lost TWO chickens today. Assuming to the fox. Both the cornish that I was keeping to breed from, and, much worse, the buff orpington chick that I hatched from my pair this spring. I'm down to my rooster, one hen, three pullets, and the cockerell that we're probably slaughtering in the fall with the turkeys. I'm so discouraged. Tried the game camera, a trap, walking my dog around the perimeter of the property. I've lost seven chickens in two months. Turkeys and meat birds are safe in their tractors. I don't have a run to shut the layers up, and I don't really want to keep my chickens confined to a run. With the way the shed we converted to a cook is situated there's no way for me to build a run that I would consider spacious enough, not to mention a fox proof bird containing run would be expensive. I'm at a loss. And heartbroken over the cheeplet.

OH....I'm so sorry to hear this frustrating news. Truly. Nothing can be quite so discouraging as predation on small flocks or large. With small flocks, the loss of one bird can be catastrophic.
Have your tried delisha's trick of ammonia balls stuck or hung in strategic places?
I don't have four legged predators yet but the day may come. I stock up on cheap tennis balls from the dollar store. The ones I buy come in little mesh bags. I tie twine to the bag and soak them (balls in the bag) in ammonia and can hang them anywhere around my property. My worry is the inevitable raccoon that will come snoodling around my barn someday. del has had great success deterring four legged predators using ammonia balls and I'm learning this technique from her.

 

[lalaland]

bluemouse, sorry to hear that. Once a fox finds your flock, I've never heard of anyone successfully free ranging without LGD's. I managed for 4 years, and then, had to build a run. It is time and epense to build a run, but you can make it as big as you can afford (fencing). Mine is bigger than my house, and has 5 fully mature pines in it, plus some other trees. I do lose a hen to hawks about once a year or so.

after 5 years half of the ground is bare dirt and in the half that still has grasses, all the edible weeds like dandelion and clover are long long gone. I don't think it will take that long for the last half to go, plus the dirt just doesn't seem healthy to me - if you dig into it, there aren't a lot of bugs.

I know it is time to plan on building a new coop and fence in another run. I'm lazy, I hate the idea of putting down new fenceline, and honestly, money is tight so it will take me a couple of years to be able to do this. So, time and money....but I am going to start collecting the stuff i'll need (fence, wire, posts, and a shed.

 

[RedRidge]

Raw milk used to start FF.

I am not sure how it would work with a batch started with ACV

.Raw milk put on top of the FF... you already have . It might turn into buttermilk really fast..lol The chickens would probably love it.

I use raw ACV to start FF... raw milk is WAY to valuable to feed chickens.

We charge $10/gal for our raw A2/A2 cow shares... $20/gal for our raw sheep's milk shares.
That's what we don't use ourselves (which is a lot)... and since I make a LOT of cheese, etc... anything we don't herd share has LOTS of human uses.

 

[lalaland]

ok, wish me luck everyone!

gonna be in the 90's today, so perfect to do the last sulphur dip, and clean out the coop. (yup, I really know how to have fun!).

the sulmtaler that wouldn't come out of the coop yesterday seemed ok after half a day in isolation, so I put her out with the rest of the flock. This morning, she stayed in again. I gave her food and water, and let her be, after eating she rejoined the flock and seems fine. Sulmtalers are very very docile, they make buff orpingtons seem like speed demons. Could be there is just too much commotion in the flock for her.

I still have to put multiple feeding stations around to allow everyone a chance to eat. I think those old poultry books really had it right when they said no matter what, don't mix docile breeds with agressive ones.

and mrs murphy stayed out all night in the pines again. was happy to see her this morning.

 

[nicole63021]

Well.... I'm about ready to give up on this whole free ranging thing. Which means that I'm about to give up on this whole keeping laying hens thing... Lost TWO chickens today. Assuming to the fox. Both the cornish that I was keeping to breed from, and, much worse, the buff orpington chick that I hatched from my pair this spring. I'm down to my rooster, one hen, three pullets, and the cockerell that we're probably slaughtering in the fall with the turkeys. I'm so discouraged. Tried the game camera, a trap, walking my dog around the perimeter of the property. I've lost seven chickens in two months. Turkeys and meat birds are safe in their tractors. I don't have a run to shut the layers up, and I don't really want to keep my chickens confined to a run. With the way the shed we converted to a cook is situated there's no way for me to build a run that I would consider spacious enough, not to mention a fox proof bird containing run would be expensive. I'm at a loss. And heartbroken over the cheeplet.

I don't know much about it, but some people have said they have good luck with predator pee. Wolf or coyote is supposed to be good for foxes. Again, I've never tried it, just another thought. So sorry for your losses.

 

[mlowen]

after 5 years half of the ground is bare dirt and in the half that still has grasses, all the edible weeds like dandelion and clover are long long gone. I don't think it will take that long for the last half to go, plus the dirt just doesn't seem healthy to me - if you dig into it, there aren't a lot of bugs. I know it is time to plan on building a new coop and fence in another run. I'm lazy, I hate the idea of putting down new fenceline, and honestly, money is tight so it will take me a couple of years to be able to do this. So, time and money....but I am going to start collecting the stuff i'll need (fence, wire, posts, and a shed.

You might try "deep litter"-ing your run. Just throw in any leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, etc. and that will build up the soil and attract good bugs. At least in the worst bare area. It might help & won't hurt. Some people also build little raised beds out of 2x4's and cover with chicken wire, to grow greenstuff. They can eat the greens but not scratch them up completely.

 

[armorfirelady]

Blue mouse sorry to hear about your losses. I have fox near me but the electric netting has kept them out of their forage area. It's a little pricey but well worth it and very simple to use and you can move it easily with one person. It can also be solar powered if your run/coop has no electric.

Lalala start throwing down grass clippings, weeds, leaves, pine needles, whatever you have in your bare areas. It will break down and replenish the nutrients in your soil. If you could block of a part for a few weeks you could throw down some seed and let it grow. I was thinking like the stuff you put in your garden when it's finished for the year (sorry I forgot the name of it) but clover would work also