The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bill Matthews]

To Jockeyeba: It's really amazing the many different people who raise chickens....If my recollection serves me correctly, Beduino was a Mexican Bred Thoroughbred who was raced against Quarter Horses...Became the most successful QH sire ever around 1983-86...He was foaled in late 1960's and is long gone... He was unusual not for the fact he could beat QH's but that he descended from world champion thoroughbreds who excelled at distance races as well as sprints...His sire line was the Nearco-Nasrullah line on top and I believe Bold Venture and Blenheim in the maternal...There are many outstanding stallions still active that descend from Beduino....Most stand in the Southwest I would guess...Good Luck and take care..

 

[delisha]

First Egg!! One of my White Leghorns. Charity--how apropos!

Congrats!!! First eggs are always so exciting..
I had first GLO egg and I am pretty excited too..

 

[BlueMouse]

I don't have electricity in my coop either. I gave them fresh water twice a day. Everyone was fine.

 

[uglychickens]

Up in pa we just went down to the dollar tree and picked up one of those cheap water fountains... It kept the water moving making it less lickly to freeze

 

[lazy gardener]

chickens do not have sweat glands
I do not know what they have..it might be hormonal glands like dogs and cats have for marking. Most animals that scratch are marking territory and showing alpha tendency's.

Have you ever smelled the pads on a cat's feet? (I know, call me weird). Cat's feet smell like popcorn... Unless they've just been in the litter box!!!

 

[armorfirelady]

 

chickens do not have sweat glands

I do no know what they have..it might be hormonal glands like dogs and cats have for marking. Most animals that scratch are marking territory and showing alpha tendency's.

I wonder if that gland is how they sense vibration?

Might be..

 
chickens do not have sweat glands
I do not know what they have..it might be hormonal glands like dogs and cats have for marking. Most animals that scratch are marking territory and showing alpha tendency's.

Have you ever smelled the pads on a cat's feet?  (I know, call me weird).  Cat's feet smell like popcorn...  Unless they've just been in the litter box!!!

Delisha you know that makes a lot of sense I'm bumblefoot being a plugged gland. Never thought of it like that. Mrs greens feet are healing slowly. The plastic baggy cover is keeping the foot pads clean even after 2 days of rain and mud. Tuesday I am going to soak her feet again and try and remove the scabs more and see if that speeds up healing. I don't want to have to come up with a winter version of booties cuz she still needs treatment.

And yes I did just smell my cats feet & they do smell like popcorn. Did you know a dogs feet smell like corn chips?

 

[Leahs Mom]

First Egg!! One of my White Leghorns. Charity--how apropos!

Yay!

Up in pa we just went down to the dollar tree and picked up one of those cheap water fountains... It kept the water moving making it less lickly to freeze

Can you show a photo? I have long thought that moving water would be worth trying. If you don't have a photo of yours, can you find something online that is similar?

I wish I could just change my water out a couple times a day like those that don't heat it. Since I'm at work, I need a different way.

 

[armorfirelady]

Leah's mom I just use a heated dog bowl for the water. I work to but I carry a just of water out to change it before work them again when I get home. I'm kind of curious if I put it in a cooler if it would freeze or not since its insulated? Might try it If I remember lol
Wouldn't it be cool if they made a solar powered something to keep it warm?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'll bet something could be rigged to wk with solar. I am going to learn more about that solar freezer so when I talk to that guy, maybe I'll ask him how to make a regular plug-in thing able to run on a solar generator. Shouldn't be that hard... But I know NOTHING about electricity.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I'll bet something could be rigged to wk with solar. I am going to learn more about that solar freezer so when I talk to that guy, maybe I'll ask him how to make a regular plug-in thing able to run on a solar generator. Shouldn't be that hard... But I know NOTHING about electricity.

I don't know much either but if a door opener for the coop can bee hooked up to a battery charged by solar power then a maybe a heater dish could be plugged into something powered by solar power. But there are some days when we don't get much sun in the winter. Not too bad if a door does not open but if the water freezes unexpectedly that would be worse.