The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[FoxThicketFarm]

I'm also hesitant on using the sulfur unless it is an emergency situation that requires drastic measures. I am kind-of leaning more toward letting them dust in things that they would naturally choose... I like having several alternatives so that if they wouldn't choose to use it, they have something else.

Just my philosophy and .02

Totally. I'm usually very chemically averse. I do not use chlorine in my life at all, for instance. Hardly any plastic, mostly glass, etc. I started thinking about it since sulfur is the active ingredient in NuStock. Then, more reading, people used to use sulfur topically all the time... It's what gives sulfur springs their healing powers... Also, woodashes contain lye if they get wet. So they aren't completely without harshness, either, yknow?

My birds have some bad mites right now. I'm feeling some pressure to get them in better health bf it gets cold.

 

[FoxThicketFarm]

Thank you for that post!

-Can you give a link to show the bobble-head you have?
-Both you and Aoxa said more roosters and that is the plan for next spring. Just my one boy for now.
-So, no chicks in Fall, but how early in the spring? I'm guessing that the hawks are migrating back north sometime in the spring but not sure the busy time.

And, yes..so far I've only broody hatched and it is at the discretion of mamma. She want broody in November last year; August this year. Maybe her cycle will keep her moving back 3 months and she'll be ready in May


I've always been hesitant to put up fake raptors because of some of the reasons you stated and I wondered if it would desensitize them to the real thing. There is just that little caution in me on that.

Did you keep the bobble up even with multiple roosters?

http://www.gemplers.com/product/G73...=G73500&ef_id=Ue1j2QAABKDZvXpn20131021031846s

This looks like my owl exactly. In fact, based on what I paid, I suspect my feed store bought it from this website. Doh! Mine is named Sergei.

 

[lalaland]

Justine, those are beautiful pics. love seeing the rooster on alert, just watching. I think you and byc should get together - a new prize for one of their contests could be a visit to the flock to be photographed by you!

 

[lalaland]

Very cool,thx for reposting! I love the tone of that '56 pamphlet.

My girls are super mitey and at least one is gleety right now, I'm so ashamed. I don't have a helper and there are 29 birds, so dusting thoroughly enough with woodashes feels impossible. Also I don't have any woodashes atm. Planning to set them up with a woodash dusting box for the winter to maintain mitelessness, but feels like I need something else to achieve mitelessness in the first place. My girls take Epsom salt baths like champs, so if I can do a wet dip that would be awesome. How bad does it smell? Okay to do inside? Did you wear gloves? Eye protection? Did it feel awful on your skin? Did you dunk the birds heads?

There is apparently a long tradition of elemental sulfur applied topically on people for a variety of skin conditions. There were once many NuStocks, it seems. I'm curious about the efficacy/ safety of sulfur salts as opposed to elemental sulfur, too. Beloved Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, after all. There is a fertilizer salt, potassium sulfate, that gets used in people grade healing bath salts, but, again, I worry about the purity/safety of the stuff packaged for sale as fertilizer. I do like the idea of this $5 stuff you found...

I did it outside, as it was warm, and I didn't notice the smell - it is such a tiny amount of sulphur compared to nustock. Didn't wear eyeprotection, but I wear glasses, and my hands and wrists were really really dry afterwards. Next time I would be sure I had greased up my hands with cooking oil - you know, just made sure they were pretty well moisturized and oil isn't a bad protectant.

I would up the amount of dish soap a bit too, to help get thru the feathers. That was the hardest part, I felt as if the birds were absolutely waterproof! I did not dunk the heads but got them in deep enough that I could lower their neck into the water up to their ears. I "wiped" their heads combs and wattles with my wet finger hoping to leave a trace of sulphur behind.

It would be very difficult with 29 birds right now because of the cold - would think you would have to blow dry each one! If I were you, I'ld try the pinch of sulfur in the food. I noticed absolutely no change in the droppings or behavior of the chickens.

If you find out anything about sulfur salts v elemental sulfur, let me know!

For the gleety girl, I'ld do the sulphur salve thing right away. If you have sulphur on hand, it would be easy to just mix some up with some kind of carrier oil. I know some have made their own with pine tar but I'm thinking that is maybe more of a sticky agent than necessary as a treating ingredient. but who knows it could have some beneficial properties as well.

 

[aoxa]

Justine, those are beautiful pics. love seeing the rooster on alert, just watching. I think you and byc should get together - a new prize for one of their contests could be a visit to the flock to be photographed by you!

Thank you! That rooster has to be my all time favourite. He is the best guard for them against the hawks. ALWAYS on alert. He is never aggressive or testy with humans. He is in molt right now, so he's not looking the best - but I sure like him!

 

[RedRidge]

I have another hawk question for those of you that have wooded areas and experience.

Do hawks ever hunt IN THE WOODS?

As in, do they sit up in the trees and watch the ground and get food from there, or do they just hunt in open areas?

Absolutely!

 

[RedRidge]

Doomed. All our chickens are doomed.

Had them out a little while I was out there today. Momma is on high alert.

If I could I would gift each of you a maremma.... ALL of you...

so sorry

 

[aoxa]

If I could I would gift each of you a maremma.... ALL of you...

so sorry

Do they really stop hawks though? Clementine stopped dogs, raccoons, skunks, etc.. but never hawks.

She was Maremma x Great Pyr

 

[armorfirelady]

 
 If I could I would gift each of you a maremma.... ALL of you...   so sorry

Do they really stop hawks though? Clementine stopped dogs, raccoons, skunks, etc.. but never hawks.

She was Maremma x Great Pyr

I was going to ask the same thing. I knew the LGDs protect against ground predators but never thought about aerial ones?


Aoxa- your pic with the tons of chickens made me giggle. I always think getting swarmed by 8 hens is a lot.......I don't know how you guys walk with that many surrounding you

 

[aoxa]

Vicki, I tried, I really tried to keep the weight off of the two meaties I planned to keep - but they just got so big.. I am going to process them. Maybe keep two of the younger girls. They are growing MUCH MUCH slower. It's insane how slow they are growing compared to the first batch. Also their tails are upright..

9 weeks:



"how did them words get there?"
hehe

This one is 16 weeks. She's too fat yes? :| She's still running, but overheats even when it's mild out. I think she will make a nice Christmas dinner though.

She's also squatting.. Do these girls lay around 20 weeks?