The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[MargaretYakoda]

http://www.shaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=00015

Interesting read on the stuff being used by these folks:
http://homesteadletters.com/?p=970

How does this soap compare to Dr Bronner's? I'm thinking specifically the unscented liquid soap like this one: http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/OLBA02/BabyMildLiquidSoap.htm

 

[Leahs Mom]

MY -

I don't know about the Dr. Bronners. I think the main thing is the surfactants and I'm thinking they wouldn't be in the Dr. Bronners. You could try contacting them to see what they say about that but I think it's a totally different soap-making process.

So far I haven't heard of anyone using it that way.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote: I'd like to know that too. I have a hen that poops quite a few of these.

 

[lalaland]

watery poops are a symptom of lots of things, including worms.

I heard soapy dishwater for the hens, a old farmwive's method for worming or keeping the hens healthy and to make use of the little bit of food that would be in there from cleaning dishes.

I used bronners last year, didn't think about the surfectant? I thought all soap was a surfectant?

 

[lalaland]

HAWK ATTACK!!!
flock was free ranging, heard a ruckus, ran out the door to see chickens scattering everywhere and a hawk pinning Jezebel, my molting ee, to the ground. I screamed and screamed while running and the hawk let go and took off. Jezebel is heavy, so I don't think the hawk could have carried her. I think if I hadn't been there he would have just bit through her neck and eaten her there.

She has a puncture wound on one side, and a inch and a half rip on the other side. WHile I was chasing the hawk, she buried herself in a rosebush. I put nustock on both wounds, letting the puncture wound bleed a little first, and put her in the chick brooder with electrolytes and food. I hope keeping her quiet and feeling safe will help her settle down. I will probably let her be with the flock tomorrow if she is doing ok.

Some of the hens ran into a blackberry bramble patch - wedged themselves in, nestled in the ground, and stayed put. I mean, stayed in place for 4 hours. I finally shooed them out, and they beelined in a panic to the coop. One hen stayed missing for most of the day, and came pounding up to the run about an hour ago.

I put the fencing up in the run, so they now can only go under the coop or in the hawk enclosure (roofed wtih fencing, surrounded by fencing. I hate to keep them cooped up that way, but the hawk will be back.

There is a 5 foot wide, 10 foot long walkway or path that isn't roofed - the hawk would have to drop down and walk under the trailer into the hawk enclosure. It could happen, but odds are not good.

So now I have two hens in sickbay!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

HAWK ATTACK!!!
flock was free ranging, heard a ruckus, ran out the door to see chickens scattering everywhere and a hawk pinning Jezebel, my molting ee, to the ground. I screamed and screamed while running and the hawk let go and took off. Jezebel is heavy, so I don't think the hawk could have carried her. I think if I hadn't been there he would have just bit through her neck and eaten her there.

She has a puncture wound on one side, and a inch and a half rip on the other side. WHile I was chasing the hawk, she buried herself in a rosebush. I put nustock on both wounds, letting the puncture wound bleed a little first, and put her in the chick brooder with electrolytes and food. I hope keeping her quiet and feeling safe will help her settle down. I will probably let her be with the flock tomorrow if she is doing ok.

Some of the hens ran into a blackberry bramble patch - wedged themselves in, nestled in the ground, and stayed put. I mean, stayed in place for 4 hours. I finally shooed them out, and they beelined in a panic to the coop. One hen stayed missing for most of the day, and came pounding up to the run about an hour ago.

I put the fencing up in the run, so they now can only go under the coop or in the hawk enclosure (roofed wtih fencing, surrounded by fencing. I hate to keep them cooped up that way, but the hawk will be back.

There is a 5 foot wide, 10 foot long walkway or path that isn't roofed - the hawk would have to drop down and walk under the trailer into the hawk enclosure. It could happen, but odds are not good.

So now I have two hens in sickbay!

Shade cloth works really well for the "walkway" zones of a covered pen...lets rain through and won't blow around as much as a tarp. Snow might bring it down though.

Good thing you were able to save her!

 

[Pozees]

Lala - sometimes it seems like the fun will never end, doesn't it?

Karen - sorry, I hadn't read your original post carefully enough. Fingers crossed she pulls through.

 

[aoxa]

HAWK ATTACK!!!
flock was free ranging, heard a ruckus, ran out the door to see chickens scattering everywhere and a hawk pinning Jezebel, my molting ee, to the ground. I screamed and screamed while running and the hawk let go and took off. Jezebel is heavy, so I don't think the hawk could have carried her. I think if I hadn't been there he would have just bit through her neck and eaten her there.

She has a puncture wound on one side, and a inch and a half rip on the other side. WHile I was chasing the hawk, she buried herself in a rosebush. I put nustock on both wounds, letting the puncture wound bleed a little first, and put her in the chick brooder with electrolytes and food. I hope keeping her quiet and feeling safe will help her settle down. I will probably let her be with the flock tomorrow if she is doing ok.

Some of the hens ran into a blackberry bramble patch - wedged themselves in, nestled in the ground, and stayed put. I mean, stayed in place for 4 hours. I finally shooed them out, and they beelined in a panic to the coop. One hen stayed missing for most of the day, and came pounding up to the run about an hour ago.

I put the fencing up in the run, so they now can only go under the coop or in the hawk enclosure (roofed wtih fencing, surrounded by fencing. I hate to keep them cooped up that way, but the hawk will be back.

There is a 5 foot wide, 10 foot long walkway or path that isn't roofed - the hawk would have to drop down and walk under the trailer into the hawk enclosure. It could happen, but odds are not good.

So now I have two hens in sickbay!

The hawks were an issue for me up until the end of September, but now they have moved on.. Noticing more attacks being mentioned in the US now.

Glad you were there to rescue her! She will be fine. Had a pullet with a 2 inch tear in her neck and recovered no problem after the hawk attack. Watch the puncture wound more carefully.

 

[zinia8]

[COLOR=FF0000]HAWK ATTACK!!![/COLOR]
flock was free ranging, heard a ruckus, ran out the door to see chickens scattering everywhere and a hawk pinning Jezebel, my molting ee, to the ground.  I screamed and screamed while running and the hawk let go and took off.  Jezebel is heavy, so I don't think the hawk could have carried her.   I think if I hadn't been there he would have just bit through her neck and eaten her there.

She has a puncture wound on one side, and a inch and a half rip on the other side.  WHile I was chasing the hawk, she buried herself in a rosebush.   I put nustock on both wounds, letting the puncture wound bleed a little first, and put her in the chick brooder with electrolytes and food.  I hope keeping her quiet and feeling safe will help her settle down.  I will probably let her be with the flock tomorrow if she is doing ok.

Some of the hens ran into a blackberry bramble patch - wedged themselves in, nestled in the ground, and stayed put.  I mean, stayed in place for 4 hours.  I finally shooed them out, and they beelined in a panic to the coop.    One hen stayed missing for most of the day, and came pounding up to the run about an hour ago.  

I put the fencing up in the run, so they now can only go under the coop or in the hawk enclosure (roofed wtih fencing, surrounded by fencing.  I hate to keep them cooped up that way, but the hawk will be back.  

There is a 5 foot wide, 10 foot long walkway or path that isn't roofed - the hawk would have to drop down and walk under the trailer into the hawk enclosure.  It could happen, but odds are not good.

So now I have two hens in sickbay!

hoping things start to get better for you and your flock.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

watery poops are a symptom of lots of things, including worms.

I heard soapy dishwater for the hens, a old farmwive's method for worming or keeping the hens healthy and to make use of the little bit of food that would be in there from cleaning dishes.

I used bronners last year, didn't think about the surfectant? I thought all soap was a surfectant?

She's recently dewormed so maybe not worms..I'll have to do more research. Oh, with all due respect, the last thing that I would give would be dish soap.