The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

fyi, I came home to my banty, mrs murphy, having a full crop. so no culling for her tonight. has a very very crooked keel. now I have to go research what that means for her.

Yeah Mrs. Murphy!!! FYI my hen Mole broke her keel trying to fly from my upper deck to my lower patio... she has a big ZIG ZAG in the middle of her chest and she has been fine with it .... Hoping this means Mrs. Murphy is on the mend!!!

 

[aaggjg]

So I took Nugget to the vet to have her eye looked at.... I told the vet the concern that she might have eye worms. She got out her light and magnifying glass and took a close look at the eye but didn't see anything. She said the eye looked totally normal, no signs of worms, and that there is no discharge etc etc... So her thought is that she injured it somehow. She gave me some drops to put in the eye to help with the swelling. So I am hoping that it will start to go down. She still runs and hides the minute she sees me and SCREAMS bloody murder when I pick her up to administer the drops.... I bought some mealworms to bribe her and try to make her remember she likes me ... but she likes me as long as I have them and then she remembers I'm the meanie who puts drops in her eye. She did venture out into the garden with the girls this morning with the other girls and doesn't seem to be walking backwards anymore, So I am hoping this means her eye is starting to heal... Today's picture of her giving me the stink eye from the stairs and hiding in the FAR corner of the run under the coop!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I put my feed in glass containers for the regular feeders.

During the summer I was tossing some out on the ground in the afternoon and they did eat it up. What they avoid as long as possible are the legumes. Never had any problems with them eating everything. But when I put it on the ground I try to put in grass. But they have also eaten it off the wood chips too.

peas are the last thing eaten when I toss out leftover supper veggies. I caught my 5 yr old taking frozen peas out there this afternoon.

 

[Kassaundra]

So I took Nugget to the vet to have her eye looked at.... I told the vet the concern that she might have eye worms. She got out her light and magnifying glass and took a close look at the eye but didn't see anything. She said the eye looked totally normal, no signs of worms, and that there is no discharge etc etc... So her thought is that she injured it somehow. She gave me some drops to put in the eye to help with the swelling. So I am hoping that it will start to go down. She still runs and hides the minute she sees me and SCREAMS bloody murder when I pick her up to administer the drops.... I bought some mealworms to bribe her and try to make her remember she likes me ... but she likes me as long as I have them and then she remembers I'm the meanie who puts drops in her eye. She did venture out into the garden with the girls this morning with the other girls and doesn't seem to be walking backwards anymore, So I am hoping this means her eye is starting to heal... Today's picture of her giving me the stink eye from the stairs and hiding in the FAR corner of the run under the coop!!

I have a question, do you know that it is abnormal for her? When you posted pics of both sides they both looked the same to me. I was just at a friends house this week and she had a cochin boy he had that same "saucer" type look around his eyes, and he has always been that way from hatch according to my friend and healthy. I don't mean that all cochins eyes are like that, but that there may be some genetic mutation or trait that shows up in some individuals?

 

[aaggjg]

I have a question, do you know that it is abnormal for her? When you posted pics of both sides they both looked the same to me. I was just at a friends house this week and she had a cochin boy he had that same "saucer" type look around his eyes, and he has always been that way from hatch according to my friend and healthy. I don't mean that all cochins eyes are like that, but that there may be some genetic mutation or trait that shows up in some individuals?

Well the one side is definitely bigger then the other ... and she was walking strange favoring her right side and backing up ... I'll look at older pictures of her to see what is normal...

 

[Leahs Mom]

So I took Nugget to the vet to have her eye looked at.... I told the vet the concern that she might have eye worms. She got out her light and magnifying glass and took a close look at the eye but didn't see anything. She said the eye looked totally normal, no signs of worms, and that there is no discharge etc etc... So her thought is that she injured it somehow. She gave me some drops to put in the eye to help with the swelling.

What are the drops she gave you?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Kass - I have sprouts! First experimental bag s/b ready tomorrow

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Kass - I have sprouts! First experimental bag s/b ready tomorrow

do these sprouts have a smell or anything to attract bugs, I might try it with the paint strainers. Those things are typically cheap.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
If your flock is really small you could do the easy countertop sprouting. But...they smell like fresh growing, well, sprouts!

And yes, they could possibly draw fruit-flies. But the smell is almost like fresh, young lettuce.

 

[delisha]

fyi, I came home to my banty, mrs murphy, having a full crop. so no culling for her tonight. has a very very crooked keel. now I have to go research what that means for her.

I would not worry about her keel..it could be from lack of nutrients or hereditary and should not in-peed her progress. It sounds like she is on the mend.

Quote: Mine never do, but I do not sprout very many..maybe a lb of grains max. Smells like plants smell.