The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Hmmm I know a few of you are on the heritage large fowl thread. Can you get on it to see it?

I get this when I click on it

I was on there this morning with no problem

From Wynette (moderator)
Folks, Don't worry! It's not gone permanently!!

Robert Blosl had a specific goal in mind when he started this thread and in honor of his memory, we just need to stop and do a bit of housekeeping in the thread. It will be returned soon.

Meanwhile, there are lots of other threads for discussion on any number of topics.

Thanks for your patience!

 

[delisha]

Ok..my brother in law brought over a bunch of straw a few weeks ago and I checked it for mites..no mites..today I put a bale in the coop and I have a bunch of sneezing birds. Should i spray it down tomorrow if they are still sneezing or pull it all out? I do have Oxine.

 

[Scott H]

Make sure to share your recipe.

Easy! Poultry feed + water + time.

Logistics are trickier ...

What are the benefits? Probiotics?

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok..my brother in law brought over a bunch of straw a few weeks ago and I checked it for mites..no mites..today I put a bale in the coop and I have a bunch of sneezing birds. Should i spray it down tomorrow if they are still sneezing or pull it all out? I do have Oxine.

Maybe it was dusty and them stirring it up is making them sneeze?

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks Aoxa I didn't get that message but I figured the admins were up to something on it lol

 

[Pozees]

Maybe it was dusty and them stirring it up is making them sneeze?

That would be my first thought, but the dust could be mold dust. I would spray down with Oxine, in fact maybe pull out to spray and let dry in the sun if the sun is out, then put back into the coop.

 

[aoxa]

Ok..my brother in law brought over a bunch of straw a few weeks ago and I checked it for mites..no mites..today I put a bale in the coop and I have a bunch of sneezing birds. Should i spray it down tomorrow if they are still sneezing or pull it all out? I do have Oxine.

Pull it all out. Oxine will kill all the good bacteria in the deep litter.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

What are the benefits? Probiotics?

A few pages up is more of a discussion, with some links to the BYC threads on fermenting and a great article over at a website called Natural Chicken Keeping that has a three part article with links to lots of outside source information.

The longest thread on this topic here is Fermenting Feed For Meat Birds ...

Basically fermenting the feed helps pre-digest the otherwise difficult-to-digest or indigestible parts of feed so that more of the nutrients in the feed are available to be absorbed by the bird. Also, you're right, the fermentation process puts "good stuff" in the feed that help with intestinal health of the bird so the bird has more ability to absorb nutrients. It is also supposed to help with nicer poo. It also helps keep birds hydrated as it is fed moist. There are all kinds of claims about how amazing fermented feed is, and even some research to support those claims.

Another benefit is economic ... after an adjustment phase, birds start eating less.

 

[ki4got]

Make sure to share your recipe!

Girls are happily free ranging the yard today. We had a 50dg day yesterday and almost all the snow has melted off. High of 33dg today and a pretty stiff breeze so I went out and put a candle on their roost to see if there were any drafts in my experimental "open air coop". Soon as I got it in there the breeze died down to gentle....I see no movement of the flame but I'm waiting to see if the winds will pick up again for a better test. The pop door is closed so the girls can't warm themselves by the mini campfire. Any one have an idea on how to make the candle smokier so I can see where it's going?

An eagle was out in front of the house today but i think our yard is too tight with brush and trees to worry about him. Eagles are very risk vs. reward birds and there is too much risk to try for our birds....I hope.
Lows tonight are to be in the mid teens as an Arctic front is settling in which means cold clear spell for the foreseeable future.

Our SLW is doing a soft molt....her head is slowly going bald but I saw on the roost that she tucks her baldness under her wing.
I know this is the "Natural Chicken Keeping Thread" so don't run me for this...

If I was fighting little beasties (mites, lice, etc), that threaten the wellness and lives of my birds, and the natural techniques were not cutting it, I would use any available proven, safe method to get them off my birds. Sevin dusting and Ivermectin come to mind. They use Ivermectin in people and it's extremely safe but that's just me. Don't yell at me.....

i agree... if the parasites are bad enough to threaten the health of the birds, and other methods haven't worked, I agree, use what will work NOW, and once the problem is gone then switch to the more natural methods to maintain it.

 

[Scott H]

So standard feeders, the gravity type, probably won't work with this feed?