The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Rnbwbrite1207]

lalaland

"I'ld like to invent a warm nest for them to lay in so there would be a chance of getting eggs that are intact."

Try a reptile mat in your nest box, the sell them at pet stores

 

[Leahs Mom]

lalaland

"I'ld like to invent a warm nest for them to lay in so there would be a chance of getting eggs that are intact."

Try a reptile mat in your nest box, the sell them at pet stores

Have you used those in the coop before?

Last year when I had chicks outside hatching on New Year's weekend, I was looking at those and at the dog house/cat house mats thinking one of them may make a warmer floor. But what the said about the dog/cat mats was that they were weight activated...they came on when they felt the weight of the animal on them. So I figured those wouldn't work since they likely wouldn't detect the weight of a chick.

 

[lalaland]

I would goop it up with Nustock when he is roosting at night, I wonder if he got it wet when drinking?

There's an article on frostbite that may help.

But I do have a question...... I'm thinking it might not be the best idea to bring them inside during this weather for treatment. Seems like too much of a temperature change.

I have to take a look at "Mister" today. I think the top of his comb is looking suspect too.

I guess I could goop it up, just not sure what that would accomplish. RIght now there is no bleeding, the comb is intact and has just changed color. I imagine it is possible it is still frozen as it has been subzero for days. He has a little color change on the edges of his wattles from drinking, but he couldn't get his head comb in the water without dunking his head.

I did read that article, but agree that bringing him indoors where it is a 70 degree difference isn't going to be helpful to him.

I am keeping a good eye on him. I've read that roosters with huge combs aren't great for cold climates for obvious reasons, and that if it doesn't become infected, the areas may turn black and will just fall off. yuck.

THink the dangerous part for him, if there is any danger, is when the temps go above freezing and he starts to thaw more. I will be sure to nustock him when there appears to be a warmup.

right now, subzero is the new norm and will be for the coming week.

 

[aoxa]

There's an article on frostbite that may help.

But I do have a question...... I'm thinking it might not be the best idea to bring them inside during this weather for treatment. Seems like too much of a temperature change.

I have to take a look at "Mister" today. I think the top of his comb is looking suspect too.

I'd like to suggest if you guys have temps that cold, use dry feed. Especially with boys that have large wattles. I find the moisture in the feed does not help prevent frost bite at all.

I use coconut oil on frost bite. If it isn't too severe, I ignore it.

I have a barred rock who slept outside one night and has it on the tips. If they get frost bite they are unshowable. Just an FYI..

I haven't had more than the tips frost bitten. It isn't ALL about moisture in the coop. If they go outside they can somehow get moisture on their comb and if it as cold as Lala's place, it will freeze instantly.

 

[TeaChick]

I think it would depend on the temperament of your chickens and the broody.I wouldn't worry about that with our chickens because they are generally pretty laid back.

Yeah, but with Sandy pecking Beauty every chance she gets... I guess I'll keep trying to figure out who's at the top off the pecking order and see what happens when the time comes.

In what circumstances WOULD you remove a bloody?
I mean to prevent a problem ( I don't want to lose eggs, chicks, or hens).

 

[TeaChick]

When I had my first, I took the advice to move her, did so, sat for 10 days and moved back to the nest she liked. Ugh, lost that clutch. Went to town and got new chicks and put them under her, and she raised them in the flock with no introduction issues, convinced me that nothing was more fun than a hen with chicks, and being the brooder is much better left to being a hen.

I have nest boxes that really only permit one hen at a time. And every time I have had a broody hen, she was the meanest thing in the coop.....even if she had been quite docile before that. So I just leave them alone.... and so do the layers. I don't get her off her nest, but I don't lock her on a nest either. Most of the time, I just leave them alone and see what happens.

If you catch her off the nest, that is a good time to mark the eggs. One really does not want new eggs being added, as that will cause you to lose most of the clutch. If that is a problem, I would leave the broody, and put nesting boxes outside the coop in the run and make the layers lay there. You might have to lock them out for a few days till they will use the other nests. A lot of people candle the eggs, which is not a bad idea, but you have to bother the hen to do so, and I don't do that.

In my experience, and I have had 5 hens raise clutches in the flock, I get one a year, the most DANGERous time is day 20. What can happen is that some eggs will hatch a couple of hours ahead of the other chicks. They get dried off, and go out to see the world. The broody hen is still trying to get the rest to hatch, and the layers will kill the new chick. So again, maybe even on day 19, I lock the layers out of the coup. Now this always happens to me in May/June so the weather is not a problem. I always have roosts in my run and in my coop, so that is not a problem. Once all the eggs have hatched that are going to hatch (don't try and peek, that upsets the hen) then the broody hen will stand guard over her chicks.

In my experience, my hen always leaves the hatching nest, and builds a new clean one on the floor of the coop. When the chicks are just a week-10 days old, I make sure that there is a wide board a couple of feet off the ground, so that mama and chicks can roost, and still get under mama if needed. The urge to roost is a strong one, and can cause the hen to leave the chicks, if you don't provide this board.

When with the flock, they will be a separate unit. The broody hen will position herself between the layers and the chicks. The chicks learn quickly to stay near mama and away from the layers. The layers may give them a peck, but mama will take their heads off, and they quickly back down. When the chicks are less than 4 weeks old, they are part of the flock (althoughbeit, a submissive part) and the layers pretty much ignore them.

I will always keep a few breeds that are broody breeds, because I love to have chicks this way. Now, you need to realize, that you might not get those perfect hatching rates, and there maybe some chicks that don't thrive, but if you leave it alone, the chicks that do live, will be athletic, healthy, and energetic chicks and hens. My mama bird brings them out of the coop within 2 days, and they are out climbing over grass and sticks, eating bugs at that time.

Mrs K

Oh, thank you so much!!! This is extremely helpful!

 

[Alibabe]

Hi all
I have been battling with my girls for a while beginning with red mite to a respiratory infection which hopefully are all now cleared.

The coop, run and the garden have been cleaned and disinfected. They have been treated for mites contineously so should all be healthy (cannot find anything on them or the coop or at the end of their feather shafts) but now a couple of them have swollen ankle joints.


Their perches were about 4 foot high and I noticed that a couple of them seemed to limp after jumping off the perches so the only thing I can think of is that they have injured themselves jumping from such a height.

So.....I have lowered their perches to just on 16 inches from the floor, put Ropadiar (oregano tonic for poultry) in their water but 3 of them have swollen ankels that are warm to the touch but no scab or hardness in the foot pads. I was thinking that by doing what I have should eliminate any further injury from jumping, infection should be helped by the ropadiar tonic but here is what I am not sure of.......

Is there a natural anti inflamatory that I can give them to help reduce the swelling and assist them to heal or am I looking at a vet visit?

Any and all help greatly appreciated.

 

[TeaChick]

@ Delisha:
( sorry can't quote on mobile at the moment)

I like the idea of not moving the brood hen. I prefer not to tamper with nature.

Be careful about making decisions. I wouldn't say that emotional decisions are always wrong, but they're not always right either.
I think the best way to make a decision is to figure out first what criteria are most important to you.
If you just can't bare losing that rooster right now because of what you've been through with the others, then not culling him right now is the best decision for you to make right now.
If you were just being emotional about a useless bird, that might be a bad decision.
If your postponing culling him until you are emotionally ready, that may be what is best for you and it's not likely to be that bad for your flock.

The on with the fewest scars. Lol
One of those times that common sense actually applies to chickens. Ha ha ha!

 

[TeaChick]

I have 3 Speckled Sussex hens and 1 Dark Cornish hen. Still only getting 1 egg a day, but check out the egg I got today!

She's been saving up!!! lol

 

[TeaChick]

Broody hens amongst a flock are usually able to defend themselves and their chicks, but as pointed out, every flock has its own unique dynamics. I have a pen of Silkies that regularly raises chicks, and usually the first hen to decide to brood is joined by one or more of her pen mates. When the chicks hatch all take part in care, even the cock bird, and I have never seen one attacked once she decides to brood. These are Silkies, though, and not all breeds/strains will behave the same, so you have to monitor the dynamics in your own flock and determine the best course of action for each particular instance. If I saw a broody being attacked I would separate her and her clutch immediately.

Okay. Thank you. This makes sense.
Wow! A cock caring for chicks. Cool!
I will keep an eye on them. I think my JG is moving up in the pecking order, so by spring, she might not have any trouble from the Comets (we'll see how insecure they are at that time though.)
Thank you very much!!!