The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

I found these ... Some could both scoop and strain ... Not sure how long it would take to drip the scoop "dry" enough. I've just been scooping the "settled" food from the bottom of the barrel into an empty bucket, then adding a little dry food to that to soak up any extra liquid.

http://americanhousewaresmfg.net/coated-strainers.html

they look nice, but probably pricey too... one of the fryer baskets looks large enough but hard to say. the ones in the link I posted are the same exact size of what I have, and they fit across a 2 gallon feed bucket quite nicely. they're 10" in diameter, plus an inch or so handle on each side.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
yes, they need power... don't know of any battery powered ones.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Re: fermented Feed Strainers ... I also found these ... Has anyone tried them? They don't cost much "each" ...

http://www.bayteccontainers.com/5-g..._content=pla&gclid=CKaTtIGYorsCFY9gfgodYlUAmQ

 

[Rnbwbrite1207]

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.

I have one in my nest box, my boxes are one box seperated into three. I put the heater under the box sandwiched between the wood and a second board to hold it. It is on a temperature timer with the water heater so it only comes on at freezing temp. It doesn't come on very often but it does work well.

 

[lindz8504]

Okay, I free range, so I'm lucky if I happen upon one of my hens when they're laying. I know that Goldie is laying light brown eggs and that Sandy (my lightest not white hen) is laying dark brown eggs (b/c I happened to catch them). I know that my JG, when she's laying, lays light brown eggs (the ones I've gotten haven't and known were hers weren't pink or pinkish). Who (between gold Comet, Jersey Giant, and Cochin [Bantam Frizzle]) is laying which egg here:

I would guess they are all comet eggs if you have more than one comet. I get a range from the pink to a dark terra cotta and a speckled from my comet girls. I would say the top 2 are definitely GC eggs, but not sure how many of each breed you have.

 

[lindz8504]

Here are my. G.comet eggs. All except the greens which are from my EE. And the two small creams are from my bantam cochin.

 

[ki4got]

Re: fermented Feed Strainers ... I also found these ... Has anyone tried them? They don't cost much "each" ...

http://www.bayteccontainers.com/5-g..._content=pla&gclid=CKaTtIGYorsCFY9gfgodYlUAmQ

I'm not sure how well they would work... the 600 micron (coarse) strainer would still be too fine IMO... that's .023 inches. or about .5 mm.

the strainers I have, the mesh is probably 1.5-2mm spacing.

 

[Kassaundra]

I figured OT meant off topic... aka anything goes. which it usually seems to LOL

Oh, ok now that makes sense I was wondering what the pics had to do w/ old timers lol lol The thread does meander a bit so can completely get why you thought off topic.

 

[CoopChick719]

A question about broody hens, etc.

When I had my first broody last February, I got a lot of good advice from the Old Fashioned Broody Hen thread which shares a lot of the same people on this thread. I left her in the coop w/the flock. My flock dynamics were different then. I had a roo, who was an excellent papa, showed the chicks where good food was & kept the mean girls from picking on them. My broody was at the top of the pecking order. Hoping to have a hatch in the spring but will have to watch my 5 RIRs. Not sure I'd trust them since my broody is a Sizzle and seems to be at the lower end of the pecking order now.

Oprah is not feeling better, just glad she made it through the night.
Weather is supposed to let up in a couple of days. Hopes she can make it one more night...
This has got to be brutal with half your feathers....she slept in a nesting box last night so no heat from her buddies.

Hi Scott, Can you stuff her nesting box w/extra bedding so she'll have something to snuggle in to? I will not complain about how cold it is after hearing your temps!!

HOORAY all 14 girls are on the roost tonight! I had 2 that were sleeping in the nesting boxes lately either by choice or by default. One thought she was broody. The other was being chased off the roost. Why does everyone want the same spot in the corner?? We have 2 corners, Ladies! I did put the 2 banty cochins on the roost and now they are tucked between 2 bigger girls--the same ones who chase them off the roost normally.

A couple days ago, I posted a ventilation question. Apparently I was not thinking straight or am directionally challenged. I do know that the sun rises in the East, I live in Maine for gosh sakes!! Soooo my coop is 8' x 12'. I have two 6"x6" vents in each gable end--North & South EAST & WEST. I have 2 sliding windows--a 2'x2' in the EAST end & a 2'x3' in the WEST end. Both windows are higher than the roost. Are the vents enough ventilation or should I leave one or both of the windows open and how much--a crack, halfway, wide open? Our night time temps have been in the mid 20's lately but can get into the negative digits throughout the winter.

Delisha, you had told me to crack the North window. Does your advice change now that that is the West window? Thank you for any help!!

 

[Alibabe]

May be scale mites. I would coat them with Nustock every couple days for a week or so.

My roosts 3 or 4 daft high any my girls fly up and jump down with no problems. I would think you have more then one hen with this it's probably scale mites

I have checked their legs and they are smooth and clear with no scales lifting or red/sore as that was my first thought after my battle with red mite. It is only the ankle that is swollen. Must admit the girls were not impressed with being turned onto their backs with their feet in the air so I could check their legs by running my hands over them.

chamomile is a natural anti inflammatory

Wonderful thanks, I don't have any chamomile in the cupboard but it is easy to get my hands on.