The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lindz8504]

You have wonderful looking buff Cochins. *Steals*

Thanks! Unfortunately, I have 2 cockerels, that are full brothers so I need to find them homes or cull them in a few weeks....

 

[Leahs Mom]

If I wasn't so tired, I'd be trying to wrap my head around the genetics... If I tried tonight, I might hurt my brain!

I don't have to be tired. It just makes my head hurt anyway

 

[Leahs Mom]

Molting (again).

TC, you were talking about your girl acting off and the strange poo.

I have a little girl turning one at the end of this month. She is my mystery chick but we think a BA. She is very petite and a great egg layer ever since she started.

She began to act "off" a couple weeks ago and I noticed that when she was pooing it was very loose and watery looking from afar when she would go. I had been feeding more oats (sprouted) than I ever do and they have the reputation for causing some digestive issues so I was watching her closely and a little worried.

Yesterday morning when I went out in the morning in the dark before they had left the roost, the whole floor was full of her black feathers. Molting.

So I'm hoping that was what I was observing...her going into a molt.

Just sharing that as it is similar to the description TC gave EXCEPT - she hasn't ever been sick before (which you said yours was) and no yellow poo (at least that I have seen).


WHAT A TERRIBLE TIME TO MOLT for all my "late molters". Temps below 0 F. It's bad enough to have to be out there in bare feet in those temps let alone half naked.

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't have to be tired. It just makes my head hurt anyway

Same here. Over the time I've been reading on byc some of the genetics guru's posts, I have grasped and held on to a couple of small very simple genetics tidbits, but just enough to know how much I seriously don't know.

 

[aaggjg]

I had been feeding more oats (sprouted) than I ever do and they have the reputation for causing some digestive issues so I was watching her closely and a little worried.

WHAT???? Do tell !I have not read that and I feed a lot of sprouted grains: wheat, oats, barley & boss .... hmmmmmm

 

[aaggjg]

Okay so I have been crazy busy at work and sick for the last week ....I thought I would give you all an update on Pia my Silkie ... well she seems FINE now. That was very strange so I am still watching her .... BUT because nothing can ever be perfect in my world Nugget's eye seems to be swollen again. So I am stumped as to the cause of the swelling..... Delish I know you thought she might have an eye worm but the vet ruled that out .... but it is weird that it is the same eye swollen again .... any other ideas what could be causing this???

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote: Aww.

They are still beautiful though.

 

[lalaland]

Okay so I have been crazy busy at work and sick for the last week ....I thought I would give you all an update on Pia my Silkie ... well she seems FINE now. That was very strange so I am still watching her .... BUT because nothing can ever be perfect in my world Nugget's eye seems to be swollen again. So I am stumped as to the cause of the swelling..... Delish I know you thought she might have an eye worm but the vet ruled that out .... but it is weird that it is the same eye swollen again .... any other ideas what could be causing this???

good news about Pia.

yes, I have an idea about Nugget's eye:
I stayed up late last night reading a book which just arrived in the mail : Poultry signals. Its a dutch book, part of a series, that uses the idea that you need to observe the signals your flock gives to provide "bird focused poultry farming". Aimed more at large poultry farmers who are rearing hens, or doing egg production, but was very informative. I would recommend it you can get it from ACRES. I learned a lot - for example, if you pick up a chick or young pullet by the wngs, the feet and toes should point downward. If they are drawn up towards the chest, it means the hen has stomach pain and you might think about cocci.

Anyway, about Nugget: there was a picture of a hen with an eye just like Nuggets, and the caption said it was a "serious eye membrane infection" accompanied by swollen sinuses. It didn't discuss it any further. But, if you treat on the basis of infection, maybe tht is the way to go. Personally, I'ld call up your university poultry dept and find someone who would talk to you - or a vet -. Am guessing you could put any antibiotic eye ointment or bacitracin in her eye, but would want to check in case there is something about chickens that makes that particular ointment a bad idea. And immediately I would feed her fresh crushed raw garlic, a good sized clove, and keep that up for a week running.

 

[lalaland]

You know, about three weeks ago one of the sulmtaler pullets started laying. She laid 4 or 5 eggs over the course of a week, but when this cold snap hit and the hens refused to leave the coop, she.....stopped. No eggs. I've never had a pullet stop laying like that, but there is a lot of commotion in the coop with everyone inside. I know some hens like peace and quiet and a hidey hole to lay in. ....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

WHAT???? Do tell !I have not read that and I feed a lot of sprouted grains: wheat, oats, barley & boss .... hmmmmmm

I don't think it is as much of an issue if sprouted. Part of the issue is the hulls (and of course there are anti-nutrients as well which are present in all grains and legumes). Sprouting, soaking or fermenting makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE in how the body can use the nutrients vs. dry fed.

In the following quote, it refers to "regular oats" and "naked oats". Naked oats are hulled.

Quote: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Oats.html

If you want to get a look at some of the issues with grains and percentages recommended, this is worth reading through. Keep in mind that this lists some items that I would definitely not feed my birds under any circumstances. If you look at the "protein sources", (as well as grain sources) there are some listed that MUST BE ROASTED (heat treated) AND SHOULDN'T BE FED RAW even sprouted, soaked or fermented. (2 examples of this are Amaranth and soy beans.)

Grains:

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Grains.html


http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition.html