The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

I think the comb / wattle covers are a dangerous idea. What happens when they get damp from being outside, in the dew, or condensate from the chickens breathing, or from the chicken drinking, or any other reason? If there is injury under it and you don't see it, it could easily get stuck to the comb and provide vector for infection, and / or be unable to remove.

 

[Scott H]

I agree on the nipples. I bought one of these for inside the coop. They cost more than the cups that the chicken has to fill on their own by fiddling with the yellow thingy but they seem to be better built. It would keep wattles out of the water but I haven't figured a way to keep the water from freezing in the cup.

 

[TeaChick]

Really fragrant when you fry an egg in it. ..
My wife read how good it was for you ingested. .. didn't know about the topical benefits. ..

What is it like in coffee?
I've already switched from table sugar to honey (yum!!!), but currently we use organic half&half.

I've fried eggs in coconut oil and my wife will put a little in her coffee but I hadn't heard about pain relief. ..

I see it used for a lot of things. Makeup, homemade personal hiegeine items (toothpaste, deodorant, lotions, soapmaking, etc.)
I usually use Pam for eggs in the a.m., but this a.m., I used coconut oil. DH didn't notice, so I'll be doing that from now on. ;-)

Does anyone have any ideas on how to stop feather picking. I have one picker and now with them being cooped up its getting worse. She only picks on the other SS. Leaves the tetras and LB leghorn alone.

You can see her eyeing up the target.

When I used to bite my nails as a kid, my g-pa used to threaten to put methiolaid (sp) on my fingertips b/c it tastes terrible, but doesn't do any harm.
Could you put some kind of deterent on the feathers of the target???

 

[aoxa]

What is it like in coffee?
I've already switched from table sugar to honey (yum!!!), but currently we use organic half&half.
I see it used for a lot of things. Makeup, homemade personal hiegeine items (toothpaste, deodorant, lotions, soapmaking, etc.)
I usually use Pam for eggs in the a.m., but this a.m., I used coconut oil. DH didn't notice, so I'll be doing that from now on. ;-)

When I used to bite my nails as a kid, my g-pa used to threaten to put methiolaid (sp) on my fingertips b/c it tastes terrible, but doesn't do any harm.
Could you put some kind of deterent on the feathers of the target???

Try coconut sugar, it is awesome. We only use coconut sugar. Wow we are big on coconuts here, aren't we? lol

 

[Leahs Mom]

Scott - I used the smaller ones last year and decided not to use them in the winter. Here's a review I did after winter use. The ones I was using didn't have water sitting in them like the larger ones do. But those little necks were hard to keep open. I finally used the fish tank heater with it but still the necks froze because they have springs in there that would retain the water and then ice over.

This whole frostbite thing is one of the main reasons that I only want to use restricted opening waterers. I loved those cups - no wattles dragging through the water - but didn't want to keep messing with the necks.

So...I'm using my glass waterer or one of the waterers that has a small trough (like the chick waterers w/canning jar). Set them on one of the heating elements (from the dog bowls that I rigged). So far they're working okay both saying open during freezing and keeping wattles out.



Here's the base I set it on...see how I made them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631861/diy-thread-lets-see-your-inventions/1240#post_12201747

 

[TeaChick]

I try very hard not to go out in this type of cold. However, I do make an exception for the girls!

Aspircream...that might be something to add to the chicken medical kit.

TeaChick, I am so sorry to hear about your girl.

Lala, Poor Booster! Hope he heals up soon!

AFL, Will trade your white for mine! Oh wait you're in New York--we have similar weather!!

Thank you.

TeaChick - sorry. Bummer. We have one we've been nursing about the same time as you nursed yours, which I remain conflicted about, but DH has been so very attentive to her I can't give up yet. Like yours, she has not given up, so we won't either. The day she does we will cull. And hate it.

Lala, I had a cockerel whose comb was looking at least as bad as yours, and now he appears to have largely recovered without losing anything (so far) - though there's a good chance that's because after we had our six day freeze we had a week where we topped freezing at last part of the day, and the last four days we've been over 50. The coop stays around 10 degrees warmer than ambient outdoor temp, so the nights it was zero it was ten in the coop, etc. I think our bottom out low was around -4. I was confident his whole comb was going to fall off when it warmed up, it had a thick yellow stripe and black tips, but now he just has a tiny bit of black at the tips, the rest is pink to red again. I'm surprised, to be honest.

He just came to live here a week before the freeze, I took him in from a woman about 40 miles North of us because she could not keep him due to his maleness (lives in the city) and she sent him with his pullet mate. She told me they were Barnevelders from a breeder, but after I got them I discovered they are in fact hatchery quality Partridge Rocks. He is very good sized, and while a teenager (first full crow was the day after he got here), because he is with my layer flock of pullets and hens all older than he is, they keep him in line, and when they go out to forage he behaves well and is basically a pretty peaceful guy all things considered. When we saw how bad his comb looked a week ago I felt just awful for not putting anything on it, but now it looks like he'll get to keep it. We are due another freeze late this week and this time I will put something on it, coconut oil or vaseline.

Thank you.

Thank you Justine, I'm following her now.

Poor Booster! This cold we're all getting is just no fun for anyone

TeaChick, I am sorry about your girl.

Thank you.

 

[TeaChick]

TeaChick..culling is difficult at best. You made the right decision.

Thank you.
PS: I've got to try that cabbage thing!!! =)

 

[TeaChick]

ok I have a question regarding nipple waterers and freezing temperatures...

I know if you run any tubing for them they would likely freeze solid, but what about putting the nipples directly on a bucket or tank that has a deicer in it? would the warmer water keep the nipples from freezing solid?

I might add, our temps seem to range from the low 20s to above freezing most days in the peak of winter, with only occasional temps dipping toward single digits.

eta - another thought occurred to me too... about maybe doing a tank with heater in it, and a water pump to pump the warmer water thru pvc pipes for each pen, and return back to the water barrel with the heater in it... think something like that might work, as long as the nipples don't freeze on their own just for being outside the heated water barrel...

Just thinking out loud here...
Would a little vinegar keep the water from freezing?

I like the warm watering system you mentioned. That sounds like it would work and your chickens would probably appreciate having warmed water. ~:>

 

[TeaChick]

ON NIPPLE WATERERS:

I would absolutely NOT USE THEM IN WINTER! Again, my opinion...but here's why:

I tried nipple waterers for awhile. I tried 2 different kinds to be sure it wasn't just associated with one particular type/brand.
When the chickens trip the nipples, a lot of water drops - more than they are drinking. When the post is pushed or nudged, it opens it and water drops - getting all over the wattles of the chicken as their head is upturned to get the water. Also has the potential of dripping down the front of the chicken depending on the angle at which they access it.

Additionally, the ground was always wet under them due to this issue.

Based on my experience with them, I think they would likely ADD to the frostbite issue on wattles.

I read that the buckets with the nipples should be high enough that the chicken must get directly under the nipple and reach up. It sounds like that should eliminate the water getting everywhere. I'm imagining the chicken's beak being open under the nipple and all the extra/leakage that would otherwise be getting all over the ground and the chicken going into the chicken's beak/mouth and down.

Another alternative that does use the nipples is to run PVC pipe along the coops/pens/runs/etc. Maybe position the pipes high and point the nipple down, like on the bucket; or position the pipe lower and point the nipple at some angle between up and parallel to the ground.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Nope. Doesn't work that way. It goes all over and no matter how high or low, wattles will get wet. Chickens aren't designed to drink like that. A cat or dog would likely lap at the nipple and get most of the water but not a chicken. They can learn to get water from the nipples, but they don't actually open their mouths to have the water go in like you describe... Too bad they don't.