The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

ok take a day off and I get way behind... I've had to skip several pages, bt maybe i'll catch up later. LOL

a thought on waterers... how about something that LIMITS their exposure to the water, without limiting the amount of water itself...

what got me to thinking about this is the fact that one of my horse tanks has a bubbler (aquarium air pump) in it to help guide my blind horse to water (she hears the sound and follows that). this tank had the surface frozen except for the spot where the bubbles came up, since the water there was constantly in motion, and the chickens were walking on the surface and drinking just from the small hole and didn't seem to be getting a lot of water on their wattles.

I was thinking about it and thought maybe a heated bowl with a cage or something over it to keep them from walking in it, but enough room to put their heads in, with a plastic (or wood or whatever) floating cover on the surface of the water with just beak-sized holes in it to keep the wattles from getting dunked. then when the water level changes it would move up and down with the water.

I'm not too worried, myself, about frostbite since our winters are much milder than those further north, but the idea occurred to me anyways.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've thought of that too. I don't think it would work well as a floater, however because it would "look solid" and they would likely try to stand on it and their whole feet would go under water.

I've thought of options that are not floating but then you have the same problem that it's hard to reach the water as the level goes down.

 

[jmarie]

I need Help!

I got a bunch of roos to go to freezer camp. All were healthy and nice looking birds. One though still had a full crop this morning and when he went in the "cone" he was drooling profusely. After I cleaned him up it looks like he had a badly impacted crop (hay and straw) the crop is very weird, looks like the entire thing is irritated and swollen, and the roo is scrawny .

Do I need to worry about disease or just chalk it up as impacted crop? Since I already cleaned him he could be used as chicken stock.

Thanks so much!!

 

[armorfirelady]

I need Help!:/

I got a bunch of roos to go to freezer camp. All were healthy and nice looking birds. One though still had a full crop this morning and when he went in the "cone" he was drooling profusely. After I cleaned him up it looks like he had a badly impacted crop (hay and straw) the crop is very weird, looks like the entire thing is irritated and swollen, and the roo is scrawny .

Do I need to worry about disease or just chalk it up as impacted crop? Since I already cleaned him he could be used as chicken stock.

Thanks so much!!

Without seeing him I would guess impacted crop and process him. If your concerned open him up and see if there is anything that looks off or any smells. Compare to the others you processed. If your still uncertain then just toss him. But it's a great opportunity to look at the insides (well I would think it was )
Good luck.

 

[armorfirelady]

Rain here all day but I was able to shovel down to spots to the ground girls. The girls actually ventured out even if it was just to go to the old run and stand in there. I put leaves down in it so it's a new scratching spot. Kicked up all the DL in their coop and added some peat moss. Girls can happily toss it around and help dry out the top layer. Everything on bottom was dry and has that nice earthy smell. The leaves and shavings I put in Monday have already *disappeared*. next year I need to bag more leaves since I could easily add a bag a week.

i finally gave in and put their giant heated bowl in the shelf next to the water. Next winter I am going to make a chicken sized small lean to outside to keep their food/water under so it won't collect all the snow we get & won't be in their coop.

Hoping the freezing rain we are now forecasted to get all weekend ends up being snow, I work all weekend and roadways that are an ice rink will make for a long long work day. Plus I still need to get a Christmas tree yet :/

 

[TeaChick]

Right now I am having an abundance of double yolk eggs. I have decreased the amount of protein in their feed by offering more corn. On average for the past week their protein level has been very close to 15% or so instead of the 21% they had been getting. Any ideas for getting my chickens to lay single yolk eggs so I can set them in hopes of getting chicks?

The yolk is mostly fat, isn't it? I thought the white was where most of the protein is. What about feeding a bit less fat?

 

[TeaChick]

Speaking of watering "systems", I wanted to put mine out there and an idea I had about it and see what you all think.

Originally, I cut holes in the bottom of a peanut butter jar (2# of p-nut butter), tried to fill with water and put the lid on quickly (like Mrs Rebecca said) and then stand that in the bottom inch of a margarine tub. That was okay when they were little chicks, but they were quickly knocking that over.

Next I tried putting the holes in the threads of the jar and in the lid, then standing that quickly into the bottom inch of the margarine tub. Still knocked it over.

I gave up on that and stuck half a brick in the bottom of a whole container and filled it with water 2-3 times a day (over flowing it to change the water and cleaning it as needed).

Most recently, I hot glued the lid of the p-nut butter jar I had cut holes in the lid and threads of into the bottom inch of the margarine tub. I hot glued 1/8" (I think) nylon cord to it and hung it in the hen house. I hung it too high. =(
So I had to go back to the half a brick.

My next plan is to hang a coke bottle done similarly. I'm trying to decide between holes in the bottom or holes in the top and I'm thinking I'll either cut less off the tub or not cut it at all???

What do you all thing?
Suggestions, ideas, ????

 

[Shan30]

Does anyone know how cold temperatures need to be to cause frostbite?

I don't think it's possible here. I've never seen frostbite on an animal or person here.

My chickens are sissies, 5 inches of snow this morning and they are having nothing I do with it. Glad DH and his friend built them a little covered area outside the pop door.

 

[Alaskan Dragonfly]

Does anyone know how cold temperatures need to be to cause frostbite?

I don't think it's possible here. I've never seen frostbite on an animal or person here.

My chickens are sissies, 5 inches of snow this morning and they are having nothing I do with it. Glad DH and his friend built them a little covered area outside the pop door.

Frostbite USUALLY has more to do with the humidity than the temperature...

 

[delisha]

I need Help!

I got a bunch of roos to go to freezer camp. All were healthy and nice looking birds. One though still had a full crop this morning and when he went in the "cone" he was drooling profusely. After I cleaned him up it looks like he had a badly impacted crop (hay and straw) the crop is very weird, looks like the entire thing is irritated and swollen, and the roo is scrawny .

Do I need to worry about disease or just chalk it up as impacted crop? Since I already cleaned him he could be used as chicken stock.

Thanks so much!!

Process the bird and look at the organs..if they look like all the rest..he is fine..if they don't..dispose of him in a way that will not cause any type of contamination..(incineration)

Does anyone know how cold temperatures need to be to cause frostbite?

I don't think it's possible here. I've never seen frostbite on an animal or person here.

My chickens are sissies, 5 inches of snow this morning and they are having nothing I do with it. Glad DH and his friend built them a little covered area outside the pop door.

Moisture causes frost bite too..but the frost bite you are talking about has to do with exposure to extreme temps. It all depends on the person or animal being exposed and there health. A baby will get frost bite before a teenager..etc..Any temps that are below 32 can cause frost bite. Windchill has a bit to do with it also..
Protection from the elements is all a person and animals need. Protection includes: dry. housing and bedding..no drafts..good food and fresh water.. fresh air and sunshine. Exercise.