The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

Agreed! Freezes at night (sometimes) thaws and turns back into muddy soup during the day. I want SNOW!
Instead I get 30-40 mm of rain on Friday. I'll be digging ditches in the mud instead of shovelling snow.

Anyone have inventive ways to kill rats in the coop? I don't want to use poison. Currently using a 5 gallon bucket with rolling bait above it but they have out witted me and cleaned it off last night. Will be altering it when I get home. So nasty!

Thankfully, we don't get the mud effect. The worst thing about winter here is not really begin prepared for the "bad' years. It doesn't get that cold that often, but when it gets cold, it's a major pain b/c we aren't set up for it.


Can you lube up your rolling thing? If it rolls more easily, then they'll be expecting to be able to walk right across it and eat the bait, but will fall in. <rubs hands sinisterly>

 

[armorfirelady]

Lala thanks for telling me to give them fresh water. Took some out after I read your post and all 8 came running to get their fill. I just went back out with more water to replace the frozen stuff. Stella was happily drinking again.,I got called in to EOC tonight but will give them water once more before I leave. They still have their bowl of snow to.

I think I found their favorite treats scrambled eggs in coconut oil with tuna fish. I don't think they chewed at all ( ) tho I got dirty looks for standing there watching them letting cold wind in. I just wanted to once serve them for a little while. All seem fine.mstella has some black on her comb but not her tips. No idea if frost bite or not but its def something new. I will just keep an eye on it. I doubt it's from humidity since air and a little snow still getting in a few small spots.

 

[aoxa]

Pink eye lids is good. .. No worries.
Do you have a door or window you can open for an hour or two? Ventilation is the key.

I have two windows that are shoulder high (for me) on two separate walls that I leave open a couple inches all the time.
The room is bellow freezing because their water buckets freeze, but not so cold that it freezes completely solid, even in the worst temps we've had this year. I need to put a thermometer in my rooms in the barn, because it would be interesting to see how much that insulation helps. It feels so much warmer to me.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote: Wow! Yes the golf ball trick works well I here.

 

[RedRidge]

Pink eye lids is good. .. No worries.

Do you have a door or window you can open for an hour or two? Ventilation is the key.

I have two windows that are shoulder high (for me) on two separate walls  that I leave open a couple inches all the time.
The room is bellow freezing because their water buckets freeze, but not so cold that it freezes completely solid, even in the worst temps we've had this year. I need to put a thermometer in my rooms in the barn, because it would be interesting to see how much that insulation helps. It feels so much warmer to me.

If it makes you feel any better we were below zero last night, with wind chills close to -30, and none of mine went in the barn all night. They are all heavy bred and 4 were due yesterday. :-0
We worry about them more than they know. .. And usually way more than is necessary. ;-)

 

[armorfirelady]

Red ridge do they actually have the lambs outside in those temps? I would think the lamb would freeze being wet when born?

 

[aoxa]

If it makes you feel any better we were below zero last night, with wind chills close to -30, and none of mine went in the barn all night. They are all heavy bred and 4 were due yesterday. :-0
We worry about them more than they know. .. And usually way more than is necessary. ;-)

They have a good thick coat on them, so I'm not too worried The only one I ever saw suffering so far with the cold is one rabbit who was shunned from the other two. She looked terrible. I brought her in with the goats and she is 100% better now.

The other two rabbits I haven't seen in forever, but they have little holes going under the baby barn which has recently seen activity - so I know they are all good.

My chickens show no difference in behaviour between yesterday (50 degrees) and a week ago (-22 without windchill). As long as they have water and food they are as happy as clams (how does one gauge the happiness of clams?)

They are all stuck inside until the stupid starlings move on. I'm not risking bird mites. I HATE them.

 

[aoxa]

Red ridge do they actually have the lambs outside in those temps? I would think the lamb would freeze being wet when born?

They surely can. In the farm related photography thread 3acres has just brought back triplets after being pretty much dead from the cold. He's also had to thaw a calf as well.

I would so hate to have any kids, lambs, calves, crias this time of year. I bred for late April kids Can't wait!!

 

[RedRidge]

If it makes you feel any better we were below zero last night, with wind chills close to -30, and none of mine went in the barn all night. They are all heavy bred and 4 were due yesterday. :-0

We worry about them more than they know. .. And usually way more than is necessary. ;-)

They have a good thick coat on them, so I'm not too worried The only one I ever saw suffering so far with the cold is one rabbit who was shunned from the other two. She looked terrible. I brought her in with the goats and she is 100% better now. 

The other two rabbits I haven't seen in forever, but they have little holes going under the baby barn which has recently seen activity - so I know they are all good. 

My chickens show no difference in behaviour between yesterday (50 degrees) and a week ago (-22 without windchill). As long as they have water and food they are as happy as clams (how does one gauge the happiness of clams?)

They are all stuck inside until the stupid starlings move on. I'm not risking bird mites. I HATE them. 

Hmmm... Good question... How do you measure the happiness of a clam ? LOL

 

[RedRidge]

Red ridge do they actually have the lambs outside in those temps? I would think the lamb would freeze being wet when born?

They usually seek shelter when they go into labor if the weather is bad. But if they are healthy and have a good momma they will be dry with colostrum in their belly in less than 10 minutes. And the Maremma will help keep them warm too.
I've seen a lot more lambs lost to either "over care" or poor shepherding than I have to cold. A lot of people interfere abs just help too much or worse, they simply don't have the shepherding skills and knowledge to know who to cull. After years and years of raising sheep if you have done your job properly then the genetics/sheep you have in your flock should be the best of the best and require little to no special treatment or intervention. That said... I believe most people do not know how to properly cull and make breeding decisions; thereby they continue to not make progress towards working smarter and not harder with each passing year.
It's kinda like a conversation i was having with a RIR breeder the other day...
He said he always feels it necessary to correct people when they say their best bird just died. If it was your best one it wouldn't have died. Your best one is always alive. ;-)
Wise words.