The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

NIGHT PREDATOR PROOFING...

I was speaking on the phone with the fellow that makes the pullet shut doors. We were talking about various things over the course of the conversation but one of them was how he had secured a large fenced area from predators. (I can’t remember for sure if he said 1 acre or ½ acre but you get the idea of size.)

My pen top hasn’t been predator proof – only has light netting to keep hawks out but nothing that would stop night predators like raccoon, fox, coyote from climbing up and getting into the pen.

Now this is not a big issue since mine are locked inside at night. But I’ve always been a bit concerned about the time right at dusk and dawn where the night guys may be around just before the kiddos go in (or possibly early in the morning).

It seemed hard to enclose the run top easily. Plus, we may change the configuration from time to time so it really bothered me to make a nice top that may become obsolete.

When he told me how BIG his area was I asked right away what he did to keep preds from going over the top and he told me something I had never thought of.

-First of all, he used 8 ft. tall fence; this still did not keep out raccoons of course as they climb and drop right in.

-Then he ran a hot wire around the fence about 18” – 24” down from the top of the fence top. This has stopped the night climbers.

-For the hawks, he strung heavy, saltwater fishing line 1ft. apart and tied surveyor-type marking tape in various intervals for visual marking. This was all the way across to the opposite fence over the whole fenced area. No hawk attacks.

(He does let them out of that area to free-range later in the day, but only lets them out into the fenced area in the early morning, then lets them totally out after 11 am.)



I’ve never heard of anyone doing the hot wire up high like that but it sounds like it would do the trick for the night preds without having to totally enclose the top of the pen. My current pen is 6 ft. high, but whatever might try to get in would still have to climb.

Anyone ever tried it? Thoughts? If it works it sure would be more cost effective!

My thoughts are that it sounds like a good idea. It sounds like something you could do no matter how high your fence is. I would do that, but I lock mine up at night too and I don't have a fenced area for them. I just only let them out when it's safe for them to be out and about and put them to bed about dusk.

I read that article or a similar one before. It makes sense to leave what nature intended on the egg. I don't have chickens yet but I plan on not washing them and refrigerating them (I live in TX - it's 'warm' here in the summer). I wash before using. I get my eggs from a friend who raises chickens. They don't wash their eggs either, but they do refrigerate them.

Yeah, I wash them right before I crack them open. If DH were to boil them, for instance, I wouldn't even wash them then.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have been having a minor sparrow issue that turned into a major sparrow issue while I was away for a few weeks on honeymoon. I am rebuilding my run to permanently solve the problem. But, since I have been back my older leghorn (4+ years) is looking not so great and I am considering worming all 6 birds as I know I have had a biosecurity issue. I haven't actually seen in worms in their poop so I also feel concerned about treating for something they may not have?

Do you worm? What to you use?

 

[armorfirelady]

Hmmmm maybe a short-term wing clipping?

I have thought of it. Knowing her she would just hop on the gate. Everyone has to have a trouble maker & Stella is it. Tho I think she knows I am laughing so she knows she is entertaining as well.

About egg washing, storage, etc. (for eating, not necessarily for hatching), I store my eggs in the fridge, but just b/c they cook the way store bought eggs do (DH likes over easy and it's easier to get the white done and the yolk runny if they're cold rather than room temp). Anyway, I save them on the counter for hatching. But what about selling them? Do you wash them when you sell them? Do you just not sell the ones that happen to get a little poo on them? Do your customers appreciate the natural, unwashed eggs? Is it even legal to sell unwashed eggs for consumption in the US?

I don't wash mine before giving them to my customers. And sometimes they are dirty. But they know to wash them before using them. As for legal.......I dont think those of us who sell a dozen here & there are held by the same rules as the companies that sell eggs for their business. It ma be different if you sell at Farmers markets, etc. You would have to check with your local health departments or cornell extension to see what procedures you need to follow

NIGHT PREDATOR PROOFING...

-Then he ran a hot wire around the fence about 18” – 24” down from the top of the fence top. This has stopped the night climbers.

-For the hawks, he strung heavy, saltwater fishing line 1ft. apart and tied surveyor-type marking tape in various intervals for visual marking. This was all the way across to the opposite fence over the whole fenced area. No hawk attacks.

I like the idea of a hot wire & I want to say I have seen it posted somewhere else on here of someone who does that. Maybe the heritage breed forum.

Me? I probably would forget & touch the fence.......yes I have been zapped by my electric netting

 

[armorfirelady]

I have been having a minor sparrow issue that turned into a major sparrow issue while I was away for a few weeks on honeymoon. I am rebuilding my run to permanently solve the problem. But, since I have been back my older leghorn (4+ years) is looking not so great and I am considering worming all 6 birds as I know I have had a biosecurity issue. I haven't actually seen in worms in their poop so I also feel concerned about treating for something they may not have?

Do you worm? What to you use?

cayenne pepper, pumpkin seeds.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I would not have believed how thick they were without having some to crack on my own. their shells are even hard to squash into tiny pieces to give back to the chickens. I give my white duck shells to the brown egg laying chickens and my brown shells to the white egg laying ducks. so when I see egg shell I know if it is a broken egg or shell parts I put out for them.

Quote:
to save me the searching time, can you tell me more about using the cayenne pepper. I have quite a few chickens I would like to make sure they don't have a worm overload. They are not at POL yet but in a month will be. Now seems like a great time to limit the worm load without tossing eggs.
I was thinking of starting the dish soap in the water on Wed and having that run for 30 days now that the ducks are not splashing in the chicken water.

 

[armorfirelady]

to save me the searching time, can you tell me more about using the cayenne pepper. I have quite a few chickens I would like to make sure they don't have a worm overload. They are not at POL yet but in a month will be. Now seems like a great time to limit the worm load without tossing eggs.
I was thinking of starting the dish soap in the water on Wed and having that run for 30 days now that the ducks are not splashing in the chicken water.

PM sent

 

[mlowen]

well , I will eat them if the egg was "clean" and no fluid leaked out.  If egg dirty, or crack leaked, then it is for the girls.  I dont give those eggs to anyone else, not customers or friends because my tolerance is different than others.  I don't worry so much about dirt

Thanks so much. That's what I was thinking. It's so nice when I find out my thoughts are in the reasonable ballpark.

 

[Scott H]

I have been having a minor sparrow issue that turned into a major sparrow issue while I was away for a few weeks on honeymoon. I am rebuilding my run to permanently solve the problem. But, since I have been back my older leghorn (4+ years) is looking not so great and I am considering worming all 6 birds as I know I have had a biosecurity issue. I haven't actually seen in worms in their poop so I also feel concerned about treating for something they may not have?

Do you worm? What to you use?

I know this is the natural thread but read this......before you worm it might be a good idea to have the poop tested at your vet. See if you have worms and if so what kind.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

cayenne pepper, pumpkin seeds.

This is what we use for natural worming. Little bit of cayenne in their food. They do not sense the hotness.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Each state in the US has its own laws. Other places have laws, too. I believe everyone should know and follow the laws in their area, even if only selling "a few dozen eggs." Not following the existing laws usually invites more laws. Alternatively, work to change the laws if you don't like them.