The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[har]

The starlings are terrible this year. I can not let my flock outside until late in the day because the starling go in the house and make a big mess and eat the feed. Have not had the problem with them attacking any chickens yet.

Scott

 

[chick rookie]

sorry about your hen.

thanks it sucks

 

[lalaland]

about roosters and fertility:

I keep watching the eggs for the little white ring but am only finding little white dots - solid, not with a ring. WIth two roosters, wouldn't you think some of the eggs would be fertile?

I've read that fertility can be lessened in cold weather, and we continue to have nights in the -20's, and days of below zero weather...is that it? Or do I just have too roosters who aren't fertile?

I know the hens are being mated!

 

[Nickeyo]

one prob will be the less dominant rooster will have tiny and possibly infertile testicles where as the dominant roo will have bigger ones. the next reason is quite often roosters will push each other of the hens, I have seen my less dominant smaller bantam wyan rooster push my lead friesian rooster of a hen, then run off.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A warning about the Starlings!!! they will kill your chickens.!!!! found a hen in a corner under a big group of Starlings... they were pecking her. She cant hold herself up and she has not eaten for 3 days, I told DH when he got up that he needed to put her down. he don't want to but I am not going to let her suffer any more then she has. I have done all I can and she is tired of fighting, so I feel its time. Really upsetting!!! this winter I have lost 5 hens including her to this dang cold and the problems it has caused. I never thought BIRDS would attack a chicken!!!! but that mistake will not be made again!! I get one problem solved and another one pops up. So glade I got the Starlings stopped from coming in the coop... for now....
Cant wait till this cold and white stuff is gone..... So sick of it.!!!!!!
Anyway if your having problems with these birds WATCH THEM AND GET RID OF THEM they are killers!!!!!

That is despicable.

I'm guessing that it was one of your lower chickens in the pecking order but incredibly despicable.

What did you do that has worked to keep the starlings out?

 

[Leahs Mom]

about roosters and fertility:

I keep watching the eggs for the little white ring but am only finding little white dots - solid, not with a ring. WIth two roosters, wouldn't you think some of the eggs would be fertile?

I've read that fertility can be lessened in cold weather, and we continue to have nights in the -20's, and days of below zero weather...is that it? Or do I just have too roosters who aren't fertile?

I know the hens are being mated!

Lala...do your eggs stay outside awhile after they are layed? I have a theory as I always watch my eggs for fertility. The "ring" started looking a little less clear after the eggs had been in some extreme cold. I WONDER if they get to a certain temperature if the ring starts to kind of "break up" or get distorted so it's not as clear. This is just a question I have and throwing it out as a theory,

 

[chick rookie]

That is despicable.

I'm guessing that it was one of your lower chickens in the pecking order but incredibly despicable.

What did you do that has worked to keep the starlings out?

She was the youngest, she just had started laying,this is what I did and so far have been BIRD FREE... its not pretty but at this point I dont care as long as it works...

 

[Jewelwing]

Just curious but is there a really cheap way to wash lots of eggs?

I put my eggs in the sink and wash them one at a time with a dish sponge. I do dozens at a time.

Agreed, if something else throws up, so do I. This may make parenting difficult

Maybe, maybe not. I was that same way, but I found that my babies' stuff did not bother me in the slightest.

Quote:

Babies can be expensive but don't have to be. Lots of ways to keep the cost down. Avoiding formula, used clothes sometimes have not even been worn, shoes are not truly needed until walking, fancy toys are more for the parents than the child, basic old school diapers are a great way to save too.

This.

Re: cutting cost corners when raising children. Kids grow so fast that they sometimes outgrow an outfit before they get a chance to wear it. Used or borrowed saves a lot of money, both clothing and baby furniture. Breast feeding... you can't get any more cost effective, or time efficient than that. No formula to buy, no bottles to buy or wash. You don't have to worry about what kind of nipple to buy... It's always the right temperature and flavor! Home made baby food... Have you ever tried the stuff in those little bottles that masquerades as baby food? Neither my kids or my grand kids would touch the stuff. One of the wisest investments I ever made in the way of baby food prep was a "smart stick" (immersion blender). Baby can eat what ever is on the adult menu... for the most part, after initial trials to test for food allergies. sorry... no one asked for advice... every once or twice in a while I venture an opinion, when none is asked!

And this.

I can't imagine how moms who don't breastfeed do it. I'm too lazy. It takes so much thought, effort, money, and time to do the formula thing. Breastfeeding is free and easy, and allows so much freedom! You can go anywhere for as long as you want with the baby and not have to give a thought to feeding it. When it's fussy, you can immediately try feeding it to see if that's the problem, without having to worry about wasting formula if the baby wasn't hungry after all. In the middle of the night you can immediately feed the baby without hardly waking up yourself, and you can both fall asleep while it's eating. The baby can monitor its food vs liquid intake, because the milk at the beginning of a feeding session is much more watery than later on (so a thirsty baby can ask for multiple short feeding sessions, while a hungrier one can have fewer, longer ones - don't worry, they let you know what they want!). The baby gets antibodies from the milk, so you don't have to worry so much about the baby getting sick from being around sick people - whatever your immune system is prepared for gets passed on to the baby. The milk composition also changes as the baby ages, so it's getting exactly what it needs when it needs it. The list goes on and on... And I haven't even touched on the benefits for the mom!

I also agree with the home made baby food, and like lazy gardener, I do things because it's easier! I just took whatever we were eating and blended it to a good baby consistency. Besides not having to buy baby food (that stuff is expensive, and also tasteless!), an added bonus is that your kids are used to eating what everyone else eats because the flavor is the same, so they're not nearly so picky when it's time for them to eat what the rest of the family is eating. Plus, you can ease them onto "real food" by not blending it so fine as sort of a halfway point.

OK, off my soapbox!!!

 

[hellbender]

Starlings! Scourge of the earth! I haven't seen many for years and never had any invasions.

 

[Leahs Mom]

FROSTBITE CHRONICLES - FEBRUARY 9, 2014 UPDATE: 1 MONTH AFTER INITIAL FROSTBITE

Quick update:
-Had changed my feed setup and it didn't work correctly; have since returned it to the better setup which is restricted access so that they don't have wattles dragging through wet feed.

-Jan. 9 when things weren't working, Mister got frostbite on the wattles.

So...I'm taking photos and tracking how he does. I'm watching for any signs of infection, wetness/rotting, etc. If I see anything that looks like deterioration, inability to eat or drink, etc., I will change my MO. In the meantime:

-I have not treated or even touched it. I do not want to cause more trauma to the tissue by handling it.
-I have NOT brought him in to warmer temperatures than the outside hen house. It is not heated.
-I have kept the hen shed doors closed if there is an extreme wind chill to be sure none of the "lowers" get chased outside and stuck in those extremes.

*****************************

Just took updated photos for today. Newest photos posted at bottom of post. Photos listed in date order. You can see the progression. They continue to look good.
Right wattle looks completely healed; small spot remains on left.


January 9:
Day after he got it. -7ish outside; -30s windchill.






January 15:
Temperatures in the 40s for a few days.






January 26
Temperatures in the 20's

Look how nicely this is healing!







TODAY - FEBRUARY 9, 2014.


RIGHT SIDE APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY HEALED.






LEFT SIDE STILL HAS SMALL SPOT.