The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Thanks Leah & lalala ........def will have my mom help. She is my official hen holder when I need to do something to them. She stopped to hold Lucy so I could clean up her foot. It doesn't sound much different from my cats nails. I def will error on the side of caution. And I have to agree that come spring & summer it should be fine.

Thanks for your help

 

[yawningreyhound]

thats so funny because I just came in from a round of nail clipping.

I use a garden clipper or a wire cutter, what ever is handy. Its easy, hardest part is catching the chickens. Easiest to do in really really good light, so the nail is back lit with the sun or a light. Even with black nails you can get a sense of where the quick is. I've never gotten the quick, so no bleeding, but I am pretty cautious. I would rather clip nails frequently than deal with the bleeding.

I don't have much of a problem in the summer, but in the winter there isn't any hard stuff to scratch, so they tend to get too long.

Today, I noticed one hen has a spur that is growing too close to her leg, it has sort of curled into it. No idea how to cut it without hurting the leg. I've never cut spurs, have heard it is easy to do with a hot potato but that won't work with this because there isn't enough room. Can't believe I missed this!

Now you guys have made me go look at my birds' nails. They're turned out to the side. Chicken nail trim spa day on Friday for me!

When I trim dogs' nails at the clinic, I always go slow with small slices even when I can see the quick. When I see the first hint of a tiny black spot, I stop. I'd rather trim more frequently than cut that quick (they are a nerve-laden location and if chickens react like dogs, they get all dicey about the next nail you trim, so I just keep it conservative (about the only thing!)).

Wish me luck! I just ordered new trimmers (they're a pain in the arse to sharpen), so chickies benefit. I'll bring Quick Stop; if I have it, I won't need it, right?

 

[yawningreyhound]

How old are your girls? On occasion you will get an egg like this from young layers or just as a fluke from an older girl.

If you are getting them regularly, I would suggest staking out to see which girl is having those eggs. It just may be that she has a reproductive issue and will need to be removed. Unless you are having a huge issue with the health of your flock, I'd guess it is just one that is laying them.

When the people delivered these chickens, I asked how old they were. They really didn't know, but thought "about a year." They were the chicken owners' neighbors, so I didn't get the story from the horse's mouth!

And it's been maybe 4 of these since 9/13. In a large population of birds (first there were 22, then these 7 came, ( then 2 of the 7 bought the farm), then 7 more hens came from someone moving), but since the neighbor hadn't ever seen those softshelled things before and all her hens are at least 2 years old, I suspected it was the first additional 7 who were making them. That first flock of 7, now 5, is who is living here. I hadn't seen one, nor had the neighbor, since October. Then I got one this week. Then the cracked one this morning in the well-padded nesting box, then the comment on the Colorado thread about inadequate Calcium in organic feed...just got me thinking.

And I don't THINK I'm having chicken health issues. I'm brand new at this tho'. Everyone is eating, I get 5 eggs every 2 days, their feathers are filling in nicely (their previous coop was WAY overcrowded, tho' free ranged, at night it was a sardine can in there and their tails showed it). Their wattle/comb color is good. Their eyes are bright. They run like crazy when they see or hear me coming. They free range happily all day. Their poop looks good (I checked the BYC chart for comparison). They're good friends tho' there IS a pecking order; if one gets left behind as the others move on, she always runs flapping to catch up. They're drinking well. They're dust bathing. Preening. That's about all I know to look for.

 

[yawningreyhound]

(My note: I avoid the stop bleed powder as it contains aluminum...which I always avoid if there's a safer way! Also might want to avoid the damp tea bag in this cold weather!)


Saw this article: http://www.grit.com/animals/how-to-trim-a-chickens-toenails.aspx with a drawing of the quick but it bothers me that it appears that the chicken they're using as a model looks like it has scaley leg mites.

Good point on the aluminum, I'll check my quickstop! Scaly leg mites. Because the leg scales are lifted a little on that photo? How do you determine for sure? I can research it, too!

Always something!!!!! Did you also notice there's a swollen spot in between the toes on the right (left leg) in the photo?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes I did notice that too. Not a great model for the article, I'm afraid.

About half way down in this article it shows a chicken w/scale mites.

 

[ki4got]

ok quote is acting flaky... LOL

re: does the rooster stimulate eggs or eggs stimulate the rooster, this is my take on the subject...

as a hen matures, her hormones start kicking into gear. once the hormones are raging, then she'll start squatting for the roo, before she starts laying. that guarantees that even her first eggs would be fertile, so that when it's time to go broody she won't be sitting on dudds...

I see the same thing in caged birds all the time. they'll start breeding even before the hen is ready to check out the nest box. then when she's ready to nest, she finds one and starts depositing eggs.

I was thinking of doing a wild rice and sausage stuffing, sounds better than stove top. LOL

 

[ki4got]

oh. and I just deboned my first chicken... if you are just learning how to do this, the video that was posted (chef pepin) was very good, but I do NOT recommend trying it first on a mature and ornery rooster. tho I had no problem with the mangling of his body, it didn't quite look the same as pepin's deboned chicken when I was done. LOL

I deboned it tonight, will work on making a stuffing for it later, and will stuff and wrap it up to cook tomorrow in the slow cooker. (I don't have a good oven/roaster)

 

[Leahs Mom]

ok quote is acting flaky... LOL

re: does the rooster stimulate eggs or eggs stimulate the rooster, this is my take on the subject...

as a hen matures, her hormones start kicking into gear. once the hormones are raging, then she'll start squatting for the roo, before she starts laying. that guarantees that even her first eggs would be fertile, so that when it's time to go broody she won't be sitting on dudds...

I see the same thing in caged birds all the time. they'll start breeding even before the hen is ready to check out the nest box. then when she's ready to nest, she finds one and starts depositing eggs.

I pretty much agree with this. I think it is the hormones as you state.

One exception, though. If the "guy" is a cockerel, I think he might just mate anything - hormones or not - based on his own hormone level! Especially if there aren't any adult ladies to put him in his place.

I remember thoroughly enjoying when "Mister", who was in a hen house with Six 1 year old hens and 3 girls his own age, was just coming into his "maturity". What I most enjoyed was when he'd approach the ladies and they'd tweak him in the comb

One time I saw him get on the landing bar in front of the nest boxes and look in to see what one of the elders was doing. She reached out and grabbed his comb and wouldn't let loose. Sorry...but I found that funny in a sadistic sort of way I guess.

Then....the poor boy hurt his leg. By that time the elders had realized he was "Mister" and were submitting...mostly quite happily. He had status being the only Mister around even though he was younger than everyone by almost a year. Then he hurt his leg and he couldn't "capture" them. If they didn't submit he was out of luck. It actually was a good thing because it put him in a place to realize they could very easily say "no" and it also taught them how to say "no".

Ah.... Boys....

 

[lazy gardener]

Leah's Mom: Here's the info re: Nutri-drench. It is available in multiple sizes, and for multiple species, all the way up to 1 qt. I bought mine at TSC, though, I think i'll get the next bottle from Amazon, as I can get twice as much for just a little bit more cost.
http://www.amazon.com/Bovidr-Labora...8&qid=1394065870&sr=8-1&keywords=nutri+drench

LaLa: Interesting book. I'll have to check it out. am planning a new coop, and had considered actually using a window as a pop door. Current plan is 8 x 12, with one end set up for storage, and possibly small brooder area. Lots of glass to south, gutter for rain water collection.

Delisha, I thoroughly understand and respect your stand regarding the use of a hatchet to deal with weakness in the flock. I may come to that as my flock size increases and definately if I actually end up with a rooster and breeding program. I certainly wouldn't allow a poor performer to play in the gene pool, but for now, I prefer to give the advantage of extra nutrient.

 

[aaggjg]

She is going through spring moult..it happens..when things like this happen in birds you need to seriously consider culling if it gets worse. It promotes other bad behaviors in the coop.

Delisha she has been molting for awhile (one of those SLOW molters) .... and the other feathers were coming in nicely or so I thought. She is very neurotic and is always fussing with the feathers on her back ... I finally realized her regroth seemed stalled and then looked closer to notice more missing feathers ... and the Alpha hen chasing her. Hmmmmm Maybe I'll nustock her and hope that helps ....