The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Sally8]

Do I win anything for confusing stony? 

I think you do. Never thought that confusing Stony would be possible! (That's a compliment, Stony.)

 

[hellbender]

I meant that my little pie pans and bread pans would be too small for your situation.

I guess I was unclear...what I was saying was that the wood ones you mentioned would be great for your situation. I'm hoping to see something that your son does soon. I need to beam him over here after he's done with yours.

Not so fast! The boys like your idea better and so do I. It will be far easier for them to do it your way and save me a lot of money.

Rather than buying an expensive white oak log...the fellas are going up on a ridge and cut down a 12 to 13 white oak, skid it in with the four wheeler and proceed as follows: Cut off a 1 inch slab for the bottom of the feeder.(s)..on the opposite side, cut off a 2 inch slab. They will likely cut the log in 3 foot lengths. From there, Auggie (friend) will cut out the greatest part of the feed area with a 12 inch chain saw. He can likely do the whole job with the chain saw...he cuts out black bears and mountain lions, etc and sells them for good money at fairs and carnivals...and from his front yard...

My idea would have been EXPENSIVE, rather difficult and not a little bit dangerous...dealing with such a large block on that old lathe. It was built for extra heavy work but no use using it when the chain saw can handle it...

THANK YOU !!!

 

[stonykill]

I think you do. Never thought that confusing Stony would be possible! (That's a compliment, Stony.)

it is all of the names of all of the chickens I have never met

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

Lahs Mom Not so fast! The boys like your idea better and so do I. It will be far easier for them to do it your way and save me a lot of money.

Rather than buying an expensive white oak log...the fellas are going up on a ridge and cut down a 12 to 13 white oak, skid it in with the four wheeler and proceed as follows: Cut off a 1 inch slab for the bottom of the feeder.(s)..on the opposite side, cut off a 2 inch slab. They will likely cut the log in 3 foot lengths. From there, Auggie (friend) will cut out the greatest part of the feed area with a 12 inch chain saw. He can likely do the whole job with the chain saw...he cuts out black bears and mountain lions, etc and sells them for good money at fairs and carnivals...and from his front yard...

My idea would have been EXPENSIVE, rather difficult and not a little bit dangerous...dealing with such a large block on that old lathe. It was built for extra heavy work but no use using it when the chain saw can handle it...

THANK YOU !!!

I can't wait to see these.

 

[hellbender]

I can't wait to see these.

For now, just imagine a small oblong canoe with a flat bottom.

 

[NanaLynn]

These might help:

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-perform-necropsy-autopsy-on.html

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/01/diary-of-sick-chicken-graphic.html

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2014/01/where-do-eggs-come-from-how-chickens.html

Thanks, I think I know what I was looking at now, makes more sense now. The last link matched mine the most. There was something in the hen that kinda resembled a bay leaf. I wish I took a picture. I am thinking it was the spleen possibly, not sure. I figured out everything else. She ended up weighing a little over 2 lbs, not very big after all the feathers were gone, she looked a lot heavier starting out.

 

[lalaland]

I'm with you guys on the old stuff being built better and lasting longer. Toasters! My grandmother's toaster, which was a wedding present, got passed on to my mother, who used it for maybe 20 years? passed on to me......another 15, passed on to my daughter, used for another 6, and then it croaked. Buy a toaster today, you get what, maybe 3 years?

And tools! and clothes dryers! and refrigerators! they just lasted and lasted. ditto with the chicken waterers - glass ones (if you didn't drop them), but those plastic thingamajiggies just get wrecked. (juding from my neighbors who are buying them new practically with each set of chicks!).

I also like metal baking pans and glass pie plates and enamel pans. I'm starting to find some now that the snow is melting.

OK< I've been getting between 10-14 eggs a day (16 hens) and its been dropping to 8 -10 and today I only got 5. Guess I'm gonna have to double check for mites, lice, and probably give 'em a little soapy dishwater for drinking. Not that there's a chance in heck they will get a good dose as there is so much snow melt. Shoot!

 

[armorfirelady]

We have 'free' natrual gas and still use the same old gas range my Grandma bought new in 1959. Crazy, huh?

Not crazy at all!!!! I wish I had my great aunts old stove. My mom sold it for a lot of $$. But now that my new fancy one is dying after 9 years I wish I had that old one
(have any acreage for sale?? One day I hope to be in the middle of nowhere with all old appliance that will last longer than me

)

Pecking Order Wars
If this continues, I'm going to have to figure out how to add the others back. I'm thinking 1 at a time later...I think I have a plan. Finally.

You always have a plan

Since my girls have been out with their electric netting extra space it seems Lucy has decided to pick on Edie......I caught her twice in the last 2 weeks pecking at Edie as she sat laying on the ground. Edie is the smallest of the group & apparently Lucy decided since all the big girls pick on her she is going to pass it on to Edie. Thankfully Edie is usually to quick for Lucy to snag.

Back to the pans...I also have been collecting pyrex pie plates. Usually about $1 at resale places. Those are what I feed from during the winter as the ff heaters are round and just the right size to keep them from freezing.
But I'm still pondering that situation.

I need to get heavier duty glass ones since I have broken 2 in the last 6 months. But I did buy a pyrex one awhile back but haven't used it yet to feed the gang. I am using the rubber feed bowls. Those I can't break (or at least its harder to do

)

I need to find a way to put something in the extra large heated dog bowl so its not so deep yet keeps the glass bowl I want to put in there warm. But I have a few months to figure that out

I'm going to get my son to 'turn' some feeders out of white oak...It's a pretty big job but he actually has time on his hands.

That sounds awesome. I hope you post a picture of the finished product. I would love to have those on hand to use.



So today I went out to fill the hens water from a jug I had inside. I started pouring the water in then realized it was vinegar.......I guess if I am going to reuse vinegar jugs to haul water I should label them water. So I poured the vinegar into their rubber bowls to let it sit and clean them some. Hens had puckered beaks when they tried to drink that *water* lol Oops

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Me either

I'm with you guys on the old stuff being built better and lasting longer. Toasters! My grandmother's toaster, which was a wedding present, got passed on to my mother, who used it for maybe 20 years? passed on to me......another 15, passed on to my daughter, used for another 6, and then it croaked. Buy a toaster today, you get what, maybe 3 years?

And tools! and clothes dryers! and refrigerators! they just lasted and lasted. ditto with the chicken waterers - glass ones (if you didn't drop them), but those plastic thingamajiggies just get wrecked. (judging from my neighbors who are buying them new practically with each set of chicks!).

I also like metal baking pans and glass pie plates and enamel pans. I'm starting to find some now that the snow is melting.

OK< I've been getting between 10-14 eggs a day (16 hens) and its been dropping to 8 -10 and today I only got 5. Guess I'm gonna have to double check for mites, lice, and probably give 'em a little soapy dishwater for drinking. Not that there's a chance in heck they will get a good dose as there is so much snow melt. Shoot!

I keep eyeing up an old washing machine at the reuse place...its electric and small and while more work I bet that sucker will outlast my HE one. And I have also been buying enamel pots and baking dishes as I find them. They are so much easier to cook in. I have been using more cast iron pans as well. I love to cook in them when we camp & thought might as well use them at home as well My Mom laughs at me when we go to garage sales & I happily pick up a enamel wash bowl, old old canning jars and any old items I can find. But if we lose power for a long period I have stuff to cook on in the fireplace or outside

 

[misbhaven]

I had my meaties free ranging today....funny seeing them waddle as they run they did scratch and find goodies like normal chickens I keep them in a pen in my garden we tilled half of it the other day so goodies were easy to find..I forgot who asked about their behavior the other day