The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[heartsizedfarm]

This discussion is probably one of the most important going on at BYC. And I value the lucid, knowledgable and thoughtful responses. I don't have anything to add except to say that I think places like BYC are the seed bed of a food revolution that could seriously undermine Monsanto. And also you can get an app called Buycott that allows you to scan a food product before purchase to see if it is GMO supported or not. I use it. I like it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have no idea what oalates are guess I need to look that up lol

But I agree they eat what they need. I use a flock block for nutrients not in their grains since I don't use nutribalancer in the mix. I've seem where people say their flock block barely lasts a month yet mine thru winter lasted 4 months. They had no greens with all the snow except what I gave them. Apparently they didn't need the nutrients in the flock block. Apparently their grains, fish meal & alfalfa are exactly what they need

I wish "people animals" were so smart! If they were, I wouldn't have to lose 30 lbs.

 

[Jewelwing]

This discussion is probably one of the most important going on at BYC. And I value the lucid, knowledgable and thoughtful responses. I don't have anything to add except to say that I think places like BYC are the seed bed of a food revolution that could seriously undermine Monsanto. And also you can get an app called Buycott that allows you to scan a food product before purchase to see if it is GMO supported or not. I use it. I like it.

Now if only I had a smart phone!

So if the corn used in a product is GM corn, the app will tell you?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Now if only I had a smart phone!

So if the corn used in a product is GM corn, the app will tell you?

Yup

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL - How is Sophie doing?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Update on my flock separations.

I am very pleased watching the 5 girls that I left together in the general flock including the young girl that was getting attacked the most. I have only 5 of 11 birds in the main area and the young girl - Miss Gray - is taking part in all flock activities, not running away or being intimidated.



It appears to me that the 4 lowest birds on the pecking order are desperately fighting for rank when they're altogether and Miss Gray, who is not a fighter, takes the brunt of it all. Having removed the other 3 lowest birds and the rooster has worked wonderfully.

Starting Saturday I'll start returning the banned birds to the flock one at a time. I'll do this over a couple week period of time and observe how it goes.

 

[Jewelwing]

So one of the projects we're hoping to complete this summer is making a fence for our garden area. I'm totally against using treated wood at all, although my husband thinks I'm a bit wacky for refusing to let him use it even for the posts (and for not letting him use Roundup to kill the grass that's where the garden's going to be!!!).

He found someone on Craig's list who's selling hedge posts (osage orange) from some land he cleared. Apparently these make fantastic posts, and take forever (many decades) to rot. So does everyone think it's a good idea to use osage orange wood near where we're going to grow vegetables, and around chickens?

I've heard the fruit is toxic, but we'd just be using the cut trunks.

On a similar note, we're thinking of using a living fence, like wisteria, instead of planks to fill in the fence itself. We'd put support between the posts, and then grow the wisteria close enough that deer, dogs, and chickens couldn't get through. The raccoons could still climb it, though. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Jewelwing]

Update on my flock separations.

I am very pleased watching the 5 girls that I left together in the general flock including the young girl that was getting attacked the most. I have only 5 of 11 birds in the main area and the young girl - Miss Gray - is taking part in all flock activities, not running away or being intimidated.

It appears to me that the 4 lowest birds on the pecking order are desperately fighting for rank when they're altogether and Miss Gray, who is not a fighter, takes the brunt of it all. Having removed the other 3 lowest birds and the rooster has worked wonderfully.

Starting Saturday I'll start returning the banned birds to the flock one at a time. I'll do this over a couple week period of time and observe how it goes.

Won't the birds you removed still be the lowest birds in the pecking order when you return them, so the same problem would still be there? Or are you thinking that removing the other three would put Miss Gray above them when they're returned, so they would stop picking on her?

 

[subhanalah]

So one of the projects we're hoping to complete this summer is making a fence for our garden area. I'm totally against using treated wood at all, although my husband thinks I'm a bit wacky for refusing to let him use it even for the posts (and for not letting him use Roundup to kill the grass that's where the garden's going to be!!!).

He found someone on Craig's list who's selling hedge posts (osage orange) from some land he cleared.  Apparently these make fantastic posts, and take forever (many decades) to rot.  So does everyone think it's a good idea to use osage orange wood near where we're going to grow vegetables, and around chickens?

I've heard the fruit is toxic, but we'd just be using the cut trunks.

On a similar note, we're thinking of using a living fence, like wisteria, instead of planks to fill in the fence itself.  We'd put support between the posts, and then grow the wisteria close enough that deer, dogs, and chickens couldn't get through.  The raccoons could still climb it, though.  Any thoughts on that?

I'm always weary of wisteria. It gets pretty crazy and difficult to control.
Will you introduce the roster back before the other three bullies, in hopes that he will straighten out any quarrels like a good rooster should do?
Maybe you need a new roo?

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL - How is Sophie doing?

I put her in the dog crate in the old run yesterday with no shavings in it. Only water & a few spinach leaves. When my mom stopped over earlier to cjeck on the dogs she said all the other girls were in there visiting Sophie (they have access to go in the run not the dog crate) She will give her some more spinach when she goes back later to feed the other hens & collect eggs. I am working long long days at work so she is my eyes & ears till I get a chance to get home when its daylight out to see her. But when I put her in there she was not as bad as she was last week. Hopefully catching her early and the spinach will help. I am hoping to be able to check her crop tonight at bedtime to see if its emptying. I do know that between the last time she was isolated and now when she was acting fine I no longer felt that wad of stuff in it. So maybe she got a majority of it cleared and there is just a little trying to pass still

I am only guessing tho of course. But to look at her she looks fine. Red comb & wattles, feathers look good, eyes clear & bright. She has not laid in a couple months tho. Just waiting & seeing to see what transpires.

Starting Saturday I'll start returning the banned birds to the flock one at a time. I'll do this over a couple week period of time and observe how it goes.

it all goes well