The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Ahhh! I came home today planning on locking down the incubator and there's a chick in there! Day 18. So glad it didn't get squished by the turner! I quickly pulled it out, pulled out the turner, put the eggs back in, filled the water trays, put the chick back in and closed the bator. I don't know if I should risk candling or not. No idea what time the little one hatched. Brooder not set up. What should I do? This is my first hatch so I'm panicking a bit! Humidity was at 40 now up to 60. Any advice?!

Oh and there's another with and external pip but its at the wrong end.

every thing will be fine..just remove the turner or turn it off and let things finish out. You can add water if you need it with a straw or a tube threw the air holes if you are worried. I usually have a warm damp wash cloth ready before I open the box for any reason. Adding it to the incubator while I am doing what I need to do adds humidity and heat that i am stealing by opening it. (I do try not to do it. It risks chicks still in the eggs, but you have an early start and probably should.) I never suggest anyone to assist in a hatch. They do not hatch for a reason. Saving them now is not about the chick..it is about ourselves.
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Quote: Hi stranger!! I have not been on much either..I miss and skip so much...
I do not plug in either. If I can't find a vehicle that starts in this weather all the time with out a plug..I am stranded eventually.

Please help with my Girl!
When I let the ladies out today to play Brady was *off*
Her head pulled in falling asleep standing up and not even looking for anything to eat.
She was drinking water from a pan in the yard and looked like she had diarrhea I ran to go look it was an egg


there was no Yolk in it just the membrane.
I put her in sick bay tonite and not 30 minutes after being in there she passed another one.


This one had a yolk but the shell still just went splat the eggs were only 3 - 3.5 hrs apart.
Yesterday she was fine!
I have 7 hens collected 7 great eggs.
today ?
I am dumbfounded!




I brought her in tonight off her roost but she was not on the Kings roost tonight she was with the peasants. I dont have a clue what could be going on!
she didnt eat hardly any thing today! I felt her crop throughout the day and mostly emptish!

Can I help her?
Is this contagious?
Does anyone know what might be wrong?

don't panic..some birds do this on occasion and I have had young birds do this.
If she does this as a normal thing I would cull her.

Went out to feed last night & one of my freerange AG hens was standing there with 2 baby chicks

I got her in a pen, will the babies be alright eating the same ff I'm feeding everyone else or do I need to get "chick" starter for them?

I love when that happens..the chicks will be fine. Mom will make sure they get every thing they need..they are free rangers. Your FF will not be a large part of the diet. They will have mostly meat from moms findings. Soon they will be good at bug digging on their own. I would let them out and not lock them up..(JMO)

Quote: If you are going to lock them up..I agree with this.

I sprained my ankle taking a bucket of water out to the hen shed this afternoon. (I think just sprained...I suppose it "could" be broken...)

I had about 1000 things to do out there today. Not to mention that I've been keeping hawk-watch and going out at various times just to change what's going on to keep those preds guessing.

How in the heck do you take care of animals when you can't walk?

Get yer butt to the DR.

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What I was hoping for was the colored eggs and the self-sexing chicks. I was, at one time, thinking I'd quit getting ee's and try to propagate the CLs But then I realized they were crested.
If all you want is sexable chicks you need a different male. Baring or Cuckoo with solid mates will always tell you the sex of chicks so you can get what you want..like Ameracuana's. Someone already made bared Ameracuana's. You can have blue eggs with sexed offspring.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've never had an xray on an ankle before except when I was in high school and my parents made me go to the dr. to be sure it wasn't broken.

What I need is to open the front drive gate and just drive back and forth out there for a few days. My husband would think I was nuts! And, unfortunately, (or actually fortunately...just the timing is unfortunate) he is gone picking up some free kennel panels we were given. So I've been back and forth to the hen shed 4X since.

Quote: I do want sexable babies and colored eggs. (I love the way those CLs look too...eye candy I say). Maybe I'll have to have someone do some of these interesting crosses for me.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Forgot to say I'm trying comfrey compresses on my ankle. Never done that before either. But if I don't quit walking around it will be as big as my thigh.

 

[hellbender]

I switched to FF I use Layena in a 3 gal glass container fill it 3/4 with pellets put in 2c scratch and 2 c BOSS.
I feed them 3x a day with what they finish and have layena pellets available in the coop at all times still
When they free run my yard I only feed the FF in the evening about 6

And Honestly I have forgotten her breed since when I started 2 years ago they were layer / pets so this is my Brady bird.
When I went to the feed store and got
2 New Hampshire's
2 Brahma's
2 New Jersey's (i just don't think she fits the description)

FF? What constitutes your FF? why do you not mix all together so they have no option but get the benefits of the calcium and other VITAL elements for producing good egg shells?

I use FF to get better use of the grains but also to get the food to be cost effective. I use the Layena, Manna pro and FF as a binder for the meat protein.

In any event..you need to get the hens to get more of the professionally mixed food into the birds...JMHO.

 

[hellbender]

Forgot to say I'm trying comfrey compresses on my ankle. Never done that before either. But if I don't quit walking around it will be as big as my thigh.

I hope the comfrey helps your ankle. When you're through with it, the birds should love it! Oh, the boys found their tree today but the rain put them out of the woods. They will cut it tomorrow.

 

[Leahs Mom]

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We better be getting some photos as they're working on it!

 

[armorfirelady]

I sprained my ankle taking a bucket of water out to the hen shed this afternoon. (I think just sprained...I suppose it "could" be broken...)

I had about 1000 things to do out there today. Not to mention that I've been keeping hawk-watch and going out at various times just to change what's going on to keep those preds guessing.

How in the heck do you take care of animals when you can't walk?

Must be the week for mishaps. I took needle nose pliers to the face & had to get stitches. I have a pretty rainbow colored half mustache. I have been trying not to bend over close to the hens since I am afraid they will want to check out the pretty stitches

At least I wasn't using power tools lol

Quote: Ice on for 20 minutes off for 20. Keep it elevated when you can. I would have to guess if your still hobbling on it probably not broken. In my experience sprains/strains hurt worse then breaks. But an xray certainly will tell you what you need to know.

Please let me know how the comfrey works. I have none here but am always looking for herbal ways to heal myself. I am using coconut oil on my lacerations & chapped lips to see if I can stop from getting a scar. Dr said I couldn't use lip balm (breeds nasty things apparently) & my lips are super dry from the injury.

This weekend its suppose to be nice. So my plan is to add the nesting box from the doll house coop to the hoop coop, put out the rest of the electric netting, put the pop door on other side of coop and get the clear plastic and billboard on the hoop coop. Its suppose to be nice this weekend & I have helpers (maybe I wont get injured this time

) And If I have enough time.... get the DL out of the coop & into the veggie garden. I am picking up a load of free manure tomorrow so next week I hope to have it spread so the girls can mix the DL & manure together for me

@hellbender I can not wait to see what the boys make up for you

Sophie was freed again today. Still a small amount in her crop. She headed out into the garden to scratch for a little while then was seen at the flock block for awhile eating away. Apparently restocking herself of the vitamins & minerals she needs after hen jail. She likes spinach (as do the other girls) so I am going to keep giving it to her & see if the little left in her crop will finally clear. It def is not as big as originally. ANd it doesnt feel like stringy in there anymore like it did before. I am going to buy seeds so I can plant them in the hen herb boxes so she has them available all summer.

Delisha do hens ever have an empty crop? I have never checked crops at roosting time then again in the am before they get down to see if they ever completely empty them.

 

[armorfirelady]

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We better be getting some photos as they're working on it!

 

[Scott H]

Oh and we are getting our first real tractor that has a bucket and snowblower and hydraulics and all that fun stuff. I can actually move snow out of the way!! WOO  

I don't need a tractor....so why am I jealous?

 

[Leahs Mom]

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Every man needs a tractor. No matter his circumstances.