The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[heartsizedfarm]

Was carrying out a bucket of water to the hen shed.  I had removed one of the block steps and forgot it wasn't there as the bucket I was carrying was blocking my view.  When I stepped on the "invisible step that wasn't there anymore", I came crashing down to ground level with my ankle between the shed and the lower level of blocks.  Hit my shins on the floor edge of the shed, and the water from the bucket went flying onto the rooster and 2 pullets that were in the separation pen. 

They thought I was attacking them and they went nuts. 

It was quite a scene.

What a dramatic video that would have been! So sorry you got injured.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Sometimes I can feel too physically old for this work. Like Leah's Mom I don't bounce up from a fall like I used to! I have bruises and bumps from the shearing last weekend. It wasn't me shearing; I was on catch and tackle, but I think I was more tacklee than tackler.

 

[Phoenixxx]

And she'll eat the turmeric? Is it sprinkled on her dry feed or mixed into wet feed? I've used it as an anti inflammatory for horses but not thought of it yet for chooks. Good suggestion.

I fill a small dish with layer mash and sprinkle a thick layer of turmeric over top. That way, she has no choice but to eat it! Also, I use a piece of bread to smear any remaining honey off the spoon so it's not wasted and place that honey-side-down on top of the turmeric! The only downside to turmeric is the smell - not of the actual spice itself, but the stench of the poo is absolutely, incredibly putrid! I have her in the top unit of my rat cage in the office so we don't have to smell her. The other downside is the staining - she's a mottled houdan that now has a mustard-coloured beard and mustard feet!

 

[RedRidge]

Sometimes I can feel too physically old for this work. Like Leah's Mom I don't bounce up from a fall like I used to! I have bruises and bumps from the shearing last weekend. It wasn't me shearing; I was on catch and tackle, but I think I was more tacklee than tackler.

Been there done that... It seems my catch pens get smaller each year to make my "catching" even easier.
Glad shearing day is over for the year.

 

[armorfirelady]

@Leahs Mom I've used blue kote on my hens. Of course I don't know if it will cause long term problems but they did just fine with it on their feet & Stella's head

I volunteered today with our local EMS personnel to give a demonstrations to local brownie troops. The doc there said I could of had the stitches removed today it's healed so well in 4 days. I told her I have been putting coconut oil on it since it happened. She couldn't believe how well it healed in such a short time. I'll be calling Monday am to see if I can get in to get them out early.

On a chicken note I got 2 yards of manure free today and my mom helped me get it spread in the garden. Then we emptied a years worth of DL into the garden on top of it. Girls didn't know which way to go first. There is still more DL to come out but amazingly some of it is still frozen under the 2ft we removed. And it was 75 today!! One of the hay bales in the garden was frozen to the ground. Took the 2 of us and the hay fork to get it unstuck. I'm guessing the ice under it is 4 inches thick. Hay is def a good insulator

I don't know how the girls made it onto the roost. Crops were bursting and it was not from the 2 cups of grain they got. So glad sping has shown up. Tomorrow we are taking the old tarp off the coop and putting up the clear plastic on the ends & the billboard on top. Fingers crossed it goes well with no problems. Going to attach the new old neat boxes also .

Oh and the high for Monday is suppose to be 80 & then SNOW Tuesday........I think Mother Nature is very mean this year..........

 

[subhanalah]

Why not cut the stitches out yourself, not saying you should.

 

[armorfirelady]

Why not cut the stitches out yourself, not saying you should.

I have been pondering it but........I'm afraid I would cause more harm than good & since it's on my face I think waiting for doc to remove them is a better idea Now if they were on my arm or leg I would def cut them & pull them out myself lol

 

[tjo804]

Well...now I really have tractor envy.

Quote:
I made this used it on my roos behind that was glowing red
camo it didnt cover it blue but it didnt look red either

Healed right up though No more red!

 

[Leahs Mom]

The doc there said I could of had the stitches removed today it's healed so well in 4 days. I told her I have been putting coconut oil on it since it happened. She couldn't believe how well it healed in such a short time. I'll be calling Monday am to see if I can get in to get them out early.

And, if I'm not mistaken, coconut oil is also anti-fungal.

I WAS planning on getting some of the dl out of the kennel run and into the garden area this weekend.

Among many other things like seeding an acre and a half...

 

[Leahs Mom]

One of my hens that survived a dog attack had a huge gaping bite wound. It wound up getting infected. The only thing I found on the net that seemed safe to use on the exposed tissues was unpasteurized honey. The wound started out a good one inch deep by one inch diameter. I pour honey into the wound twice a day and every two days I manually remove all the garbage material. It's been three weeks now, but guess what - it's working! It's now only a centimeter deep by less than a centimeter diameter! As for eating it off herself, she doesn't. She does, however, take bites off the spoon while I'm drizzling the honey into her hole.

As for an internal antibiotic to keep her from going septic, I've been spiking her breakfast with copious amounts of turmeric. Know what? She is not in the least bit sick and never showed any signs if internal infection/blood poisoning from day one!

Thank you so much for telling us about that. I've never known anyone who did it but I know it is supposed to work so I'm really glad you shared your experience. And I'm surprised she doesn't try to eat it from the wound.

Sounds like you had her separated to heal so the other birds didn't get a chance to try it out...