The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[heartsizedfarm]

Rainstorm turned into snowstorm but here are some coop pictures.

The first is the back of the barn, half for sheep and half for chickens.

The next is of the chicken side. My husband made two coops on each side then closed in the middle.

The inside

Harley the Shetland Sheep

 

[hellbender]

Our ramps are just now coming up for the season. They are great in the soft sheep's milk chevre I make. ;-)
The livestock all avoid them... better things to munch on. And they are mostly where the may apples are so other than bugs there's not much yummy to eat there

I love them...Ramp Burgers are considered a delecacy here. Even the Japanese have found out about this marvelous plant and I understand a meal including ramps in Tokyo is very expensive. They have some areas where they can grow their own but the ones imported from Appalachia demand enormous prices...much like the cost of the best tuna.

 

[Scott H]

Oops, stupid stupid bleep bleep bleep... what I wrote wound up in the quote between links, sorry! They really need to make an android app, the full version is not friendly on my tablet at all!

Have you gone to the bottom of the page a clicked on "mobile"?

 

[subhanalah]

Have you gone to the bottom of the page a clicked on "mobile"?

That's not much better. It keeps moving my cursor to the top line of the quote after I press the space bar, down here. It's a little bit annoying, but I don't want to complain about it.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Have you gone to the bottom of the page a clicked on "mobile"?

Mobile version fine for my phone, but I much prefer the full version for my tab. It's just really glitchy, especially when trying to upload stuff.

 

[armorfirelady]

Just made a gallon batch of my favorite cleaner. It's super easy (thanks LM) and smells great & perfect for cleaning up stuff in the coop if needed. I personally use it around the house as well. My counters have never been so clean. And so nice not having to worry about chemicals that my pets may get on their pads.

I don't force feed my hens either. I mixed the cayenne pepper up in plain Greek yogurt with garlic, basil & chamomile. Whoever wants to eat it does & if they don't want to that's fine. I think Greek yogurt is like ice cream to chickens. Their beaks are white from eating it up.

I also put the last of the last of the dried chamomile and lavender in the nesting box. I've used up the last of my herbs from last years garden. It really needs to warm up so I can start planting more herbs. I am def going to dry as much as I can this year so I have more for next year.

I even have a fire going today. We have snow on the ground again & temps in the teens.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Just made a gallon batch of my favorite cleaner. It's super easy (thanks LM) and smells great & perfect for cleaning up stuff in the coop if needed. I personally use it around the house as well. My counters have never been so clean. And so nice not having to worry about chemicals that my pets may get on their pads.

I don't force feed my hens either. I mixed the cayenne pepper up in plain Greek yogurt with garlic, basil & chamomile. Whoever wants to eat it does & if they don't want to that's fine. I think Greek yogurt is like ice cream to chickens. Their beaks are white from eating it up.

I also put the last of the last of the dried chamomile and lavender in the nesting box. I've used up the last of my herbs from last years garden. It really needs to warm up so I can start planting more herbs. I am def going to dry as much as I can this year so I have more for next year.

I even have a fire going today. We have snow on the ground again & temps in the teens.

Chamomile and lavender are good for getting rid of mites etc?

 

[trilliumcoop]

Subscribing to this thread. Also coming here for help. My hen has bumblefoot. Is there a natural remedy for bumblefoot? I'm looking at my drawing salve and wondering. I am currently planning on following the Chicken Chick's information but if there are other options I'm open to them.

I've had so much trouble trying to keep just a few birds, eight at most healthy in my backyard! We live in a warm climate which I think is part of our problem. We've dealt with coccidiosis and now bumblefoot and lice. I treated the lice with DE. We have a great tractor as a coop and my girls free range almost all day, I move the tractor frequently and conditions are clean! I'm trying to practice natural chicken keeping as much as possible but to be honest I'm quite frustrated. We've lost a lot of chicks. 8 now. Six to coccidiosis and two just recently to something I haven't yet identified. Leg paralysis then death. I'm aware of Marek's but as my other birds are ok so far I'm not thinking that's it. I just don't know. Anyways, following the thread hoping to get good at this!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Rainstorm turned into snowstorm but here are some coop pictures.

The first is the back of the barn, half for sheep and half for chickens.





Harley the Shetland Sheep

I Really like the way that is done! Kudos to the builder What is the full measurement of it all including the center and 2 chicken sides?

Quote: I only know about ramps because I used to read a blog regularly written by a lady in your area of the country so I was introduced to them there. I've just thought it would be nice to have some. I've never tasted them.

Do you think they would winter over this far north? Or would they have to be replanted every year?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just made a gallon batch of my favorite cleaner. It's super easy (thanks LM) and smells great & perfect for cleaning up stuff in the coop if needed. I personally use it around the house as well. My counters have never been so clean. And so nice not having to worry about chemicals that my pets may get on their pads.

I don't force feed my hens either. I mixed the cayenne pepper up in plain Greek yogurt with garlic, basil & chamomile. Whoever wants to eat it does & if they don't want to that's fine. I think Greek yogurt is like ice cream to chickens. Their beaks are white from eating it up.

I also put the last of the last of the dried chamomile and lavender in the nesting box. I've used up the last of my herbs from last years garden. It really needs to warm up so I can start planting more herbs. I am def going to dry as much as I can this year so I have more for next year.

I even have a fire going today. We have snow on the ground again & temps in the teens.

I just started a new batch myself! And I have one that has been steeping for about 4 months that I haven't opened yet.

I sometimes use it in the coop in the crevices ... just spraying it along the edges of the roosts and nest boxes. When I use it for the coop, (after the main batch has steeped) I put it in a spray bottle and add a few drops of essential oils of mint, lavender, eucalyptus, if I have them. Seems to be a nice deterrent for lice/mites.

I also cut the orange peels into tiny strips and dehydrate them after it's done steeping. I use those in the nest boxes as well.

(I have photos of all this if anyone is interested in seeing.)


We also have snow and frozen waterers again....been in the 20's at night. Tomorrow supposed to be in the 50's mid day.