The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hellbender]

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?



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?

They would absolutely winter over! you would have to make certain the soil has the proper ph and shade. They seed and sprout pile garlic or leak but need a deciduous leaf litter as winter cover. That shouldn't be hard to set up. You would have to leave them alone for a while and let them get a good start, perhaps 4 years but then, you could 'harvest' at least half of them yearly and the next year, you'd have MORE than the harvest year, if that makes sense.

And...I doubt it get any colder there than here....Elkins WV is the coldest spot in the nation (including Alaska) for more than 100 days of the year.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

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?



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?

I'm not sure. 14 foot deep and 20 foot wide? Would be the overall space. Maybe 14 foot by 6 foot for the individual coops. We are planning this summer to paint the plywood bits a nice dark hunter green but leave the barn board bits to weather grey like the rest of the barn. It can be challenging, making an old barn work for your purposes, but you must still respect it's history.

 

[Leahs Mom]

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!

That's a lot of things...We have some natural ideas for most of them that seem to work well.

For the issues with leg paralysis, it is usually a thiamin deficiency - though it can also be some of the other B vitamins. If you see this in your little chicks, immediately get some liver and chop it into tiny pieces for them to eat. Even if I don't see it, I routinely give raw liver to my littles to prevent that. If you want a quick, "not so natural" way, you can get some children's poly-vi-sol drops NO ADDED IRON and add it to the waterer. It will usually bring them out of it very quickly.

If you're having that issue there is likely a feed freshness issue. Also, anti-nutrients in feed that hasn't been sprouted or fermented can cause vitamin deficiencies. I would look for the most fresh feed you can get and be sure to add animal protein to their diet as supplement. Just some raw ground beef in tiny pieces that they can pick up, etc. will work.


For cocci prevention:
Using deep litter is a good start. If you have an adult coop and can take a little of the old litter and mix it in with the brooder litter it is helpful.

Quote: http://www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html
I know that we are afraid of excessive ammonia in litter for good reason. But a little bit of ammonia is a good thing for the prevention of cocci. And where there is deep litter, there will be a bit of ammonia.

Quote: http://www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html The third reason is that a 10 percent solution of ammonia spray is considered effective for killing coccidia. Being unable to withstand such spray, they may likewise be unable to withstand the constant ammoniacal atmosphere in built-up litter.
(If you read this article, please note that I DO NOT recommend the use of lime in deep litter.)

You can also put a bit of sod that you dig from the yard into the brooder to get them acclimated to the organisms that are in the environment that they are going into. Best yet - brood them in the coop in a separate area where they are exposed from hatch. They must be exposed to develop immunity.

Bumblefoot in the next post

 

[armorfirelady]

The orange slices still have enough smell to them when you dehydrate them? I've brought some home from a co worker and they dry so quick I often wonder if they do anything?

My gallon cleaner last only a couple months top since it's all I use. I would of never thought of adding lavender or eucalyptus to the orange cleaner? Huh. Last year I put eucalyptus oil in water and sprayed it in the coop throughout the summer to try & keep bugs at bay. Plus I liked the smell in the coop

We have temps below freezing here as well but he big waterer is in one of the lean to with plastic still on it so I hope it unfreeze while I am at work for a long day tomorrow lol. Not like the girls,drink much from it. They prefer mud puddles YUCK !!
Lavender has a lot of uses: natural insecticide, good for circulatory system, relieves stress & smells good.
Chamomile is good for people so since I grew some I added to the nesting box.

I have catnip seeds so I plan on growing that in pots and around the coop. Mint also. I have mint growing in a spot in my yard so I hope to transplant it to around the coop. If the girls don't eat it at least it will smell good when I mow

 

[Leahs Mom]

Before we talk about bumblefoot, would you be able to post a photo? Sometimes folks treat because we've been told that if there is any black mark on the foot it needs to be treated. Sometime that's not the case. So... yes, I have some ideas for bumblefoot. But I'd like to see some photos from all angles before commenting

 

[Leahs Mom]

The orange slices still have enough smell to them when you dehydrate them? I've brought some home from a co worker and they dry so quick I often wonder if they do anything?

My gallon cleaner last only a couple months top since it's all I use.

I would of never thought of adding lavender or eucalyptus to the orange cleaner? Huh. Last year I put eucalyptus oil in water and sprayed it in the coop throughout the summer to try & keep bugs at bay. Plus I liked the smell in the coop

When I dehydrate them, the smell is VERY STRONG VINEGAR and some orange. When I make mine, I stuff that jar full of orange peels and press them down tightly so there are a lot of peels in there. I didn't want them to go to waste and they dehydrate great and the smell is strong of vinegar. So strong you might want to put the dehydrator outside!

When I use it as a coop crevice spray, I be sure that the birds can go outside and it is pretty open as the smell of the vinegar is pretty strong in that cleaner. I only add the eo's for the spray bottle that I keep for the coop. I think the combo of the vinegar, orange and eucalyptus oil/mint oil/lavendar is a nice strong deterrent. But, again, when I first spray it I am very sure that the birds are out in the fresh air and that they aren't "cooped up" in there without the freedom to go out if needed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh...and when I add those dehydrated orange peel slices to the nest boxes I only use a few. I store the rest in a vacuum sealed canning jar (sealed w/a vacuum sealer attachment) and keep them in a dark place and only put a few in every now and then when I add other lice/mite deterrent herbs to the boxes.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Hmmmm I thought they wouldn't grow up here.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Happy Tax Day (If "happy" and "tax" can go together....)

 

[armorfirelady]

When I dehydrate them, the smell is VERY STRONG VINEGAR and some orange.  When I make mine, I stuff that jar full of orange peels and press them down tightly so there are a lot of peels in there.  I didn't want them to go to waste and they dehydrate great and the smell is strong of vinegar.  So strong you might want to put the dehydrator outside! 

When I use it as a coop crevice spray, I be sure that the birds can go outside and it is pretty open as the smell of the vinegar is pretty strong in that cleaner.  I only add the eo's for the spray bottle that I keep for the coop.  I think the combo of the vinegar, orange and eucalyptus oil/mint oil/lavendar is a nice strong deterrent.  But, again, when I first spray it I am very sure that the birds are out in the fresh air and that they aren't "cooped up" in there without the freedom to go out if needed.

Ah ok I see what you mean now. I don't eat oranges so I buy them just for the peels (I am weird I know ) but I froze the oranges left over since the hens don't eat them. I was wondering if squeezing the juice into the mix would work? I was afraid it might spoil with the orange juice in it?

As for ventilation I don't have that problem lol but I have to say with the high winds and snow we have had and half the plastic and billboard not secured at the bottom it was not drafty in the coop. So far so good