The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chikenscratch]

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?

Ramps grow here along the most eastern border between Illinois and Wisconsin perennially.

 

[CoopChick719]

Both the chicks and I LOVE the feather dusters.

When I put the 3 weekers outside and it was overnight lows in the 40's and high 30's, I didn't want to put heat out w/ them so I took a 5 gallon bucket laid it on it's side drilled holes (like about 40 or 50) about the diameter of a pencil and then cut strips of fleece and pulled them through the holes and dangled the ends in the bucket, put that in the big outside brooder and they all sleep contentedly in the bucket side w/ the fleece strips hanging all around them, all toasty and warm.

Love your bucket idea!!

It is for comfort, emotional, since their instinct is to get under a mom, it lets them act more like normal broody raised chicks. and for added warmth at night.

The feather dusters are what I put in the broody box of all chicks that I brood not by a hen.

I'm using feather dusters in the brooder right now. DH & I went to 5 different stores looking for them. Finally found some at Home Depot. I bought the last 5 they had on the shelf. I already had a nice ostrich feather one but found that at a discount store last year. We've named the feather dusters, Not the Mama!

its gonna snow again. 6-12 inches on wed. its 19 degrees. I got spoiled by a week of warm weather and actually seeing some bare ground.

I know I'm whining.

That sucks lala! It's like winter just won't die! We had a beautiful sunny 65 day on Monday. Tonight they're calling for rain turning into snow and 30's. I guess the Farmer's Almanac said we would have warm spring-like temps only to go back to wintry type weather.

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.

Heeeyy I have a jar just like that sitting on my counter! It worked great on my stovetop! Do you just toss a handful of dried lavender in the nesting boxes?

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.)

Grea idea to dehydrate the orange peels afterwards!! I let the first batch dry near the pellet stove then threw them in the nesting boxes.

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.

Do you spray all surfaces with the spray?

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.

In lieu of a vacuum sealed canning jar, would freezing them work?

 

[armorfirelady]

Keep in mind that Cat nip or Cat Mint attracts Cats

Yes I am aware. When I grow it in the house my 4 house cats love to rub against it to get the smell going.

I have several of my neighbors outdoor cats that are around. I have never seen them near my coop with the electric netting up and have never seen any prints during the winter near the coop either.

I haven't seen any evidence of worms, it is just that I can't understand the drop in egg production, so I think it will likely be worms or mites. Still no sign of mites, so....

Lalala I wonder of it might be something else? Maybe starting a molt? One of them going broody? If they didnt slow down over the fall/winter maybe they are taking a break now? I would try some cayenne pepper, garlic & other herbs a few times a week & see if there is a difference. I know when mine had lice & mites I could see them on the birds & the roost & they were scratching incessantly.

Yes that's what I did. With their new nesting box I actually mixed in with the shavings & wood ash. But I am sure the girls were mix it around some more

 

[lalaland]

If you are not seeing evidence of mites or worms what makes you think that is it?
could it be cloudy where you are and not filling their sunlight needs? Or are they staying in a closed up dim coop?
is something stressing them at night? mice rats or other critters?
Have you made any feed changes?
How old are they?

I am not trying to be an expert but sometimes we can over look things we already know thinking it cant be that easy.

I admit sun has been lacking lately, but it is so every spring. They have plenty of space in a coop with multiple windows, and now that the snow is gone (oh wait, its coming back) plenty of room in a run, plus they get out and free range when I am home (also now that the snow is gone except for the 10-14 inches coming down now).

I did have some problems weeks ago at night when they could come off the roost at night and pile/huddle in a far corner. I never found evidence of any critter- no tracks in the snow, no droppings, and this behavior stopped.

Am always messing with their feed. I have never been a believer of conventional wisdom that for chickens, dogs, cats, they must be fed a repetitive diet and any changes dreaded and introduced slowly. Have never had a chicken, cat, or dog, become sick, upset, or disheartened by the introduction of a new feed.

Mostly they get an all flock mash supplemented with greens, leftover, etc. I have been getting rid of a 50 pound bag of organic feed, which contains an abnormal amount (to me) of flax seed that they have refused to eat. I add a scoop to the feed each day, which is moistened with water,milk, yogurt, cooking water , etc.

The youngest are less than a year, the oldest is 5.

 

[hellbender]

Yes I am aware. When I grow it in the house my 4 house cats love to rub against it to get the smell going.

I have several of my neighbors outdoor cats that are around. I have never seen them near my coop with the electric netting up and have never seen any prints during the winter near the coop either.
Lalala I wonder of it might be something else? Maybe starting a molt? One of them going broody? If they didnt slow down over the fall/winter maybe they are taking a break now? I would try some cayenne pepper, garlic & other herbs a few times a week & see if there is a difference. I know when mine had lice & mites I could see them on the birds & the roost & they were scratching incessantly.
Yes that's what I did. With their new nesting box I actually mixed in with the shavings & wood ash. But I am sure the girls were mix it around some more

I change nesting straw very often and always add DE....No lice nor mites. I also keep dusting boxes inside the houses, with sand, wood ash and DE...Seems to work very well.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Leahs Mom I had to look up what ramps are and it seems they are the same as wild leeks. Wild leeks grow up here near me so they should be able to grow where you are as well. I do not like onions but I am curios to see if ramps have more of a garlicy taste like the website I found says

 

[hellbender]

Leahs Mom I had to look up what ramps are and it seems they are the same as wild leeks. Wild leeks grow up here near me so they should be able to grow where you are as well. I do not like onions but I am curios to see if ramps have more of a garlicy taste like the website I found says

I do not believe they are the 'same' as wild leaks but if wild leaks grow there, so will ramps.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Ah ok. One of the websites I went to said ramps were also known as wild leeks. Just passing on what I had read. It does seem they are similiar tho from the pictures I saw. I know we have wild leeks here.

 

[hellbender]

Ah ok. One of the websites I went to said ramps were also known as wild leeks. Just passing on what I had read. It does seem they are similiar tho from the pictures I saw. I know we have wild leeks here.

I know but we have wild leaks and we have ramps...I'll try to run it down.

Ok...It appears from what I read that you are technically correct. However, there's a plant that we collect here that has a much thinner blade and a fatter bell at the bottom that my Granny picked and called wild leak. It has a strong flavor, a bit hot but not as strongly flavored as the 'ramp'.

So there...At any rate..you know you can have them where you live.

 

[lalaland]

yeah, up here we have a wild oniony garlic type plant that is called both "ramps" and "wild leeks" and "wild garlic". I don't have any on my land, though, it is a bit too piney and in my experience they like a deep rich loamy soil which is not what I have...