The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[LoveChickens123]

can the chicken die from this??/

 

[gevshiba]

I ordered Speckled Sussex eggs and I got one that said sp/black. The breeder hasn't answered my email, so I wonder if anyone has a guess on breed. I think the choices are Black Copper Marans and Black Orpington. He's cute, but not really what I wanted. I've got 10 SS, though!

 

[misbhaven]

could be an Australop as well...mystery chick

 

[mlowen]

Nice project.  What did you use for wire???  A few of those would be great in the garden between rows!

4 foot, 2" x4" welded wire from TSC. The 4 foot width from side to side and the length cut to fit. I hammered poultry wire "u" nails along one side and then bent it over and did the other side. 16 inch braces between the long sides makes the tunnel high enough and wide enough for large fowl. I was going to build them out of 2x2 lumber to keep the weight down, but got a wicked deal on rough cut hemlock 2x3's. They are heavy, but I won't be moving them very often.

 

[armorfirelady]

Great job!! I am sure your chickens are happy as well.

Several of the "B" vitamins also affect feathers. You can go to that page that I linked above and cntl F . Put feathers in the search box and look at what it says on the various vitamins regarding feathers.


Quote: Thanks LM !!! Her head is a result of the bigger girls picking. I will look at the link as well.

I know your girls are fenced, but mine are not, so this may not help. My BRs turn a little brown right on their back between their wings. Same with my white Jersey giant. But, they also like to lay under my hubby's leaky truck. I've always figured it is just oil from his truck. It seems to come and go. Any possibility of that?

Thanks. They are fenced to keep them off the busy street. She really cant get to anything that can discolor their feathers except the peat moss & the compost

 

[gevshiba]

could be an Australop as well...mystery chick

He doesn't have Australops. Other than Silkies, Marans and Orpingtons are his only black breeds that I see.

 

[subhanalah]

It looks like some Marans I've hatched out. Does it have feathered legs?

 

[Meinertzhagens]

Hello all!
I have been following this thread for quite a while and it is the best education I can think of!
I am incubating (for the first time) in my classroom. Two local facebook friends gave me fertile eggs and said they'll take them back after they hatch. This is great because knowing the odds of hatching and that I wanted to start a flock this year, I ordered 15 chicks from McMurray to come hatch week (May 12).
The eggs are on day 11 and the incubator seems to be holding temp at about 100 degrees, although all three thermometers disagree and the one I put in ice water is about four degrees off. I haven't candled as all of the eggs are rather dark and after reading Bee's trouble wit candling I am not confident I will be able to tell anything. I have really just been letting them go, adding water every 2-3 days and hoping for the best. I found some really great day-to-day details and graphics and the kids really enjoy seeing the development.
Anyway, two weekends ago I bought some countryside organic chick starter. I began to ferment it that same weekend because I had read to start fermenting the day you set your eggs. I stirred and added filtered water daily for the first week and since than have stirred every third day. Yesterday when i stirred there was more liquid than usual and it as a sweet vinegary smell along with a slight undertone of "fart" for lack of a better word.
Is this normal or should I dump and start again?
Thank you all for the knowledge you provide!!
Also, I apologize for misspelled words, my g and h don't work very well =\

 

[armorfirelady]

Sounds ok to me. Sounds like a sweet tangy smell (I don't have the best nose tho lol)

 

[LoveChickens123]

Okay so today I found out that my hen has a nice sized cut on her.
It is on her side, where the wing is, and i think on of the rooster did it!
I found it this afternoon. So what can i do to treat her??

She is acting fine, nothing is wrong the way she is acting.

So how can i treat this???

Thanks,
-Lynn

I will try to post pictures.