The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[subhanalah]

Well, I used a flashlight to check the broody for mites.  I didn't see a darned thing, she has white fluffly feathers so it should have been easy to see something.  Checked her neck, where she has been scratching like crazy, her back and her vent.  DIdn't see anything on the nest or on the nest box either.  

I tried to candle an egg, but the one I pulled out from under her was a dark brown egg and I couldn't see anything.  She was getting upset with me so I left it at that and didn't try fishng out another egg.

Earlier when it was light out I pulled her out to do a mite/lice check , she did voluntarily take a dust bath, and I did use a little ash to rub into her neck and i dusted some of her feathers.  Didn't see anything then either.  


I found out something kind of funny.  I was laying out a mesh fence to keep the chickens out of the garden, and it was laying on the ground while I got fence posts.  It worked perfectly well as a chicken barrier, none of them wanted to cross it.  I've used it for three days that way and only had one walk across it.  So I found a plastic mesh fence in the shed and put that in the veggie garden around the asparagus bed and same thing, they wouldn't cross over it.   I'm sure they will get used to it and start not being cautious, but its working now!

I'm pretty sure mites can be so small you can't see them with the naked eye sometimes. Do you wear/need glasses? I just know someone with sight problems (this individual is in denial about it) and can't see things that are clearly visible to others.
Even if that's not it, I don't have a microscope or anything to evaluate different mite infestations, so I don't know for certain that there are mite species smaller than most can see with the naked eye, but I'm pretty sure that is the case.

Oh, and re: the "barrier" yeah, just until it's not new anymore. I'm hoping my birds learned where the food is kept now...and how to get around to it...The coop was put up and finished pretty quickly, so they didn't have a lot of time to acclimate to the barriers being there lol.

 

[armorfirelady]

Lala when I saw mites & lice they were white & red but I could see them on my white girl. I'm glad to hear you got her to dust bathe. My girls have been scratching a little more but are clean on inspection. So I just make sure their dust bath is fresh. Sometimes I think chickens just scratch lol or maybe they are getting ready to molt. Couple of the big girls have that disheveled look going on. Maybe they are trying to lose their winter feathers

 

[Leahs Mom]

Adding a little lard to the feed now and then helps with dry skin itchy skin too.

 

[armorfirelady]

Adding a little lard to the feed now and then helps with dry skin itchy skin too. 

I gave mine a suet block the other day. Not for the reason to help itching but just because. They are scratching less tho. I would be scratching to tho if I dust bathed in ash and peat moss lol

 

[4Hgirl]

Just got our first Citrus trees for our yard. Three orange trees and a Lychee tree because I've heard you all talking about how the chickens love them so I bought it for them!!! Thanks for all your advice out there. And maybe I will eat them too

 

[Jewelwing]

Hi, I also get my feed from Countryside Organics and ferment it. I use filtered water too. Don't worry about the "fart" smell. My family HATES the smell, but they have to deal with it. I've tried moving it to other locations besides the kitchen but I found I got mold issues and the "bubbling" action ceased when I moved it to the basement. It was not warm enough and apparently too damp.

I also use Countryside Organics, and my family also HATES the smell (it doesn't bother me so much!). My DH just made me move it out into the garage since it's not freezing overnight anymore.

Isn't it strange that dampness would cause a problem in the fermentation, when we cover it with an inch or more of water anyway? I seem to get mold growing on mine after just two days, and I've never had a vinegary smell - maybe it's not warm enough? Not much I can do about humidity. I don't have as much of a problem with mold when I'm removing some & adding some fresh food every day.

Quick questions:
I just purchased two 6 week old chickens. Is there still a chance I'll be able to get them comfortable with me? Right now they are terrified of me. I'd hate for it to be like thy forever.

Do they eat "treats" at this age? I put watermelon in there and they were scared of it. I put small tomato pieces and they ignored them. Is that something that changes with age??

Thank you!

Mine were terrified of watermelon and tomatoes at that age, too! And pretty much all treats except cut-up noodles (cooked). They LOVED those!

And even though I got mine at 1 day old, they still didn't want to be touched until they started "squatting." They got especially flighty a month or two before they started squatting. I have five different breeds, and I find some breeds are friendlier than others. My two Brahmas are the ones that will now hop up on my lap and snuggle their heads under my arms and fall asleep. The Speckled Sussex were the first (till one of them died this winter) to come running over when they see me, and generally seem friendly but don't like to be picked up. The Welsummers will come over and peck at me (in a friendly, "do you have food" sort of way). My two Australorps are pretty stand-offish, and I can only touch them when they're roosting. They won't even squat for me anymore - they just run away. And my Faverolle is touched in the head. She really is neurotic. Maybe because her "sister" Faverolle died at only a week old, so she grew up as the only one looking like her in the flock. Maybe they treated her differently because of that? Or maybe she's neurotic just 'cuz.

All that said, they all come running as fast as their little legs can carry them when they see me heading towards the run (where I dump our compost)! They all gather around me without fear and hunt for goodies.

She's not crying non stop this morning but is still sort of making a sneezing sound every few minutes. She is walking around, eating, doesn't seem sick in any way, maybe she does have something lodged in there but she's not gasping for air & doesn't act distressed just keeps making sounds. I really thought she'd be dead this morning-she kept crying non stop last night.

I had one making horrible noises while breathing (both inhaling and exhaling), and occasionally stretch her neck out really far and swallow. I was sure she was a goner. I could hear her breathing from 100 yards away! But she was still acting completely normal besides that, running around and foraging. That evening she sounded a little quieter, and I gave her an egg I scrambled (shell & all). The next day she was fine! My best guess is something was caught in her throat. I hope yours gets better too!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jockeyeba

Update us on your bird, please!

 

[MrsHall28]

Another random question (sorry!)

I plan on keeping mt 6 week old chickens in their coop for a few more days so they can get used to their new environment (we just purchased them this past Saturday). Eventually I do want them to be able to roam around my backyard, but the idea is making me nervous. They are still very scared of me, and I'm not sure how they'll act if allowed to roam around. I live in a subdivision and my backyard isn't super large, but its plenty of room for two chickens. I plan on clipping their wings before we let them roam around. Should I wait until they are a little older to let them roam around though?

Thanks to everyone who is answering all of my random questions!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I believe I had a hawk attack today. Miss Gray, of course, who I have said is hawk fodder.

When I came home I didn't see her anywhere and feared the worst but when I went inside the hen shed she was on the roost. That is not uncommon if she is trying to keep away from the other birds and if I didn't know her as well as I do I probably wouldn't have noticed. But she just didn't seem "herself".

I removed her from the roost and took her outside and she sauntered away but I still thought something was wrong. She's the one that will come to me like a puppy if I bend down and hold out my hands...the lowest on the pecking order and the one that runs from her shadow.

I picked up the feathers on the back of her neck and saw a wound. Brought her in and it is very bad. I'm not sure if it went all the way through or not. I didn't want to do a lot of handling so I didn't cut away a lot of feathers. I had vetericyn in the first aid kit so used it as a flush then put on some nustock.

She ate some raw meat...put a drop of wound formula from Susan Burek on that for her. But I haven't seen her drink. I was surprised she ate the meat so that's a good sign. Her eyes look bright. I have her isolated in a pen up by the house.

This is Miss Gray after I had cut her crest back a couple months ago.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I believe I had a hawk attack today. Miss Gray, of course, who I have said is hawk fodder. When I came home I didn't see her anywhere and feared the worst but when I went inside the hen shed she was on the roost. That is not uncommon if she is trying to keep away from the other birds and if I didn't know her as well as I do I probably wouldn't have noticed. But she just didn't seem "herself". I removed her from the roost and took her outside and she sauntered away but I still thought something was wrong. She's the one that will come to me like a puppy if I bend down and hold out my hands...the lowest on the pecking order and the one that runs from her shadow. I picked up the feathers on the back of her neck and saw a wound. Brought her in and it is very bad. I'm not sure if it went all the way through or not. I didn't want to do a lot of handling so I didn't cut away a lot of feathers. I had vetericyn in the first aid kit so used it as a flush then put on some nustock. She ate some raw meat...put a drop of wound formula from Susan Burek on that for her. But I haven't seen her drink. I was surprised she ate the meat so that's a good sign. Her eyes look bright. I have her isolated in a pen up by the house. This is Miss Gray after I had cut her crest back a couple months ago.

I would call that a very lucky escape! She must have been able to get away to some safe space?