The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Could possibly work...

I was just thinking that maybe if they had enough dirt in there they could do a dust bath and that would dry it up and help it to kind-of come off by itself.

 

[Kassaundra]

It didn't quote your comments, you said the pics of Aoxa's kid wasn't helping your desire for goats, well I just got back from the local zoo yesterday and went past the petting zoo area, that helped a lot, one long big whiff of the "barn yard" smells. lol

 

[lazy gardener]

My chicks are coming up on 7 weeks old, and they are always crusty. They look like they have been in a never ending food fight. Evidently, their feed tastes much better when they stand up to their knees in it.

 

[subhanalah]

My chicks are coming up on 7 weeks old, and they are always crusty.  They look like they have been in a never ending food fight.  Evidently, their feed tastes much better when they stand up to their knees in it.

mine always stand on top of it, it doesn't really get wet enough to let them sink in. Perhaps you could make it drier still?

 

[aoxa]

@aoxa or whoever else may experience with this...

I have 3 chicken children that are 2 weeks old. They have no mamma so I'm brooding them with a heat plate.

I never realized how clean a mamma keeps the kids until I didn't have one. They have the ff all over them but then... I put in an egg yolk. Talk about a big mess. These kids are absolutely crusty.

Can/should I wash a chick? I imagine it will go away when they lose their fluff. They are somewhat trying to clean each other but I also don't want them picking at each other....

And if I should wash them just how in the world would I accomplish that?

I've had chicks get fully stuck in FF that was too wet. I've washed them with hot water (like bath water hot) and dish soap. I have an organic dish soap that you can eat and not get sick.. anyway, that.. Then right under the heat plate. It's easy!

 

[aoxa]

It didn't quote your comments, you said the pics of Aoxa's kid wasn't helping your desire for goats, well I just got back from the local zoo yesterday and went past the petting zoo area, that helped a lot, one long big whiff of the "barn yard" smells. lol

? The chickens smell way worse than the goats.

 

[lalaland]

Justine, the kid is adorable. You are getting quite the menagerie!

 

[flyladyrocks]

It didn't quote your comments, you said the pics of Aoxa's kid wasn't helping your desire for goats, well I just got back from the local zoo yesterday and went past the petting zoo area, that helped a lot, one long big whiff of the "barn yard" smells. lol

Okay, so I guess I am just warped. I don't mind that barnyard smell. It takes me back to my childhood and one of my favorite places, my great grandparents family farm. SIGH. My best friend has lamas and Alpacas as well as chickens and yes, her barn smells like a barn! But I really don't mind.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I know a gal in St. Louis - where they can still own livestock in the city - that has about 3/4 acre and she keeps 2-3 goats back there. The whole lot is goat yard (with a chicken house way at the back).

She has a "lean-to" type shelter on the back of her garage that they use to go into to get out of the weather. Her milking stand is in the garage and they come in the back "people door" which leads right into the goat yard to get on their stands for milking.

See - we could totally do this. Our garage is so far from our house that we don't use it for cars and we have a little room off of the side that was a work room for the previous owners. Oh the possibilities!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
I thought barns were supposed to smell like barns. I was surprised last time I went to the fair and heard people going to the barns to see the animals but complaining that the barns smelled like animals.

I wish there was someone near me that could come to my place and tell me exactly what I needed to do to get set up for a pair of female goats. I have heard that I could rent a male when he was needed. I have also heard that the males smell worse than the females.