The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[subhanalah]

I just discovered a bajillion mealworms in my abandoned "dead" colony.

These must be better suited for my environment?

What is the line for the BSF? Could you do an indoor (garage) colony in the winter? It would just slow down some?

 

[Kassaundra]

I just discovered a bajillion mealworms in my abandoned "dead" colony.

These must be better suited for my environment?

What is the line for the BSF? Could you do an indoor (garage) colony in the winter? It would just slow down some?

Some people are working on ways to grow them indoors, but they are pretty tight lipped about it, if they are being successful it wouldn't be easy like meal worms.

 

[subhanalah]

Some people are working on ways to grow them indoors, but they are pretty tight lipped about it, if they are being successful it wouldn't be easy like meal worms.

people culture them indoors as phoenix worms I believe? I've always just thought to buy them, maybe because they aren't that easy. Maybe the herpetoculture has some ideas?

I still say Dubias are the ideal indoor year round option. They are super hardy if kept indoors! and easy ( to contain! )

 

[Kassaundra]

people culture them indoors as phoenix worms I believe? I've always just thought to buy them, maybe because they aren't that easy. Maybe the herpetoculture has some ideas?

I still say Dubias are the ideal indoor year round option. They are super hardy if kept indoors! and easy ( to contain! )

The only indoor off season "growing" I know of is taking the eggs and sub end instar aged larva and growing them through the winter indoor, but not getting adults to live indoor and lay more eggs.

Yes dubia are a great option.

 

[delisha]

I've tried a search, but I'm not having much luck, so I'm asking here. I processed 7 RIR hens today that were given to me by a friend. The hens were 2 years old and, if laying at all, were laying soft shell eggs. I've had them about 5-6 weeks and they've been free ranging the entire time. I did/do have some chicks/poults in the barn with them, but the babies are in a grow out pen in a closed stall and the hens were in and out of the barn, not the stall until about the last week (only poults in the stall during this time) when they figured out how to get in. Wings were clipped,. so no flying.

Anyway, 2 of the hens had a yellow fluid filling the body cavity. There were free floating bits of fat in the fluid. The fat looked almost curdled. The liver looked fine, heart normal but not firm like in other birds I've processed. The intestines had small nodules all over the outside, about the size of the head of a pin. They covered almost everything. There were undeveloped eggs, but all very small. Some were a clear, green tinged color, which I hadn't noticed in the other hens. The other hens had many eggs of different sizes. All 7 hens acted normal. Although, I did see one hen "breed" another the other day. I thought that was a bit strange. All the hens were eating, running around and being chickens. Any thoughts on what this might be? These chickens were for dog food, but I wasn't comfortable feeding those 2 to my dogs. Maybe if it was cooked, but not raw, so I tossed them. One other hen had nodules on her intestines, but no fluid or curdled looking fat. Thanks!

I would need pictures. It is almost impossible to guess what it could possibly be. I hate to throw out diseases and illnesses and it could be a simple case of old age, over used, over fed, crowded, or exhausted birds.

Quote: Kass, you raise them, correct?

 

[delisha]

At what age do y'all start letting young chicks NOT BROODY RAISED begin to range outside of a protected pen with the adults?

I'm also going to mention @aoxa @delisha @MumsyII @Kassaundra just to bump this question up for discussion/experiences.

When I refer to ranging I'm saying totally without any overhead cover, in the greater yard unless they return to the kennel pen.

I have about 20 chicks that range between two to three weeks old, out side free ranging with adults now. They are not behind any type of fence at all. Adults teach them to eat and find food, and cover from predators. Some adults peck at them. They learn early who to look for and who to run from. They have all kinds of hiddy places that adults can't get into. I have mostly Orpingtons and they are all pretty good with baby's. Just juvies and other mothers with babys are hard on other baby's. My male silkie feeds them and so does a young female silkie at times. Most of my adult males are good with baby's and will feed them all, even baby's that do not belong to them.

 

[subhanalah]

I have about 20 chicks that range between two to three weeks old, out side free ranging with adults now. They are not behind any type of fence at all. Adults teach them to eat and find food, and cover from predators. Some adults peck at them. They learn early who to look for and who to run from. They have all kinds of hiddy places that adults can't get into. I have mostly Orpingtons and they are all pretty good with baby's. Just juvies and other mothers with babys are hard on other baby's. My male silkie feeds them and so does a young female silkie at times. Most of my adult males are good with baby's and will feed them all, even baby's that do not belong to them.

this is something I would like to explore breeding for. Being good around itty biddies.

 

[Kassaundra]

I would need pictures. It is almost impossible to guess what it could possibly be. I hate to throw out diseases and illnesses and it could be a simple case of old age, over used, over fed, crowded, or exhausted birds.

Kass, you raise them, correct?

Yes, I had a colony for a couple of years, but had a colony crash this year. I am thinking about freezing the bsf larva instead though. Winters are nerve wrecking worrying about power outages. One power outage and your whole colony is toast.

I tried meal worms that wasn't for me. Never could get the colony going to such a level that I could feed out. Anytime you are growing those numbers of insects inside, I don't care what the other sites say there is an odor. When my dubia colony was small it was barely noticeable, but as the colony grew so did the odor I ended up putting in in the garage. Growing a colony to feed out reptiles would be easy peasy no fuss no muss almost no odor, but for chickens, another story. Still easy, but definitely an odor.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Why did it crash? Got too cold? Will you try again or just be done with it?

 

[subhanalah]

Yes, I had a colony for a couple of years, but had a colony crash this year.  I am thinking about freezing the bsf larva instead though.  Winters are nerve wrecking worrying about power outages.  One power outage and your whole colony is toast.

I tried meal worms that wasn't for me.  Never could get the colony going to such a level that I could feed out.  Anytime you are growing those numbers of insects inside, I don't care what the other sites say there is an odor.  When my dubia colony was small it was barely noticeable, but as the colony grew so did the odor I ended up putting in in the garage.  Growing a colony to feed out reptiles would be easy peasy no fuss no muss almost no odor, but for chickens, another story.  Still easy, but definitely an odor.

do you think you could use zeolite? (I think that's what sweet PDZ is?)
Was it staying too moist in the colony? I have not an idea what size colony would be required for chickens? What size did you use?