The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mlowen]

Kassaundra, I just have to say: "That naked child is just not right." He is weirdly beautiful and your photography is stunning!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:

The paint wouldn't be able to TARDIS up the Crooked Little Coop. It isn't the right shape at all.

Painted to match the house. Pic is from construction time - it does now have a roof on it.

I like your coop with the angles or slants going different directions.

Also I like your avi. Many of the posters in the Indiana area have a map too.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A Poison Ivy update.

Y'all know I got PI for the first time this year. First case was rather mild then 2 weeks later I was working in extremely hot, humid weather, got in PI and was wiping the sweat from my forehead and down the side of my face. Since I have never reacted to PI in the past I didn't take note and didn't go in to wash it right away.

Within 3 days (a Wednesday) my eye was swelling shut and the side of my face was swelling. I was applying ice mostly as you can't really put stuff on your face/eye.

On Friday of that week I got a prescript for prednisone but I did NOT want to take it if I could avoid it. I ramped up on raw source vitamin c and a couple other things. By Monday, my eye wasn't swelling as bad but the side of my face was getting much larger and it was going toward the gland in the neck area.

So..
Monday I took the prednisone. (6 tabs) Got sick as a dog. (How sick is a dog, anyhow?)

Tuesday I took it. (6 tabs.) Sick. Felt like I was having the same response you'd have after taking epinephrine. Could hardly navigate. Couldn't think clearly, dull headache, just miserable.

Wed. called the Dr. You're supposed to wean off it slowly...I asked if I could reduce or stop. She suggested skipping the next 2 6 tab doses and taking 5 the next 2 days and continuing on the schedule from there. Took reduced amount - still sick as a dog.

Thursday- took 2 Still sick

Friday - I QUIT!

It took me until Sunday for the effects of that stuff to wear off. I WILL NEVER TAKE PREDNISONE AGAIN.

In the meantime I had looked up info on restoring adrenal glands and coming off of prednisone and I began to drink raw milk throughout the day, fermented cod liver oil (which I have), and raw source vitamin C.

The swelling did not come back. I've been exposed a couple more times but I'm being careful to wash.


So...next post so this doesn't get too long..."natural remedies".

 

[Leahs Mom]

I tried 2 different "natural" remedies. Actually 3.

I was using peppermint essential oil on my arm where I originally got it. Apply whenever it itches. This worked really well and healed things very quickly. Can't use on face, however, as it's too strong.

I tried jewelweed tincture made w/alcohol. It worked well to stop itching but I don't think it brought healing as quickly as the peppermint essential oil.

I purchased a "jewelweed kit" from these folks: http://www.altnaturestore.com/Amazing_Jewelweed/cat2666646_2355754.aspx It has glycerine based jewelweed soap; glycerine based jewelweed tincture spray; jewelweed salve. I got this late in the game but while my arms and ankles were still itching. I have been using the soap when I'm exposed and after a thorough washing with an oil cutting soap (either Fels Naptha or Dawn). Between the 2 it seems to have prevented more outbreaks. I also tried the spray on my arms. Feels great when you put it on.


Out of all of them, I think the peppermint essential oil seems to have worked the best. I also felt that the alcohol based tincture helped dry things a bit. I will likely keep using the soap and perhaps the salve as they suggest putting the salve on if you're going into an area where you might be working around PI as a preventative. Haven't tried it yet. (Then of course you would come in and wash as usual.)

So...there you have it.

 

[lalaland]

peppermint oil! who would have thought? I'm getting some to keep on hand since I do have poison ivy on the edge of the field. Glad you are feeling better, and glad you are off the predinsone.

That little 9 week old cream legbar chick that had the sick chick posture? The one I dosed with oil, massaged the crop, gave coconut oil, egg, and yogurt to? She went back with the flock, seemed to do fine, but sunday I thought something was off again. Pulled her back in the kennel, her crop was fairly empty...waited til she had a dropping , it looked normal, so I gave her yogurt, coconut oil , egg again....she was calling, active, looking better, and was willing to take a crumb of raw ground beef. Felt her appetite was so so, her crop was not at all full. I returned her to the flock about an hour before dusk.

She went into the coop, was looking good, settled happily in for the night.

I left home at 4 am in the dark....home at 7:30 and there she was, huddled and miserable. her sibs were already in the coop, and she was roosting on a board by the ramp. had a totally empty crop. Brought her in, couldn't get her to eat or drink. Put her in the kennel with a hot water bottle, she sank right down and closed her eyes. Found the eletrolytes, got maybe a half teaspoon at best down her gullet. Poor baby, she's not good.
In the morning, if she is still with me, I'll try to get more fluids down and see if I can tempt her to eat.

Primary elections are tomorrow, and I'm an election judge, so I figure I'll have 15 minutes to work with her at most. Wish I understood what was wrong.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lalaland
Sorry to hear that. I'm racking my brains trying to think of what it might be. Did she have any issues when she was newly hatched? Like smaller than the others, behind in development, picked on...anything at all you can think of?

What is the current age? Might she have picked up and eaten anything off the ground by mistake?

Just grasping for ideas.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: I used a cotton swab to dip into the peppermint oil then apply....then used the other side. Single dip, of course, each time. Using new swabs until I had everything covered.

 

[onmelissa]

I asked this in the emergency forum, but I thought i'd ask here as well.
I found some blood splatters under the roost where my new 4 month old splash Orpington sleeps. And her first poop this morning was very dark blood.
I did a vent exam and felt no shells.
I'm reluctant to think cocci, both because of her age, and because she has a huge run and coop to share with one other bird. An it's been really dry until yesterday and today.
But I've started corid because I just have no clue what else to do.
I had been putting a crushed garlic clove in the drinking water for a couple of weeks.
She's eating and drinking normally.
Any ideas?

 

[subhanalah]

I asked this in the emergency forum, but I thought i'd ask here as well.
I found some blood splatters under the roost where my new 4 month old splash Orpington sleeps. And her first poop this morning was very dark blood.
I did a vent exam and felt no shells.
I'm reluctant to think cocci, both because of her age, and because she has a huge run and coop to share with one other bird. An it's been really dry until yesterday and today.
But I've started corid because I just have no clue what else to do.
I had been putting a crushed garlic clove in the drinking water for a couple of weeks.
She's eating and drinking normally.
Any ideas?

too much garlic can be detrimental, it has the same compound in it that makes onions toxic to chickens, but in a smaller amount.

I would remove the garlic from the diet just as an additional precaution.

The turn around for cocci being treated with corid is pretty swift. Let us know how things progress please, if things seem to get better or worse.

 

[armorfirelady]

@Leahs Mom I made a homemade cream from plantain that I've used for mosquito bites and a bee sting. It def soothes the itching. You have to reapply often (my sting was on my finger so after washing my hands throughout the day I had to reapply it) but it def worked. I think I've posted the link on here a couple times.

I like you had no reaction to PI this year. Also a few weeks ago I was eaten alive by Mosquitos which normally means a dose of Benadryl for several days. I also got stung by a wasp. I'm allergic to them. Again a little pain and swelling but nothing like my normal response. I've been trying to figure out what has lessened my reactions to them. The only thing that's changed is less processed food and I've been using coconut oil daily on cuts I have on me to help heal them. (I always have bump and bruises from yard work & such). I also use it at least once a week in my hair. I wonder if the daily application has improved my immune system and lessened my reactions to stings and bites?

I certainly won't go anywhere without my Epi pen and Benadryl but it still makes me curious about coconut oil.

@lalaland I have no idea what would cause that response. Sophie didn't react that way when she had the crop issue. I wonder if it's an absorbtion problem or something in her make up that's causing the problem. Fingers crossed she feels better