The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[subhanalah]

I've used a submersible aquarium heater before.  Not w/nipples however.

I'm going to try a different set-up this year with my aquarium heater and see if it will work.  I'll report on it after I try it to see if it works first.  I sure hope it does.  I've tried 4 different kinds so far and I'm not happy with any of them.

@armorfirelady

You used a heated dog bowl last year didn't you? 

what did you not like about the submersible heaters?

 

[mlowen]

One of Leigh's Swedish Flower Hens won top prize at a poultry show! (Natural Chicken Keeping at Blogspot) Very good article.

 

[RedRidge]

I've used a submersible aquarium heater before.  Not w/nipples however.

I'm going to try a different set-up this year with my aquarium heater and see if it will work.  I'll report on it after I try it to see if it works first.  I sure hope it does.  I've tried 4 different kinds so far and I'm not happy with any of them.

@armorfirelady

You used a heated dog bowl last year didn't you? 

what did you not like about the submersible heaters?

I use mostly submerged bird bath (stock tank) deicer discs in buckets with nipples on the bottom. Those are my favorite. The nipples do not freeze if they are mounted directly to the bottom of the bucket. In places where I have tubing between the bucket and nipples I have to quit using those over the winter.
I do have a few heated bowls with wire across the top but only use those with young birds and especially never with cocks/cockerels because their wattles can get in the water.

 

[Leahs Mom]

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I liked the submersible heater. And I'm going to try it again this year in a different setup.

It wasn't the heater I didn't like. I was using a "cup waterer" that has a nipple. The nipple has a spring inside the neck that when the birds trip the spring it releases water. Water doesn't sit in the cup on these. They trip the spring with their beak and it drops water for them to drink.

However, the little spring inside would have just enough moisture on it that it would freeze up and became very difficult for them to get any water to flow. The water stayed wonderfully warm in the bucket with the aquarium heater. I would plug it into a thermocube.

I'm trying another similar system this year with the aquarium heater. If it works, I'll show it. Others have used these with success during last winter but I'm skeptical....



This Photo is the OLD KIND kind I used...in which the spring freezes... I did like them for summer...just not winter. THIS IS NOT WHAT I'M TESTING THIS YEAR but the bucket will the similar...I use a bag of marbles for a weight to keep the heater under the water which worked great.

 

[subhanalah]

I liked the submersible heater. And I'm going to try it again this year in a different setup. It wasn't the heater I didn't like. I was using a "cup waterer" that has a nipple. The nipple has a spring inside the neck that when the birds trip the spring it releases water. Water doesn't sit in the cup on these. They trip the spring with their beak and it drops water for them to drink. However, the little spring inside would have just enough moisture on it that it would freeze up and became very difficult for them to get any water to flow. The water stayed wonderfully warm in the bucket with the aquarium heater. I would plug it into a thermocube. I'm trying another similar system this year with the aquarium heater. If it works, I'll show it. Others have used these with success during last winter but I'm skeptical.... This Photo is the OLD KIND kind I used...in which the spring freezes... I did like them for summer...just not winter. THIS IS NOT WHAT I'M TESTING THIS YEAR but the bucket will the similar...I use a bag of marbles for a weight to keep the heater under the water which worked great.

I've read that the horizontal Solway nipples don't have the problem of freezing up. Those are what I plan on using.

 

[Leahs Mom]

That's what I'm trying too. We shall see.

 

[onmelissa]

What is the role of hard boiled eggs in preventing/ treating coccidiosis? I have seen it mentioned a few times.

 

[BlueMouse]

back after a long abscence from forums in general precipitated by real life... anyways. my flock has been bumming along healthily and happily, until last night... I have what seems to be an adult chicken with wry neck. Of course this is my daughters pet chicken....

Found her last night in the coop lying on her side with her neck twisted back against her back. I thought she was dead, but picked her up and she was breathing and somewhat active but couldn't straighten her neck. So I brought her inside to see if I can care for her. She is absolutely Emaciated, but the rest of the flock is FINE. My two big cornish cross girls are probably overweight. She's a year old cream legbar. Everyone has been shut up for a week and a bit right now because i had a series of hawk attacks, so no forage, but getting weeds from the garden to scratch and pick at in the run, compost, and fed crumble/scratch mixed to about 16% protien. Soaked, not Fermented for now. My ferment bucket got nasty in the heat and I haven't restarted it yet. Last month I ran everyone a week of ground pumpkin seeds and cayenne pepper as a general preventative for worms.

what it looks like most to me is wry neck, although I 've never encountered that in person. I'm giving her liquid polyvisol (w/out iron) in her water as well as un pasturized ACV, and plenty of soaked feed. she is eating and trying to pick around, but can't hold her head straight, and seems to find it tiring to try. She lies down every so often, and her head just pulls back against her back.I thawed some chopped heart and liver that I keep for chicks and gave it to her, but she hasn't eaten that, I don't know if she just can't peck it with her head twisted? she's eaten a fair amount of the soaked feed, and her crop feels full. I'm worried she can't drink well with her neck so floppy and strange so I've been giving her 4 drops of polyvisol by mouth 3x per day and also at the same time giving her water by dropper. She is idignant about being dropper fed, but swallows fine. She's even trying to perch on the little training roost I have thn the grow out pen, although her head either lies against her back, or hangs in front of her chest, sort of floppy and twisted.

Any thoughts? This is my daughter's really beloved pet and I'm worried sick because she would be devestated if we lost her.

 

[armorfirelady]

I've used a submersible aquarium heater before.  Not w/nipples however.

I'm going to try a different set-up this year with my aquarium heater and see if it will work.  I'll report on it after I try it to see if it works first.  I sure hope it does.  I've tried 4 different kinds so far and I'm not happy with any of them.

@armorfirelady

You used a heated dog bowl last year didn't you? 

Last couple years with no problems. Well except when Lucy walked in one and for frost bite on 2 toes

 

[Leahs Mom]

@BlueMouse
There are several things that can cause wry neck. Here is an article that can give you a bit of an overview of possible causes and possible treatment. It is just a blog overvies that I found but goes through some options: http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html

She mentions the vitamin E issue in that post. Here is a quot regarding that:

Polyneuritis in birds represents the later stages of a thiamine deficiency, probably caused by buildup of the intermediates of carbohydrate metabolism. Because the brain's immediate source of energy results from the degradation of glucose, it is dependent on biochemical reactions involving thiamine. In the initial stages of deficiency, lethargy and head tremors may be noted. A marked decrease in appetite is seen in birds fed a thiamine-deficient diet. Poultry are also susceptible to neuromuscular problems, resulting in impaired digestion, general weakness, star-gazing, and frequent convulsions.
Polyneuritis may be seen in mature birds ~3 wk after they are fed a thiamine-deficient diet. As the deficiency progresses, birds may sit on flexed legs and draw back their heads in a star-gazing position. Retraction of the head is due to paralysis of the anterior neck muscles. Soon after this stage, chickens lose the ability to stand or sit upright and topple to the floor, where they may lie with heads still retracted. Thiamine deficiency may also lead to a decrease in body temperature and respiratory rate. Testicular degeneration may be noted, and the heart may show slight atrophy. Birds consuming a thiamine-deficient diet soon show severe anorexia. They lose all interest in feed and will not resume eating unless given thiamine. If a severe deficiency has developed, thiamine must be force-fed or injected to induce the chickens to resume eating.
Thiamine deficiency is most common when poorly processed fish meals are used, because they contain thiaminase enzyme. In such situations, adding extra thiamine may be ineffective. In regular diets, deficiency is prevented by supplements of thiamine at 4 mg/kg.

On this same page quoted above, search "selenium" and look at vitamin e which will also give some amounts.



If it is a vitamin issue and you want to save her, I'd try to get some vitamine E and selenium as well as drops that have the thiamin and use the dropper. Short of injectables, this will be the quickest way to get it into the system in a concentrated amount even though it will be synthetic. At this point you need to get it into her as soon as possible!!!! Be aware, however, that synthetic vitamin E causes some real issues so if you can find a natural sourced vitamin rather than synthetic that will avoid other possible complications.



As far as natural...
The liver you are giving is good...might want to try to help her eat it if possible. Liver, Tuna, sunflower seeds are supposed to have a good level of selenium... Also Brewers yeast which has a good vitamin profile and also great protein level. (For brewers yeast I only recommend Lewis Labs Brewers yeast [not the one with other things added...just plain brewers yeast.] It is the only one certified grown on a non-gmo substrate.)

From: http://www.weightlossforall.com/foods-rich-selenium.htm

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