The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

OH...whoops... @lalaland
Same is true of the buttermilk. The old fashioned "real" buttermilk was the liquid leftover from making butter with the cream. The cream was usually gathered from the milk over a period of days until enough was gathered to make the butter. The predominance of the lactose was in the milk - not the cream. But the cream was also being "cultured" with a "wild fermentation" in which the LABs were growing and producing over the time it took to gather enough to make the butter. Often the cream was allowed to sit a room temperature to "sour" (or culture in our modern terms) the cream for a "cultured butter"... Again, the LABs at work.

Today's "cultured buttermilk" like you purchase in the store is usually skimmed milk with a culture added to "sour" it - again, a LAB culture which digests the lactose and produces lactic acid. So, again, this is a product in which the level of lactose should not be an issue.

 

[tjo804]

I think I may have a feather picker in the flock, but have not actually witnessed the picking. I just noticed one bird with fluffy butt down missing and another 2 with front neck feathers missing. The other 2 birds have no feathers missing. Does this sound like a feather picker? Do I need to give them more protein? I scatter mealworms for a treat about every other day. Otherwise protein is sporadic depending on what kitchen scraps make it into the chicken bucket. For example, they got a few leftover hamburgers the other day. They ate them up like they were going out of style! I have heard of others giving cat food for protein? Or am I way off?

make sure you do not have rodents in you coop at night. Mice and Rats will eat feathers off your ladies while they sleep.

 

[COChix]

well, I've read contradictory info on which probiotic is best for chickens. The manna pro people even say you shouldn't give them yogurt because they supposedly can't digest the milk sugars.  I don't know if I believe that - buttermilk was routinely fed to chickens a few decades ago.  And I've never seen any problem with yogurt, cheese, buttermilk, cottage cheese, milk, etc when I've fed to chickens.  
Getting off the subject, anyway, Leahs mom recommends [COLOR=B42000]http://www.avi-culture-2.com/shop.html[/COLOR][COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

I am currently using one made for dogs and cats, which I ordered sometime ago on Amazon.  Its a powder. http://www.amazon.com/Probios-683008-PROBIOS%C2%A0POWDER%C2%A0CHR404/dp/B001BM1QRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425471896&sr=8-1&keywords=probiotics+for+chickens
 I know someone who buys a liquid from a GNC store (I guess they are in malls?) and uses that.   Personally, I would go for whatever is easiest.  

I use FORCO - it is probiotics that were originally formulated for horses, but there are a lot of people in Colorado using it for chickens. Works great a little expensive but lasts awhile, we usually by the 25 pound container. Here is the link..

http://forcocolorado.com

OH...whoops... @lalaland
 
Same is true of the buttermilk.  The old fashioned "real" buttermilk was the liquid leftover from making butter with the cream. The cream was usually gathered from the milk over a period of days until enough was gathered to make the butter.  The predominance of the lactose was in the milk - not the cream.  But the cream was also being "cultured" with a "wild fermentation" in which the LABs were growing and producing over the time it took to gather enough to make the butter.  Often the cream was allowed to sit a room temperature to "sour" (or culture in our modern terms) the cream for a "cultured butter"...  Again, the LABs at work. 

Today's "cultured buttermilk" like you purchase in the store is usually skimmed milk with a culture added to "sour" it - again, a LAB culture which digests the lactose and produces lactic acid.  So, again, this is a product in which the level of lactose is not an issue.

Yes, we have never had any issues feeding yogurt, dairy, etc to the chickens. As long as they are the kind with no added sugar. We do feed the chickens farmers cheese, predominately in the summer, they love it and it has a ton of probiotics.

@sunflower4you You can also ferment your feed to help increase the viability of the nutrients in the feed. I notice a big difference in coats when we have a regimen of probiotics in their diets.

 

[sunflower4you]

@sunflower4you You can also ferment your feed to help increase the viability of the nutrients in the feed. I notice a big difference in coats when we have a regimen of probiotics in their diets.

Thanks for the suggestion. I fermented feed late last summer and through fall and they loved it! I had to stop when it started freezing solid. I know some use heated dog bowls to keep feeding FF and I may look into that for next winter because I feel better about feeding them FF and they seem to enjoy it.

 

[COChix]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I fermented feed late last summer and through fall and they loved it!  I had to stop when it started freezing solid.  I know some use heated dog bowls to keep feeding FF and I may look into that for next winter because I feel better about feeding them FF and they seem to enjoy it.

You are welcome and I understand about not fermenting in the cold. I had to stop once we got freezing weather as I have no space indoors to ferment. Check out this thread started by Hennible and we are currently waiting some testing on a new built feeder from a lady I know in Colorado, it has been too cold to ferment.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/931194/fermented-feed-feeder/

 

[ronott1]

Thanks ronott, that sounds so much better to me than a light.....but it is pricier. I think using a light is not appealing to me...I'm not sure why exactly. So I will need to decide about the cost. I wonder how you could cover it if you did not buy the cover. I will need to check the feed store to see if they carry it.
thnx.

I have a chicken question, also. My little RSL seems to be laying earlier and earlier each day instead of later. The problem with that is that she seems to not be getting to the nest before she lays her egg. There is a nest in the coop but she has never used it. She likes a nest that is across the yard. So she has to wait on me to open the coop. At first I thought it was snow related somehow. She was laying at the door of her nest box and on the ground just outside the box....once the egg was in the snow and I couldn't see it and stepped on it. This morning she had laid in the coop floor even tho I had gone out earlier than usual. Well, I guess that was more a statement than a question, lol. She is my very best layer and I feel like I am torturing her by not letting her out early enough. It was 6:30 this morning....so it is not like I'm waiting until late. I don't know how to get her to lay in the nest inside the coop. That would solve the problem. I really want a couple more RSL's....but I don't want to have to get up at 3 or 4 in the morning...lol.

If you are not brooding too many chicks, it is pricey. If you are running a light for chicks most of the year, the brooder plate will pay for itself because of the lower energy usage.

You RSL is on a less than 24 hour cycle. She will get to where she will be skip a day and then will start late in the day. She will get the egg in the nest box eventually. Make sure another hen is not kicking the egg out of the nest box.

Another reason to use a brooder plate:


Click on image to make it bigger.

 

[vpatt]

Another reason to use a brooder plate:


Click on image to make it bigger.

I got the red light to use....the feed store did not have the plates. They are in the house so I'm not sure if that is better or worse of a risk. Sigh.....

 

[vpatt]

It is pretty unlikely that you would be able to find real Aracauna chicks available at a store. However, stranger things have happened. People have found Van Gogh paintings at thrift stores afterall. However they are most likely Ameraucana or Easter Eggers.

While they are all chipmunk marked they are not just alike so I would think that would point to EE's.....but I don't really know.

 

[ronott1]

I got the red light to use....the feed store did not have the plates. They are in the house so I'm not sure if that is better or worse of a risk. Sigh.....

It is something to watch out for-- make sure the light cannot fall into the bedding.

 

[vpatt]

It is something to watch out for--  make sure the light cannot fall into the bedding.

I will try to be sure it stays secure. I need something over the top of the tote soon.....they will be flying out soon I bet. I was surprised when I found out they were already a week old. How long do they have to stay under the light.....I need to figure out a schedule for them with weaning them from the light and decide when I can get them outside....I know its too cold now.