The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[LindaB220]

Yes the grow your own food movement is gaining ground BUT how realistic is it really for most of us to grow our own wheat, rice and sugar? I never will! Wheat is not a regular part of our diet, and 2 of us don't eat it at all and I am trying to drastically reduce sugar intake. However it is extremely frustrating that buying organic is so expensive. The only food co-op near me is not a true co-op - it is just a small store with high prices. I don't buy organic rice and sugar, but now I feel like I need to but that is hard when it is 3-4 times, if not more, expensive and we eat a lot of rice.

Speaking of rice, buy Louisiana rice. No it's not organic but it's also not GMO. Same with sugar. Buy only cane sugar.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Thanks. Good to know. I do only buy cane sugar (even that is getting hard to find!) But good to know about Louisiana rice. So forgive my ignorance, but is the glyphosate considered GMO so that would mean that the pure cane sugar is not cured and the rice not dried in it? About once a year when I see by best friend I try to stock up on Staples from her co-op. "yes kids you have to ride with your feet on that 50 lb bag of (fill in the blank). You won't die riding that way for six hours!"

Speaking of rice, buy Louisiana rice.  No it's not organic but it's also not GMO.  Same with sugar.  Buy only cane sugar.  

 

[flyladyrocks]

Question: what to you put your fermented feed in when feeding chicks? For my big girls I use these glass divided pans. The divider in the middle discourages scratching. I keep trying things for the chicks but have yet to find a workable solution for them. Under the heatlamp the ff end up drying out and I have to break it up or the youngest can't eat it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I would try your best not to put the feed under the heat lamp - locate it away from the heat.

For my chicks, I've just accepted the idea that they are going to be standing in feed. When they're tiny, I put it in one of the small pyrex pie pans. I also got some of the antique glass waterer bases that I put it in which does keep them from standing in it mostly. As they get older, it goes into pyrex bread pans or larger pie pans with a pyrex circular dish inverted in the center to keep the feed around the edges.

Here's what the antique bases look like...I got mine from ebay:

I use it without the water jar. This works when you have just a few chicks...

Here's with the jar of course.

@delisha was using one of these because she raises lots of chicks:

Here are some of my babies standing in the pie pan type feed...has some mealworms in there too.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: When you use a pyrex bread pan, even though they can get in there and scratch, it's deep enough that they can't scratch it out all over the place.. Stays in the pan!!!

That's why I love the bread pans.

 

[galefrances]

@ Lauravonsmurf:
"but I was wondering if anyone uses Tobacco as an insect preventative? I have grown tobacco before (just for giggles, I wanted to see what the plant looked like), I have used it medicinally on family members but never considered poultry uses until reading it has been used as such."

Hi,

I'm not an expert or even as knowledgeable as most on here, but I've been using tobacco water for 3 yrs. now when I do my yearly coop cleaning. I read on the original OT site that there was a man named Jerry Baker who was a master gardener about 20 yrs. or more ago for Kmart. Evidently he had his own daytime TV spot as well. Anyway, he made tobacco water out of his chew and added it to his spray. What that spray was I don't know. Anyway....I take my husbands cigarette butts and soak them in gallon bucket of water for a day or two, long enough to make what looks like a strong tea. Then I add that to about another gallon of water in my garden sprayer. I wait for a really sunny, warm day and I spray the entire coop making sure I get in all the nooks and crannies. I let that dry completely, and air it out well. I've never had an issue with any insects of any kind. My hens have always been bug free (knock on wood). I make sure I wear protective goggles and gloves when spraying. I'm not sure if this is the best way to clean, but I know it's an effective pesticide. I was told ammonia will also work and there is a white wash recipe as well that I know some use. This way seemed the easiest to me. Maybe some of you who are more knowledgeable can chime in here.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@galefrances and others...

This brings ups a question for me...do you all have a sprayer that you recommend? I was considering a backpack sprayer but thought again because I thought it might be to heavy to haul around. I want to do the raw milk spray on about 2 acres but will have to do it by hand... any recommendations for a good sprayer?

 

[Lacy Blues]

@ Lauravonsmurf:
"but I was wondering if anyone uses Tobacco as an insect preventative? I have grown tobacco before (just for giggles, I wanted to see what the plant looked like), I have used it medicinally on family members but never considered poultry uses until reading it has been used as such."

Hi,

I'm not an expert or even as knowledgeable as most on here, but I've been using tobacco water for 3 yrs. now when I do my yearly coop cleaning. I read on the original OT site that there was a man named Jerry Baker who was a master gardener about 20 yrs. or more ago for Kmart. Evidently he had his own daytime TV spot as well. Anyway, he made tobacco water out of his chew and added it to his spray. What that spray was I don't know. Anyway....I take my husbands cigarette butts and soak them in gallon bucket of water for a day or two, long enough to make what looks like a strong tea. Then I add that to about another gallon of water in my garden sprayer. I wait for a really sunny, warm day and I spray the entire coop making sure I get in all the nooks and crannies. I let that dry completely, and air it out well. I've never had an issue with any insects of any kind. My hens have always been bug free (knock on wood). I make sure I wear protective goggles and gloves when spraying. I'm not sure if this is the best way to clean, but I know it's an effective pesticide. I was told ammonia will also work and there is a white wash recipe as well that I know some use. This way seemed the easiest to me. Maybe some of you who are more knowledgeable can chime in here.

That is very interesting. I don't have anyone in my family who smokes but I'm sure I could probably collect some cigarette butts from somewhere (ewww) and do what you are doing.

Approximately how many of them do you use? How often do you find that you need to spray?

I know it's probably hopeless but on an off chance, does it repel mice at all?

I have a broody right now that is a COMPLETELY different looking bird due to the mice here, in less than a week on the nest... her wing feathers are largely stripped of webbing with nothing but the shafts left! I HATE MICE!

 

[potagergirl]

For the Easter hatch-a-long I incubated some eggs and had problems from the beginning. This is my second real hatch using incubators.
I'm using the little giant air circulated with turner for the first 18 days. The temp is set at 99.3 and fluctuates to 100.5 late in the afternoon. The humidity stays around 35% in the first bator.

Second bator is a little giant still air, no turner. Temp stays between 99 and 101 according to the wal-mart digital thermometer. The humidity stayed at 60-65%.

I would really like to figure out everything I did wrong so that maybe I won't have to watch chicks suffer the next hatch which will be in two weeks.

1. Before I set my eggs I had a difficult time managing the temperature in the air forced bator which liked to stay at 124 degrees and felt extremely hot. purchased new thermometer/hygrometer and did some work on the bator. for two days it stayed between the 99.3/100.5 with 30-35%. Perfect, I set my eggs on set day for the hatch-a-long.
Everything seemed to go very well. Day 14 came along and I candled. 12 good eggs, 5 not fertilized and 1 red ring.

2. Day 18. I placed the eggs in the still air bator (we had to clip the fan to stop it from over heating the bator) temps remained 99 to 101 in hatching bator for a week before I put the eggs in.
3. Day 19 I had 1 chick hatch very early. hatch date not expected until sat/sun for Easter. Day 20, the chick was still by itself that night and I took it out to put in the brooder.
4. Day 20 egg pipped and chick died. I didn't know if I should leave it or not so I left it still hoping I was wrong. So far the only time I opened the bator was to remove the 1 chick.
5. Day 21 late afternoon several chicks hatched. Did not remove from bator, I had initially been told not to open it and to leave them in for a day.
6. Day 22: I had 2 chicks hatch about 2 in the morning. When I found them they still looked very wet. The bator humidity had decreased to 30% don't know why. I removed the healthy chicks and
placed them in the brooder with chick number 1. I lightly sprayed the 3 remaining eggs and wet the sponge I had inside keeping the humidity up. Was only minutes for me to do all this.
At the time the 2 chicks were moist, not wet and not dry. I thought they would be okay. Humidity up 67%.
Later in the evening the chicks had not changed at all both still looked wet as if they had just hatched. Wasn't sure what to do but didn't like them trying to walk around in the bator they looked so weak. I decided I would take them out and spray the 3 eggs to keep them moist.
When I took the chicks out they were completely dry. The fuzz matted to their bodies. One had a single splayed leg, the other with both splayed legs and one foot that had turned inward.
I tried to give them like a q-tip bath with hot water. The fuzz was matted to their bodies like glue. It didn't work and I didn't know what to do. I thought maybe the brooder but as soon as I put them in the healthy chicks all ran over and began pecking them. I took them out and put them back into the bator to keep warm.
This went on for another day and finally I gave up. Their little wings and legs had deformed into stiff sticks or looked that way. I couldn't wash them and I couldn't put them in the brooder where I could try to feed and water them.
3 of the eggs still have not hatched. I'm going to crack them open to find out why once I stop being upset about losing the 2 that died not even an hour ago.

So, how do you work with the bator when a chick hatches way early? I was told to leave the chicks in the bator for 24 hours after they hatch which sounds great, but because I have 3 healthy birds with splayed legs I got to reading as to why. I think them walking around the bator is what caused it. They were out of the bator when the humidity took a nose dive, the temp stayed consistent while they were in the bator. The only thing left is the thought of them being in the bator that long trying to walk around on the screen.

I have 38 eggs set to hatch within the next 2 weeks. I would really like to figure out my problems before the time comes.
Any and all help would be appreciated please,
thank you.

 

[lalaland]

That is very interesting. I don't have anyone in my family who smokes but I'm sure I could probably collect some cigarette butts from somewhere (ewww) and do what you are doing.

Approximately how many of them do you use? How often do you find that you need to spray?

I know it's probably hopeless but on an off chance, does it repel mice at all?

I have a broody right now that is a COMPLETELY different looking bird due to the mice here, in less than a week on the nest... her wing feathers are largely stripped of webbing with nothing but the shafts left! I HATE MICE!

have you tried the tin can traps? They live trap the mice....you can put it right next to the nest. I would do something fast to get rid of the mice. poor baby. the mice will start on her skin next, you know = at least that is what I've been told by the 88 yr old farmer neighbor.