The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

I got a funny question for you, got a barred rock pullet that anytime I walk into the area she doesn't attack but she does seem to think my arm is a perch. So far I just keep putting her back down on the ground as I am trying to do something but she just jumps right back up to perch, do I need to put perches in the run too?

 

[Lacy Blues]

They really do like perches. She might be jumping onto your arm to get away from the others though... how low on the pecking order is she?

 

[Kassaundra]

Do you think that chicks hatching with one or both of their hock joints basically petrified, that it might be from a deficiency of some of these vitamins? I remember having more in the past years. This year, I've had two. The first one was dispatched after a couple days with no improvement. The second one only hatched yesterday so it has a little bit of time left.

What levels are recommended? Next time I get feed, I'll check the nutrient info, if its on there. If not, I don't know what I'll do. I'm not good at research on a computer. I do searches and come up with something from the other end of the spectrum in most cases... let's just hope its on the bag.

Have any made any recovery or have they all had to be euthanized?

Are they being hatched from the same genetic lines as the ones several years ago?

Are the parent chickens healthy and vital w/o obvious vitamin deficiency?

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh and one more, is their food source nutritious and a normal healthy amount?

 

[slordaz]

She is actually number 2 in the pecking order, she hops up and looks at me quizzicly, hard not to laugh but an annoyance when I am trying to do things. I could understand it if I had treats but guess I outta be glad it's not she wants to attack me. I don't really handle them more like I herd them to another spot if they are in the way while I am trying to do something, But I do catch the ducks by picking them to put them out to the pond in the morning. They have had to stay in the run for last few days due to an eagle that moved in.

edit for typonese, sorry coffee wore off

 

[curious chickee]

Mine love their perches in the run and try to get as high as possible sitting on the grow out/ brooder coop, so maybe your arm looks like a high roost to her.

 

[slordaz]

guess another good point is it is an egg layer and pretty high up in the pecking order being friendly that will be there for quite some time and not one of the short timers, just not something I've ever seen a chicken do so was unexpected lol

 

[Lacy Blues]

Have any made any recovery or have they all had to be euthanized?

Are they being hatched from the same genetic lines as the ones several years ago?

Are the parent chickens healthy and vital w/o obvious vitamin deficiency?

Oh, and one more, is their food source nutritious and a normal healthy amount?

None have recovered. I'll give them a couple of days as they scoot around the brooder floor on their hocks with the other chicks running over them, literally. After a couple days, they get pretty weak and at that point, I will end their predicament. So, they need to get up on their feet (and I don't see how with a joint that is so very stiff) or die. I refuse to build crutches or little wheeled carts so my birds can get around. I just don't have the patience for it. Also, I breed my birds and they need to be strong and healthy because I've learned that "what you allow in your flock is what you will have." I think that applies to every part of life as well.


Yes, same genetic line from healthy birds.

I feed fermented feed: Purina Flock Raiser mixed 50/50 with Nutrena Gamebird Grower. This gets me a protein level of about 22%. I have two 5 gal buckets going. The morning feed is straight fermented feed. The evening feed is the same with just a little bit of rolled barley and BOSS thrown in for texture and interest.

They almost never get treats. When they do, it's sprouts or something green from the landscape or a mouse that the cat didn't finish. They also get yogurt mixed into their ff sometimes. The county extension has been out here and they told me that everything growing on my place is safe for livestock. We have chukar partridge and ruffed grouse (from what I've been told) that live in the area and survive off of what is out there. We also have lots of little Gambrel's Quail running around thriving.

The mineral supplement I use is Azomite.

guess another good point is it is an egg layer and pretty high up in the pecking order being friendly that will be there for quite some time and not one of the short timers, just not something I've ever seen a chicken do so was unexpected lol

Mine love their perches in the run and try to get as high as possible sitting on the grow out/ brooder coop, so maybe your arm looks like a high roost to her.

My daughter used to have some old english game bantams and in one of the pens she had a couple of cockerels and they would jump up onto her arms too.

Maybe perches in the run is the answer. I can imagine that it is amusing most days... unless you're busy or in a hurry.

 

[Kassaundra]

None have recovered. I'll give them a couple of days as they scoot around the brooder floor on their hocks with the other chicks running over them, literally. After a couple days, they get pretty weak and at that point, I will end their predicament. So, they need to get up on their feet (and I don't see how with a joint that is so very stiff) or die. I refuse to build crutches or little wheeled carts so my birds can get around. I just don't have the patience for it. Also, I breed my birds and they need to be strong and healthy because I've learned that "what you allow in your flock is what you will have." I think that applies to every part of life as well.


Yes, same genetic line from healthy birds.

I feed fermented feed: Purina Flock Raiser mixed 50/50 with Nutrena Gamebird Grower. This gets me a protein level of about 22%. I have two 5 gal buckets going. The morning feed is straight fermented feed. The evening feed is the same with just a little bit of rolled barley and BOSS thrown in for texture and interest.

They almost never get treats. When they do, it's sprouts or something green from the landscape or a mouse that the cat didn't finish. They also get yogurt mixed into their ff sometimes. The county extension has been out here and they told me that everything growing on my place is safe for livestock. We have chukar partridge and ruffed grouse (from what I've been told) that live in the area and survive off of what is out there. We also have lots of little Gambrel's Quail running around thriving.

The mineral supplement I use is Azomite.


My daughter used to have some old english game bantams and in one of the pens she had a couple of cockerels and they would jump up onto her arms too.

Maybe perches in the run is the answer. I can imagine that it is amusing most days... unless you're busy or in a hurry.

I seriously doubt there is any vitamin or mineral deficiency. I think the much more likely reason is a genetic issue that is in one of your birds (or more) or a combo of a specific pairing that is occurring in a % of the offspring. Something that doesn't pass down 100% but has a genetic component. By the way I knew your birds were well fed and not nutrient deficient.

I am in total agreement w/ survival of the fittest type of flock management.

 

[slordaz]

if it doesn't improve just goes down hill, best thing to do is put it out of it's misery and not make it suffer just my personal opinion though Lacy