The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

Leah's , enjoy your time away

I missed the summit on the herbs used for farm animals but I do know essential oils could be used and are pretty concentrated, My dad looked at me like I had lost my mind when I asked him to make me a small still to make my own lol, he didn't make it so thinking of doing it on stove top to see if they are the same quality

We didn't get much done today other than the ducks out on the pond while the chickens free ranged before freaky bad weather hit here in Idaho, my friend stayed in the coop with the babies until it let up as they were not happy about having their fun interrupted by storm, scared them with lots of lightning and thunder and pelting rain, the others did great though getting into protection from it as they didn't want to go into the coop. she reports they loved the rain until it got so bad it hurt hitting you.

 

[flyladyrocks]

@Leahs Mom and @slordaz
I know EO would be too strong if not diluted. And I'm not thinking of feeding them the EOs. I am thinking of trying something like we do here during the winter to give our immune systems a boost: diffusing oils into the air.

@Leahs Mom assuming you are getting away -enjoy yourself!

 

[Lacy Blues]

flyladyrocks, I would get some plain, unsweetened yogurt and mix it into their food. You don't want it soupy or too wet. The chick starter will absorb most of the moisture . Or you could mix a little into their water to make sure they are getting it.

Are you still feeding a medicated starter or do you have them on unmedicated now?

 

[lalaland]

flyladyrocks, I would get some plain, unsweetened yogurt and mix it into their food. You don't want it soupy or too wet. The chick starter will absorb most of the moisture . Or you could mix a little into their water to make sure they are getting it.

Are you still feeding a medicated starter or do you have them on unmedicated now?

Don't forget to check the yogurt label to be sure there are live cultures in it.

 

[lalaland]

I've been having troubles with too many broodies. I don't want anyone to hatch anything this spring. and I have 5 very determined girls.

Resorting to locking them up in broody cages during the day, and at night they were going right back to their nests. So I blocked off the nests, and they knocked stuff down to get to the nests. So I blocked off the entire portion, to force them to stay in the other part of the coop and all hell broke loose. Broodies angrier than imaginable, looking like turkeys and chasing down everyone else. vicious pecking.

So yesterday I paid for it....instead of 16 expected eggs, I got....6! I am down to two broodies now..at least I hope ....this is worse than it has ever been. Interesting to me is that these broodies are mostly from the chicks hatched last spring.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well... I AM going to be gone

But I thought y'all might find this article interesting on the AI issues:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...gn=20150519Z1&et_cid=DM75294&et_rid=958526869

A quote or 2 from the article:


Quote:

Quote:

 

[Leahs Mom]

​

This is also something to consider if you use manure on your gardens, etc.... (from the same article).

Quote:

 

[Purpletie3]

..and that is why i have bought my own farm. About the only thing I can't control is the run off from other farms or what may have been put in the soil 30 years ago when it was farmed.

...Thanks for sharing that article. I just found your thread the other day and am fascinated.

 

[YardBirdMom]

You should let them out already.  It might be too late though.  Six weeks is usually when the hen abandons the chicks to fend for themselves.  She would have taught them to be watchful!

Well, for whatever reason she isn't abandoning them. As said before, I have some unusual mama's
I let them out about an hour before dark & mama was very attentive & went after my cat when he got too close, for that matter so did I. Setting the boundaries here lol
They, the cats, two of them, seem curious, but show no signs of aggression. However, one broody hen came out & was mean as sin, but quickly got shown her place by mama! It fascinates me how they do things.

So far, so good & I plan to let her out with the rest of the flock at noon and hope for the best.

I have had the little RIR's we got as little fuzzballs out in the coop since they were brought home with the chicks that we got last moth watching closely the first couple of days as the chick is in with them in a protected bigger nest, They have been with us for 6 days now and yesterday we introduced a 2 month old barred rock cockrel to the flock so had kept the babies locked in the pen where they couldn't get out and nobody could get them in. Today they were out under watchful eyes as they are used to going out in the run with the older chicks and they ventured outside for a bit of free ranging but stayed pretty close to the run , the cockrel and the #1 in pecking order pullet stayed with them and all did fine for about 2 hours then they went back in for nap time as were tired from all that running around.

At this point the little cockrel and the older one are getting along great and taught the mallard not to pick on the baby chicks, poor guy was mopping instead of foraging after the week old nailed him for pecking at one of them as well as the new 2 month old cockrel. All Day they have been in the run or coop and stayed close to the older male cockrel and the chick thats been playing momma to them.

You know your flock best and if you have the time to watch them you can do it earlier than normal, they've been there so the flock knows them but we had added one bird recently and weren't to sure how everyone would react so we stayed close besides the one raising it and had the broom close in case was needed to get some extra reach.

I'm glad yours are acclimating to their situation, sounds like you're a "watcher" too!

I've never had babies with a mama, so it's hard for me to "let go". When mine were little (last spring) I was the one standing guard in the afternoon. Would just sit in a lawn chair or piddle in the garden keeping watch. But, it's time, I think, to see how well the flock & rooster protects them.

Have a great day everyone & thank you for your advice!

 

[slordaz]

yardbird mom yeah I watch closely as they don't have older ones that are used to it free ranging, but they are learning and only time I have to really watch is if there is a change now nice to have even the week olds out there. I will have to get a picture and show you the brooder box that my friend did makes like so much easier and when the one raising them wants out we let her out stress free cause can lower the door so the chicks can get out or back in on their own.