The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Chaos18]

me to i use that , even on my self ,

What product do you use for your chooks and where do you get it from?

 

[Purpletie3]

here is a link to some information on essential oils and using them for live stock. just might give us some other ideas besides the great OT's here

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/07/essential-oils-livestock.html
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/essential-oils-for-natural-chicken-care/

my dad thought I was crazy asked him to make me a small still to be able to make my own lol

Great articles. THank you for sharing the links!

 

[Jessimash]

It did mention fresh raw pumpkin seeds... I have used black walnut oil for deforming my dogs. I wonder if that would work on the chickens... Does anybody have experience with this?

 

[jsmith2952]

Quick question about an egg bound hen:

One of my girls has always laid large, odd shaped eggs. She's 2 1/2 now, and was recently egg bound. After a warm bath she laid a weird half soft half hard shelled egg. She's been better since, perky, eating and pooping normally, but has yet to lay another egg. I'm looking at day four of no egg, which is unusual for her. Can hens become continually egg bound? Should I give her another warm bath, even though shs showing no signs of being egg bound?
Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[Lacy Blues]

First off, do you provide oyster shell free choice? This would give her the calcium she needs to be able to make nice hard shells.

Being egg bound is pretty stressful. I would guess that she might need a few extra days. If she's not acting like she is egg bound, I wouldn't mess with her, that is stressful for them too.

Also, I am not sure but it might be possible for her to become an internal layer. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I have a girl that though there is always oyster shell available, she lays half hard shells and some with no shells. As soon as I am positive which one is doing it, she is history.

 

[SherrieC]

Could it be from one that is low on the pecking order? I find mine do when being bullied in the coop at night.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

This years group outgrowing their brooding box and waiting for me to make a fort Knox grow pen (bear has been in area) :

Freaked by first flash... Before first one (didn't come out) they were all over the big melon box.

Starting to disperse a bit.

Thought it was going to be male but at a week older than feathering ones has been mothering.... letting climb on and under wings etc...

Reserving now my guesses on gender.

 

[EastNashChick]

This years group outgrowing their brooding box and waiting for me to make a fort Knox grow pen (bear has been in area) :

Freaked by first flash... Before first one (didn't come out) they were all over the big melon box.

Starting to disperse a bit.

Thought it was going to be male but at a week older than feathering ones has been mothering.... letting climb on and under wings etc...

Reserving now my guesses on gender.

RIR's?

 

[bluebirdnanny]

YES East Nashville Chick!! All except one which is white rock/ RIR mutt. I will be culling hard this fall!!! Most if not all males. My coop tops out at 40 fowl

I am working on breeding the Nelson background line. But I did hatch some of the Kittle line RIR as well as I was making adjustments to the incubator and timing. Some of them will be saved to up my eggs for eating/selling to friends.

But I don't have room for more than two cockerels to over winter. One will have the isolation section in the coop during winter. I have two older cockerel chicks that are sons of a champion so they will be my breeders for next year. They also bring in fresh blood to my line. All real RIR of course. I am still learning selections process based on the SOP.

I will be looking to sell or re-home cockerels but I don't ship. They will have to go local or to someone willing to drive for them. Would probably do a pullet or two with them depending on what my ratio turns out to be.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

So what are some things that can cause a chicken to sneeze? I have healthy birds and I sell them. So far I have one guy who bought birds last year and again this year. Each time he has called back to say his birds are sneezing. But my birds are not sneezing or sick. I've had the full grown chickens' eggs tested by a state program and all came back clean.

I'm thinking there must be something specific to his place that is causing the sneezing. I need to call him back on Monday. Any ideas, maybe mold somewhere?

My birds have tree trimming bedding that is about 1/2 pine trees, leftover goat hay, then my yard for the days they get to free range. I don't have straw on the property but we did give grass trimmings to the chickens a few weeks back and they loved those. And every so often a chicken will find some spilled goat food but for the most part the chickens get grain mill chicken food.