The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Just thought I would share with y'all...

... tonight's chicken dinner...
... theirs, not mine.






Pancakes? Of course pancakes! What else would I do with Bisquick that's full of weevils? I few other odds and ends from the fridge and some mixed whole grains thrown in for good measure and TADA! I think they'll be pleased! And if they're not, well, they're gonna be hungry in the morning.

So sorry for the weevils. The one time that they got in my pantry it was a bag of rice from Sams. The children and I were calling them evil weevils.

 

[JulesChicks]

Lacy, thanks for the help with the VetRx! I managed to give the 3 young pullets the treatment tonight and it went well (by myself I cleaned their beaks and nostrils first and then rubbed their heads. I hadn't handled them before and they seemed to relax and enjoy it. They weren't too keen on the inside of their mouth/palate part but it went fine. I've never had to do something like this before and so having it go well definitely boosted my confidence. I am really enjoying my birds, but I have still been a little afraid of the bigger ones so I took a step in the right direction today. I'm going to start making a point to handle them all (the chicks are easy it's the bigger ones and the 2 roosters I've been nervous around since they got big- they're 13 weeks but are pretty big). I think I realized today that they are probably more afraid of me than I am of them. Well, except the the one mean girl I have (she's in the quarantine pen too and she's head honcho - I'm going to have to make sure she knows I'm above her on the pecking order somehow).
How often should I be giving the medicine? The package says 4-5 times a day, but I wasn't sure if that was for in the water or on the bird. What do you do? I'm assuming you keep doing it until there are no more symptoms?
Thanks again!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm sure glad it went well for you! You'll be a professional chicken wrangler in no time at all!

Your bigger ones are still babies. Don't handle them unless you need to. Touching them however, is another matter entirely. If they're terrified of you just go into their coop at night when they're all on the roost and it isn't totally dark yet. They should be able to see you and not willing to leave the perch because it isn't quite light enough. I just go down the perch and touch each one gently and briefly on their backs. I speak softly to them and tell each one goodnight.

I don't do this all the time, just on occasion. I have too many birds and many of them are in pens that I have to struggle to get into so don't do it unless absolutely necessary. I try to teach them that I'm safe but I don't spend an inordinate amount of time doing things like that.

I believe the application of VetRx at 4-5 times per day is direct application. I usually only do it once... in the evening. I dont have time to do it that often. If you have the time, go for it. You might just get some speedy recoveries in the barn... and yes, til they display no more symptoms.

When you pick up your older birds, you just need to hold them correctly so they will relax. Like this...

The chicken's weight is supported by his forearm, the legs of the chicken are between his fingers. He probably has two fingers between the legs with the thumb on the outside of the leg and the pinkie or pinkie and ring finger on the outside of the other leg. Hold them firmly, not tight, unless they struggle. If my birds struggle, I tighten my grip on their legs quite a bit and they seem to understand this. Once they relax, my grip relaxes as well. It's still a firm grip, just no longer a tight grip.

You have a hen that is mean to you? That's fairly odd. I have the occasional hen that seems to have gotten a twisted feather up her hiney but they are very few and far in between. They don't stay cranky for long. If they bite me when I'm in the barn close to the perch, gathering eggs, they find themselves on the floor... it's just a reaction. I usually end up paying the most for it though as I have to bend over and catch them in the almost dark and put them back on the perch.

If you need help with that hen, I have some information I can send you. Why don't you tell me what she does?

 

[lalaland]

So the broody icelandic was still broody this morning, so after it warmed up a bit, I popped her in a shallow cold water bath. She wasn't happy - kept her there a few minutes and then put her in a cage in the sun.
Few hours later, let her out thinking she was gonna beeline for the nests But surprise, she went for a dustbath and hasn't returned to the nest!

Next time I might try the cool water bath first thing (weather permitting). fast and easy!

 

[Lacy Blues]

lalaland, what was your temperature when you put her in the sun?

If I did that, it would kill my birds. My sun here is just WAY TOO INTENSE! Even in the morning.

 

[tjo804]

Does anyone know of a way to get rid of mosquitoes?
They are bad this year so far and it is going to get even wetter in the area.
My poor Ladies are sleeping with those blood suckers and it makes me mad!

 

[lalaland]

lalaland, what was your temperature when you put her in the sun?

If I did that, it would kill my birds. My sun here is just WAY TOO INTENSE! Even in the morning.

I did have a cover over part of the cage so she could get into shade. It was 58 this morning, and didn't make it past 71 plus it was breezy.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I put this on the IN thread, but posting here too.

Just a quick check-in to say hello!

Been off forum for almost 3 weeks I think. Lots of personal things occupying all my time in addition to a heavy work schedule.

TONS of rain but the outdoor kennel runs are perfect with the wood chipped deep litter. Love it for so many reasons - and 1 is NO MUD/unhealthy breeding ground for disease. I love the healthy environment when they have to be penned.

All the birds are healthy and well and happily ranging a little more than half an acre.

My "goaties" seem to have fallen through from the original source so I"m still looking for 2 Boer wethers to run in the wooded area until processing in late fall. I have one more person I'm checking with to see if she has 2 I can get.

I've skimmed some of the thread while I've been gone, but haven't had time to comment. Miss everyone!

 

[kntrybumpkin]

I have a question our chicken run is completely enclosed our chickens were never tamed when we got them so if they get loose we wouldn't ever catch them... Now my question we have guineas we have raised and we are going to add them to our chicken flock but before we do that we are expanding our run which is 6 foot tall we would like to leave the new add on part uncovered so the guinea are allowed to come and go as they please to eat drink and roost at night or incase of bad weather.... So I hate to do it but should we clip our chickens wings so we don't have to worry and they stay put in their place or not clip and risk it and hope they stay

 

[Lacy Blues]

Is your run covered only to keep your chickens in? Or to keep flying predators out?

What I would do is start training your "wild" chickens. Spend more time around them. Go in their coop as its getting dark and talk to them, touching them briefly. When you feel them tense, take your hand off and move to the next one. After not terribly long, if you're consistent, you'll be able to leave your hand on longer and longer. Even if it is only a few seconds, progress is progress.

Also, I doubt they will run away. They know where their food and water is. They are creatures of habit and like to sleep in the same spot. If you start opening the door to their run about 15 minutes before they generally head to roost, they may come out for a peek and to scratch around a bit but will most likely go home to roost. Keep doing this, then start doing it 30 minutes before roost. Expand the time out of the run and the time your hand is on their back and I think you'll be pleased with the result.