The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[JulesChicks]

not a good night at all. Got home, let the chicken out - the raspberry patch offers great protection, the squash leaves running out of the garden do too . Was changing in the house, heard a ruckus. It was so bad I went running out barefoot and in my underwear. Chickens hysterical and everywhere. Got everyone together, counted, came up short. Found feathers.......more tail feathers.....followed the trail but lost the trail - no more feathers. No blood, but ....probably a dog.

THis chicken, grace, was a hefty girl, seems too big for a fox. maybe a dog but usually a dog just kills and sticks around to kill more. So sounds like a fox.

Spent an hour in the woods, looking but no luck.

Just saw this Lala, I'm so sorry. Did you find out what got her?

I finally started letting the girls from the quarantine tractor out to forage and they are loving it. There are three of them, 2 Swedish Flower Hens and a Cream Legbar. After one or two frustrating nights of trying to round them up the two Swedes just come running to their tractor when they realize it's time to go in. The CL is a bit more elusive - we have been calling her Houdini after all, for she used to sneak under the bottom of the tractor when it was getting moved. She is getting better though. None of these girls were socialized before we got them at POL and we didn't touch them while the other three were sick, but now they are getting held once in a while - when the kids catch them. Houdini even sat on my son's shoulder a couple of times, he put her there of course, but still! That's quite a shift. They've been getting along fine with the littles who've they've seen from the tractor for a while. And finally, we got the littles into the new coop! Yeah!

Took 6 weeks longer than I wanted but at least they are finally in there! The coop is farther from the house and near the first coop with the Marans - 3 pullets and a rooster, 19 weeks tomorrow. The rooster was fairly gentle with the littles when they were all out together, some slight pecking and chasing, but mostly curious. I think he just wanted to let them know he was in charge. The other rooster who we dispatched wouldn't have been so nice, I'm sure of it. So for the last 2-3 evenings they have all been out at the same time. It's so nice watching them all do what chickens are supposed to do there - scratch, peck, run around that silly way they do. I'm very pleased. And so far, no signs of illness, so yeah! for that!

We need to make some slight modifications to the original coop and then I may put the older girls in with the Marans and then I would be down to 2 places to feed and water. Oh, and in the last 6 days I got 3 eggs from the 2 SFH and 4 eggs from the one CL! Good girl Houdini!

We're going to a huge overnight party/campout at my brother's tonight. Have a great weekend!

 

[JulesChicks]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150724081943.htm

Article on crowing order among roosters.

Interesting. We just dispatched our top roo for going after our children. He did crow first and more often. Much more peace in the village without him, though he was the prettiest roo.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Catching up.

@lalaland Very sorry. I hope you can figure out the predator and help keep the others safe. It's very upsetting not knowing if it will dome back.


Since folks have been talking about the worming, I was going to post a link to Molly's herbal protocol again but wanted to ask lala first - I think I remember you might have used Molly's. If that was you, could you comment on if you liked it, think it works, would recommend it, etc.?

I have never wormed so I don't have experience so I can't comment on those in particular. I take the stance of not routinely worming and hopefully allowing them to build resistance to overload via as natural husbandry approach as I can give them in my circumstances. If I do get a worm over-load, I'd begin looking at my environment, feed, etc., to try to determine why the bird(s) are having issues. Often there is an underlying issue that weakens the system making them less naturally resistant or even predisposing them to issues.

I remember reading some research that indicated that before dogs began being fed grain-based dog feed (how ridiculous is that for a carnivore) that there were not the issues and illnesses, including worms, that we see today. I know that the feed we give our poultry is not the best for being "species specific" so I try to adjust for that as much as the budget and common sense will allow. But just getting out on range helps tremendously with that aspect.

So far haven't had any issues, but I have always thought I'd use Molly's if needed. But I probably wouldn't do the weekly maintenance; just the stronger stuff as needed. All speculation, though, because I haven't tried it. Susan Burrek (Can't remember how to spell the name) also has an herbal worming formula that is designed specifically for poultry as well. May use that instead if ever needed.

(One benefit of the herbal formulas is that they do not promote resistance in the specific worm targets so you don't have to keep changing wormers. But the main benefit is that they are designed to work with the animal's system to help them regain strength and health as well. Pharm wormers have resistance issues and also weaken the immune system (digestive tract, natural intestinal bacterial balance, etc.) of the host (chicken) so you have a double problem.)


I haven't had a chance yet but wanted to take a look at the recipes that @SherryC posted. Seem like I remember some recipes that sound similar to what you're describing that someone was using on the thread a long ways back...

 

[Leahs Mom]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150724081943.htm

Article on crowing order among roosters.

I noticed that when I have 2 juvie roos, the more predominant crowed first AND he was larger. Some folks that have had chickens much longer than me told me that the smaller boy would catch up later in size and that this is typical when there's more than one. I didn't have them long enough to find out if that was the case.

 

[slordaz]

chicken jail didn't work for my terror until I got some leghorn hens that were older than my pullets and 1 was already laying 2 started the next day, they were pretty flighty when we got them but settled right in, we got them on Monday evening and the trouble maker was in jail in the middle of the coop. Tuesday we let him out and he was his same old self so put him back in the jail in middle of the coop and proceeded to give the hens his favorite treat while only tossing him some grains, tried letting him out and he got the idea to try to terrorize the leghorns, who wasn't having none of it and nailed him all 4 at once, and he's been on his best behavior since.

quite attentive and minding his manners with all of them, but now he is trying to lay an egg lol. one of the legorns went broody already and is sitting on 6 eggs. so he sits there and purrs to her.

 

[islafarm]

I just use what ever organic garlic I can get hold of, he pretty much used an entire bulb. In his book it says 2 for 10 chickens, I just used a bulb incase it was a mistake. I was already giving them fresh chilli but he also adds (off the top of my head) 1 tablespoon of paprika, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and 6 cloves. The carrot is meant to have something in it that does something to worms so it has to be in the worming mash, he adds Apple as well.

I'm hesitant about putting things in their water now after noticing the ACV causes mold. If I do add anything to their water I just give it to them in a bowl of water,

I guess time will tell if his worming mashes work. But I like the idea of doing it naturally. When you think of all those organic egg producers etc they can't use worming medications.

With the milk, raw milk is meant to have properties that protect against worms. I also watched some documentary once where this farmer swore to feeding his chickens buttermilk each morning to keep them healthy.

I haven't found a source of raw milk yet so I just use organic milk that's non homogenised.

That's a good point about organic egg producers: I wonder what they do use (though you can be organic and get away with some fairly ugly chemicals). His recipe seems to be to throw everything you might have in your kitchen cupboard in there lol! Sounds like it's a cure all. Interesting about the carrot and apple. Thanks so much for sharing, and introducing Paul Healy to those of us who didn't know him.

I've heard people put a mashed garlic clove in the water, but I imagine that would get nasty soon enough. I think I'm going to try the garlic and ginger extract from the Unconventional Farmer website:

http://theunconventionalfarmer.com/recipes/ginger-garlic-extract/

It's not specifically a wormer, but it seems like it would be a good addition - and fun to make. I can get raw milk but not apple cider vinegar

. I make whey for my dogs and myself, but haven't given any to the chickens. I ferment their feed and figured they were getting enough probiotics already. The buttermilk is cultured so that would be full of probiotics. I wonder if it's this or if there is something else - more research

Thanks again!!

 

[islafarm]

@Leahs Mom , thank you, yes. I like the idea of strengthening them so they can deal with their own situations. Two of our dogs used to have a problem with roundworms, but since we put them on a raw meat diet we've never an issue. They say that about fleas too: if the dog has a strong immune system the fleas won't be a problem (give or take an out of the ordinary infestation). Same principle should work for chickens too.

I got 4 pullets from the same breeder, but different ages: 7, 3 and 1 month. The two older birds had tapeworm, and I treated them with a store bought wormer. But they've been on fermented feed with turmeric and chili since I got them and I'm trying to feed them as 'naturally' as possible so I'd much rather strengthen them than resort to wormer again. I'd be interested in poultry specific herbals and wonder if those herbs can be / are given as a preventative. We have a very well known local anti-parasite plant growing by the run and while we and the dogs snack on it every now and again, the chickens thus far have shown no interest.

Such an education having chickens! Grateful for this thread

@slordaz , that's hilarious! Guess he really wanted to be shown how to be a modern male, are the eggs fertile? Wonder if he'll be a good dad

 

[slordaz]

2 of them would have come fertile from their roosters as they were already laying, but it sure is comical the change in him, if I didn't know him so well I would think someone traded out roosters while I wasn't there lol

I actually infuse a clove of garlic in olive oil shaking 2 times a day for 3 days and add it when I feed fermented feed, knock on wood they are all flourishing, the meat roosters we processed at 21/2 months were as big or bigger than a store bought chicken around here

 

[CandaceNoel]

You forget how anal I am... I know the answer of the top of my head. ;-)
I have...

3 pregnant cows - due in march, may and Sept
1 heifer
1 steer
2 bulls
55 adult ewes (40 polypay, 12 tunis, 3 dairy)
3 yearling ewes
11 lambs so far (1 set of triplets and 4 sets of twins). Will have about 100 more lambs in another month.
4 rams
2 Rhodebar hens
3 Rhodebar cocks
4 Rhodebar pullets
2 Rhodebar cockerels
8 HRIR hens
2 HRIR cocks
1 HRIR pullet
5 HRIR cockerels
35 productionn layers (mostly Reds and buff orps)
6 Rhodebars in the brooder
22 production Reds in brooder
4 F1 eggs hatching today
94 eggs set in 3 different bators
3 adult Maremma
1 Maremma pup
1 retired Belgian tervuren
160,000 bees (4 hives)
3 fantastic, gorgeous, hard working daughters.
AND... One very incredible husband who I deprived the rest of the women in the world of when we began dating my freshman year of college. ;-P

what is an hrir? Rode island red, but what's the h?

 

[flagirl]

Heritage rir