The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That stinks, how are your chickens doing.

 

[SherrieC]

The two I was concerned about are looking much better but no eggs from them yet.

 

[Lacy Blues]

My birds get bagged feed, which I ferment. They are allowed out to free range, get JB from my hand held and hanging trap. Food scraps. I like to save my veggie cooking water for them. In the winter, I sprout grains for them, and also give them access to DL either in the old coop or in my green house. My green house has recently been moved closer to the new coop so they will have a small winter run, leading to the green house/sunroom which is now busy cooking up a bunch of DL: leaves and grass clippings. I plan to put a green house tarp over it this fall.

Also, re: parasite load: I agree that a certain amount of parasites is normal, and will not routinely worm my flock. However, adding herbals seems to be a good idea, but I have yet to bother with that. Culling would be preferable IMO to doing routine worming programs. I read a study a few years ago, where adults with rheumatoid arthritis were given an intestinal parasite. Their inflammation decreased. At the end of the study, the parasites were eliminated. Some of the participants had such a marked inflammatory change that they asked if they could please have their parasites back.

lazy gardener

Do you have a link for that study please? I have an aunt who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and I have no idea if the worms would completely turn her off or if she would even read the article.

In regard to the question about bagged feed or not, I feed bagged and I ferment it. I add in all kinds of goodies. For instance, tonight, they're getting grated carrots and re-hydrated alfalfa mixed in.

I sprout for them when I'm not too busy. I pull green living things out of the ground for them to eat if there are any currently growing. When I clean out my fridge, they get everything that is not moldy. I hard boil the excess of bantam eggs that I don't sell.

 

[tmfineg]

I use wormwood to worm my chickens, does anybody else do this?

 

[SherrieC]

Not yet but I have seeds, I'm thinking of putting it in their runs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

as a gardener I always believed them to be poisonous, how are you using it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Check out this article on Mareks vaccines and AI vaccines. I am a person that doesn't vaccinate. But it is frustrating to know that people think they're doing something good that has likely caused issues way beyond what they may have taken the time to consider.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tthis-chicken-vaccine-makes-virus-dangerous/


A couple of quotes:

, is also leaky. Vaccines for HPV and whooping cough can leak too; however it is unknown if this scenario creates more dangerous viruses for each of these diseases.

Personally, I don't believe that there are "perfect vaccines" as the article states.

 

[lalaland]

wow! this is so timely, as I've been struggling with the idea of vaccinating future chicks/chickens with my flock having mareks. Its convinced me not to do that.....but another posting on one of the mareks's thread feels the study is not credible. I'm trying to find out why....

 

[allyclair]

Looking for advice on managing my chickens, we've had a lot of changes since this spring. Started out with 3 adult dark brahmas, two hens and a rooster. One hen died in the coop of natural causes in May.

Neighbour gave my kids four chicks that are now 12 weeks and living in their own small coop and enclosed run (2 roosters and 2 hens). One rooster has been crowing for about a month (or trying) and a couple days ago started trying to mate the hens.

I hatched out 7 chicks in an incubator from my dark brahma pair, they're almost 4 weeks old. They are in a brooder in my house but I'd love to get them into the coop.

Yesterday, something killed my dark brahma hen while free-ranging, I'm guessing an eagle or a hawk.

So, I've got one lonely rooster in a coop by himself, 4 twelve-week-olds in their own coop, and 7 chicks that are 4 weeks in the brooder. I'm trying to find someone to take the two younger roosters, and would like to put the young hens in with my old rooster but I've had lots of conflicting advice. I let the 12 week olds out in the yard with me the past couple days and the rooster basically ignored them. Gave them the eye and crowed a bit but that's it. But then today he went after one of the pullets, but not sure what his motive was.

Trying to figure out whether to put the chicks in with the 2 pullets, or put the 2 pullets in with my rooster. And, when to do it. I'm thinking it would be best to get the hens and chicks integrated first and then introduce the rooster, but not sure how he's going to make out with having no hens. He's about 4 years old and a real sweetie, but he IS a big fellow. Most people who come to visit are scared to go near him

I love having chickens but I hate this learning curve.....I wish I just had the confidence to try something but I guess it will come with experience!

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[Mrs. K]

This might sound crazy, and a lot will depend on your set up. However, if you can do a one way gate, where as the openings are small enough for your little chicks to get through, but not enough for the biggers ones. Another trick that I have right now is a pallet up on a single cinderblock. Again the smaller birds can get under there easy, gives them some shade, and I have a feed station under there.

I am assuming that the main coop set up is where the rooster is... if you could put him in a place for a day or two, I think I would try the youngest birds in the main coop if you can set up the escape places in there. Go in there and scare them a bit, so they figure out the "safe' places.

And then, I think I might just try putting the whole bunch together. I might be a bit nervous with the rooster, but I am pretty sure he will be fine, and if he isn't, he can go where the middle size ones are now.

With my broody hens raising chicks in the flock, I am realizing that different age birds can and probably should be raised together. The broody hen acts like the escape as she will protect the chicks, but yours are past the downy stage, and by 4-6 weeks the broody is done with them, and they are in the flock. Still it helps a little to have a place where they can get out of reach, and be sure to be able to eat and drink.

Mrs K