The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[JulesChicks]

Thanks!

For what it's worth, I believe all opinions are of value, and I enjoy reading your posts.

 

[JulesChicks]

We have starlings everywhere too. Especially in carport and in the house and eaves. Yes, they are in the attic - at least I think they are starlings. We have lots of animals to clear out before we can move in! Rats included! We wanted to replace the duct system with a ductless even though the heat pump works great, just because of all the rats in the ducts. We may just have to repair and clean the ducts for now. Ugh.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Your thoughts on top bar vs. Langstroth, please.

How does this relate to chickens? You can have some honey on your toast when you have your bacon and EGGS.

 

[lalaland]

doesn't the top bar sound good? not so much honey....am researching more about how it performs in cold winters. I like the idea, though. less equipment.

 

[shortgrass]

Shortgrass,

Thanks. Funny just met a permaculture farmer so the idea of permaculture is coming up a lot. Will post pics if anything ends up growing with the cover crop.

Lucky you have a sparrow hawk. Hope it helps with your sparrows.

Well..... Oh yeah it helps with the sparrows... And probably any chicks I want to let momma take outside

That's the problem I get concerned with the most actually... That dumb sparrow hawk that we called here with our overabundance of free sparrow food and overabundance of sparrows.... Ecosystem is messed up if we called in a predator by accident.

But yeah, its actually quite amazing to watch; he/she us pretty acrobatic!

 

[Leahs Mom]

doesn't the top bar sound good? not so much honey....am researching more about how it performs in cold winters. I like the idea, though. less equipment.

Have you looked at http://www.backyardhive.com/ ? I got the video and it was very good. They have a new hive "Cathedral Hive" looks fantastic. They just released it last month. But the price is prohibitive in my opinion unless you just get the plans and build yourself. But I really like the concept. There's a link for it at the top of their page....take a look.

 

[beginnergirl]

Be concerned about MG - mycoplasma gallisepticum, a slow moving but contagious respiratory disease in poultry. I believe finches carry it. Our flock are carriers most likely since we had one tested positive, (we culled the 3 that were ill). No more signs, but it lives in the poop on the ground for up to a month in dry weather, and on clothing, hair, feathers, etc. The only way to get rid of it totally is to cull the whole flock, disinfect, wait 30 days and begin again. Not as bad as Mareks though, which will not die off in your environment. Good luck

Thanks! I've seen one infected finch. Luckily not at my current location. Sounds difficult if it survives in the environment so long. Finches cannot get into my feeder as the openings are too small. I learned that a 1.25" opening is too small for house sparrows

and obviously too small for starlings, finches. I've never seen any finches here. Put a ring on my birdhouse so only nuthatches and chickadees can use it. Just read about chicken diseases so I can know some of the common ones. Appreciate the information.

 

[shortgrass]

Have you looked at http://www.backyardhive.com/ ?  I got the video and it was very good.  They have a new hive "Cathedral Hive" looks fantastic.  They just released it last month.  But the price is prohibitive in my opinion unless you just get the plans and build yourself.  But I really like the concept.  There's a link for it at the top of their page....take a look.

Oh that stuff is so pricey Probably why ours are in such sad shape lol... I'm tagging along on this one; we need fresh nucs and help with finding parts without buying new, so if anyone in Colorado has some parts (mostly needing the frames), we can get ours fixed back up and into full production!


On a side note, we had some that moved out if the hives and into an old labor shack on the property; the honey was CLEAR, and we've never seen honey like that since. Curious on what made the honey so clear?./. And delicious, it was super sweet, almost like a sorghum syrup!

It was on an alfalfa field, and i suppose they had access to corn and maybe sugar beets, but sugar beets don't make it to flower.. Can't figure out what they had gotten into!?

 

[Leahs Mom]

When they make their own comb - as opposed to having to build on man-made comb on frames, it's a whole different game.

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

 
doesn't the top bar sound good?  not so much honey....am researching more about how it performs in cold winters.  I like the idea, though. less equipment.

Have you looked at http://www.backyardhive.com/ ?  I got the video and it was very good.  They have a new hive "Cathedral Hive" looks fantastic.  They just released it last month.  But the price is prohibitive in my opinion unless you just get the plans and build yourself.  But I really like the concept.  There's a link for it at the top of their page....take a look.

I really want bees and am starting to do more research. I've never been stung before, but am very afraid of reacting badly to stings, because I have a very messed up immune system. (Long laundry list of environmental, chemical and food allergens. Body treats many foods like poison and I'll get sick for a long time, e.g., accidental "poisoning" with wheat in food makes me ill for 1.5-2 years now. )

Anyways, I've been investigating the Flow Hive. Besides the price tag, do y'all have any thoughts on it and it's set-up? Does anyone use this method? Can you share your experience? http://www.honeyflow.com/