The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[gevshiba]

I've had chickens with curled toes, I currently have a salmon faverolle who's toes curl in a spiral, she does fine and you wouldn't know until you get close. So personally I would wait and see, if it's doesn't seem to be suffering I tend to wait and watch.

I've had a couple turkeys with badly bent toes. I kept a close eye on them. A bobcat got one before he got too big. The other I culled early, but she was around 5-6 pounds, so that was ok. This guy will be for the freezer, but as long as he's comfortable, I'll let him grow up. They will be moving to the coop today

. Just need to do some moving around. The older group that are in it now are going to the "new" coop at my friend's house.

 

[CuzChickens]

Are all your birds the same age and brooded at the same time? Also - what do you think of the Brahma's personality?




Interesting on the mint. I've never seen my birds eat the mint but it is growing where they have access so they could take it at any time.

All of my birds are brooded at the same time, except the Lavender Orpingtons, and Light Brahma. They are about a year old and the others are 13 weeks. The Light Brahma is extremely flighty, but then the lady I bought her from did not give her much attention as a baby, so she is not very used to humans, she is a great layer though! I also now have 16 more babies I got last week, Golden Laced Wyandottes and Partridge Rocks. I also think that giving herbs to chickens while they are little expands their taste tolerances, they got alot of herbs when they were little. That is why they like it so much now that they are older.

 

[CuzChickens]

@CuzChickens

What do they have in that bucket? Very nice photo BTW

Photo by CuzChickens

Oh, well thank you! Let me think, i took this one a few week ago, Chocolate Mint, Violets, Oregano, Clover, Sage, Dandelion Greens, Cilantro, and Yarrow. I am probably forgetting some.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've had a couple turkeys with badly bent toes.  I kept a close eye on them.  A bobcat got one before he got too big.  The other I culled early, but she was around 5-6 pounds, so that was ok.  This guy will be for the freezer, but as long as he's comfortable, I'll let him grow up.  They will be moving to the coop today  .  Just need to do some moving around.  The older group that are in it now are going to the "new" coop at my friend's house.

Hope everything goes smoothly, I like when they get moved to the coop, they are so terrified but I know in a day or so they will be so happy for more room.

 

[CuzChickens]

Here are some more pics of my chickens.

 

[Crista]

Last week I had 1 chick ( about 6 weeks old ) doing a falling backwards kind of thing. Balance was off. But very active determined little guy. I put him in a little cage but still inside the coop with everyone else. Sprinkled some Brewers yeast on some soaked food/ w a bit of soured raw milk. These little guys are so resilient !!! You would be hard pressed to find him now.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Usually when there is a balance issue or leg/foot issue it is related to the "B" vitamins. The brewers yeast is usually a good remedy for that... wonderful news!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Usually when there is a balance issue or leg/foot issue it is related to the "B" vitamins.  The brewers yeast is usually a good remedy for that... wonderful news!

Does that apply to people too do you think?

 

[gevshiba]

Hope everything goes smoothly, I like when they get moved to the coop, they are so terrified but I know in a day or so they will be so happy for more room.

Well, not entirely smooth. Turkey moms and babies did fine moving to the big coop and pasture. None of my birds have ever had such a large area to roam, so they haven't gone far yet. All the rain has the weeds really high, so babies are having to work their way through. I've hand weeded a lot of it in the ally between the coop and pasture, but still have some to do. I'm leaving most of the sunflowers for shade and cover. The turkeys are not happy with having to share space with the chickens, but they used to, so they should settle down. One turkey hen has already chosen a spot in the brush for a nest. Not gonna happen. Plus, I haven't brought the tom over yet and she hasn't seen him in a few months. I had to carry her, and her egg, back to the coop.

The older babies moved from my coop at the neighbor's to the large grow out pen at my friend's. This is where the momma hens were. I can't keep any birds where I live because my land lady hates all poultry. Whatever. I had noticed one poult having a relapse of his previous vit. deficiency issue, so I was going to leave him and get him a dose of vitamins. But as I was catching the others, they trampled him. I didn't realize he was down in the crate I keep in the grow out pen. He couldn't get up, so I culled him. The rest seem pretty happy in there new digs. I hope to integrate them into the big coop soon.

The next group was supposed to move into the small grow out at the neighbor's, but I ran out of time and energy. I have it ready, so I'll move them before work in the morning. Then the poults in the dog crate can move to the brooder and the last hatch of spring will go into the hatcher tomorrow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well, not entirely smooth. Turkey moms and babies did fine moving to the big coop and pasture.  None of my birds have ever had such a large area to roam, so they haven't gone far yet.  All the rain has the weeds really high, so babies are having to work their way through.  I've hand weeded a lot of it in the ally between the coop and pasture, but still have some to do.  I'm leaving most of the sunflowers for shade and cover.  The turkeys are not happy with having to share space with the chickens, but they used to, so they should settle down.  One turkey hen has already chosen a spot in the brush for a nest.  Not gonna happen.  Plus, I haven't brought the tom over yet and she hasn't seen him in a few months.  I had to carry her, and her egg, back to the coop.

The older babies moved from my coop at the neighbor's to the large grow out pen at my friend's.  This is where the momma hens were.  I can't keep any birds where I live because my land lady hates all poultry.  Whatever.  I had noticed one poult having a relapse of his previous vit. deficiency issue, so I was going to leave him and get him a dose of vitamins.  But as I was catching the others, they trampled him.  I didn't realize he was down in the crate I keep in the grow out pen.  He couldn't get up, so I culled him.  The rest seem pretty happy in there new digs.  I hope to integrate them into the big coop soon.

The next group was supposed to move into the small grow out at the neighbor's, but I ran out of time and energy.  I have it ready, so I'll move them before work in the morning.  Then the poults in the dog crate can move to the brooder and the last hatch of spring will go into the hatcher tomorrow.

That's a lot, my turkeys are all in one pen except for when I'm raising poults. How many total do you keep?