The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[christyg]

I want wood ash so bad! I can't believe I have no family in this area with a fireplace. I don't get my Chiminea till summer...

Do you have any trees near you? Branches? A bare patch of ground? Maybe some large rocks or something you can use as a fire ring?  That's all you need to make a campfire, and a campfire is all you need to get wood ash.  

You know what's funny? We bought this big piece of land so we could do whatever we want, and now I'm unsure of this one thing. I think living on bases for 12 years ruined me, lol. If my husband was here he'd be burning up anything I handed him...maybe I'll try this weekend?

That makes me giggle. I live in the middle of the city on a 1/2 acre and just yesterday, after dispatching a stupid rooster, burned a ton of old wood and branches in an open fire. I have a "fire pit" out there that I burn things in periodically and then when it all cools, it's dust bath time! They love it. Just keep watch and I have a hose handy just in case anyone comes and asks (and one neighbor has). We sort of do what we wish here and I love it for that reason. So long as I don't bother anyone and don't endanger anyone I can pretty much do whatever I want.

This is very similar size to the double lot where we live and we have a firepit we enjoy all Florida winter. We are happy with Live and let neighbors too. I made it with a circle of red bricks. Last night we buried potatoes and a bulb of garlic the coals...mmmm. I find fire very cathartic in so many ways.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

All I can say is...that was not a nice way to start a morning! UGH!!!!!!!!!! I wonder if the whole set up has burned down by now?
I can understand hodge-podge add ons etc. but, that was just a mess. Wonder how many of his birds lived through it? Broken foot - antibiotics;
treating water? How about just cleaning it up and giving those poor birds some fresh air and sun and removing all the junk just for starters.
Heat lamps? Over crowding? ARGHHHHH some people's children. Now I will go remind my girls how lucky they are and try to get
the video out of my head. Feel like ripping my eyes out.

 

[christyg]

Will keep you posted. I will figure out how to post pics. Thanks again for being so patient and open sharing your knowledge. Even some of us small backyard flocks want to improve. And many of us read that crazy stuff posted all over BYC and kept thinking something just didn't sound right...or downright wrong. Chickens inside the house. Roosters in the basement or bathroom or small cages because they are too cowardly to kill them., give to someone that will or rehome to a proper outdoor setting. Taking a chicken to the vet for this or that. Big sigh. But here we are and here to stay

 

[Mtn Laurel]

He ain't purdy but he shore is smart!

My whole family loves this pic! We have a brown mixed lab who is forever trying to get himself a squirrel but - at age 11 - is a little too slow to manage it. Instead he has taken to stealing veggies from the garden. Cukes, tomatoes, and beans kept coming up missing in the garden this year and it took us a while to figure out why. Until I caught our old man - Buster - sneaking towards the house with the stash!




Looks like he's getting ready to fry up a mess of green tomatoes. Certainly not a LGD, he's not even a good Garden Guardian Dog!

 

[aoxa]

He ain't purdy but he shore is smart! 

My whole family loves this pic! We have a brown mixed lab who is forever trying to get himself a squirrel but - at age 11 - is a little too slow to manage it. Instead he has taken to stealing veggies from the garden. Cukes, tomatoes, and beans kept coming up missing in the garden this year and it took us a while to figure out why. Until I caught our old man - Buster - sneaking towards the house with the stash!




Looks like he's getting ready to fry up a mess of green tomatoes. Certainly not a LGD, he's not even a good Garden Guardian Dog!  

What a character!

 

[Bulldogma]

That video was a heinous disaster!
Just a few observations - I didn't even make it through the whole thing - felt sick watching it and had to turn it off -

No ventilation.
Heating the coop - perfect for helping germs to grow and populate in warm, moist conditions (and then if the birds go outside they experience a 30+ degree instant temperature drop - that'll lower their resistance nicely

Over-crowding
Not keeping new (oh - and by the way - sick) birds in quarantine for at least 10 days or more.
Not separating newly-sick birds from the ones that are still healthy.
Not having a stinkin clue!!

Blech!
I just have to reiterate how thankful I am that I came across this thread and all Bee's (and other OT's) wisdom! If I had stuck to reading all the other stuff out there, I might have been nearly as much of a disaster - - who knows? We research and do what other people think is "right" - - and may not realize how we are just becoming part of the problem and part of the deviation from what nature intended and how nature designed these birds.

Sad. Just sad!

 

[aoxa]

That video was a heinous disaster! Just a few observations - I didn't even make it through the whole thing - felt sick watching it and had to turn it off - No ventilation. Heating the coop - perfect for helping germs to grow and populate in warm, moist conditions (and then if the birds go outside they experience a 30+ degree instant temperature drop - that'll lower their resistance nicely :/ Over-crowding Not keeping new (oh - and by the way - sick) birds in quarantine for at least 10 days or more. Not separating newly-sick birds from the ones that are still healthy. Not having a stinkin clue!! Blech! I just have to reiterate how thankful I am that I came across this thread and all Bee's (and other OT's) wisdom! If I had stuck to reading all the other stuff out there, I might have been nearly as much of a disaster - - who knows? We research and do what other people think is "right" - - and may not realize how we are just becoming part of the problem and part of the deviation from what nature intended and how nature designed these birds. Sad. Just sad!

Maybe this video will get your mind off it...

 

[Pullet Surprise]

That's a whole lotta roosters!!!!! It would drive me crazy! (short drive)

 

[Bulldogma]

Maybe this video will get your mind off it...

LOL! There's just something about a large, bearded man in overalls thumping his chest and crowing!

 

[aoxa]

Maybe this video will get your mind off it...

 

LOL! There's just something about a large, bearded man in overalls thumping his chest and crowing!

I know! That made my entire week

He's pretty good at it, isn't he?