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

[just me]

1. Healthy happy hens are much easier to keep then sick hens.
2. Let chickens be chickens. Don't hold, coddle, diaper or snuggle with your hens. They lose their in bred chicken traits & can no longer forage, watch for predators or stay healthy.
3. Chickens are self insulated they dont need heated coops. Dont believe me? Stick your fingers under there feathers on a 20 degree night & surprise yourself with the heat they give off. I did & was surprised.
4. Natural feed/care is better & less work. Back on the prairie days they didnt have $$ or chemicals to deworm, antibiotics, or other meds to treat their chickens. Pumpkin seeds, ACV , whole grains are what they used then & their chickens thrived
5. Chickens dont care if they dont have a state of the art chicken mansion. Use & reuse what you have at home & be creative. My hens are not sad I reused siding, lumber, bowls, etc.
6. Deep litter is the easiest & best way to go. No daily/weekly of cleaning out the coop & runs. Once a week or so stir everything up & once a month or so add some bedding. No fuss no muss & my hens are very healthy
7. Chicken poop......it happens..... dont stress on what its shape,smell, consistency is today.
8. FF is the best way to feed. Less food consumption, healthy hens, glossy feathers & the BEST part is.....NO MORE SMELLY COOP/RUN

I could go on & on but these are the most important things to me.


As for ACV helping in the FF not freezing your right. My mom cleans houses & she leaves vinegar in her car throughout the winter & it never freezes. And we have cold winters

Here's a couple I didn't think about yesterday:

1.) If you've got a gut, you've got worms.
2.) If you want to know which hens are laying, stick your finger up their butt and feel for eggs.
3.) When you cull for "health" issues, look at the innards, and note anything unusual.
4.) The grosser the pics, the better!!
5.) BALANCE is the key!!!

 

[Ashdoes]

Ok, I let my flock out for their first morning foraging experience and they all seem pretty confused. They keep running in and out of the run to the feed trough. We'll see how it goes.

 

[just me]

Ok, I let my flock out for their first morning foraging experience and they all seem pretty confused. They keep running in and out of the run to the feed trough. We'll see how it goes.

That's pretty much what mine did at first. After a couple of days, they got the hang of it. They actually went "too" far and got some of DH's tomatoes.

Since my pup has started to harass them when I'm gone, I have to keep them locked up Mon-Fri (it's dark when I leave, and dark when I get home). I sure hope they don't "lose" the desire to forage. They had gotten pretty good at it. I'm hoping that by next Spring, the pup will have matured a little, along with the chickens so maybe I'll be able to let them free range all the time.

I still can't figure out why it took the pup over a month to start to mess with the chickens.

 

[Mumsy]

I have bred, raised, and shown pet and show quality Silkies. They are indeed a very old chicken breed. The origins of either China or Japan have been argued over for centuries. I raised Whites, Blacks, Buffs, and Splash. Blues were the most difficult to get the correct color. They are indeed wonderful chickens to raise around small children. Especially if you cull for health and temperament. My flock were extremely hardy. Healthier than any other breed I've ever raised. Bantam or LF. Like all bantam breeds the eggs are small. Two Silkie eggs makes one large in the fry pan. An egg is an egg.
Those five toes and that down all over their body makes them superb for snow conditions. They are already wearing snow shoes! I didn't let mine get rained on. Hypothermia is no joke with this breed. My show birds were kept separate in sawdust and sand litter to keep the feathers on the feet from breaking. Correct toe placement on those weird feet is one of the first things a judge will look at. I culled all birds out of my flocks that had deformed or missing toes.
Oh and by the way. Silkie meat is delicious! Not only is their skin blue, so are their bones. Silkies are sold dressed and processed at Asian markets in the International market in Seattle. They are considered a royal chicken and an expensive poultry sold side by side other chickens in the meat department.
They are not a novelty in many parts of the world. They are an ancient and desirable chicken that are worth raising for their own merit.

My five year old daughter with her champion White Bearded Silkie hen "Gorgeous' at the County Fair in 1996. She entered this hen in an Open class against all ages and breeds. I still have those ribbons hanging in my barn.

 

[delisha]

I love the cute Silkies look. I am of the old school, yet for some reason I do not associate a Silkie with a chicken. I think I might have a problem will harvesting a Silkie. The thought of butchering all that cuteness and fluff does not set right. I know I am weird.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I didn't try those but I did try a regular heating pad on chicks. Bad idea. I think they need overhead heat and somehow heat under them doesn't do it. No matter the temp of the pad and no matter if they were on it or not, they screamed that they were cold. I put in a heat light and suddenly they were happy. I guess an overhead heat source mimics momma.

I wouldn't use them alone - just to add warmth under them and a heat lamp above. The heat lamp will take care of the AIR temp and the mat would warm the floor below.

 

[delisha]

Ok, I let my flock out for their first morning foraging experience and they all seem pretty confused. They keep running in and out of the run to the feed trough. We'll see how it goes.

Good for you..baby steps! Your chickens will appreciate it in better health, better exercise, and better mind activity.

 

[thedragonlady]

I've always wondered if these heat mats - or the heated dog/cat mats - would work to put below brooding chicks when you brood outside in the hen house. Of course you'd put whatever bedding over the top of the mat. Has anyone tried either these or the pet mats for a brooding base?

Rather than putting chicks ON it, I'd make a cave of one of those mats. The chicks naturally get heat from above from Mom. I think their feet and tummies would get too hot On a mat. Reptiles do not do as well with "Hot Rocks" as they do with a heat source from above that mimics the sun. Think about how a chick's feathers come in. From above first, then on their undersides. Partly to protect them from rain, I'm certain, but also to keep their kidneys warm too.

 

[galefrances]

Quote: Kudo's to the funeral director and to you and your family for handling the situation with respect and compassion. And very creative boys you have....Butch, lol, so cute.

 

[just me]

Rather than putting chicks ON it, I'd make a cave of one of those mats. The chicks naturally get heat from above from Mom. I think their feet and tummies would get too hot On a mat. Reptiles do not do as well with "Hot Rocks" as they do with a heat source from above that mimics the sun. Think about how a chick's feathers come in. From above first, then on their undersides. Partly to protect them from rain, I'm certain, but also to keep their kidneys warm too.

As I think sleep is a very important part in any youngen's development, I've been trying to figure out how to brood without using the "light". This sounds like something I'll experiment with.

Would they be smart enough to "find" the tent without a light and without "coos" from mama?