The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Jewelwing]

I looked at scoops like that but I realized that because I use powders in mine (nutribalancer mineral mix and fish meal) I prefer not to have such large gaps in mine. If I didn't mix the powders in and just added them later when feeding (like rr does) that would work okay for me.

Nice looking scoop!

There's fish meal in mine too, but almost all of it gets stuck in the blob of grains in the scoop and doesn't drain out with the liquid. So I guess the mound of grains acts as a sieve to keep the fish meal powder from escaping with the liquid. I don't know, but it seems to work pretty well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Good! I may actually try one of those myself. What I'm using is okay though. Maybe I shouldn't try to reinvent the wheel

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: The only thing I ferment is grains... any powders such as fish meal or alfalfa meal get added at the time of feeding.
For many reasons...
A) fermenting these powders does nothing to improve the quality of the meal
B) it make for goopy grains and inconsistent FF
C) it stinks
D) (and this is the most important reason)... it permits the same fermented grains to be mixed with different premix combinations for various management groups.
I could go on...

So... the FF rations many folks on here are using are fermented grains that are scooped out daily by weight or measure. Then a predetermined amount (by weight or measure) of what I call "premix" (which is the non-grain ingredients) gets added and stirred in after the FF grains are removed.
Once the ratios and weights or measures for your specific rations are calculated it is quite easy.

 

[PetRock]

I like Target better than Walmart, but have an hour drive to get to the closest one!

Where in the Bay Area do you live? I went to Los Gatos High (lived in the Santa Cruz Mtns), lived in Berkeley for a while after college, then lived in Davis for 8 years.

I live in the East Bay on the Delta in Contra Costa County. My husband works for UC Santa Cruz, lives there during the week, and is home on the weekends. My daughter was born in Berkeley and graduated from UC Davis. I know all your old stomping grounds!

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Well so far the plastic fencing I put on top of the compost walls kept her in today. SHe followed me around and was very vocal. Guessing she new her escape plan was foiled.

But she is a smart hen........I am sure she in contemplating a new escape plan...........

The only thing I ferment is grains... any powders such as fish meal or alfalfa meal get added at the time of feeding.
For many reasons...
A) fermenting these powders does nothing to improve the quality of the meal
B) it make for goopy grains and inconsistent FF
C) it stinks
D) (and this is the most important reason)... it permits the same fermented grains to be mixed with different premix combinations for various management groups.
I could go on...

So... the FF rations many folks on here are using are fermented grains that are scooped out daily by weight or measure. Then a predetermined amount (by weight or measure) of what I call "premix" (which is the non-grain ingredients) gets added and stirred in after the FF grains are removed.
Once the ratios and weights or measures for your specific rations are calculated it is quite easy.

Your are the grain master with a lot of patience

Cant wait to start my guys on the grains in a few days

ETA: Today is day 10 since the last wood ash bath. No mites on the nightly checks. Today just because I am so um......determined......I gave them and me one more wood ash bath. I think I WON the MITE war

 

[armorfirelady]

Someone on another thread posted this link. It looks awesome for us newbies who are trying to identify parts of chickens esp when trying to figure out if they are normal looking or not.
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease

 

[Leahs Mom]

RR - I just use one pre-mix for all. Then I put out free-feed calcium and give the littles more meat protein daily until they're older. Less fuss for me.

 

[Pozees]

RR I wanted to thank you for your treatise on LGDs. I have no experience with them and have often thought I would one day like to have one to protect the poultry. At this time I am not aware of anyone in my neck of the woods raising pups with poultry, but will keep my ear to the ground. I am glad I read what you wrote. I've often thought when I'm ready for another dog I would seek an adult from a shelter, but now I know that unless there is a history available which shows the dog was raised with poultry it probably isn't the direction I want to go.

My dog experience centers mainly around Toys, with one working dog (Dobermann) as my first dog raised from a puppy, whom I shall miss forever. LGDs are something of a mystery to me, and your post was very helpful to me. I have 42 acres not dog-securely fenced on any border, and currently insufficient time to devote to training properly, so I have elected to remain dog-less for the time being. DH retired this year, but he is not so much a dog person, and honestly only recently becoming a poultry guy Bless his heart, he cared for my birds while I went on a business trip last week, did an outstanding job, and I don't want to push my luck

 

[Sally8]

Well so far the plastic fencing I put on top of the compost walls kept her in today. SHe followed me around and was very vocal. Guessing she new her escape plan was foiled.

But she is a smart hen........I am sure she in contemplating a new escape plan...........



Your are the grain master with a lot of patience

Cant wait to start my guys on the grains in a few days

ETA: Today is day 10 since the last wood ash bath. No mites on the nightly checks. Today just because I am so um......determined......I gave them and me one more wood ash bath. I think I WON the MITE war

Good news on the mites. Determined little buggers.

Are you sure that Stella isn't one of Mr Tweedy's organized chickens from Chicken Run?

 

[Leahs Mom]

The All Glass Natural Chicken Keeping Waterer



Y'all have heard me talking about using glass forever and all the "evils" of plastic.

I get especially concerned about the xenoestrogens in plastics and other manufactured products, siding on our houses, paints, pesticides in our foods and in the environment, etc. etc., etc.

There are so many people that are having estrogen-related issues due to overload in our modern times that I like to avoid plastics as much as possible. I surely don't want to add more estrogens to my food supply! (After all, healthy food is one of the main reasons I have the chickens!) See some links at the bottom of this post if you're interested in reading more about it.

Animal health and longevity are also at risk from these same factors...

Anyhow...I digress.

So I've been trying to come up with an all-glass waterer that is easy to fill, use, clean, and has a nice flat bottom so that it can sit on a water heating base in the winter if necessary. It was when MLOwen posted the waterer that the "lightbulb" went on for me and I realized that I could make one from glass pretty easily.


So why don't I just use a glass bowl?
This waterer will be my INDOOR, year-round waterer. In the summer I put pyrex pans outside with water in various places so they can drink and stand in them if they want. But I always keep a main waterer in the hen house year-round.

In the year-round waterer, (whether used indoors or out) I don't want to have a large, open bowl getting dirt and shavings kicked into it AND I don't want any possibility of them stepping in the water in the winter and getting frost bite. I only want a small opening for them to drink from.

You might ask why I wouldn't just use my "vintage" glass waterers that work with an upside down canning jar since they are both glass and have a restricted area to drink from.
I have several reasons:

1. You have to turn it upside down just like the plastic base, canning jar waterers that you can get everywhere.. I HATE having to turn waterers upside down. Additionally, the glass vintage kind doesn't allow the jar to be screwed in place so you have to pick up the base and jar together when you want to empty, clean and refill. I'd like to just be able to pick it up and set it down like normal without dumping water all over....and maybe wash out the dish part without having to dump out the whole waterer.

The Vintage Jar Waterer:

2. The base is not flat on the bottom so it doesn't make good contact with a heater base. It only has a relatively thin rim that it sits on. It was enough to keep the water open in the dish, but the water in the jar would begin to freeze from the top down.

See how the base only has a rim (not a great photo)

3. I wanted to be able to make a waterer that would hold more than a quart if I wanted to.

So Why do they make them upside down anyway?
Because you have to have an air-tight seal or the water will just pour right out the bottom and spill everywhere.

So...on to:
The All-Glass Natural Chicken Keeping Glass Waterer

- I used a canning jar and a glass bowl (Anchor Glass). The canning jar shown here is 1/2 gallon capacity and I found the PERFECT SIZE glass bowl after some searching around.

-I set the jar into the bowl and made a mark on the glass at the height of the bowl top. The Hole needs to be drilled below the bowl height, of course, as the water depth in the bowl will raise to the top of the height of the hole.

- Purchased a a 1/2" glass and tile drill bit. (Tried using a smaller bit first, but found that 1/2" worked very well for water flow.)



- Then, very carefully drilled a hole at the right height. This is the tricky part as drilling glass can be a little unstable. I tried 2 different kinds of bits and liked the one shown best. I wore goggles, long sleeves and gloves just in case there was a shatter. I also practiced on a different jar the first time. Not one mishap!

I was very careful to wash out the jar and re-wash out the jar, as well as testing the edge of the drilled hole to be sure no glass shards or sharp edges were left to harm the chickens.

-Now I needed an AIR TIGHT LID. Canning jar flat lids will make an air-tight seal when screwed down tight. (These are easily replacable when needed...available everywhere!) I put one inside one of the plastic lids designed for canning jars to make the seal. However, you can use a regular metal ring rather than the plastic. I used the plastic ones because I happened to have one and because I know that the metal ones can rust and deteriorate and become hard to remove over time. THE PLASTIC AND THE FLAT LID WILL NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER.

-When I fill the canning jar, I simply put my thumb flat over the hole. You could use a cork if desired, but the thumb method seems to work just fine. After it is filled, keeping the thumb over the hole, screw the flat down tight using either the plastic lid or metal ring. You can now either lay the canning jar down flat on it's back with the hole up and remove your thumb from the hole as the water won't spill out, or just keep your thumb over the hole while carrying it out to put in the bowl.

-To put it in the bowl, put your thumb over the hole, put the jar over the bowl, remove thumb and set the jar into the bowl. It won't dump much water at that point so you have plenty of time to get it settled down into the bowl while holding the jar from the top.

-It will fill right up to the the top of the hole level and stop. Refilling as the birds drink just to the level of the hole as long as the seal is screwed down tight to make it air tight.

-When I need to clean the bowl or refill the jar, I can lift it right up (upright) and tilt it back with the hole up. I have laid it on the floor on it's back or on top of any other surface as the canning jars have "flat sides" and won't roll away. Pick up the bowl, dump and rinse out, replace the bowl and put the jar back in if not adding more water. Or rinse out the jar, re-fill as above, and replace onto the bowl.

Want One Ready-Made?

I know that a lot of folks might be leery of drilling glass so I'm willing to make and sell these if you would like to have one for yourself but either don't want to invest in a glass drill bit or don't want to try drilling yourself. You can pm me for details.


Much thanks to mlowen for the inspiration!

A few Plastic/Estrogen related links:
-Here's a link with a quick list of items from which we get estrogens. http://endojourney.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/a-list-of-xenoestrogens/

- Article: The Terrible Truth About Plastics...http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...rible-truth-about-plastic-you-never-knew.aspx

-Plastics Affecting Children's Health http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...wave-your-toddlers-food-in-plastic-bowls.aspx

Much, much more out there on xenoestrogens and estrogens. Google "estrogens in the environment" for more info...how they effect cancer, development in boys, etc.