Washingtonians

[Chickielady]

There have been posts here at BYC of birds who got very sick and/or died from sour crop. There's also info on the internet. Here's a good write-up on what causes an impacted/sour crop: http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues.html

My little Light Brahma (named Drama) isn't the brightest bird in the bunch. She ended up with a pretty bad impacted crop because she preferred to eat sand and pine shavings over food. She free-ranges a lot now, so she's a little better. When I put straw out there in the coop, I noticed she was eating a lot of straw that had blown out of the coop in the wind instead of grass or food. I decided to not take a chance with her. I've nursed her back to health once in her short 10 weeks, didn't really feel like going there again.

Yesterday I replaced the straw with pine chips, and now the dumb bird nibbles on the pine chips that blew out. But, at least the pine chips pieces are smaller than the straw pieces she was sucking down.

I did like the straw better in the coop though. It was really easy to clean the poop out of the coop. Plus, I didn't have to wear a respirator just to breath with the straw, like I do with the pine chips.

There is alot of things that impact crops, but never had any issues with straw in all my years

That said, I have had issues with crop impaction from grapes and cherry tomatoes, and small stone fruit such as cherries.
They just roll around in the crop as a chicken cannot chew, nor do they have stomach acid to mush up these small hard round items.
Lost a beautiful Blue Copper marans hen from a single green grape.

And man do they love grapes !
If you feed grapes, please cut each one up in quarters.

 

[Chickielady]

I use straw in my nesting boxes. Never had any trouble.

I also at times put straw in my run, but my run is mostly dirt. I have also put my lawn clippings in the run. The chooks eat some, but most of it turns brown and then begins a slow compost.

And you are so lucky not to have our sticky slippery clay mucky mud.

 

[Imp]

So, on the run flooring discussion....my husband is of the opinion that when I put grass clippings or straw or anything organic on the run floor, it breaks down and needs to be uprooted and raked out. Does it?

I just wonder how the run is considered "clean" by NPIP standards or the like. It's covered so there's only mud from sideways blowing rain.

Yes it does break down into compost.
I have a chainlink run with a chainlink floor in it. I pile the grass clipping in there during the spring summer. within a couple days it turns brown. It is usually just an inch or two deep.
In the fall I start with the leaves. I usually put it in several inches deep, maybe 10-12. The chicken crunch it up quickly. I do shovel it out a few times a year.
I have no idea about NPIP standards, so can't help you there.

Russ

 

[Greg Richardson]

Itrens. I understand you love your chickens and want what is best for them.
Yet, just like when I was raising fish I'd see posts on forums or blogs that had all types of rules discounting the natural environment the fish originally came from.

Chickens are the same.


Go to the Bothell landing some day. Not sure if they are still there due to construction but years ago chickens lived in the woods there year after year. They survived on their own eating everything they could getting through the winters. I don't know the history on who dumped their chickens there but each time I went there they were there year after year.


Thanks for the link.
Once again though we have people with blogs spreading their rules.

Straw and chickens have been together since the beginning of time.
Straw is great for chickens coops and runs.
Then take it to the garden or compost depending on your situation.

In that link it says keep your grass less then 2 inches tall.

Some times I wonder what world do these people live in?
Have they been in a city all their life?
Do they not realize chickens go all over a farm from short grass to long grass all kinds of plants?

On farms the chickens are every where in different animals pens with straw all over the farm in all kinds of tall grasses.
That is NATURAL for chickens.

Am I saying a chicken can't get straw caught causing that? No.
There is no sure thing.

That being said, chickens are just like a lot of animals all kinds of things can happen to them but if we continue to take them out of their natural environment before you know it there will be a thousand so called rules for taking care of chickens.

Chickens and straw been together forever.
Insects get in the straw and chickens hunt for them.
I saw Bacteria mentioned?
Chickens free range all the time scratching through poop from all sorts of animals.

I started out using shavings. Then when I got bale of straw to give them something to do during the rainy days looking for seed I looked at my cost compared to shavings and how much longer the straw would last been using it ever since. Never have found it slippery to walk on or any down side to it.

Worms love the straw in compost pile. Then I grow food with the straw compost for the chickens.

It is one long circle from bale back to poop in the straw back to compost and start it all over again growing the food they poop into the straw.

 

[VelvettFog]

So, on the run flooring discussion....my husband is of the opinion that when I put grass clippings or straw or anything organic on the run floor, it breaks down and needs to be uprooted and raked out. Does it?
I just wonder how the run is considered "clean" by NPIP standards or the like. It's covered so there's only mud from sideways blowing rain.

I think he's got a point, but I also think it would take a long time before you'd have enough build up that you'd want to remove it. My run is 32x68, mostly dirt. In Yakima it is very dry, so if I don't add moisture I don't get a proper compost going. Eventually I'll need to remove the top few inches of 'dirt' (it really will be compost by then). I think it will be a few more years before I need to do that.

 

[CailetTempest]

I use straw in the coop. Put it in the nesting boxes and spread it all over the floor. the chickens seem to like it for the most part except they have the funny habit of pulling it all out of the nesting boxes and throwing it on the floor.

every now and then I take a flat shovel and shovel out the straw/poops etc. right out the door of the coop. the floor underneath the straw is a wood floor. I worked with what I had at the time. the coop itself is a shed that was already on the property so we cut doors in the sides and built pens for the birds.

After yesterday of playing with fencing pliers and staples to better secure the pens, the birds are all happily lazying around the pens. The ducks are loving the swimming pool and everyone is very content...

Now off to give 2 kittens their first baths... they rolled in cow poop so they really stink. Scar and Yoda should be an adventure to bath.

 

[Eburger]

It was around $400 for the surgery but I moved into an area with a fenced acre and the realtor said I could have animals and then a "lady" about 3 acres away complained so I gave away my white silkie pair and my sweet black frizzle roo but refused to part with Wally, the little serama. There is only so much loss a person can take at one time. After the surgery Wally lived in my bathroom and took naps on my bed for a couple weeks. Instead of er er er er ER he could only say er er very quietly. I had to give Wally and everybody else away when I left AZ. I still miss him but I doubt he is still alive. He would be 7 this year. He was almost 6 when I last saw him. He raised LaVerne and Shirley, two polish gals twice his size. They laid on his back when they were little. He also was the father of some silkie serama chicks that grew to be nice layers.

This is in response to the cost question.

Kathy B in Ellensburg

 

[hallerlake]

hello everyone, it's been a busy busy day for me.

I spent most of the day dealing with trying to find out what is going on with my oldest..

.(he did major wrong, spent almost 2 months in jail last january and february and then went to live with his bio dad's mom for the duration of his probation which is 2 years. the courts pushed for me to find a relative for him to live with. So after 12 years of no contact I found his bio dad's mom's number and got ahold of her. he plead guilty to serious charges due to him being violent with his younger brother and sister.) I get no answers from them and my ex hubby gets lies from her and from my son. My son is 16 and refuses to talk to me but will talk to his step dad. My mom ended up in the hospital so I called and got no answer..so left a message that it was important. My son calls his stepdad to find out what is going on and tells his stepdad that he don't want to talk to me because he doesn't like to have to be responsible for his crimes. His grandpa calls me and tells me that my son's probation officer told them he could have no contact. (a lie) yup it is a mess. It has definately been a stressfull time for me. I haven't talked to my 16 year old since christmas day when he told me "I got the present you sent, Is that all you got?" not even a thank you. he hasn't called since. and even if I do all I get is the machine.. ugh!!!!!!! Now it's just typed letter saying hi mom, did you get a job yet to pay my grandma the child support?


so to deal with the stress I went out and worked some on the chicken pen....

apparently, there are a few areas that chickens seem to be able to get through... and of course the dang pigeons keep getting out... my best guess is they are flying up.. Hubby put wire that was pretty big gaps. even though the pigeons have their wings clipped they seem to get fly anyways....

Yup chicken time is definately a good stress reliever... thank goodness for chickens.

6 day old nuggets in the house brooder.. 24 two week olds in the indoor cage and apparently i am getting 2 new kittens... named Scar and Yoda.... they are so dang cute.. well Scar is the ugly type of cute. He reminds me of Scar in the lion king.

Is there anything that can break your heart like kid troubles? Hang on. Some day, his frontal cortex will be hardwired, and he'll mature. Here's hoping for the best.

 

[VelvettFog]

And you are so lucky not to have our sticky slippery clay mucky mud.

I had the distinct pleasure of experiencing mud as you've described while working on CFlaming's big run. Remember that it had been in that location long enough for the wood to rot out, so I'm sure there was a fair amount of poo mixed in with the mud. It rained seemingly the entire time I was at her place.

She and I even joked about a new Olympic event -- mud skating. I only fell once, and that was when I was running back and forth and tried to pick up my hat at the same time.

I live in the desert on purpose

 

[Totalcolour]

I'm not sure if the posting will stay there, but I added a comment.

http://startananimalsanctuary.com/2...-eating-eggs-yes-even-free-range/#comment-214

Hopefully, it is positive enough yet states the truth enough that they won't feel they can remove it.
And, just in case it is removed, this is what I posted:

Hi,

I would like to commend you on this information about certain farm practices. Some of them are really shocking and would make any decent person shudder. However, not ALL chicken farmers use these methods.

I gave up buying meat and eggs when we decided to raise our own. I wish I could post a picture showing the really nice pasture, pond and landscaping our chickens enjoy. We have almost a 1/2 acre pasture for five hens currently.

They have a coop, which is never locked or shut. The entire pasture has a no-climb fence and electric hot-wires to prevent foxes, coons and other predators from harming my girls. They truly free range, but we also give them supplements daily, with treats such as lettuce, fruits and fresh vegetables.

I have a vet bill on one of my girls of almost $200 when she was sick. She had to be euthanized, but she gave her life so that all the others were able to be treated and saved.

Not all of us are monsters, although I do believe there are those out there who don’t practice humane methods.

Luckily, laws are changing the way chickens must be raised, and must be marketed honestly.
Whenever I go to a store and see people buying “free-range”, I always want to tell them the truth about what they are buying. Rarely are they from humanely raised birds. I think perhaps the only truly humanely raised eggs are ones you would get from a small farmer like myself, where you can go and see how they are raised.

I don’t allow visitors “inside” the pasture, because I don’t want anyone tracking in pathogens that might be on their shoes. But I have no objection to anyone seeing my farming practices. I am proud of the way my birds are housed and treated.

Kathy
I should have added that the people on BYC are of the same kind as me. That we all strive to do the very best for our birds, because in the long run, it affects us all. I'll see if the comment stays.