Eastern Tennessee Thread

[tnchickenut]

I take care of rats with a air rifle. BANG! Right in the head.

 

[stanglover2001]

Hey Stacy, do you still have that barred rock rooster? I'm looking for some meat/egg producing chickens for my neighbor, she's interested in having 5-6 hens and a rooster. I'm trying to get her started!

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

We shot our rats for a while but they are just getting ridiculous right now for. will let everyone know how the peppermint works

 

[OrangeJuice]

Your best bet for controlling the rats is setting traps. It is slow but it has been the only way i could get them under control. You will need to wash the traps after catching anything because the rats can smell the rat blood and be afraid of the traps.
I set out a few traps a while back and after a few nights of catching 1-2 i have not seen any since. I suggest baiting with peanut butter.
If you have a mice problem you can control those easily by putting bait inside a bucket of water using a floating foam cup and when they hop in they will not be able to get out and drown sooner or later.
Even if peppermint oil is so noxious it can deter rodents i can not imagine it is very pleasant for your chickens either.

 

[bairo]

Hey Stacy, do you still have that barred rock rooster? I'm looking for some meat/egg producing chickens for my neighbor, she's interested in having 5-6 hens and a rooster. I'm trying to get her started!

If she does not, I do. My October 29 hatch yielded 2 that I am going to keep for breeding the blues. So I will have at least 3 more cockerals out of that same hatch that you are welcome to. They are already starting to test each other

 

[bairo]

on the rat thing....

Thank goodness I have not seen a rat this year. I did however catch 7 field mice in 2 days. No wonder I was going through so much food, lol. I'm lucky though I have a seperate area where the food is stored so I can put the traps in there and the chickens can't get to them.

 

[bairo]

Johnson's does have really good feed.

What did you get?

When I was buying from them I was getting the JJ and the JJ Juicer.
Mixing them together myself at a 50-50 ratio.
There was some pellets in the JJ Juicer that I did not like.
It was 36 and 38% gluten protein. My chickens do not like gluten,
so to reduce the gluten I mixed it with the JJ.
Worked out pretty decent for me.

I however, wanted to get completely away from gluten so now I have Morristown Mill mix a special feed for me.

I will admit that for a pre bagged feed those are hard to top.

Also I was using their 16 and 22 layer. I mixed them also.
I have hens in the same pen that some liked the 16 while others preferred the 22.

Hope you enjoy Johnsons feed.
Also they are really nice people.

send me over what you are having them do for you...I might get in on the same formula this year. I was already planning on changing the mix anyway......those darn field peas are going to kill me on price though (protein replacement for the soy)

 

[Talbott Poultry]

send me over what you are having them do for you...I might get in on the same formula this year. I was already planning on changing the mix anyway......those darn field peas are going to kill me on price though (protein replacement for the soy)

I am on my second mix right now, so we are still making changes.
Right now I am still working on my winter mix, but we have also talked about a mix for the rest of the year.

The last batch cost me $0.34 per pound, a little high compared to pre mixed or pre bagged.
My chickens seem to love it. I ran some one day feed test and there was VERY little of anything left in the pans.

If you will remember I usually feed really heavy.
When I fill the pans to the top I only feed every three days.
I ran some one day feed test to see what they liked and did not like.
There was very very little left in the pans but what was left was a wide variety of grains.

The over all protein level is not that high (about 13%) BUT, I believe that they are getting what they need.
My take from that is that egg production is UP, even in the bad weather that we have been having.

Please remember that I have Bantams and Standard size chickens.

Here are the two batches that we have used so far.

01-12-2013 01-23-2013
Tastee 11% (Horse Feed) 50 lbs 50 Lbs
3 Grain Scratch 50 lbs 100 lbs
Black Oil Sunflower Seed 25 lbs 8.75 lbs
Cracked Corn 50 lbs 50 lbs
Layer 22 % 100 lbs 100 lbs
Calf Mana 25 lbs 25 lbs
Whole Oats 25 lbs 25 lbs
Winter Peas 12 lbs 12 lbs
Rabbit Pellets 25 lbs 25 lbs
Grit 10 lbs 10 lbs
Oyster Shell 10 lbs 11 lbs

Total Poundage 382 lbs 416.75
Total Cost $138.48 $143.77


I did loose some feed on the first batch due to the heavy rains, so it only lasted 11 days.
Alot of feed pans wound up full of water and I had to toss it away.
With loosing so much, I was not able to get a really good read on how they liked it.
But just from a visual inspection I was able to make a couple of changes.

I would still like to add a 16% layer (I have some that like 16 and some that like 22),
I am still considering adding Milo/Millet and more wheat.

My chickens will NOT eat a powder, so I have to keep it in pellet or grain form.
For the warmer months of course the corn and scratch will be cut back,
but we will add vegetable oil and molasses to help keep the mixture moist,
Right now its not too bad due to all the humidity in the air.

ALL observations will be appreciated, more brains are better than just mine.

 

[chicklittlel]

That's not bad. I pay 14.50 for 12 way w/ BOSS, 11.50 for Layena, 14.50 for Flock Raiser, and 9.99 for whole corn.

Where do you buy your feed? I live in Georgetown and the bag of Flock Raiser I bought yesterday was $17.50 (this included tax).

 

[luluann]

Does anyone here have a oeg pullet? Or young hen?? I need one for my little rooster. He is all by himself