Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[armorfirelady]

That silkie looks downright gorgeous. :3 You should absolutely keep him! He'd probably turn into a very sweet house chicken for you! (Or he may surprise you by keeping up with your heritage flock!)

Oooh we could get her some chicken diapers to for when its in the house

 

[Triple Willow]

Have any of you researched the claims that silkies are some kind of superfood? Does it have any truth to it? There is definitely something strange about them being all black - skin, meat and even bones.

I wonder how big of a market there would be for those things to the Asian populations?

 

[Triple Willow]

Thank you very much Rose.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

I have a silkie roo and two hens. They all can range in our backyard, there is no problem keeping them nice and clean as the yard has some kind of ground cover plant that keeps them out of the mud. Of course the deep litter in the coop really helps all the flock to stay clean and dry. The two silkie hens are the best brood hens I have ever seen. Even when they have a hatch they will readily adopt the meat chicks I get in town that I raise to give to my less fortunate neighbors (some folks donate rice and beans but a good meat chicken is a special treat, all of our chickens get FF). Mrs. P.J. even tried to mother the 36 chicks that I got from the ag center (I also had a heat lamp in the brooder for those who couldn't get under her). We will always have silkies around our place. . . . . . .

Yes, there were 36 chicks that Mrs. P.J. was trying to cover. There were so many that one would push under her which pushed another out. Mrs. P.J. had been setting on eggs when I placed the chicks in the brooder area, I did not think she would abandon her eggs but then these were already hatched and needed a mama!!!!

So she thought.

 

[waltandlori]

Have any of you researched the claims that silkies are some kind of superfood? Does it have any truth to it? There is definitely something strange about them being all black - skin, meat and even bones.

I wonder how big of a market there would be for those things to the Asian populations?

I haven't researched it and I probably won't, however it kinda sounds like when people say " I won't eat brown eggs" or "brown eggs have more nourishment" etc etc ad infinitum. Most things like that don't prove out although the fad or thought continues IMO. I could be wrong, it has happened before lol.

Walt

 

[foreverlearning]

Have any of you researched the claims that silkies are some kind of superfood? Does it have any truth to it? There is definitely something strange about them being all black - skin, meat and even bones.

I wonder how big of a market there would be for those things to the Asian populations?

I have heard all my like that China and Japan consider black chickens a delicacy and used in their natural medicines, however I do not know if they are any better for you.

 

[waltandlori]

Posting a few pics of the Souparoos and their hillbilly rigged up temporary pen. Keep in mind they look WAY better than they did when they arrived, but still pretty scraggly. I've decided to keep the two smallest ones and free range them with the flock until they get much bigger...after I kill the bigger birds and Mr. Silkie Pants.

Now, don't laugh at my jacked up rooster pen!

I had all these materials on hand, so I fashioned them into a pen by throwing them at the hillside and however they stuck, that's where they stayed. The blue tarp was a last minute thought to block the wind from their roosting site...nights are down in the 40s here so I just wanted to block the breeze that rolls down that hill. Under the tarp is a few sheets of tin roofing, the stakes are push in steaks, welded wire fencing topped with green plastic mesh. The roost is an old tomato stake...not an optimal roost but it was the correct size to stick through that welded wire fencing. All of this is held together with zip ties. The tin is strapped on with rope so a stiff wind won't send it flying. The tarp is zip tied as well.

Now..that's how we roll out here in the boonies....

Built them a feeder today out of Dad's old miter box and, thanks to NH Red I dug out the nipple water bucket and, lo and behold~ the stupid birds started using it right away! Put that in yer nest and smoke it, Gnarly Bunch!

That was a great feeling...no more poopy water and I could dose them with some UP/ACV, just for kicks and giggles. The bigger red rooster is the most healthy of the bunch..heavy, well feathered, nice scales, etc. He'll make good eatin'. The big boy is a heavy bird as well, as is the sickly looking hen.



This is a pic of the poor hen that got here by mistake...she is very pale and listless acting. I'm hoping the dusting, the castor oil and the FF, not to mention clean soils, fresh air and sunlight, will help her regain some good health. Even for a hen in molt, she looks like she was placed in a wood chipper.



Annnnndddd....Mr. Silkie Pants.

Who spends his life on the other end of the pen from the rest of the chickens or up on the roost. He is not living a very good life right now but he will soon be placed out of his misery.











This is the roost and they all fit on it perfectly. This is also the biggest, oldest rooster..she said he was 2 yrs. He and Toby have been fighting through the fence, so his comb and wattles are a little beat up. They look and act so much more comfortable, they no longer stink like something dead for 3 days, and their feet and bodies are cleaner looking. They went wild over the leaves I put in the pen today and started acting like normal chickens...scratching and pecking.

Bee I shall call it "THE HILLBILLY HILTON" I'll see if there are any others out there that might like to "vacation" there. These Roo's look better than some that are "takin care of". Guy I worked with gave me 4 big black roo's and 2 broad breasted bronze toms, Man did they stink, I mean BAD. Kept the roo's just long enough to clean em up and let the stink dissapate... destination... stewpot. Those turkeys dressed out at 38.2 and 29.6 respectivly 3 months later. Had to give the bigger one to the soup kitchen, we wouldn't be able to get it in the oven, they said it fed a lot of folks. BTW I see no reason not to use whatever is on hand to build whatever you need, as long as you have the required "blue tarp" roof lol.

Walt

 

[waltandlori]

Can anyone tell me how to put a "signature" and list what kind of critters you have? I'm feelin kinds dumb today can't figure it out.

 

[Kassaundra]

Click on the my profile, button on the top right side of the page, then scroll down until you see the my signature box and click on the blue edit text.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee I shall call it "THE HILLBILLY HILTON" I'll see if there are any others out there that might like to "vacation" there. These Roo's look better than some that are "takin care of". Guy I worked with gave me 4 big black roo's and 2 broad breasted bronze toms, Man did they stink, I mean BAD. Kept the roo's just long enough to clean em up and let the stink dissapate... destination... stewpot. Those turkeys dressed out at 38.2 and 29.6 respectivly 3 months later. Had to give the bigger one to the soup kitchen, we wouldn't be able to get it in the oven, they said it fed a lot of folks. BTW I see no reason not to use whatever is on hand to build whatever you need, as long as you have the required "blue tarp" roof lol.

Walt

I agree...they look better than many of the chickens on this and other forums and even the Hillbilly Hilton looks better than some coops I've seen, so I'm not too worried about them. Man, did you fall into it with those turkeys!!!!! Wow! How nice that you gave the bigger one away...just think how many people were nourished off it that day. I wouldn't mind if someone gave me a turkey or two!

I also agree with you on the so-called Silkie super food....this is from the same culture that grinds up rhino horns for medicinal purposes also. Which is fine if you have a flock of rhino running in the back yard and they are in a plenty, but gotta kill and waste the whole animal to get that good and magical rhino horn med. They also market dog paws, cooked duck babies in their shell, and shark fins as a delicacy.

Big, fat country folks like me can show you what super food is...skinny, tiny Asian folk have apparently not found it yet. They make good food, don't get me wrong, but super nutritive chickens? I'm doubting it.