"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Angelicisi]

There is a "meaty" thread about it, really long but worth skipping through- applies to all the birds not just meaties and they don't mind repeat questions thank goodness cuz 5000 pages was something lol.
Sounded gross and being newb to chickens I was like hnnmmm naaaaa. Then I read, and read and read and decided to try it lol.
Saves on waste, keeps bird healthier & poops are less smelly! Had to try!
Basically, It's there feed, with water, left to soak a day or two to "ferment", then it is fed. Keeps birds fuller and a whole lot less waste, I've read its healthier too. My girls throw dry food around BAD wastes a ton...this they eat in the form of stiff mashed potatoes or thick oatmeal and it stays in mouth or bowl. I found a gallon bucket, added my feed (bout 1/4 of the way up the bucket). Added water to cover it and an inch of water to stay above mix after it soaks up into the feed, keep an inch of water above it. Added 1/2 teaspoon of acv (not necessary I read but I have it so tried it). Stirred well, covered lightly with a dish towel. After a day or two bubbles start slowly (mine only has a bubble here and there, only been a day, and smells like pizza dough,) then scoop from bottom and feed (i have only a small number birds and can feed 2x's a day or more without leaving too much out to go bad - reminds me of wet cat food but smells good lol) as you feed, add more dry feed and stir in. The liquid keeps the good bacteria alive so it *should* be a fairly consistant feed container. Adding in about what you take out and the liquid above mush keeps it from going bad. As long as its stirred once a day it shouldn't mold either (i add the acv ,any minute amount of vinager will help keep it from molding by keeping the good bacteria healthy)

But we shall see! Just started I hope it works out.

I just started raising chickens a few months ago and have seen people mention this a lot. What exactly is fermented feed??????

So I fed this morning...they All loved it. Sorta tricked the older girls because I read they turn their beaks up to it sometimes, so I served it on a treat plate in their treat spot and they gobbled it up, clean plate in about 10 minutes lol chicks stared at me a minute, then dug in. I'll leave it in the brooder about an hour and judge how much they ate so I can scoop accordingly. The simple recipe mush

The girls rushing me lol

They all liked it, even the Easter egger (shes so picky)

And the chickies!

Oh ya, don't use Metal feeders if you add acv or plain vinager!

 

[Angelicisi]

Exactly!

I started feeding all my birds ff a couple of months ago. They love it! When I bring it out you'd think they hadn't eaten in a month.

It really is a win-win way to feed your flock. There is sooooo much less waste because they're not scratching half of the feed out onto the floor. I probably use less than half of the feed I used to go through when I fed it dry. FF is much healthier for the flock with its probiotics and all so that's good and they love it. What's not to love? I will say that I have a small flock - 11 birds. I don't know if this would be practical for large flocks.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good morning everyone.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Good morning everyone.

mornin' Julie an everbody else here on the La-yers thread and the BYC forum.


Jeff

 

[PSJ]

Good morning Julie, Jeff and everyone else. Anything new?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good morning Julie, Jeff and everyone else. Anything new?

Anything new you ask? Well yes there are a lot of new things for me. Some good, some bad and some tragic.

On last week, I wasn't on due to having a horrible week. I have been battling with one of my Katahdin sheep that "wasn't herself". I had no idea what was wrong with her. I went to BYHerds and posted to see what the experts over there said and also posted on another Yahoo group where members having been working with sheep for many years. I was offered suggestions from her possibly eating poisonous plants to other diagnosis. I tried everything. She would wander around as if she were lost and was not keeping up with the herd. I treated her with everything that I knew to do but nothing worked. Well, after 2 weeks, I returned home from work and found her dead. I was devastated. A day later, my little brown sheep that I had been bottle feeding for 5 weeks stopped eating. When that happened, I told her that morning that if she didn't eat, that she would die. Well, my relatives were at my house burying the dead older sheep when they text me and told me that they were burying 2. When I read that, I knew what they meant. My little baby had died. I have no idea what was wrong with her. They also buried her. I really should have taken her to LSU Vet School to have a necropsy done but I was so devastated that I wasn't even thinking. That was 2 tragedies within 24 hours.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Other tragedies were finding 1 turkey, 2 chickens, 1 duck (got wedged in between something and could not get out after laying her egg) and 1 rabbit all dead on different days. They all died from heat related illnesses. It was just too hot for them on last week. The heat index was as high as 105. Although I have a lot of shade trees and pools to cool off, the heat was unbearable. When I would go out there, it was too hot for me, so I know that the fury little creatures had it 100 times worst than me because they have feathers and fur. Poor babies. I mourned all week long.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

With all of that going on, I let the humidity in the incubator where I am incubating pea and guinea eggs get down to 15 when it should have been above 40. We'll see if they hatch. Lock down is next week.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
With the heat, it looks like the mice are coming in to keep cool. Why? I don't know. I had to buy some rat bait stations to take care of them. When I bought the bait stations, I bought them under the pretense that the stations would "trap" the rats inside and all I had to do was to dispose of the dead bodies. Well, upon further research, I found that the bait stations has poison in it and the mice/rats are lured into the bait station and they eat the bait (poison) and then go off and die. Well, I read this LATE last night after I had put the stations out. Well, lo and behold, when I woke up this morning to open the coops, the guineas, ducks and chickens were all in a circle looking at "something" and making noise. I walked over to them to see what was going on and this is what I found. (see pic below) Looks like it got into the bait station and ate the bait and crawled off to die. Poor thing was still alive but it looked like it was paralyzed.

Well, as I was taking the pic and walking off, I heard a "SPLASH" that came from out of nowhere. So, as I am passing by a dishpan (waterer), I look at the chicken house roof and I thought I had a "jumper" " a chicken sky diving" or "a Kamikaze". Well, I look at the dishpan and I see this. (see pic below). Soooooooooooo, looks like the bait station is working. My 1 and only worry is that if the animals eat the dead rat, then they will die from the poison that they ingest. :/

This is the disposable bait station that I bought. There is a 10 day supply of bait (poison) in the station. After that time, you buy more bait. I"m not sure if I would recommend this to anyone being as though this stuff is poison. You do better off staying away from this. But for those that are interested, it DOES work. I think I will have to remove them because I'm paranoid about poison. I don't use any poison at my house because of the animals.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tomcatreg;-rodent-station?cm_vc=-10005

**************************************************************************************************************************************
On a brighter note, I took my other bottle fed baby to vacation bible school on last week for show and tell. It was his first ride in a car and he did GREAT!!!! He sat down in the seat and rode like a champ. After show and tell was over with, the kids had a good time with him and he enjoyed them as well. They were able to keep in occupied while I ventured off. Usually he will cry like a big ole baby if I am not in eye sight but he didn't. After it was all over with, he jumped in the truck and went to sleep. I had to wake him up when we got home. He jumped out of the truck and I walked him back in the sheep pen with the other sheep. He walked around a few minutes and then he found his spot, layed down and went to sleep.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
I found a muscovy hen that was on a nest in the rabbit shed. I let her set because she looked so peaceful and because she didn't wander off and hide her nest of eggs like that last little huzzy did. She is setting on 6 eggs.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
On a funny note, I went out this weekend and found this. I don't know if the rooster was trying to cook the hen with the pot on top of her or trying to breed her. :/

**************************************************************************************************************************************
All of the babies are doing good and growing. I will have to ban the 6 baby geese. They are as big as the adults. I'm starting to not be able to tell who is who.

My 50 free chicks are growing. They get so excited when I let them out to play.

The other ducklings are growing as well. They are putting themselves up in the dog kennel at night.

I sold my pea hen that I hatched in the incubator last year. The home where she went will be a great home. The 3 pea chicks are growing. Almost time to move them to another brooder.

I had 1 duckling that hatched this weekend. A scovy was sitting on 1 egg. I took the duckling and brought it inside. He is with the other little chick that hatched last week.

I am not having the fly problem that I was having before. The fly traps are working like a charm. I see a 99% decrease in flies. I recommend these to anyone.

**********************************************************************************************************************

I think that's all for now.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I

Anything new you ask? Well yes there are a lot of new things for me. Some good, some bad and some tragic.

On last week, I wasn't on due to having a horrible week. I have been battling with one of my Katahdin sheep that "wasn't herself". I had no idea what was wrong with her. I went to BYHerds and posted to see what the experts over there said and also posted on another Yahoo group where members having been working with sheep for many years. I was offered suggestions from her possibly eating poisonous plants to other diagnosis. I tried everything. She would wander around as if she were lost and was not keeping up with the herd. I treated her with everything that I knew to do but nothing worked. Well, after 2 weeks, I returned home from work and found her dead. I was devastated. A day later, my little brown sheep that I had been bottle feeding for 5 weeks stopped eating. When that happened, I told her that morning that if she didn't eat, that she would die. Well, my relatives were at my house burying the dead older sheep when they text me and told me that they were burying 2. When I read that, I knew what they meant. My little baby had died. I have no idea what was wrong with her. They also buried her. I really should have taken her to LSU Vet School to have a necropsy done but I was so devastated that I wasn't even thinking. That was 2 tragedies within 24 hours.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Other tragedies were finding 1 turkey, 2 chickens, 1 duck (got wedged in between something and could not get out after laying her egg) and 1 rabbit all dead on different days. They all died from heat related illnesses. It was just too hot for them on last week. The heat index was as high as 105. Although I have a lot of shade trees and pools to cool off, the heat was unbearable. When I would go out there, it was too hot for me, so I know that the fury little creatures had it 100 times worst than me because they have feathers and fur. Poor babies. I mourned all week long.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

With all of that going on, I let the humidity in the incubator where I am incubating pea and guinea eggs get down to 15 when it should have been above 40. We'll see if they hatch. Lock down is next week.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
With the heat, it looks like the mice are coming in to keep cool. Why? I don't know. I had to buy some rat bait stations to take care of them. When I bought the bait stations, I bought them under the pretense that the stations would "trap" the rats inside and all I had to do was to dispose of the dead bodies. Well, upon further research, I found that the bait stations has poison in it and the mice/rats are lured into the bait station and they eat the bait (poison) and then go off and die. Well, I read this LATE last night after I had put the stations out. Well, lo and behold, when I woke up this morning to open the coops, the guineas, ducks and chickens were all in a circle looking at "something" and making noise. I walked over to them to see what was going on and this is what I found. (see pic below) Looks like it got into the bait station and ate the bait and crawled off to die. Poor thing was still alive but it looked like it was paralyzed.

Well, as I was taking the pic and walking off, I heard a "SPLASH" that came from out of nowhere. So, as I am passing by a dishpan (waterer), I look at the chicken house roof and I thought I had a "jumper" " a chicken sky diving" or "a Kamikaze". Well, I look at the dishpan and I see this. (see pic below). Soooooooooooo, looks like the bait station is working. My 1 and only worry is that if the animals eat the dead rat, then they will die from the poison that they ingest. :/

This is the disposable bait station that I bought. There is a 10 day supply of bait (poison) in the station. After that time, you buy more bait. I"m not sure if I would recommend this to anyone being as though this stuff is poison. You do better off staying away from this. But for those that are interested, it DOES work. I think I will have to remove them because I'm paranoid about poison. I don't use any poison at my house because of the animals.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tomcatreg;-rodent-station?cm_vc=-10005

**************************************************************************************************************************************
On a brighter note, I took my other bottle fed baby to vacation bible school on last week for show and tell. It was his first ride in a car and he did GREAT!!!! He sat down in the seat and rode like a champ. After show and tell was over with, the kids had a good time with him and he enjoyed them as well. They were able to keep in occupied while I ventured off. Usually he will cry like a big ole baby if I am not in eye sight but he didn't. After it was all over with, he jumped in the truck and went to sleep. I had to wake him up when we got home. He jumped out of the truck and I walked him back in the sheep pen with the other sheep. He walked around a few minutes and then he found his spot, layed down and went to sleep.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
I found a muscovy hen that was on a nest in the rabbit shed. I let her set because she looked so peaceful and because she didn't wander off and hide her nest of eggs like that last little huzzy did. She is setting on 6 eggs.

**************************************************************************************************************************************
On a funny note, I went out this weekend and found this. I don't know if the rooster was trying to cook the hen with the pot on top of her or trying to breed her. :/

**************************************************************************************************************************************
All of the babies are doing good and growing. I will have to ban the 6 baby geese. They are as big as the adults. I'm starting to not be able to tell who is who.

My 50 free chicks are growing. They get so excited when I let them out to play.

The other ducklings are growing as well. They are putting themselves up in the dog kennel at night.

I sold my pea hen that I hatched in the incubator last year. The home where she went will be a great home. The 3 pea chicks are growing. Almost time to move them to another brooder.

I had 1 duckling that hatched this weekend. A scovy was sitting on 1 egg. I took the duckling and brought it inside. He is with the other little chick that hatched last week.

I am not having the fly problem that I was having before. The fly traps are working like a charm. I see a 99% decrease in flies. I recommend these to anyone.

**********************************************************************************************************************

I think that's all for now.

I am so sorry for your loses. What a sad week. I can't even imagine enduring those deaths so close together. Sounds like VBS was a big hit. I would have loved having a real live lamb for VBS. what a great metaphor. Glad all others are doing well. We really really missed you!

 

[Teepspeeps]

I call them chicken hawks, but they are actually either Coopers or Sharp-shinned I believe. They are grey to silver and mostly white under bellied, which is a pretty bird. They are relentless in their surveying and swooping. Im going to see about buying a fake raven from Cabellas this week to help.

 

[PSJ]

Goodness Julie. So sorry for your losses and congrats on the babies. I hate not being able to use rat poison for that reason. The baby is precious riding in the truck with you. Love it!

 

[LemonMeringue]

Awww, so sad to loose so many!!! Hope next week is better!!