Utah!

[ElkMtnCove]

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What ever happened to your naked chick?

She made it.

She lost all chick fluff but being slowly replaced by pin feathers. The first ones to come in are feathered, now just her back is bald. She's smaller still but healthy.

I went to the feedstore and picked up 3 buff orp pullets (such a bad addict!

). I put them in the big aquarium with her for awhile. She became mother and would put the her little chick feather-less wings over them, very cute. Now everybody's back into the chick brooder and doing well.

Soon all will be in a 10x10 dog pen in the garage. We had scrap carpet that we put on the bottom and ran up a couple feet up the sides so the banties stay in. Need to finish & make it warm enough (still below freezing up here at night) then everbody moves there. Can't wait, the peeping is getting sonic size in my office!

Thanks for checking~

julie

 

[PacsMan]

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I told you she'd either be dead, or a favorite chicken!

I just cleaned out the coop where my 'old ladies' were before I sold them. It's kinda fun to imagine building roosts water/food hangers, door, and ventilation stuff again for the (double the sized flock) baby chicks.

The bottom of the coop was broken down and dry just like the Deep Litter Method is supposed to be. But I noticed a lot of grain mixed in.
I have the worst time keeping food in the feeder or in the chickens. And the more chickens you have, the more costly it gets.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to keep feed where it's supposed to go? I bought a feeder like this, but they still seem to spill it.

Hmm...

 

[kimbobim]

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aaaaaggghhh. I had a reply all typed up and lost it.

We've tried a bunch of different feeders, too, but they seem to waste more than they eat. Also, I'm tired of feeding the wild bird population (and their germs and parasites). So.... we're going to build a treadle feeder this month. I love the galvanized ones from Grandpas Feeders, but they're $275 plus $130 shipping to the US! I can buy a lot of feed for that much.

Do a search here on BYC for treadle feeder, or automatic feeder, and you'll find a lot of posts, most with pretty good pictures, some with actual plans - like this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder (I hope the link works). Here's another link with really good instructions for a similar one: http://www.woodworkingcorner.com/feeder.php. The plans look pretty straight-forward, shouldn't be too hard to assemble with basic tools. We've already got all the materials lying around in DH's shop, so it should be cheaper than buying yet another cheap-o plastic thing that doesn't really work.

On the videos I've seen of these on youtube, is seems like most people put theirs outside. We've keep our feeders inside the coop. I'm going to put this feeder in a small alcove area of our coop. It's about 3 x 4 - it's for injured or younger birds to roost separate from the big girls, so it doesn't get used much. I'll rake the shavings out of there, set up the feeder, and then if they do spill any on the floor, they'll be able to find it later and eat it, rather than getting lost in the shavings (that's the theory I'm going on, anyway).

 

[PacsMan]

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I don't have so much problem with wild bird, since my feeders are inside the coops, it's just the spilling of food. Then they're 'too good' to pick it up off the floor I'm guessing. I need to find something like the baby chicks have, where when the feed gets low, they have to stick their heads in the feeder hole to get food. Something like Nifty's Chicken Feeder but with holes they could fit their heads in, like this , only for full sized chickens.

Anyone seen anything like that?

 

[NurseDr]

I have a 5 gallon bucket feeder, that has a PVC fill tube that is working great. I started feeding them mash and they picked through it wasting more then I wanted on to the ground. I switch to pellets and no more waste. It cost about $10 to make, the feed states dry and clean. I refill it every 7 to 9 days for 7 hens.

 

[the-bird-man]

so i am getting eggs from some of my girls now

but here is the deal, i thought their combs would grow first. my bsl has a very small comb that is a light pink but she is now laying eggs. i am not complaining but just a little confused

. they are all good girls. i just set up a chair and next thing i know i have a bunch of chickens on my lap

my family also love when they play what we call worm football, just toss a worm in the air and sit back and enjoy the show

 

[kimbobim]

Quote:
I don't have so much problem with wild bird, since my feeders are inside the coops, it's just the spilling of food. Then they're 'too good' to pick it up off the floor I'm guessing. I need to find something like the baby chicks have, where when the feed gets low, they have to stick their heads in the feeder hole to get food. Something like Nifty's Chicken Feeder but with holes they could fit their heads in, like this , only for full sized chickens.

Anyone seen anything like that?

our feeder is inside the coop, too! but those nasty little sparrows sneak in there through the pop door and fill up like we're running an all-day buffet. my birds will eat the stuff on the floor, if they can find it. but that may be the gals who are lower on the pecking order than the others - I've noticed a few of them will eat anything they can get.

we tried making a feeder that they had to stick their heads into holes (big PVC pipe with 2.1 inch holes drilled in it). they STILL managed to 'beak' a lot of the food out onto the floor. i don't know if they think one pellet is going to be better than another, but they seem to discard some on sight.

 

[darkroo]

Congrats bird-man

that feeling just doesn't seem to go away.

Every time you go to the coop and open the door.

 

[the-bird-man]

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thanks! its such a great feeling... its like its christmas. they get so excited when they lay one and i do too. then they jump onto my lap so i can thank them

 

[PacsMan]

From a KSL ad;

UTAH FANCY POULTRY ASSOCIATION SPRING SHOW

Come one come all to the Utah Fancy Poultry Association. Spring Show. and Double Game show.
March 25th and 26th you will see quality poultry of all kinds ( chickens, ducks,geese,etc.) see what poultry should look like. Show opens 8am daily.
a lunch is serve daily for small a donation.
If you been wanting quality poultry
an auction will be held at 1:00 pm March 26th an a raffle at 4:00 pm.
SO COME JOIN THE FUN MARCH 25TH AND 26TH.
SEE YOU THERE at the Davis County Fair Park Farmington, Utah

Anyone going?
Seems like it always falls on Scouting for Food Saturday. We might go just before lunch though...
Marty