What did you do with your flock today?

[PopoMyers]

I've been putting off the changing of the brooder shavings. Finally did it today. This past week., there were a couple water incidents and the shavings had gotten wet. By today, that bottom layer was beginning to smell of ammonia. Got it taken care of stat. Also added a good sprinkle of PDZ on the bottom and top. They are growing like weeds! 3 weeks old today, and maybe they'll be ready for the outdoors in a couple or three more. It is still a little chilly at night and I don't want to hang the heat source out there. I've read that they can do ok after 4 weeks. True? Or should I wait longer?
I took the dirt container out since they had emptied it and turned it over. Not going to replace it, as our dirt is so fine that I had layer of dirt on every horizontal surface every day. So done with that.

 

[LTAY1946]

It's a very rainy day today so the girls are bored inside their spacious coops. They have several times more square feet than what is recommended and are happy. The rooster coop is small and is for roosting only. They will get turned out when the rain stops around 1pm I think and that is soon.

 

[Smokerbill]

I'm making a protein supplement for my chickens.

A few days ago I de-boned 15 pounds of chicken thighs in preparation for making chicken sausage in the future. I cooked the bones for a few hours, to the point that the cartilage was soft and falling off the bone ends.

I removed the bones, and scraped the softened bone on the joint ends into the pot of broth, meat and cartilage. I tossed in a 1/4 cup of crushed eggshell to add more calcium, and about 1/2 cup of rolled oats to soak up the liquid.

I'll freeze portions of it, and give some to the girls every so often.

I could have just given them the cooked bones and let them do the work, but I didn't want their run filled with a bunch of chicken bones that would attract predators.

Looks nasty, but I think the chickens will enjoy it.

 

[PopoMyers]

I'm making a protein supplement for my chickens.

A few days ago I de-boned 15 pounds of chicken thighs in preparation for making chicken sausage in the future. I cooked the bones for a few hours, to the point that the cartilage was soft and falling off the bone ends.

I removed the bones, and scraped the softened bone on the joint ends into the pot of broth, meat and cartilage. I tossed in a 1/4 cup of crushed eggshell to add more calcium, and about 1/2 cup of rolled oats to soak up the liquid.

I'll freeze portions of it, and give some to the girls every so often.

I could have just given them the cooked bones and let them do the work, but I didn't want their run filled with a bunch of chicken bones that would attract predators.

Looks nasty, but I think the chickens will enjoy it.

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The chicken's chef! What a creative way to reuse. Lucky birds!

 

[Smokerbill]

The chicken's chef! What a creative way to reuse. Lucky birds!

Well, every one of them laid an egg for me today, so I figured they deserved something special. Plus, I hate wasting anything.

 

[CrazyChickLady64]

Just hung out with my flock today and enjoyed the sun shine.

 

[paradisepentacoop]

Hung out in the new coop with them, encouraging them to explore by sprinkling BSF larva crisps on the ramp, and just generally vibing with them.

 

[Smokerbill]

I gave the girls some of the chicken slop I made and they acted as expected. They loved it! I still have about 4 cups of it left, divided into storage bags and frozen for later.

The leftover thigh bones, I carried them to the far end of the yard and chucked them into the woods.

 

[ValerieJ]

I've been putting off the changing of the brooder shavings. Finally did it today. This past week., there were a couple water incidents and the shavings had gotten wet. By today, that bottom layer was beginning to smell of ammonia. Got it taken care of stat. Also added a good sprinkle of PDZ on the bottom and top. They are growing like weeds! 3 weeks old today, and maybe they'll be ready for the outdoors in a couple or three more. It is still a little chilly at night and I don't want to hang the heat source out there. I've read that they can do ok after 4 weeks. True? Or should I wait longer?
I took the dirt container out since they had emptied it and turned it over. Not going to replace it, as our dirt is so fine that I had layer of dirt on every horizontal surface every day. So done with that.

I have heard the same thing here on BYC. There is someone who lets her chicks out with the flock at 4 weeks. Wish I could remember who, so you could ask her about it.

I raise mine in the coop. They are never in the house. But I have a nice section for them, separate from the flock, but in view of the flock, with a sweeter heater and plenty of space to run around. They were 4 weeks just yesterday and they are in the outside portion of the coop for the first time today. We'll let them get used to that before they are able to go into the big run with the big girls. There is a little door on their area we can open for just them to slip through. As long as they have an escape hatch, they should be fine with the flock very soon. They are definitely having a fun day today.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I'm making a protein supplement for my chickens.

A few days ago I de-boned 15 pounds of chicken thighs in preparation for making chicken sausage in the future. I cooked the bones for a few hours, to the point that the cartilage was soft and falling off the bone ends.

I removed the bones, and scraped the softened bone on the joint ends into the pot of broth, meat and cartilage. I tossed in a 1/4 cup of crushed eggshell to add more calcium, and about 1/2 cup of rolled oats to soak up the liquid.

I'll freeze portions of it, and give some to the girls every so often.

I could have just given them the cooked bones and let them do the work, but I didn't want their run filled with a bunch of chicken bones that would attract predators.

Looks nasty, but I think the chickens will enjoy it.

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O you're going to have some happy girls when they get that!