Recent content by bearcreekbees

  1. bearcreekbees

    Alternative Protein (animal scraps)?

    Chicken specifically? Or meat in general? I do not feed my chickens raw meat from any poultry species, including chickens. I will feed cooked poultry meat but not willing to risk disease transmission between species (bird flu, etc.) by feeding raw.
  2. bearcreekbees

    Meal Worms or Black Soldier Fly Larvae?

    You might be right, to an extent, but you are a human, not an insect. And if you consider that polystyrene is composed largely of carbon and hydrogen which provide the mealworms with a source of carbohydrates it is really no different from other food sources. It's all about the atoms- everything...
  3. bearcreekbees

    Meal Worms or Black Soldier Fly Larvae?

    Actually, sewage and styrofoam are perfectly fine food for mealworms. Not what I feed mine, lol, but I have toyed with the idea of setting up a separate system just to process styrofoam. Plenty of studies have found that mealworms that have been fed styrofoam are just as good a food source for...
  4. bearcreekbees

    Meal Worms or Black Soldier Fly Larvae?

    I can't raise BSFL where I live so I raise mealworms instead. But I have to use them sparingly due to the high fat content- my birds already get plenty of fat in their homemade ration, which incudes suet. I am waaaaayyyyy too frugal to pay for insects more than once, so I raise my own. They are...
  5. bearcreekbees

    How long can you store feed for?

    Ground feed (crumbles, pellets, mash) starts to oxidize the minute it is exposed to oxygen. How fast it degrades after that is dependent upon storage conditions and the amount of heat, moisture, oxygen the feed is exposed to. On the occasions when I do use pellets (vacation, cancer recovery...
  6. bearcreekbees

    How much fat is too much in layer ration?

    I posted a thread awhile back about my homemade layer ration that includes meat/organs/fat for protein and fat. I "think" that this ration is working out really well. I have three pullets that recently started laying and I often get three small pullets eggs a day form them so not sure how they...
  7. bearcreekbees

    Right Amount of Fermented Feed?

    Oh, I thought you were asking if your flock was getting enough food?
  8. bearcreekbees

    Caring for a flock if you go on holiday

    You can put out all the feed and water that you want, but you should still have someone come check on them, and collect eggs. Not collecting the eggs for several days or longer can create a whole 'nother set of problems.
  9. bearcreekbees

    Right Amount of Fermented Feed?

    I ferment a mix of whole grains which includes some or all of the following- corn, oats, wheat, barley, triticale, rye, and field peas. I start with 1/4 pound per bird of the dry mix. No idea what it weighs after fermenting. After fermenting I add in meat, animal organs, and suet for additional...
  10. bearcreekbees

    Fermenting Chicken Feed

    Sorry I missed this PeaceMary but it looks like you got answers to your question. About freezing temps- I live in the cold, frozen North where we will have daytime temps of 20 below zero F and nighttime temps of 40 below. I feed the fermented feed 2-3x a day, which is easy for me because I am...
  11. bearcreekbees

    Fermenting Chicken Feed

    I keep three one gallon pickle jars going all the time. I feed them three days after starting, rotating them according to start date. As long as I remember to start a new batch every day I never run out.
  12. bearcreekbees

    Where to find heavy duty buckets for DIY hanging feeders/waterers

    I also get buckets from bakeries and donut shops. Most of the stores around here rinse them out before they give them away so they are not difficult to clean. WalMart charges for theirs so I never go there, lol (I am cheap) but if I did not have other sources I would probably spring for a buck...
  13. bearcreekbees

    What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

    Thanks for the kind words and thoughts for recovery. I am basically done with the cancer, just trying to build my strength back up now. Yes, I will be out in the yard the minute the snow melts and the leaves have dried out in the Spring, picking up every last one of them! No leaf ever goes to...
  14. bearcreekbees

    How to cover run to protect from aerial predators?

    We originally planned to close in part of our one-acre garden/orchard so that the chickens could free range in it. Then we realized that we have way too many birds of prey around here- all of them- hawks, owls, eagles, etc. We talked about trying to set up overhead netting but we decided not to...
  15. bearcreekbees

    Fermenting Chicken Feed

    Question- when you feed the fermented grain is that all you are offering? Or do they have other feed available?
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