Recent content by cmak

  1. cmak

    Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

    Ordered the large premiere plate from Amazon in December (Christmas gift card, whoop!) This year I am fortunate to be brooding my 20 chicks in my unfinished basement. Ambient temp is about 60° but it does get a little chillier at night. There are 5 huge windows so they do get sunlight, which I...
  2. cmak

    Post your FIRST EGG pics!

    No clue who is laying--mixed flock of 27 pulletsat 15 1/2 weeks...thinking it must be Biddy or Goldie (production reds) because they all of a sudden have combs bigger than the cockerels'. These are our first ever eggs from left to right, in about 5 days' time. We've since found another small...
  3. cmak

    Worming chickens?

    What is fly strike?
  4. cmak

    I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

    Fish meal is the animal protein in the feed I use. I've never seen them eat the feathers, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. I am going to give them some scrambled eggs in the morning and find some other sources of protein. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's the heat bringing out...
  5. cmak

    Are there certain breeds that are more cannibalistic then others & if so, what are they?

    I am having issues with my Silver Laced Wyandottes. I have 6 in a flock of 28 and if someone is getting pecked, it's one of them doing it. I'm going to band their legs so I can tell them apart (5 are pretty much identical) and try to pick out the worst offenders. The others will peck if the see...
  6. cmak

    I think I found a miracle cure for feather picking

    Hello! I read the first couple pages of posts and couldn't read anymore. I have some peckers in my flock (I would call them worse but I'm trying to be a lady) and I'm wondering if Forco is what I need to try. Brief backstory: 28 pullets of various breeds all from McMurray, age 9 weeks. 12x16...
  7. cmak

    run flooring

    I'm going to start calling around and find some sand!
  8. cmak

    Fermented Feed Questions

    I have 28 pullets. I use the backslop method. I've been doing it in 3 gallon buckets. I said in the beginning I would measure...and well it still hasn't happened. Each bucket is enough for about 3 feedings, which happens every 12 hours because of my work schedule. (Lack of light in winter will...
  9. cmak

    Fermented Feed Questions

    Hey timbowsr, thanks for the info. I guess my biggest concern was the dreaded mold. I haven't had any issues so far, so hopefully that theme will continue. I do stir the mix at least twice a day, sometimes 3. I try to scrape the sides down to avoid the crusty dried bits. I keep reading about...
  10. cmak

    run flooring

    How does sand help control the poop build up? Do you have to rake or till the sand periodically or does the poop just go away? I've got 28 pullets in a decent-sized run (12x16 covered, 16x24 uncovered) that is mostly going to be their winter yard since there will be nothing to forage in the...
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  12. cmak

    Resting period for chicken

    Any updates on how the cockerel turned out? Does anyone else have more insight as to resting the birds before or after freezing? I just processed 26 Cornish X on Saturday. We had one rooster too big for the freezer bags so we cooked him the next day. Just roasted him in the oven. He turned out...
  13. cmak

    Fermented Feed Questions

    https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/ Here is another link I found useful. I picked this up in another thread but I don't remember which. This method seems to really simplify the whole process. I'm going to worry less about keeping the feed covered with water like this...
  14. cmak

    Fermented Feed Questions

    http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html?m=1 That link takes you to the blog that got me started on FF. I think she does a good job of explaining the entire process and it's benefits, as well as providing references for further study. To answer weezilgirl's questions...
  15. cmak

    Fermented Feed Questions

    Gave them dry feed plus the FF a few days ago and they ate all of both. All I had handy was the little baby chick feeder though. So I increased the amount of FF at each feeding, thinking that would do the trick. Still ravenous. Tomorrow I will dig out the big 10 lb feeder and give them a few...
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