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Still feeding my "armature recipe".. Happy healthy birds without lining the pockets of fat cat executives in the big ag industry... PS.. Synthetic methionine needs to be banned in organic feed! The big for profit guys have been lobbying hard to keep it. (This is one of the things the...

Oh wow... Makes one realize the "fragility" of some lines birds. thanks

Hey BBS Marans people... I lost my rooster and over half of my BBS hens last fall. I want to rebuild my flock summer/fall 2014. Anyone, working on large body BBS Marans? Quite frankly most of the lines I am seeing are all the small body. IMHO, the traditional aspect of the breed is a dual...

Hey gang... Pink, how did your blue flock fair with the attack? 5 years of 100% blissful free ranging and we got hammered 3 times this summer. My genetic line of Blue Marans is dead. I have 3 blue Marans hens left. Lost 20 some birds, including a fine blue Marans pullet and last springs hatch..

We were talking recipes on this thread... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/310897/so-who-feeds-whole-grains-as-opposed-to-processed-feed Many do not grind at all! I do some, and just use a cheap $25 grinder... You can see what I feed on my byc page.

I suspect it is the millet.. How can they resist those tasty morsels... IMO the fish meal is a necessary evil, and not what make them want more.. Know replace that fish meal with those fried wax worms people eat as snacks in Thailand... I bet the chickens would be all over that... Me, I...

Nice!.... Boy that looks good!... Makes me want to get a bowl pour some milk over that and have it for breakfast...

Hmm, I have mice but they have not got in the cage in 3 years.... Leave a bag out and they are right in the bag... Must be we have really fat mice, from eating all that Wisconsin cheese...

Interesting on the blood meat spots... I seem to notice it more in fall.. Either molt or when supplemental lights go on... I tend to just try and delay molt by doing maintaining 12 hours light after the equinox until December.. Yep it is the only flaw I can think of in an otherwise superior...

Fresh batch of feed

Sorry, One more comment... I use whole grains for the sprouts, but grind the dry feed, I used to leave some whole grains in the dry feed, as I believe strongly in whole grains,,, but I found the birds picked and wasted too much going after their favorite items, and never ever touching the peas...

feed cage drill attached to cheap hand crank grinder... Cardboard around grinder to make grains fall in can below... Yes.... this is authentic red neck rural farm boy bubble gum and baler twine engineering...... But it works and on the cheap Been using this same set up for years...

I will grind/mix a month or two's supply of feed this morning...... Using one of those $25 hand crank grinders from ebay, with a slow speed drill rigged to the shaft to power it... I only need to grind/crack some of the ingredients... In just an hour or so I can have a batch of home made feed...

Good info thanks.....

I don't know, maybe some areas are more prone to worms than others.... My birds are organic and free range... Never had a worm problem.... All home make foods, plenty of greens bugs and so forth.... I strongly believe if one stays balanced with nature their is no need for all the chemical...

Yes body size is big and broad, some of the hens are absolutely enormous. I mean small turkey here.. The cockerels have all been tall with broad chests. Years are clicking by, been waiting util we sell our place in Wisconsin and get settled on the west coast to focus on breeding BBS Marans...

His eye color seems to be that reddish bay color.. yes? Has eye color been an issue with BBS?.... I am just so focused on getting the copper that pops up say 50% of the time gone, while still maintaining OK egg color.. Thanks.. ON

Rooster from 2011 hatch Pullet from spring 2012 hatch (Offspring of above rooster) Sorry she was not to happy about leaving the coop for the photo shoot, also tail feathers messed up because she is a working girl spending every other day in the nest box producing an egg since 5 or 6 months of...

Good to see you still working on BBC Marans.. I have a very fine Black rooster from the our 2011 hatch... Just perfect. His off spring gave me some copper bleed through cockerels, but a pullet that is just perfect, nice form and good foot feathering. I am slowly getting the copper out...

Yes, I feed a couple percent of flax, not so much for the omega 3's but for the diversity factor and the decent fat for the birds long term health. IMO if you want Omega 3's feed greens greens and more greens.... Alfalfa hay, pellets, kale, lettuce, weeds... Matter of fact free range your...