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  1. U_Stormcrow

    Best feed for old non egg laying chickens?

    I try not to recommend specific brands generally, however, Nutrena's All Flock has a good AA profile, doesn't include excess Calcium, has adequate to good nutritional numbers generally, and is one of the lowest minimum fat (2.5%) of all the readily available national brands. Kalmbach is also...
  2. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    Those w/ keen eyes and better memories will note that some of my prior posts in this thread have been APPROPRIATELY edited for tone. I apologize, I was out of sorts for reasons wholly unrelated to this website, and it showed in my responses. I'll try to do better - mostly by avoiding posting...
  3. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    All reasons (together with the high incidence rate you reported) to suspect an infectious agent is the cause, as neither layer breeds, nor hens specifically are known to be particularly susceptible to the typical environmental stressors.
  4. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    Correlation is Not Causation. Neither elevation nor sudden/extreme cold temps (particularly when very young) CAUSE water belly (ascites). Both are, however, aggravating factors that promotes a condition generally believed to result primarily from excess blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary...
  5. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

    Roughly 24'x15'. Should be able to put "a couple plants" in there. Extending the back side to provide place to park my tractor next.
  6. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    CP = Crude Protein AA = Amino Acid {getting the AA profile right is, in my view, far more important than the raw CP number, for reasons I've explained elsewhere} OP = Original Poster { the person whose comment started the thread}
  7. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    and to the extent we give a [care] about anecdote, all of my birds are raised on 24% CP with a good AA profile (high Met, Lys) for the first 8-12 weeks of life. They remain on 20% CP for the rest of their lives. I have never experienced water belly in one of my birds. I'm also at less than...
  8. U_Stormcrow

    Water belly

    I have things to do around the hobby farm at lunch in advance of the next cold snap, so it will be this evening before I comment at length. Ascites is NOT associated with "high protein" feed in rearing chickens, except incidentally in that it happens to be most associated with male, high...
  9. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

  10. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

    Walls are up on the greenhouse (door isn't framed yet). Roof panels going on. Accidentally placed screws every second rib, instead of every 3rd, and also got out of rhythm in the front edge, so that's every rib. Needless to say, will need more screws. Picture after I am done using the...
  11. U_Stormcrow

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    ^^^ this. Abundance is a social lubricant. Multiple roost areas, multiple feed locations, multiple water locations. I feed and water my free range flock in multiple locations in part to keep aggressive birds from dominating the rest of the flock. Also eliminates single point failures.
  12. U_Stormcrow

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    I incubate - but if one of my hens goes broody, I allow her to set the clutch. My results from that have been near 0%. Poor hatch rates, and usually lose all of the hatchlings w/i days. Host of reasons - my clay soils are highly acidic, very hard on egg shells. My hens have been "stupid", at...
  13. U_Stormcrow

    Meat Bird Comparison: Freedom Ranger Hatchery White Ranger, FR New Hampshire, Cornish Rock Cross, and Ginger Broilers

    This is how my bigger birds tend to get bumbles, as well - the trip down. Hearing a 20#+ turkey hen hop down from a 4' tall metal gate secured with a chain sounds a lot like someone knocking over a metal storage cabinet full of half empty cans - onto an angry bird, of course.
  14. U_Stormcrow

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    I use the same "15 min" rule to gauge whether I'm overfeeding my birds or not, since the value of my pasture varies so much seasonally. I find it a pretty good indicator, on average - though individual birds continue to vary some in internal fat accumulation based on gender and (seemingly)...
  15. U_Stormcrow

    Need input - would this mix + Kalmbach work?

    I'm with @FrostRanger on this. Scratch is energy at the expense of nutrition. With a good feed, there is absolutely no need for it
  16. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

    In Florida, the weather forecast is "Written in Mud". Sounds like yours is similarly reliable
  17. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

    Hopes the weather people are wrong about the rain for you as well. I just finished surveying the property, we finished our second mid 20s unscathed, didn't even need supplemental heat for the well pump. Will have an electric heat strip in the coming days. There's a warming trend, so not...
  18. U_Stormcrow

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Lunch. Commenting. {Caveat - I've only been doing this a few years now, and my flock of chickens has varied from a bit more than a dozen to almost 80 - so Anecdote, not data} I have 30 acres, but only a small amount of that cleared. A barn in the middle where I feed the birds, and where they...
  19. U_Stormcrow

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Reminder to self. Comment here during lunch.
  20. U_Stormcrow

    Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

    It is (for Florida) COLD. "Feels Like" 20. Finishing my coffee before I go forth and feed the animals. Had to separate a opossum from my birds at I don't know what temp last night. Not sure if he was looking to share warmth or make a meal, didn't really take time to ask his purpose in gate...
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