Search results for query: *

Quote: That's quite funny - but entirely possible, really. I once had to argue long and hard with a transplanted New Yorker who thought that live Perherons would make ideally "authentic" lawn decorations for her weekender farm house. Good grief. Snort. If it gets nice and muddy where you...

Quote: That's quite funny - but entirely possible, really. I once had to argue long and hard with a transplanted New Yorker who thought that live Perherons would make ideally "authentic" lawn decorations for her weekender farm house. Good grief. That is funny and at forums I have read posts...

Quote: I agree with this, but I thought it would be worth adding to the discussion by also pointing out that "productivity" in real life means different things in different circumstances and to different people. For me commercial feed is very expensive. So any by-products of my farm...

Quote: Uhyup. The modern hen needs additional feedstuffs at least some of the time because the stresses put on her in laying are greater than those encountered by her wild ancestors. Poor laying seems to have factors beyond the number of oocytes. Professor Dryden bred Lady MacDuff, who laid...

Quote: Yes, different forms of vitamins have different bioavailability - but for a given form it doesn't matter if it was synthesized or extracted. The problem with your logic is that manufactured complete feeds must meet a standard - and the standard includes measures of activity, not simply...

Quote: Well said, Chincilla. I think this as a very sensible approach to recommend... I raise greens for my girls; my concern is less what may be missing in the commercial feed and more that even chickens deserve to have some fun. When they get loose, they will take a blueberry, nibble some...

Quote: Actually, this can be true if you have enough forage available on your land to provide most of the chickens' nutritional needs. The birds would also need to free range pretty much all the time as well. I know an old farmer who runs his chickens this way, and we were actually discussing...

Quote: The top hen who is first in line when the compost is delivered daily is also my top layer. I'm getting an egg a day out of her right now. My personal experience, though admittedly limited, does not confirm that feeding something other than an exclusive commercial feed diet will impact...

Naturally occuring vitamins are no better than synthetic vitamins. The notion of vitalism went out in the 19th C. A mineral compound is a mineral compound is a mineral compound. Much of the "nutrition science" publicized is neither since a great deal of it is based on anecdotes or poorly...

Quote: I agree on the roos to hens. it largely depends on if the dominate rooster can keep the others in line, and how calm the roosters are compared to how feisty the hens are. Mine eat the windfall apples.

Quote: Yes! I've now asked where the famous "Ten Percent Rule" comes from three times, and nobody's even acknowledged the question. I'd bet dollars to donuts that it comes straight from commercial chicken feed manufacturers - just like the...

Quote: Thanks. I guess I should have been more explicit in my post.

Quote: And in this lies much of the problems with confusion about how to raise chickens. Most of the books on livestock nutrition have not been written by anyone who actually raised those livestock for the better part of their life, experimented with all aspects of nutrition and the results...

Fred's Hens : Well, back in the day, that "curtain" was just a flap of burlap. Not burlap bought off a roll at JoAnn Fabrics either. Oregonian, eh? Marion or Polk County?

Quote: I'm not understanding the statement about "too high in salt". When I feed compost to my chickens it is fruit and vegetable scraps that are removed before any cooking or flavoring has been done (e.g. lettuce leaves, raw carrot peelings, apple cores, bad tomatoes straight from the garden...

chickenn@@b : That right there is the biggest problem with the half-baked advice on this forum....chickens are ridiculously easy to keep. There isn't much complexity in keeping chickens at all, merely in wading through all the nonsense and finally realizing that anybody can raise a chicken...

Quote: That is actually true. The reason for this is not only to protect the health of the breeding birds; but also because some diseases are transmitted vertically, into the egg. One problem with free range that isn't mentioned is that it not only increases the risk of parasites, but it...

Quote: Because most homemade diets are imbalanced, and tend to be too high in salt. The calcium from greens is not particularly well absorbed by poultry or people. You are puzzled because you haven't had access to a good book on livestock nutrition; once you have it all becomes clear...

Quote: Actually, temperament and breed have a high correlation, especially with the more common breeds. Exotics and rare breeds can be tricky to predict because a lot of out crosses are made to try and increase and improve rare stock. Most white Leghorns are not gentle, and most can still fly...

Another omission by the people who give advice. They advise using a thermometer for brooding small batches of chicks - but don't tell people how to evaluate the chicks behavior to see if the heat is right. I take an old guinea pig cage that has a plastic bottom about four or five inches high. I...