4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[SilkieSensation]

I like the questions to , I was gonna add to my post but my son decided to be needy for attention, now that he is in bed though I was gonna add is there any way we could figure out like the top ten questions and have us answer them then make it a sticky thread thats always here on top for people that need answers when there arnt alot of us around at the moment.

You would need 10 questions on every topic

 

[Hurley]

We have fermentation lift off!

Came downstairs this am and glad I put my little fermentation container in another. It bubbled so much it bubbled out the air holes and over. LOL Smells more like beer now. The chicks are all over it. Feeding time is a bit of a free for all with them running through it, shaking it everywhere, but I must say they do an admirable job of cleaning up after. I think they eat as much off each other as they do from the bowl. LOL That bowl is licked clean by the time I get home at night and again by morning. Chicks are looking good.

 

[TMNfarm]

Yes, that will work. The Hens will love it too!

Ron

That's what we buy.

And I haven't lost any chicks since I switched.

Thanks!! I will get a bag of the All-Flock and the bag of Calcium and start it as soon as this bag of Layer feed is gone. I'll wait until then to put the chicks out in the coop... I still need to teach them how to drink from a nipple waterer. My NYD chicks are already drinking from it, but I haven't started Prim's chicks yet...

Flock Raiser is the same for Purina. It's actually really good if you have ducks since they can't have the medicated feed. When I have a lot of babies I tend to use the Flock Raiser (or other brand equivalent if cheaper) so thet the babies aren't getting the extra calcium in the layer.

I don't use the medicated feed either. None of the Nutrena stuff I buy is medicated. The only thing I see as a possible problem is that I buy crumbles, and the All-Flock is pelleted, but I suppose if I am fermenting it, it won't matter...

We have fermentation lift off!

Came downstairs this am and glad I put my little fermentation container in another. It bubbled so much it bubbled out the air holes and over. LOL Smells more like beer now. The chicks are all over it. Feeding time is a bit of a free for all with them running through it, shaking it everywhere, but I must say they do an admirable job of cleaning up after. I think they eat as much off each other as they do from the bowl. LOL That bowl is licked clean by the time I get home at night and again by morning. Chicks are looking good.

Mine still doesn't smell like beer. I do think I need to bring it inside, or maybe just add some more ACV... But everyone is now on the wet feed, anyway. Prim and her babies are still a bit skeptical, but I notice that the dry feed my son gave them last night was still at least half there, so they must be eating it. They all came to the bowl this morning, they just don't attack it like the layers do. My layers all flock to the bowl and go nuts. I'm not going to give them any more dry, because they all seem to be eating and loving the wet stuff... The NYD chicks weren't sure at frist, either, but now they seem to like it. Yesterday was the first day I didn't give them any dry and they all seem to be satisfied.

 

[gabrielle1976]

We have fermentation lift off!

Came downstairs this am and glad I put my little fermentation container in another. It bubbled so much it bubbled out the air holes and over. LOL Smells more like beer now. The chicks are all over it. Feeding time is a bit of a free for all with them running through it, shaking it everywhere, but I must say they do an admirable job of cleaning up after. I think they eat as much off each other as they do from the bowl. LOL That bowl is licked clean by the time I get home at night and again by morning. Chicks are looking good.

we need video and picturs that sounds so cute

 

[cluck-cluck]

I went back to the dry for my Serama chicks hatched in the NYD hatch. They eat so little, the stuff dries out so much (it's still pretty hot in there) and 2 serama chicks eat so little, I was trying to ferment a cup at a time, but it's kinda silly. The stuff I have for everyone else is too chunky for Serama chicks, so I have chick mash for these two. So I'm back to dry there, but everyone else is eating the wet stuff

 

[delisha]

A little about FF

It does not go bad. All those pro biotics and enzymes are working. You can keep the same container going forever. I have little handles on the inside and I do wash mine out (the inside one) to get all the little pieces out of the handle. As long as your feed is covered in good pro biotics nothing bad grows.

For people who do not know if it is working properly, you can add a bit of cabbage chopped up, that will break down and start a sour-kraut with good bacteria too. It has a stronger smell.
Or if you love sour-kraut, start a small batch and pour off the extra liquid(in about a week) in the FF bucket.

Bad bacteria can grow if it is not covered in water and not fermented. Plain wet feed does go bad. If you smell a sour smell you are doing it correctly. That beer or alchole smell is perfect. Even a stronger smell is wonderful. It means it is working.

My Silkie eggs arrived. I am a bit nervous. They are resting. Has anyone had shipped eggs with a warmer inside? Tell me of your expierence.

I am impatiently wating for Jims eggs to arrrive.
It is a bit cold out and I forgot to ask for a warmer.

 

[delisha]

Hurley?
Hows your chicks doing? we need NYD chick pics

 

[Sally Sunshine]

A little about FF

It does not go bad. All those pro biotics and enzymes are working. You can keep the same container going forever. I have little handles on the inside and I do wash mine out (the inside one) to get all the little pieces out of the handle. As long as your feed is covered in good pro biotics nothing bad grows.

For people who do not know if it is working properly, you can add a bit of cabbage chopped up, that will break down and start a sour-kraut with good bacteria too. It has a stronger smell.
Or if you love sour-kraut, start a small batch and pour off the extra liquid(in about a week) in the FF bucket.

Bad bacteria can grow if it is not covered in water and not fermented. Plain wet feed does go bad. If you smell a sour smell you are doing it correctly. That beer or alchole smell is perfect. Even a stronger smell is wonderful. It means it is working.

My Silkie eggs arrived. I am a bit nervous. They are resting. Has anyone had shipped eggs with a warmer inside? Tell me of your expierence.

I am impatiently wating for Jims eggs to arrrive.
It is a bit cold out and I forgot to ask for a warmer.

Cant we just add a can of kraut ????

I so wish I could have a garden

 

[SilkieSensation]

Thanks!! I will get a bag of the All-Flock and the bag of Calcium and start it as soon as this bag of Layer feed is gone. I'll wait until then to put the chicks out in the coop... I still need to teach them how to drink from a nipple waterer. My NYD chicks are already drinking from it, but I haven't started Prim's chicks yet...
I don't use the medicated feed either. None of the Nutrena stuff I buy is medicated. The only thing I see as a possible problem is that I buy crumbles, and the All-Flock is pelleted, but I suppose if I am fermenting it, it won't matter...
Mine still doesn't smell like beer. I do think I need to bring it inside, or maybe just add some more ACV... But everyone is now on the wet feed, anyway. Prim and her babies are still a bit skeptical, but I notice that the dry feed my son gave them last night was still at least half there, so they must be eating it. They all came to the bowl this morning, they just don't attack it like the layers do. My layers all flock to the bowl and go nuts. I'm not going to give them any more dry, because they all seem to be eating and loving the wet stuff... The NYD chicks weren't sure at frist, either, but now they seem to like it. Yesterday was the first day I didn't give them any dry and they all seem to be satisfied.

As long as the pellets dissolve well you will be fine. Purina Flock Raiser is crumbles. Dumore has a Starter/Grower crumble that would work as well.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Cant we just add a can of kraut ????

I so wish I could have a garden

I was just going to ask the same thing. I even put a heater in my basement yesterday next to where my feed buckets are & still not much bubbling. May have to bring it inside after all.