Alaska Chicken Lover's Soup for the Cold!!

[PaulaJoAnne]

Whoa!!! saving $8.80 per bag!!!!

Ok, I need to go stack more wood. I have gotten almost 5 cords moved into the shed so far

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Quote:
11 cents per pound is what its saving
In the long run, its worth it.
Maybe it would better next year?
I am contemplating setting up a proper storage system, so I can buy what I need for a full year in the fall.
We buy bulk for ourselves, and have seen the savings there thankfully.
Just expanding it to our chickens

I think the fish meal prices are better in the summer, too, so buying everything in season would probably help a lot. Maybe food safe 55 gallon drums would be a good storage system? I've got a ton of plastic tubs I bought cheap after Christmas last year because I was moving so much, but they're mostly sitting empty now. These will be good for a bunch of it, but I don't know if I have enough for 700+ lbs of feed material.

Best price I saw on BOSS so far is $20 at 3 Bears for 55 lbs. They have the best price I've seen on Oyster Shell, too. What say you guys, seen it cheaper elsewhere?

I don't think this is saving a ton of money, especially if you factor in your time and hassle, but I think it does save a little bit and IMO it is a far superior product to any of the layer pellets or mixes I've seen locally. My goal is 20% protein and higher fat for winter to keep the birds warm, the only layer pellets I've seen locally that meet that are loaded with corn and soy which is something I very pointedly want to stay away from.

I also like that the barley and BOSS is dual-purpose for my chickens and rabbits and, eventually, will also be good for my goats whenever I get those!

 

[Wolfwoman]

Thank you both... now I have to put more thought into it for sure. At $8 a bag that's an $80 savings in 10 bags, so YES worth is for sure.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Does anyone know anyone that would be interested in a nice pair of heritage Delawares? These are breeder birds, not hatchery lines. I wasn't planning on giving up any of my girls since I only have 5, but one of the two cockerels I need to move out is just too nice to eat, so I would like to find someone that would be interested in working with the birds and able to swap offspring with me next spring.

The pair that I am offering includes a nice roo that will be 5 months old on the 27th. He has very nice tail barring and yellow legs, and he's also bulking up nicely, just not quite as fast as my keeper roo. The hen is about 7 months old and has been laying nearly every day since early September. She has very dark hackle markings, too dark for the roos I'm keeping. Together, the pair will produce superior markings to the ones that I'm keeping, and should be a nice dual-purpose, heritage addition for someone that wants to work on preserving a rare, American breed.

If we swap chicks next spring/summer, we should be able to blend in the best of both worlds as far as the better coloring from this pair, and the faster growth and bulkier type from the ones I'm keeping. Alternatively, what may happen is the recipient of this pair develop a male line while I work on a female line, as I am told this is a breed that benefits from the "double mating system".

Any takers?

 

[Wolfwoman]

Rachel, on FB ask Jan Eastgate

She might think about it.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Quote:
What, you haven't got her addicted to BYC yet?!

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
What, you haven't got her addicted to BYC yet?!

Well I've tried, she says she has enough websites to keep up with!! lol

 

[incubatingisfun]

ive tried to talk a few people into getting on here havnt had any luck so far

 

[Eveil]

Quote:
Bonnie, you, I and Julie should just split a ton. A third is going to be 667 lbs and be $80. You could probably stretch one bag of fishmeal to cover that, maybe 1.5 bags.

Roughly, without any other amendments, we're at about $200 for 700 lbs of feed, so about $.29 per lb. I think I figured up the Budget Stuff at about $.38 per lb, and that's for 16% protein.

It will probably be getting close to the Budget Feed's price after adding in Oyster Shell and BOSS, but with higher protein and fat, since the Budget stuff doesn't have BOSS.

Someone check my math, LOL!

Maybe Donna too? I don't know if I have that much money right now tho... $80 for the barley, $75 for the fishmeal, $20 for BOSS (unless someone knows a cheaper place)... and whatever else I want to put in is close to $200-250 ... maybe I can swing it. Let me talk to Sam. I am trying to see how long the 80lb bag of feed I just got will last me... I opened it on the 15th.

If you need an extra person I will split some of the barley with you. I was thinking about swinging by there and getting myself some. Just have not yet It has been crazy here with the Quail hatching and then the Chickens hatching early. I think the quail are done 34 in all. The chickens are still working on it 4 are out and 1 is all most out. They where not due tell the 21st so I might get more. To pop out we will see.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Had to put a hen down this morning.
I know she was not laying, and I thought that she was finally going to molt out properly, but she was getting more and more lethargic.
We had planned on culling her soon along with a couple of others who are not doing all that well, before winter really sets in.
This morning, I found her cuddled in a nest box, with her head tucked in the corner.
I pulled her out, and found she had suddenly lost all her weights and her comb was purple

She had crawled in there to die I guess.

We are going to dust for mites and such soon, and I think we will give all the older hens a proper going over.