Arizona Chickens

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
Put them in a jar, I use a canning jar. I put about 1/2 cup to a cup at a time. Add a bunch of water and strain it off, just leaving damp. Cover with something permeable like cheesecloth. Rinse and strain once or twice a day. I do twice a day because we're so dry here.
Wheat sprouts really fast if you can find wheat berries and they love them. I found two pounds of fenugreek at, an online spice store and that also sprouts well, high protein, like clover and smells like maple syrup. They love it. Apparently, fenugreek is used as a flavor additive and to increase appetite in a lot o animal feeds. It's also being used experimentally lime clover for grazing and hay up in the northern part as a cover crop. I love the smell, part maple syrup, part Indian restaurant.
You can also do clover seeds, can find those in the sprouting section at Whole Foods.

Great! Thank you!
I will give this a try!

Stuff I found with google seemed complicated with soak/rinse, careful water doesn't sour and such... yeesh! lol...

I'm just a few minutes from a place called "new life" that sells all sorts of grains, and herbs. I will check there for what you have suggested. Mom gets flax seed there for dad and I tease she can get it cheaper at the pet shop as bird seed.

I used to sprout all my bird seed too. But got out of the habit when the sprout trays gave up the ghost. lol.

Our parakeet has been in her nest all morning re arranging the nesting material!

It's been awhile since we've had babies around here and I can hardly wait!

 

[tball chicky]

Quote:
Thanks for that link. I may need it...I have another attack rooster on my hands.

Are you raising pit roosters or something? Maybe you should only have breeds like Old English and Serama roosters.

Pit Roosters

No not at all - the one that is no longer was 7month old BR and the one that is about to be no more is a 7month old Rock X of some sort. Normal breeds & they were fine...would eat out of my hand even. They would puff up at us every once in awhile, but then this week they totally flipped out. It's good though because now my children (& DH) understand that the chickens aren't actually PETS

(don't tell them I said that)

 

[tball chicky]

Quote:
Thanks for that link. I may need it...I have another attack rooster on my hands.

I've been watching several of these videos lately and they are very good and informative. I'd like to try it one of these times but don't think I could go off of a video, to bad you live so far away, I'd come and watch/help/ or hinder is more like it.

You're right videos, picture blogs, etc can't really show you what it's really like. I've processed other animals before, but not one that I killed. I'll let you know how it goes...whenever I get up the nerve to actually do it. DH took care of the last one...in an angry, not so humane fashion

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
Put them in a jar, I use a canning jar. I put about 1/2 cup to a cup at a time. Add a bunch of water and strain it off, just leaving damp. Cover with something permeable like cheesecloth. Rinse and strain once or twice a day. I do twice a day because we're so dry here.
Wheat sprouts really fast if you can find wheat berries and they love them. I found two pounds of fenugreek at, an online spice store and that also sprouts well, high protein, like clover and smells like maple syrup. They love it. Apparently, fenugreek is used as a flavor additive and to increase appetite in a lot o animal feeds. It's also being used experimentally lime clover for grazing and hay up in the northern part as a cover crop. I love the smell, part maple syrup, part Indian restaurant.
You can also do clover seeds, can find those in the sprouting section at Whole Foods.

Great! Thank you!
I will give this a try!

Stuff I found with google seemed complicated with soak/rinse, careful water doesn't sour and such... yeesh! lol...

I'm just a few minutes from a place called "new life" that sells all sorts of grains, and herbs. I will check there for what you have suggested. Mom gets flax seed there for dad and I tease she can get it cheaper at the pet shop as bird seed.

I used to sprout all my bird seed too. But got out of the habit when the sprout trays gave up the ghost. lol.

Our parakeet has been in her nest all morning re arranging the nesting material!

It's been awhile since we've had babies around here and I can hardly wait!

OK
You guys have convinced me to try sprouting. I ordered some organic clover seeds.

Critter: I remember New Life. It's been there a LONG TIME!

I tried to watch the video with the scarf lady. I couldn't do it. Somehow the fact that it was a laying hen and not a meat bird bothered me... A lot.
Tracy and Mikey: When you process your birds would you be open to help? I think the only way I'll know if I can do it is to try it.

 

[Arizonachicken]

I hope everyone is having a great Monday.

Is Nutrena 16% pellets layer feed a good brand? I need some expert advise! I know y'all have talked about feed before, but I can't remember what most people like. I also got my first okra fruit/veggie thingy today. It's almost 4 inches long so I thought it might be ready. I was worried it would become tough if I left it any longer. I hope it's ready!
tball chicky: Were you the one who had their 5 year old attacked by the rooster? Is she (he?) ok? That would always be a worry of mine if we had roosters.

 

[tball chicky]

Quote:

Yes...it was me. She is fine now. She was so mad at that rooster - because it messed up her hair! I told her she was lucky he didn't peck her face. He scratched her legs up, got the back of her knees with his spurs, & flapped at her head & ...messed up her hair

But, she was very upset that we "took care of him". Can't win with those kids...

I wasn't worried about the roosters until they flipped out. They were very good with the kids - they'd eat out of our hands & let us pick them up...I guess they were tired of being pets.

Thanks for your concern though. I am also wondering about feed...my girls aren't laying so well right now.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Put them in a jar, I use a canning jar. I put about 1/2 cup to a cup at a time. Add a bunch of water and strain it off, just leaving damp. Cover with something permeable like cheesecloth. Rinse and strain once or twice a day. I do twice a day because we're so dry here.
Wheat sprouts really fast if you can find wheat berries and they love them. I found two pounds of fenugreek at, an online spice store and that also sprouts well, high protein, like clover and smells like maple syrup. They love it. Apparently, fenugreek is used as a flavor additive and to increase appetite in a lot o animal feeds. It's also being used experimentally lime clover for grazing and hay up in the northern part as a cover crop. I love the smell, part maple syrup, part Indian restaurant.
You can also do clover seeds, can find those in the sprouting section at Whole Foods.

Great! Thank you!
I will give this a try!

Stuff I found with google seemed complicated with soak/rinse, careful water doesn't sour and such... yeesh! lol...

I'm just a few minutes from a place called "new life" that sells all sorts of grains, and herbs. I will check there for what you have suggested. Mom gets flax seed there for dad and I tease she can get it cheaper at the pet shop as bird seed.

Here's an article I found on sprouting seeds for parrots. Don't forget about online spice stores as a very cheap source of sprouting seeds.
http://www.landofvos.com/articles/sprouts.html

Here's a great article on feeding parrots sprouts. If any worries about sprouts spoiling, you can use a little grapefruit extract. Just mix a tablespoon in with a gallon of water. I believe you can buy it at Sprouts.
http://www.landofvos.com/articles/sprouts.html

I used to sprout all my bird seed too. But got out of the habit when the sprout trays gave up the ghost. lol.

Our parakeet has been in her nest all morning re arranging the nesting material!

It's been awhile since we've had babies around here and I can hardly wait!

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Great! Thank you!
I will give this a try!

Stuff I found with google seemed complicated with soak/rinse, careful water doesn't sour and such... yeesh! lol...

I'm just a few minutes from a place called "new life" that sells all sorts of grains, and herbs. I will check there for what you have suggested. Mom gets flax seed there for dad and I tease she can get it cheaper at the pet shop as bird seed.

Becky, I'd love to have you help. Anytime.
I used to sprout all my bird seed too. But got out of the habit when the sprout trays gave up the ghost. lol.

Our parakeet has been in her nest all morning re arranging the nesting material!

It's been awhile since we've had babies around here and I can hardly wait!

OK
You guys have convinced me to try sprouting. I ordered some organic clover seeds.

Critter: I remember New Life. It's been there a LONG TIME!

I tried to watch the video with the scarf lady. I couldn't do it. Somehow the fact that it was a laying hen and not a meat bird bothered me... A lot.
Tracy and Mikey: When you process your birds would you be open to help? I think the only way I'll know if I can do it is to try it.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:

Yes...it was me. She is fine now. She was so mad at that rooster - because it messed up her hair! I told her she was lucky he didn't peck her face. He scratched her legs up, got the back of her knees with his spurs, & flapped at her head & ...messed up her hair

But, she was very upset that we "took care of him". Can't win with those kids...

I wasn't worried about the roosters until they flipped out. They were very good with the kids - they'd eat out of our hands & let us pick them up...I guess they were tired of being pets.

Thanks for your concern though. I am also wondering about feed...my girls aren't laying so well right now.

I think the roosters that are allowed to get tame are the ones that tend to get agressive. I've usually not tried to tame mine much and they've respected people. I found that by raising a bottle fed bull. He was the meanest bull we ever had. Such a sweet calf.

 

[tball chicky]

Quote:

Yes...it was me. She is fine now. She was so mad at that rooster - because it messed up her hair! I told her she was lucky he didn't peck her face. He scratched her legs up, got the back of her knees with his spurs, & flapped at her head & ...messed up her hair

But, she was very upset that we "took care of him". Can't win with those kids...

I wasn't worried about the roosters until they flipped out. They were very good with the kids - they'd eat out of our hands & let us pick them up...I guess they were tired of being pets.

Thanks for your concern though. I am also wondering about feed...my girls aren't laying so well right now.

I think the roosters that are allowed to get tame are the ones that tend to get agressive. I've usually not tried to tame mine much and they've respected people. I found that put raising a bottle fed bull. He was the meanest bull we ever had. Such a sweet calf.

Note to self: NEVER TAME A ROOSTER!!! Thanks for that info

Now I know why Gramma never had a tame rooster (every time they came near her, she'd punt it - lovingly, of course)