Arizona Chickens

[AZKat]

I've got mine on Purina Flock-Raiser, since I've got a rooster,and they seem to like it and are producing a good number of eggs, I also give supplemental oyster shell, since the Flock-Raiser doesn't have enough calcium. For treats, I feed them weeds, kitchen scraps (including meat) and black oil sunflower seeds. If I can find it on sale, I also toss out some wild bird seed, mixed with the sunflower seeds.

In other chicken news, one of my 'little girls' has started laying, I got 9 eggs today!

 

[dofnup]

Wow, I'm getting some good ideas for treats ... I have only given them table scraps a few times, and have given them worms and crickets and they go bananas over them! ... maybe I should give them bananas next time

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
This afternoon I had to pull a tarp off the brooder cage and fold it up to just be shade on the new hen. When I pulled it off, a GINORMOUS wolf spider showed himself. *scream like a little girl*, *shudder*, then grabbed our trusty speckled sussex and whatched her eat it like it was an ice cream cone - got the stuff all over her beak and ran around like she had won the prize! Eek! Glad she enjoyed it.

Yeah, mine aren't vegetarian fed.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Quote:
I used to say keep them on starter until they lay but I have learned as I do each and every day that by switching to flockraiser at about 8 weeks of age allows their systems to do what they are supposed to do rather than rely on the amprolium for so long. Amprolium is the "medicine" in medicated feed. It is a cocciostat (sp?) not an antibiotic as some think. The amprolium is only to help them build a resistance to coccidiosis which is found in the ground. All ground has it.

I add calf-manna to boost my feed because of all the good stuff in it. You can use this as 10% of their feed intake. Here is the ingredient list:

Crude Protein Min 25.00 %
Lysine Min 1.4 %
Methionine Min 0.3 %
Crude Fat Min 3.0 %
Crude Fiber Min 3.0 %
Crude Fiber Max 6.00 %
Acid Detergent Fiber Max 10.0 %
Calcium Min 0.7 %
Calcium Max 1.2 %
Phosphorus Min 0.6 %
Salt Min 0.5 %
Salt Max 1.0 %
Sodium Min 0.2 %
Sodium Max 0.4 %
Copper Min 15 ppm
Copper Max 35 ppm
Selenium Min 0.1 ppm
Zinc Min 125 ppm
Vitamin A Min 20,000 IU/lb

Soybean meal, corn, hominy feed, feeding oatmeal, dried whey, dehydrated alfalfa meal, linseed meal, brewer’s dried yeast, vegetable oil, fenugreek seed, anise oil, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, salt, sulfur, iron oxide, ferrous carbonate, ferrous sulfate, copper oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, biotin.

As for pellets, it is a personal choice nothing more. I don't want to eat little pills all day and therefore I don't want my chickens to either LOL.


Please note that you CANNOT give calf-manna to sheep because of the mineral copper. You can give it to cattle, goats, horses, poultry and so on. It smells just like licorice and comes in a pink pelleted form. I use the ice crushing feature on a blender that I bought special just for grinding it to a powder.

I also wanted to add I never and won't ever buy oyster shell. To me it is a waste of money. I save all my egg shells and crush them up and give them back to the girls that gave them to me in the first place. Their feed in combination with all the other goodies they get should be plenty of calcium.

 

[Mahonri]

Did I mention that there is a fellow in the neighborhood to the south where the chickens free range, that buys a 50 lb bag of seeds at Costco for $8.00. The chickens down there thrive and reproduce on that and grass and insects.

 

[redrocketrooster]

Quote:
CONGRATS!!!!!! :0 Can you tell which one of the girls? Hows the roo doing?

 

[joel david]

Quote:
Congrats on the new layer, I need to come get some eggs. I can't wait until mine start to lay.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I have found yet another reason not to purchase birds from McMurray. I have copied this straight from the website. I was looking at some specials that another person was asking about.

Quote:

The web site developer has 8 Barred Rock chickens and 20 Buffs in the back yard. They lay between 20 and 34 eggs a day.

 

[cluckin_crazy]

Feels good to finally have eggs. I now have 2 consistent layers, one flaky pullet who is only doing about 3 a week and I'm priviledged to be picking up Mahonri's Barred Rock tomorrow

If only I could get my 8 month old free-loading Easter Egger to lay...


Back to the feed thing - I also give the egg shells back to the girls. I have a bowl next to the stove for the shells to dry out in and then I crush them up once a week and put them out in one of those upside-down mason jar feeders. For extra protein, if there is a cracked or ugly egg, they usually get that for dinner. I have not tried the calf manna, though I've heard it's pretty wonderful stuff.

Laree, how is the hand? Got stitches yet?

 

[LarryPQ]

Yay for eggies!

I think Dozer is going broody again. I started a thread to make sure I wasn't crazy. *sigh* those little chicks are rough on her feathery coif. So, if today/tomorrow's hatch goes well, I will give her chicks. If not, I will just give her some eggs and let her do her thing.

The hand is ok, I guess. I nicked a nerve so it is doing that awful "tingly-thing" when I use the 10-key. I decided not to sew it shut after Cinnbun put his little pokey toe in there. I want it to weep if it needs to. All in all, my bum hurts worse--from limping around yesterday. Must have had a good workout. Tonight: stealing the MIL's scooter for chores. ZOOOOM!