Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[sjturner79]

KC's 5 new bubbies .



others that are 2 or 3 weeks old. I think they are all Frilkie feathered.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks Fancy ( and sjturner79 ) for your advice here and in other posts ... for the benefit of my 3 chickens.  

As you said, elsewhere, "best to keep it simple" ... I like to give them rice and oats, they  rarely get cottage cheese, but do get grated cheese once a week ( barely a small handful between 3, of finely grated mature cheese ).   The mackerel I will now give ( usually give sardines on 'fish' days, which are also not often ) ... and would never give flaxseed and canola together.   .... Too much oiliness.   With the feather oddities, and before coming on line, thought I would give them a bit of a lift with meat, some cottage cheese and a tiny bit of grated cheese, pasta and oats, and a sprinkle of scratch mix all blended and warmed, today.    They love any bowls of tucker. 

[COLOR=8B4513]I buy mince that does not have preservatives in it.   It is very easy to tell if it has or has not.   The preservative laced mince ( usually sold by Coles / Woolies etc.),stays on the shelves [/COLOR][COLOR=8B4513]and in home fridges[/COLOR][COLOR=8B4513] for many days and retains its lovely 'red' colour for the entire time.   The unpreservative mince, stays red for a day and then begins to turn brownish ( green as butchers call it ) ... from the centre out.  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]A butcher told me this some years back, so I fronted our IGA Manager a while back and asked ( he had a fresh batch in, but with marked down prices on the day old slightly turning,  packets ).   He assured me no preservatives ... and explained exactly what the butcher had told me.   There is nothing wrong, I might add, with the 'turning colour' mince, although 3 days old of brownish, I would not use.   I do buy the marked down 'turning' mince, but freeze or use it immediately.    So - as a protein source, I am happy to thaw and cook up one of my little packets of frozen "Mince for Chooks" ... and mash it up finely after cooking.  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]However, that doesn't have the omegas that fish have in them.[/COLOR]  

..........

I will try to keep things more simple from now on - perhaps greens by themselves ( inner cauliflower leaves they adore ), cabbage, and washed brussels sprouts + Young spinach leaves from my own garden.    Scratch mix once a week which has BOSS in it, so the cockatoos get any extra BOSS I bought a while back.  ...... And simpler "Mum" tucker.

Had a good look at the website you gave a link to, and will most likely purchase some on line ( I don't do buying on line, but think I will have to reconsider that now, and for other things as well ).   The anatone sounds excellent, and it has the correct amount to give chickens on there too.    

The game bird finisher sounds great - ( and thanks to sjturner79 for that suggestion too )  perhaps offered as just something else they can choose to peck at, in a very small chook feeder bowl.  

Cheers ....... and again, thank you.   

Mine had pumpkin smash today , served it warm even the babies enjoyed it. Hubby was introduced to the anatone by a lovely vet at Werribee 2 years ago. She was camping next to them at Aus champs and had nasty leg injury with one of her horses, hubby helped her with some dressings and gave her some supplies. She so appreciated his new information on wound care that she gave him a 5 litre drum of anatone. Apparently she was the Australian rep . We have used it since at the first sign of trouble. It's only recently that I became aware of its use for other animals.

The game bird finisher is a little expensive but with your flock it would last a while. As with all chook food , just be sure to store it well and prevent moisture and sunlight from depleting the nutritional goodness in it.

 

[SilkieChickStar]

What age would you recommend chicks be introduced to older hens and pullets?

My silkies and the Belgian are 9 weeks old now, and outside.

They are still separate to the older three chickens though. And look too little to me atm to introduce.

Thoughts?

 

[Fancychooklady]

What age would you recommend chicks be introduced to older hens and pullets?

My silkies and the Belgian are 9 weeks old now, and outside.

They are still separate to the older three chickens though. And look too little to me atm to introduce.

Thoughts?

Silkies in particular can be a bit tricky, especially if they have vaulted skulls. The risk of peck injury to the head is great. I personally tend to keep most of the bantams separate from my large fowl.
Introductions are usually only done once the youngsters are of equal or similar size.

 

[SilkieChickStar]

Silkies in particular can be a bit tricky, especially if they have vaulted skulls. The risk of peck injury to the head is great. I personally tend to keep most of the bantams separate from my large fowl.
Introductions are usually only done once the youngsters are of equal or similar size.

All of my chickens are bantams, so no large fowl here. However I am thinking I want the silkies bigger before they all integrate

 

[sjturner79]

What age would you recommend chicks be introduced to older hens and pullets?

My silkies and the Belgian are 9 weeks old now, and outside.

They are still separate to the older three chickens though. And look too little to me atm to introduce.

Thoughts?

I find they usually get picked on less if I introduce the little ones as soon as the are able to survive outside. The chicks naturally accept that they belong on the bottom of the pecking order and the hens tend to leave them be as long as there is enough space and multiple food and water. They then take on moving up the pecking order when they feel up to it.

If I let them get big then they believe they belong at the top of the pecking order and will pick fights with all the established chooks, causing a huge shakeup with much greater chance of serious injuries.

 

[satay]

KC's 5 new bubbies . others that are 2 or 3 weeks old. I think they are all Frilkie feathered.

Oh they are cute.

 

[satay]

Millie hatch. 4 eggs set originally 1 not fertile and all 3 fertile hatched. 2 off to the brooder and 1 still drying out., Fancy and appps are first time mums

 

[satay]

What age would you recommend chicks be introduced to older hens and pullets?

My silkies and the Belgian are 9 weeks old now, and outside.

They are still separate to the older three chickens though. And look too little to me atm to introduce.

Thoughts?

I generally keep my bantams separate from my larger hens. Bidda my lavender Belgians is the smallest in size of any of my Belgians and she has no problems chasing the marans out of an area if she decides that's her space to range today. I think it depends on the attitude of each type. In saying that my Pekins have happily lived with my turkeys for years.

 

[Fancychooklady]

All of my chickens are bantams, so no large fowl here. However I am thinking I want the silkies bigger before they all integrate

In that case I'd still wait until they are of similar size to the older birds. It's different when they are chaperoned by mum as she will defend them . My coronation Sussex 12 week old chicks are co existing with the main flock but they have their own coop and are in a 30x 30m pen. Even so if they get under the big girls they cop it, had blood drawn yesterday.