Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[gilavina]

Fully understand !

Trying to find the time myself to go through the Marans pens to thin them out,,,,, and the cold weather coming is taking up all the daylight hours I get after work.

I'd love to see pics of what you're growing out if you can find the time to get them and post ! Always nice " eye candy "

I put few up on the regular Marans thread within the last week, and am hoping if all goes well today with the training at the new job, I'll be home with a couple of hours to spare before it gets dark to do some sorting myself and maybe have time for some photos.

 

[Wynette]

I put few up on the regular Marans thread within the last week, and am hoping if all goes well today with the training at the new job, I'll be home with a couple of hours to spare before it gets dark to do some sorting myself and maybe have time for some photos.

Congrats on your new job! I'm not keen on this time of year, as it's dark when I leave for work, and I only have a couple hours of light when I get home.

 

[Wynette]

Brada Puhi - chunky little ones you have there! It looks like many have pure white leg fuzz...that will likely equate to white shank feathering, which is not something you'll want to use for breeding. Hope I'm wrong, but just wanted to mention it.

 

[gilavina]

Congrats on your new job! I'm not keen on this time of year, as it's dark when I leave for work, and I only have a couple hours of light when I get home.

Thanks Wynette,
Its been a long time coming to find a job with full benefits, tailored to my degrees and interests. When I moved back right after finishing my Masters, it was right at the economic downturn, so have been making do, but would not have without the huge garden and poultry to cover the majority of the food costs and etc.
That leads me to another question for everyone. Does anyone run a fodder system for their birds? I'm very strongly thinking on switching over the majority of the diet to it, and have been researching quite a bit. I also have Mangels(root and tops), chard, kale, collards, and a ton of other winter hardy greens I grow for them. I've read a ton of the nutritional analysis on fodder and it is quite impressive and with one pound of grain yielding 6 pounds of fodder on average, I can't help but explore further.

 

[Wynette]

There's a ton of info on the Natural Chickenkeeping thread on fodder - I also get a catalog called (I think) FarmTek, and this last one, I see they sell complete fodder systems. Very interesting stuff, and I've been wanting to find out more about it, too!

 

[gilavina]

There's a ton of info on the Natural Chickenkeeping thread on fodder - I also get a catalog called (I think) FarmTek, and this last one, I see they sell complete fodder systems. Very interesting stuff, and I've been wanting to find out more about it, too!

I never even thought of farmtek having a full fodder system set up in a kit per say. I use them for a lot of garden stuff. I am not sure how techy I want to go at the moment, but would like to do more than I am at the moment. I have an ooooooold metal oat sprouter cabinet with trays and etc that has been in my dad's family for a long time and brought it down out of the hay mount to use last year. It works well, but it only has three trays and need to expand the amount I grow. Doing math, I could feed birds potentially, once I get things tweaked and etc for probably about 5 bucks a day, which is a fraction of what I'm doing now.

 

[DMRippy]

I would LOVE to grow fodder. I think the down fall for me is they are quick to mold. in the summer here that is a huge problem here. sprouting might be an option. VICKI I think you posted it on FB where someone used a pallet vertical to grow plants in. I MIGHT could do that but still a HUGE undertaking with 300-400 birds. one day I will figure it out!

 

[Wynette]

DM, with that many you're feeding, fodder would be awesome for you - you should check those systems out that FarmTek offers. I'm sure other places have them as well; they even have a chart showing which system will feed how many. Pretty neat.

 

[gilavina]

I would LOVE to grow fodder. I think the down fall for me is they are quick to mold. in the summer here that is a huge problem here. sprouting might be an option. VICKI I think you posted it on FB where someone used a pallet vertical to grow plants in. I MIGHT could do that but still a HUGE undertaking with 300-400 birds. one day I will figure it out!

yeah, I'll have to see if I can find that. Do you have a basement in your home? If so, that would be your best bet. For now while I'm still researching, I'm planning on using the black seed trays I use for starting seeds and nesting two together, one with holes set inside one without to be able to soak the seeds once a day and then put them on a greenhouse mesh shelving where they can drain to keep from molding.

 

[DMRippy]

DM, with that many you're feeding, fodder would be awesome for you - you should check those systems out that FarmTek offers.  I'm sure other places have them as well; they even have a chart showing which system will feed how many.  Pretty neat.

there is a thread on BYC for fodder I followed itbforbmonths and researched it tons. I would LOVE to buy one but they are a a small fortune! I think....we'll the ones they use for cattle are. would need a BIG system. I can build one and if I used oxine I might could keep the mold at bay..just too busy right now. moving selling a house but trying to stream line chickens too.