bruising on goose webbing?

[wildharvesthomestead]

I haven't been able to clean my bedding otu cause of the snow and its stressing me out! I'm hoping we get a thaw soon.

LOL TODDLERS WITH WINGS!

But yeah it should be fine as long as they aren't plucking too hard, or causing raw spots. Sometimes girls will take a gander role if none is present. I have a mature hen who has taken that on and taught some of my newer ganders what mounting was. I was worried back a few months seeing her do it like did I buy another gander?? But now into breeding season things have sorted their way out

idk what you use for bedding but I'm actually really liking pine flakes on top of compressed pine pellets--they poop in the flakes, the flakes absorb the liquid, it freezes into a clump, and I just go around with a bucket and a trowel and flick the frozen clumps into the bucket, then top up with fresh flakes as needed and dump the bucket on the compost pile. I'm shocked at how not disgusting it is in there. This is our first winter with them but my plan is to rake the whole thing out in the spring and start over with whole fresh layers of pellets + flakes. I'm hoping the nitrogen in the poop and the carbon in the bedding makes for some killer compost!

 

[Pumperkinz]

idk what you use for bedding but I'm actually really liking pine flakes on top of compressed pine pellets--they poop in the flakes, the flakes absorb the liquid, it freezes into a clump, and I just go around with a bucket and a trowel and flick the frozen clumps into the bucket, then top up with fresh flakes as needed and dump the bucket on the compost pile. I'm shocked at how not disgusting it is in there. This is our first winter with them but my plan is to rake the whole thing out in the spring and start over with whole fresh layers of pellets + flakes. I'm hoping the nitrogen in the poop and the carbon in the bedding makes for some killer compost!

Bottom is fine flake/large flake mix. And top is a massive hay layer for heat


IF you can find fine flake for the bottom its so good for water absorption and smell! But I like hay as they can nestle into it and keep warmer. At least that's what others in colder areas do so I followed their methods.

 

[wildharvesthomestead]

Bottom is fine flake/large flake mix. And top is a massive hay layer for heat


IF you can find fine flake for the bottom its so good for water absorption and smell! But I like hay as they can nestle into it and keep warmer. At least that's what others in colder areas do so I followed their methods.

I've always been so wary of hay with my girls because they eat EVERYTHING when bored (especially when shut up in the shed for the night) and I was worried about them getting blockages. If they ever start to seem too cold in the deep shavings though I'm gonna try it and just hope for the best.

 

[Pumperkinz]

I've always been so wary of hay with my girls because they eat EVERYTHING when bored (especially when shut up in the shed for the night) and I was worried about them getting blockages. If they ever start to seem too cold in the deep shavings though I'm gonna try it and just hope for the best.

From my knowledge it is really hard to get a blockage unless they just eat a ton of rocks etc.

But the way their crop is set up everything passes through them so quickly. I mean straw in the coop. They do have hay down in a corner they like to build nests out of so that's why I leave a little bit.

 

[NatJ]

I've always been so wary of hay with my girls because they eat EVERYTHING when bored (especially when shut up in the shed for the night) and I was worried about them getting blockages. If they ever start to seem too cold in the deep shavings though I'm gonna try it and just hope for the best.

If you are worried about them eating hay, maybe you could start using hay for bedding in the summertime, when there are lots of other things to eat that probably taste better (like fresh grass.)

That way, by winter when there are fewer things to eat, the hay is familiar instead of being a novelty. Hopefully that would keep them from eating too much at a time ("too much" being so much it causes problems, whatever amount that may be.)

 

[wildharvesthomestead]

If you are worried about them eating hay, maybe you could start using hay for bedding in the summertime, when there are lots of other things to eat that probably taste better (like fresh grass.)

That way, by winter when there are fewer things to eat, the hay is familiar instead of being a novelty. Hopefully that would keep them from eating too much at a time ("too much" being so much it causes problems, whatever amount that may be.)

ooo good idea!