BYC Café

[cheepteach]

The bright light helps me feel better too! So does being DONE with taxes for another year!

yes! we had ours done last week. Around here, you have to have them done by March 1 to re-qualify for farm/agriculture tax rebate for property taxes. NY is a tax nightmare!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I wasn't suggesting you shouldn't feed them. I still feed the chickens here three times a day with an 18% protein, 1% calcium all flock type feed.
Even in winter here, okay, we don't get the big snow and big freeze like you do, but the chickens still forage for about 40% of their shit weight to commercial feed intake. In effect this means one doesn't really have any control over their diet, unless one is going to tube feed, or force feed to ensure a particular hen gets a particular amount of anything.

How did you figure out how much commercial feed they eat vs. how much they eat free ranging? 40% in the winter is amazing. Do you know what it is in the summer, too?

I was wondering why you got an incubator. More trouble than they are worth if you have roosters and hens that go broody.
Predation takes care of population increases here in general. Only one or two hens have ever managed to get all their chicks to adulthood. With most the loss rate is about 50% to 60% around the time they introduce them into their tribes.
Harsh, but it's the way chicken life is free ranging. If you limit the clutch size with the predation rate in mind; I usually limit from 4 to 6 eggs you can roughly estimate your next years laying pullets.
Chicks like the one with the damaged/stuck umbilical cord or shrink wraped get left at the nest by the mothers. She only takes those who can follow her when she's decided that it's time to go. I usually kill the chicks left behind rather than let them die naturally. Not a pleasant task.
So, why did you incubate if you don't mind me asking?

No, don't mind at all. Though, it's a bit difficult to find a quick answer.

And after having written a bunch of blather, I guess the hard truth is: I feel bad and I want to feel better. I needed something to focus on and then I got that pretty blue egg and wah-lah! Ordered an incubator. I'm not one to do things on a whim and I never intended to incubate chicks before a few weeks ago, but...anyway. Not to be all sad-sacky on you, just struggling and trying to work through it in my own way 'cuz that's the only way I know how.

Of course, we know these types of quick fixes are fleeting. Worth a shot.

I have much the same experience as you do: the chicks that hatch and live to adulthood haven't ever substantially increased numbers. The only thing that I have to deal with now (that I never thought I'd be able to) is dispatching excess cockerels. It's not any fun, but it's fulfilling in a way. I don't need to purchase any meat that we didn't raise.

Now if I could only figure out how to rid my garden of weeds...I could really be self-sufficient foodwise!

Maybe I need to find edible weeds...

 

[ronott1]

I am so sorry; of course I did not mean to offend anyone here. By way of defense, trope isn't an offensive word in the UK; see e.g. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trope

It is ok!

 

[ronott1]

How did you figure out how much commercial feed they eat vs. how much they eat free ranging? 40% in the winter is amazing. Do you know what it is in the summer, too?

No, don't mind at all. Though, it's a bit difficult to find a quick answer.

And after having written a bunch of blather, I guess the hard truth is: I feel bad and I want to feel better. I needed something to focus on and then I got that pretty blue egg and wah-lah! Ordered an incubator. I'm not one to do things on a whim and I never intended to incubate chicks before a few weeks ago, but...anyway. Not to be all sad-sacky on you, just struggling and trying to work through it in my own way 'cuz that's the only way I know how.

Of course, we know these types of quick fixes are fleeting. Worth a shot.

I have much the same experience as you do: the chicks that hatch and live to adulthood haven't ever substantially increased numbers. The only thing that I have to deal with now (that I never thought I'd be able to) is dispatching excess cockerels. It's not any fun, but it's fulfilling in a way. I don't need to purchase any meat that we didn't raise.

Now if I could only figure out how to rid my garden of weeds...I could really be self-sufficient foodwise!

Maybe I need to find edible weeds...

Don't feel bad!

Your chickens are taken care of well.

Like I posted about the salmon, niacin is an issue in a lot of places.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Morning and thanks for the coffee! I feel like I need it today.
We have the standard 50mph breeze starting up in a bit, I can see the trees starting to move. My cat spent the evening on the stairs growling at the cow dog. He misses having the run of the house and morning coffee! I gave him a can of wet food to make up for it.
The dogs get crated at night, one set to make sure the cat doesn't attack them and the other one is an unknown possible cat chaser, very likely not going to back down if my cat decides to have an attitude in motion!
Enjoy the day, Cafe! How are the chicks this am, Meg?

Is it actually common at 50mph, Margie? I would lose my marbles in that kind of wind!

Chicks are doing well! Little stargazer is all better. Everyone's flicking chick food from one end of the box to the other. I had to break the one out that pipped yesterday, it's finally up on it's feet cheeping like a madman. I think it has a malformed wing. Need to take a closer look tonight.

I think the humidity was too low. Lots to learn.

@aart You know how they fixed the old Nurture Rights so that the chicks didn't get their heads in the fan? That last one had it's feet straight in the air and stuck a toe in it. Sounded like it was in a shredder and I panicked and yanked him out of the incubator, certain the toe was a goner. It was fine...not even a mark. But jeez Louise

 

[sourland]

I am so sorry; of course I did not mean to offend anyone here. By way of defense, trope isn't an offensive word in the UK; see e.g. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trope

No problem here. On a daily basis I find truly offensive things if I choose to be offended.

 

[Sally PB]

Maybe I need to find edible weeds...

The first "crop" I get out of my garden is weeds. I love lamb's quarter; it's like very tender spinach. Purslane is good, and so is red rooted pigweed.

Dang, I'm looking forward to weeds. For me and the chickens.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Cafe or Afternoon, got up really late.
Kinda throws the day off.

 

[CLSranch]

I actually got up earlier (well on time) today and still was hours late on leaving to go ride a horse for somebody. Finally decided it just wasn't going to happen today.
Things did not go my way this morning. ehh it happens.

 

[ronott1]

I actually got up earlier (well on time) today and still was hours late on leaving to go ride a horse for somebody. Finally decided it just wasn't going to happen today.
Things did not go my way this morning. ehh it happens.

I hope the weekend is better!