California - Northern

[chiqita]

...

On the song: I know! I would sing it and wonder if I'm just making up words cause I wasn't sure what they were saying! Thanks @chiqita
- it all makes sense now. kind of gross about the chunder tho. And CUTE puppy!! Is it a poodle/maltese cross?

Yup he surely is! Good guess. Maltipoo is what they call a mutt when they want to charge more.


So okay another question. I just opened my bag of chicken food and it has a bunch of those small brown beetles in it. Can I feed this or not? I know they eat bugs all day long but i vaguely recall something about not feeding buggy food? Anyone??

I think the same thing but also don't know why. Is it mouldy?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ali - All Pets Boarding in Loomis has a really nice daytime care for dogs. I've boarded my dog there several times and they are wonderful.

 

[chrissyr]

Quote: Hi Ali707, i think it was your question about the bugs, but got squished in my quote.
Do you know what they are?
I raise mealworms. But from the mealworm thread I've learned the variety you buy are a bit different than your average variety found in bags of animal feed. They are a different species and aren't as aggressive. The wild kind you get in your feed bags can take over and live in the hen house, and be a real problem. But the main thing is SUPPOSEDLY, the mealworms you buy are supposed to carry less parasites and disease. I guess because your supposed to know where they've been and what they've been eating. For example wild bugs are in the parasite cycle.
My birds do free range and will get worms because of it, but I'd rather them not eat bugs that are carriers. But what are you gonna do?
If they are mealworm beetles, I would try to avoid them because of the parasite carrier thing personally. Plus you don't want that kind thriving around your coop area.
But if they are boweevils (sp?), in the fall its kind of unavoidable. My organic feed mill gets them every year. Either way food grade DE sprinkled in the feed will kill them. Just make sure the food isn't moldy.
Do you know which they are?
Here is the mealworm thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/492636/mealworm-farming/6390#post_12424138

 

[Ali707]

Darn I am on my phone and having issues with getting an example to upload here. If you google grain beetle the pictures that show up most frequently look like these. Tiny reddish beetles and it keeps just calling them a grain beetle.

Yeah that would really stink if the got into the coop but they are looking for grain and I don't have a lit of food spillage in the coop. What to do? I am out of food. The food store wont take it back I am sure because I don't have the receipt. Bah!!!!!! I have only had it for a week unopened in my garage. I don't think that is enough time to have them infest from my place.

I remember something about the bugs that make a web like material in the grain and the birds can have issues from that but aside from the beetles I don't see that webby type stuff that can come from that other bug. Or maybe it is the same bug and they just haven't built the web stuff yet.

 

[Ali707]

Ali - All Pets Boarding in Loomis has a really nice daytime care for dogs. I've boarded my dog there several times and they are wonderful.

Thanks! I sort of looked in to them. They just have odd pick up hours. Only time in the afternoon is from 4-6? Okay so I need to get him at 3 I am s.o.l? Lol

I am waiting for a call back from them. Do you have a big or small dog? One other place won't take him until he has had his last set of shots. So two more weeks for that one.

 

[chrissyr]

Darn I am on my phone and having issues with getting an example to upload here. If you google grain beetle the pictures that show up most frequently look like these. Tiny reddish beetles and it keeps just calling them a grain beetle.

Yeah that would really stink if the got into the coop but they are looking for grain and I don't have a lit of food spillage in the coop. What to do? I am out of food. The food store wont take it back I am sure because I don't have the receipt. Bah!!!!!! I have only had it for a week unopened in my garage. I don't think that is enough time to have them infest from my place.

I remember something about the bugs that make a web like material in the grain and the birds can have issues from that but aside from the beetles I don't see that webby type stuff that can come from that other bug. Or maybe it is the same bug and they just haven't built the web stuff yet.

Well I did google grain beetles and they are mealworms. I don't think they'll make your birds sick, as long as there isnt mold. Maybe someone else can put input on that. But remember, they're probably carriers of parasites.In a colony, you want to avoid mold because it will kill the worms. So I'm guessing there shouldn't be any in your food. But double check. You can post on the mealworm thread, Gallo de Cielo is kind of the "Ron" on there and is a wealth of information.
I think your main problem is keeping them from escaping. The wild ones will thrive. And if you have beetles, at the bottom of that bag I would guess you have LOTs of worms. Others have posted questions on that thread because there are articles on how bad the wild ones are around a chicken coop. DE would kill them in a couple of days in your bag, at least on the top where they touch it.
I would try to take it back even without the receipt. Especially if you buy from them often. If they say no, I would talk to a manager and let them know you frequent their store.
I, personally- If I were out of food. I would get some and take out as much worms/ beetles as I could and feed them.And then try to take the rest back. A good store will. Like I said, even earthworms are parasite carriers. It just kind of makes me cringe knowing that. Even as I watch them eat earthworms.
Hopefully someone else can lay your fears to rest.

 

[chrissyr]

@Ali707 - before you decide, I would call your store tomorrow and see about returning it. It won't hurt your birds to go without breakfast or lunch in the mean time. They won't be happy, but it won't hurt.

 

[ronott1]

@Ali707 - before you decide, I would call your store tomorrow and see about returning it. It won't hurt your birds to go without breakfast or lunch in the mean time. They won't be happy, but it won't hurt.

X2!

 

[member 142084]

Tell me please you fine people:

1)Do you process your dual purpose cockerels at or around 20 weeks?

2) Do you let them free range then pen them for a couple of weeks right before?

3) If I take them and Beakface out of the Broody pen and put them back in the big coop should Ozzie play nice with the boys even after BF kicks em to the curb?...they hatched in his coop and have been ranging together their whole lives so he knows them well.

4) And lastly I have been feeding an all purpose pellet 20% protein and no added calcium but should I switch to a grower? Are the the same?

I am pretty sure I am looking at two cockerels at least in the broody pen and since this will be my first experience raising them past 6 weeks I was hoping you could advise me.

I will post new pics of the kids at the end of the week. The mutt is silver/blue cuckoo. The Wys have more feathers than they did but are still absurdly downy for nearly 6 week olds.

My next untried broody will get just CA grey eggs so I can see if the Mix with Ozzie produces a silver sex link.

Beakface will hopefully get some NH eggs from Deb next time she is broody.

My Orps are dual purpose. I have butchered that at a year and the meat was still good. Plus they were bigger. Mine get turn out time and fed normally. The layer pellets, since I don't want a million feeds, scratch, and scraps. All complete feeds and non-GMO from Modesto Milling. By the way honestly one roast chicken lasts by family of 5, 2-3 days. the meat is very filling in this feed. hen again we only eat meat 1-2 xs a day and I mix what type of course.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ali - All Pets Boarding in Loomis has a really nice daytime care for dogs. I've boarded my dog there several times and they are wonderful.

Thanks! I sort of looked in to them. They just have odd pick up hours. Only time in the afternoon is from 4-6? Okay so I need to get him at 3 I am s.o.l? Lol

I am waiting for a call back from them. Do you have a big or small dog? One other place won't take him until he has had his last set of shots. So two more weeks for that one.

I have a large dog. I've boarded her there when we go on vacation.

On the buggy feed, if you can return it, then do. But I have fed feed with those small beetles in it occasionally, and have not had any issues. They eat bugs anyway. Definitely make sure it's not moldy. Botulism can kill chickens.