California - Northern

[caychris]

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[Audio51]

Quote: I do smaller batches since I have fewer chickens and mine is drier. I only have water over the top when I first mix it up. Mine is between peanut butter and cookie dough in consistency. I add scratch and BOSS to mine. I am also using organic now. It was layer until I added the chicks to the flock...now they are all on organic starter. Mine love it too and knock me over or try to jump up and knock the bucket out of my hands when I bring it in. As for the smell....I actually like it. It is kind of a sourdough smell to me...... a little sweet and a little sour. I can only smell it when I open the bucket though. Mine is in my dining room right off the kitchen and I never smell it unless I have the lid off stirring or serving it up.

 

[CackleJoy]

I do smaller batches since I have fewer chickens and mine is drier. I only have water over the top when I first mix it up. Mine is between peanut butter and cookie dough in consistency. I add scratch and BOSS to mine. I am also using organic now. It was layer until I added the chicks to the flock...now they are all on organic starter. Mine love it too and knock me over or try to jump up and knock the bucket out of my hands when I bring it in. As for the smell....I actually like it. It is kind of a sourdough smell to me...... a little sweet and a little sour. I can only smell it when I open the bucket though. Mine is in my dining room right off the kitchen and I never smell it unless I have the lid off stirring or serving it up.

I wondered about adding the BOSS but the chickens love it for treats too.

I'm what is known as a super smeller. It's horrible. I smell things other people don't. This means what is only slightly offensive to someone might actually give ME a head ache.

Imagine the trials of this smelling ability and having teenagers.

I've had to drive with the window down more than once.

 

[caychris]

I wondered about adding the BOSS but the chickens love it for treats too.

I'm what is known as a super smeller. It's horrible. I smell things other people don't. This means what is only slightly offensive to someone might actually give ME a head ache.

Imagine the trials of this smelling ability and having teenagers.

I've had to drive with the window down more than once.

I have a friend that is a super taster. He could never understand why others liked vegetables.

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
What is a "Peanut Packer"? I haven't hear that term before.

Quote:
I hadn't heard about the soy thing either. Always learning something new here...

Quote: Standard Apple Cider VInegar (ACV) has been filtered and no longer has "Starter" in it. Look for Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. The grocery store will carry it where they have the organic food and the gluten-free stuff. It's about $3 or $4 a bottle. You will see a sludge in the bottom. That is "The Mother". You can use any kind of crumbles/pellets/mash in your ferment including medicated. It doesn't have any negative impact. The fermenting process makes it easier to digest and releases nutrients. They consume less (average of 50% less feed), poops are drier and less stinky, less waste, glossy feathers and generally healthier birds (in my opinion). The fermentation is NOT an alcohol ferment though. You are not giving your birds something that will make them drunk. There is a very long and excellent thread that tells you everyhing you could ever want to know about it here on BYC https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them. @Beekissed has done a lot of study on the process and can pretty much answer anything you might want to know. The main thing is to keep it simple. Starter is not required, but does speed up the process in the beginning. You don't need to add it to evey batch unless you are starting from scratch every time. If you leave a bit of the old batch in when you start the new one it will ferment again on day 1. I use the double bucket method so there is always plenty of the good slimy "Scooby" (sp?) underneath to get the next batch going.

 

[CackleJoy]

What is a "Peanut Packer"? I haven't hear that term before.

I hadn't heard about the soy thing either. Always learning something new here...
Standard Apple Cider VInegar (ACV) has been filtered and no longer has "Starter" in it. Look for Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. The grocery store will carry it where they have the organic food and the gluten-free stuff. It's about $3 or $4 a bottle. You will see a sludge in the bottom. That is "The Mother". You can use any kind of crumbles/pellets/mash in your ferment including medicated. It doesn't have any negative impact. The fermenting process makes it easier to digest and releases nutrients. They consume less (average of 50% less feed), poops are drier and less stinky, less waste, glossy feathers and generally healthier birds (in my opinion). The fermentation is NOT an alcohol ferment though. You are not giving your birds something that will make them drunk. There is a very long and excellent thread that tells you everyhing you could ever want to know about it here on BYC https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them. @Beekissed has done a lot of study on the process and can pretty much answer anything you might want to know. The main thing is to keep it simple. Starter is not required, but does speed up the process in the beginning. You don't need to add it to evey batch unless you are starting from scratch every time. If you leave a bit of the old batch in when you start the new one it will ferment again on day 1. I use the double bucket method so there is always plenty of the good slimy "Scooby" (sp?) underneath to get the next batch going.

A peanut packer is an extra chick sent to help keep shipped chicks warm.

I should have known there would be a thread dedicated to fermented feed! Didn't even think to look. Thank you!

 

[Flowers of Abba]

I wondered about adding the BOSS but the chickens love it for treats too.

I'm what is known as a super smeller.  It's horrible.  I smell things other people don't.  This means what is only slightly offensive to someone might actually give ME a head ache.

Imagine the trials of this smelling ability and having teenagers.     I've had to drive with the window down more than once.

Haha my kids run for it when I'm " serving breakfast" for the birds! Stinky by day two. I put a mix of the layer, millet, whatever grains I have in the pantry ( this batch was hard red wheat) and boss. Boss floats so if your leaving it more than a day or two it aids moldy yucky stuff. I just keep the lid on tight and every day or two start a new batch in rotation. I guess I'm doing a mix of sprouting/ fermenting.... But sprinkled with cayenne and garlic they love us. The bonus is they're easier to catch because they always think we have goodies

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Oh man..you poor thing. There are a few things I can smell more easily than others...like ketones on someones breath if they are diabetic and not well controlled....or natural gas leaks. When I was a Vet Tech and worked in a dome shaped building, we would have meetings in the upstairs "apartment". They had a gas heater that had been hooked up where the flue had been when there was a wood stove in there. For several weeks every time we would go up there I would smell gas. I kept telling the owner I smell it and they should get it checked. No one else smelled it and they kept telling me I was crazy. They finally caved in and had PG&E come out, and sure enough...there was a leak.! They never doubted me again!

 

[Kaylish]

That is good to know! I did find a gallon ziplock I had for the ducklings. It should hold me over until I can get to Chico..

I was goin to say "Wow...that's a lot of eggs" Then I remembered I still have 36 coming next week and have 12 to set this morning. I am also expecting some very dark Marans eggs as soon as fertility tests are done.

They all look like boys to me. If any is a pullet it might be #2, but I think even that one is a cockerel. What are their tail feathers like? If they are all pretty subby like #3, I'd be willing to put money on all being boys...

#2 & #3 have stubby tails, #1 & #4 got tails about a week earlier so I was thinking I had 2/2...then the combs started changing

I have a couple of laying pullets I would be willing to part with. They are about a year old. Not super dark eggs but at the beginning of the cycle they were laying about a 5 on the color chart. I have one pullet that is avout3 months od that I hatched from eggs from Chickengirl but she is not at POL so not sure how dark her eggs will be. I rehomed the cockerels I got from that clutch. I am also waiting for some very dark eggs from Tennesee as soon as the breeder determines fertility. If I have extras from them I would be willing to share. PM me if you are interested in the layer. I could bring one or both down to chick maybe as soon as tomorrow.

Thanx! No room for an older girl right now. My 3 layers have maxed out the "tractor" and I'm just getting started on the large coop. Plan is to grow the babies out in the big coop until I can add my big girls in. But that means in about 3 weeks I'll have an empty brooder!

Acceptable?

You are a BCM snob

Sorry, I don't have any pullet chicks right now.

No problem! I'm starting to think that I can just use this as an excuse to get an incubator now.

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Ahh..now I remember that term! I think I have heard it used here before.

You're welcome on the thread. I have learned so much there. It gets little technical sometimes, and some times argumentative because someone always wants to complicate it by arguing about this enzyme and that enzyme, but Bee is good at getting things back under control. If there is someone sturring things up when I go to the hread I just come back in a day or 2 and things are back on track.