California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

YAY! My red bourbon turkey eggs will be here today! My hens are defying me and not broody of course so I'm bring the eggs over to Sac area for a friend of mine to incubate. I hope we get some babies!

That's Great! I loved having Bourbon Reds. Good Luck. Will you sell processed birds?


ETA what is the hen in you Avatar and do you have more like her???

 

[chrissyr]

For all you duck people out there...

SOOO cute!!

 

[chrissyr]

Anyone do fermented feed? Especially for chicks?
Heard lots of great things but I remember reading last year on a thread someone's chicks dying and they thought the ff may have been moldy. I don't rember the details but heard people say to not do ff for chicks. Any thoughts? Trying to make the best decision

 

[tommysgirl]

Anyone do fermented feed? Especially for chicks?
Heard lots of great things but I remember reading last year on a thread someone's chicks dying and they thought the ff may have been moldy. I don't rember the details but heard people say to not do ff for chicks. Any thoughts? Trying to make the best decision

I have given all of this season's babies FF. I have had no trouble with mold but I know some people do...I don't think most of them live in places that are as dry as we are. I use one bucket. I stir it daily at least once sometimes more if it is more full it gets more stirring. I add water if it has all been absorbed I add more feed when it gets to be about half full. I make sure there is always some liquid on top

I think where people get into trouble is they don't stir enough or the don't add water. If it is hot and there is not enough liquid and there are pockets that aren't being disturbed so they become airless, bacteria and/or mold will grow. I have been really happy with it. FAR less waste. they get in there and they try to scratch it but it moves around instead of flying out. My birds all look sleek except for the feather breakage from mating and healthy and they really like it.

If you are good about checking it stirring it and adding water it is a breeze. I keep a gallon jug of water next to my FF bucket and just add more and stir when I feed if needed.

 

[chrissyr]

I have given all of this season's babies FF.  I have had no trouble with mold but I know some people do...I don't think most of them live in places that are as dry as we are.  I use one bucket.  I stir it daily at least once sometimes more if it is more full it gets more stirring.  I add water if it has all been absorbed I add more feed when it gets to be about half full. I make sure there is always some liquid on top

I think where people get into trouble is they don't stir enough or the don't add water.   If it is hot and there is not enough liquid and there are pockets that aren't being disturbed so they become airless, bacteria and/or mold will grow.   I have been really happy with it.   FAR less waste.  they get in there and they try to scratch it but it moves around instead of flying out.  My birds all look sleek except for the feather breakage from mating and healthy and they really like it.

If you are good about checking it stirring it and adding water it is a breeze.   I keep a gallon jug of water next to my FF bucket and just add more and stir when I feed if needed.

Thank you for all of the info
Now on adding water: does that work for chick start or layer feed?
Grains I can drain off but those feeds would just get too soupy, right?

 

[tommysgirl]

Thank you for all of the info

Now on adding water: does that work for chick start or layer feed?
Grains I can drain off but those feeds would just get too soupy, right?

You are very welcome.

I give everyone a starter/grower because I have all ages and both sexes. My FF is a blend of mostly GMO free 25% Turkey/Gamebird grower and a scoop or so of 22% multi purpose poultry pellet both by Bar Ale. I toss organic scratch in some times and also BOSS if I have it on hand. Sometimes it is soupy but I let the liquid drain out a bit...you could scoop it with a sieve or colander if you wanted but I just give it to them. it drys out eventually and I figure there are good probiotics in the liquid anyway. Oh I glug (it's a technical term you know

) some ACV in there too. I don't know if it accelerates fermentation but it doesn'thurt anything so what the heck! also after a few days you may notice a white webby looking scum on the top...in spite of what it looks like that is your FRIEND. you want it there...kind of like mother in vinegar looks disgusting but it's the good stuff.





Looks yummy right?

I am happy that I started to ferment. I was intimidated at first but I sought out chicken sources off BYC where I wouldn't get so many divergent opinions and then I did the one that seemed easiest. It works for us. Good Luck!

 

[PGRanch]

That's Great! I loved having Bourbon Reds. Good Luck. Will you sell processed birds?


ETA what is the hen in you Avatar and do you have more like her???

I will likely sell processed birds. We sell our processed rabbits right now so I'm sure turkeys won't be that much harder to do

That hen was a freebie from a friend of mine. I suspected she was a cochin/cochin mix of some sort. She died a few months ago from being egg bound. I dont' have any like her or related to her, unfortunately.

 

[PetRock]

I will likely sell processed birds. We sell our processed rabbits right now so I'm sure turkeys won't be that much harder to do

That hen was a freebie from a friend of mine. I suspected she was a cochin/cochin mix of some sort. She died a few months ago from being egg bound. I dont' have any like her or related to her, unfortunately.

She looks a lot like my blue Langshans only mine have longer legs. Maybe you need a blue Langshan pullet, Barbara!

 

[PetRock]

I could use some advice! I was not planning on purchasing shipped eggs again at least not this year after my last shipped eggs bad hatch experience. But RoPo put up some of her BBS Langshan eggs up for sale! I've had some of her birds and 2 of my favorite roosters were from her line. I have a plethora of black Langshan chicks mostly from the trio from Sherry Parker but I really love the blues and splash. Anyway, I bought the eggs and they arrived this afternoon. Now, how do you recommend that I set them for hatch? I unpacked them and have them sitting large end up. I started reading the shipped egg thread but I don't have time to read over 200 pages to make sure I didn't miss anything. Ron, has anything changed in what you recommend since the first 23 pages of that thread? Also, I have 5 eggs that have poop on them and 1 egg with a tiny hole in the shell. Should I clean the dirty ones or dip them in oxine? I was planning on putting super glue on the hole. Would wax work better? Should I put oxine on the spot first? I've hatched out over 200 chicks this year so it is silly to be so nervous about these shipped eggs but I am. I just want to give them the best chance of hatching that I can!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I could use some advice! I was not planning on purchasing shipped eggs again at least not this year after my last shipped eggs bad hatch experience. But RoPo put up some of her BBS Langshan eggs up for sale! I've had some of her birds and 2 of my favorite roosters were from her line. I have a plethora of black Langshan chicks mostly from the trio from Sherry Parker but I really love the blues and splash. Anyway, I bought the eggs and they arrived this afternoon. Now, how do you recommend that I set them for hatch? I unpacked them and have them sitting large end up. I started reading the shipped egg thread but I don't have time to read over 200 pages to make sure I didn't miss anything. Ron, has anything changed in what you recommend since the first 23 pages of that thread? Also, I have 5 eggs that have poop on them and 1 egg with a tiny hole in the shell. Should I clean the dirty ones or dip them in oxine? I was planning on putting super glue on the hole. Would wax work better? Should I put oxine on the spot first? I've hatched out over 200 chicks this year so it is silly to be so nervous about these shipped eggs but I am. I just want to give them the best chance of hatching that I can!

I would use wax on the hole. You'll do fine! Good luck with your hatch!