California - Northern

[CackleJoy]

So it turned out those companies didn't have fish meal. But this feed store can special-order fish meal for $42 per 50 lb bag. http://evansfeedandlivestock.com/ No minimum order. Just thought I'd update in case anyone else was looking for fish meal!

Showing ignorance here... what do you use the fish meal for?

YES! Came home from Huntington Lake on Sunday and was blindsided by the temp at my place (92!).

So done with the heat! I think the chickens are too!

 

[OR4-hmom]

We agree on the heat! That's why we were looking at property in Brookings for retirement. Each year setting new records for heat is doing us in.

Hate to leave for work now, wild doves are searching the driveway for seeds. They will come back but I can't watch them then.

 

[InWrongCentury]

Hey everyone! Jeez, it's been a while since I've been on here - between vacation and the inevitable playing catch up at work, I've missed almost 1000 posts! Yikes!

I need your help. Two of my five hens have started laying (yay!) but I think I may have an egg eater problem. We have found eggs with holes or broken in the nest box for a couple days now. There are ceramic eggs in the nest boxes already. We pick up the eggs as soon as we can (we both work and they lay in the middle of the morning). They are being fed Modesto Milling grower feed, plus the occasional treat of watermelon or dried mealworms.

What do I do? I may have identified the culprit(s), but I would like to try a bunch of things before resorting to culling

 

[tommysgirl]

Thank-you

That is helpful information and I will be looking forward to hearing what you think once they are pieced out.

Chickee I will be doing it in about an hour so I will let you know.

I left the feet on for ID purposes the realized I could tell by looking who the white feathered and who the black feathered birds are. silly me

@ronott1 just heard from Renee who had a look at some of my Konza pics and she pronounced them both pullets!!!

do you know EdenCamp? she and Arielle and I have been talking about maintaining the project until Renee can get back in. I don't know how much I can continue to be involved but I do plan to try another go with hatching eggs. We talked about shipping methods quite a bit and it seems like they will arrive in better shape if coming from Arielle or Eden Camp. Anyway if you are game we can maybe go for round two next spring/summer. Maggie and Reese need a husband

 

[ronott1]

Hey everyone! Jeez, it's been a while since I've been on here - between vacation and the inevitable playing catch up at work, I've missed almost 1000 posts! Yikes!

I need your help. Two of my five hens have started laying (yay!) but I think I may have an egg eater problem. We have found eggs with holes or broken in the nest box for a couple days now. There are ceramic eggs in the nest boxes already. We pick up the eggs as soon as we can (we both work and they lay in the middle of the morning). They are being fed Modesto Milling grower feed, plus the occasional treat of watermelon or dried mealworms.

What do I do? I may have identified the culprit(s), but I would like to try a bunch of things before resorting to culling

Egg eating is not really a thing they do. Chickens are opportunistic eaters so what happens is:

1. egg is laid but is not hard enough
2. pullet\hen pecks the egg to check for viability
3. egg is not viable, breaks
4. egg becomes food

Solve the thin egg shells and the eggs becoming food will end.

Modesto mills is low on calcium so you have to supplement by giving the free choice calcium. Additionally, adding a broken open vitamin D capsule to the water and adding food grade DE to their feed for a couple of days will help.

 

[ronott1]

Chickee I will be doing it in about an hour so I will let you know.

I left the feet on for ID purposes the realized I could tell by looking who the white feathered and who the black feathered birds are. silly me

@ronott1 just heard from Renee who had a look at some of my Konza pics and she pronounced them both pullets!!!

do you know EdenCamp? she and Arielle and I have been talking about maintaining the project until Renee can get back in. I don't know how much I can continue to be involved but I do plan to try another go with hatching eggs. We talked about shipping methods quite a bit and it seems like they will arrive in better shape if coming from Arielle or Eden Camp. Anyway if you are game we can maybe go for round two next spring/summer. Maggie and Reese need a husband

That is great news!

Let me know when to expect the eggs.

 

[casportpony]

Anyone know of any links that mention lethal humidity levels for hatching chicks once they've pipped?

-Kathy

 

[bootsNbirds]

So it turned out those companies didn't have fish meal. But this feed store can special-order fish meal for $42 per 50 lb bag.http://evansfeedandlivestock.com/ No minimum order. Just thought I'd update in case anyone else was looking for fish meal!

Showing ignorance here... what do you use the fish meal for?

For added protein. I'm going to mix my own whole-grain feed. Recipe here on the last page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920808/feed-nerds-opinions-wanted-re-whole-grain-feed-recipe/60

Here's hoping the girls won't balk at the fish meal smell/taste.

They like the grains already.

 

[InWrongCentury]

Egg eating is not really a thing they do. Chickens are opportunistic eaters so what happens is:

1. egg is laid but is not hard enough
2. pullet\hen pecks the egg to check for viability
3. egg is not viable, breaks
4. egg becomes food

Solve the thin egg shells and the eggs becoming food will end.

Modesto mills is low on calcium so you have to supplement by giving the free choice calcium. Additionally, adding a broken open vitamin D capsule to the water and adding food grade DE to their feed for a couple of days will help.

I wasn't sure when to start with the calcium, so I'll put some in their run right away. I'll have to find the food grade DE and vitamin D capsules, but I'll give it a shot!

Thank you for the tips!!

 

[ronott1]

Anyone know of any links that mention lethal humidity levels for hatching chicks once they've pipped?

-Kathy

Look for articles on suffocation due low oxygen.

They do not drown.

It is a combination of heat and humidity.