Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[chickenlover89]

But...I have done that to keep someone I know happy.
No more. The lab results are in and it ain't pretty. Going to task with this.

 

[chickenlover89]

I just went out about 30 min ago to check on the chickens before their mad dash to the coop when it gets dark and they don't wanna be in the yard anymore, and a few of my chickens were sneezing, some of them were loud, and some of them were soft, but I was stumped as to why, could anyone help me out on this? what should i do? is it a problem? thanks, I would post this in the emergencies section, but i have posted there twice, and the first time, nobody replied, and the 2nd time, 1 person replied with an unhelpful answer.

 

[Mskayladog]

I went to the local feed mills and found one who mills poultry feed they said its the same as purina but natural. They mix molasses with it 50 lb to a ton of feed. Reading around I know molasses is not good for chickens. So is this feed ok or not to feed the chicks. It's a corarser mix not real fine you can actually see some of the corn and oats and stuff in it but not as coarse as scratch as its still a bit dusty.

It's has added calicum carbonate. 3.4 percent

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know that I've ever heard that molasses is bad for chickens. On the contrary, all the studies I found showed that it was better utilized by the poultry for energy than the starches in grains.


Quote from the Poultry World site:

Quote from studies detailed on the Poultry Science site:
Every study I looked at said the same thing....molasses good. I don't know if you CAN buy livestock feed that doesn't have some molasses in it when it's premixed...that's sort of a given where I come from.

 

[Mskayladog]

Thanks bee! So it should be ok to use I stead of a name brand feed.

 

[Beekissed]

It sounds like some pretty good stuff....I love it when you can see fragments of the actual grains being used in the mix. And the good stuff usually smells good enough to pour some milk over it and have it for breakfast.

 

[normanack]

I know. Wayyyy behind in reading this thread.  We HAD to eat what was on our plates.  JUST EAT IT!  or stand in the corner.  I kind of liked the corner, actually.  It was peaceful there and I like the feel of my own warm breath on my face.  And it was better than hard cold dry peas. But I was 4 yrs old then.

Well, I read about a study done a couple of years now about the fact that they (whoever they are) can tell by DNA examination just who in the classroom will not like broccoli.   100% accuracy.

I did eat the carrots on my kid-day, but I'm telling you I wanted to upchuck every time.  But I'm on the same page with you and BK here.   Hate it when kids or cats (or now chickens) are conditioned to be finicky, pigmy-sized dinner table tyrants.

I never forgot what a friend of mine told me happened at her house:
At the time she had three fairly picky little kids. A neighbor kid joined them for dinner one night, saw them complaining and asking what was in the dish, and said,
"It's food! You EAT it!"

 

[Beekissed]

My sister and I were confirmed, dyed in the wool bean haters from the get go. Well, in a poor family of nine children, beans are what's fer supper more often than not. You know what we were told? "Take it or leave it!"...but we were never really given the option to actually "leave it".

We were forced to sit at that table, in front of beans that had long ago turned cold and mealy, and were to sit there until we finished them. If I gagged when trying to choke them down, I was told, "If you puke, you will eat that too."

I ate the beans. Still hate them to this day but I sure 'nuff ate them then.

 

[Loghousemom]

...

I'm determined to read this whole thread... ...but I'm only to post #299 (outta 7600+!)
I just wanted to skip to the end...let you OT's know there's newbies out there, coming down the path of enlightenment! hahaha
Eventually, I will make it back here, to the end, again...& boy, will I have some OT wisdom on board by then! In the meantime, I already feel better about how I'm taking care of my chickens & I worry faaaaar less (not much at all!) now about things like whether to heat the coop or not, frostbitten combs, etc. *deep breath* So, thanks OT's for the peace of mind & all the other nuggets of wisdom here!
See you again soon....ok, soon-ish. :/[/quYour

I did the same thing. Then as soon as I catch up there are another hundred posts!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I don't know that I've ever heard that molasses is bad for chickens. On the contrary, all the studies I found showed that it was better utilized by the poultry for energy than the starches in grains.
Every study I looked at said the same thing....molasses good. I don't know if you CAN buy livestock feed that doesn't have some molasses in it when it's premixed...that's sort of a given where I come from.

I have to agree. I'm not sure if it's good for them or not, but around here all types of sweet feed (including what we have milled ourselves from grains and hay) is made with molasses and every single drop the horses, goats, cows or whatever miss or spill is gobbled up by a chicken, goose, duck or guinea in nothing flat. They love it and I've never seen any harm come from it.