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

[thedragonlady]

Quote:
Bee, I wonder how many people smell their birds' feed before feeding it. I always smell all my critters' feed. When Diamond dog food killed hundreds of dogs, I took one whiff, and did not feed it. It smelled funky. SMELL YOUR FEED!!!

 

[Mountain Momma]

Bee, I wonder how many people smell their birds' feed before feeding it. I always smell all my critters' feed. When Diamond dog food killed hundreds of dogs, I took one whiff, and did not feed it. It smelled funky. SMELL YOUR FEED!!!

I put two cups of calf manna down in the coop. They haven't touched it but the whole coop smells warm and inviting like a hot bowl of calf manna. I might just use the manna as an air freshener I like it that much. And BeeKiss the pictures you had up of your Poultry porridge looked good enough to feed the kids! Yum. May I have some more gruel please.

 

[armorfirelady]

Bee, I wonder how many people smell their birds' feed before feeding it. I always smell all my critters' feed. When Diamond dog food killed hundreds of dogs, I took one whiff, and did not feed it. It smelled funky. SMELL YOUR FEED!!!

I smellit as well. Maybe its just me but I smell EVERYTHING before I eat it & do the same for my pets. Plus I think the chicken food smells good with all the grains in it

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I agree with feeding them good feed, when they get hungry they will eat it.
I don't want this to be confused with a completely different issue, when they go OFF FEED. When animals go off feed it's a sign something is wrong, an ALARM. Check their condition, see if their eyes are bright, do they have energy or are they lethargic, slow, not regular behavior. Clean waterer and get them fresh water. Check the feed, trade what they are not eating with feed from a different container. Smell, does everything smell normal?

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I wonder how many people smell their birds' feed before feeding it. I always smell all my critters' feed. When Diamond dog food killed hundreds of dogs, I took one whiff, and did not feed it. It smelled funky. SMELL YOUR FEED!!!

I always smell the feed and do a visual inspection for mold or foreign bodies in the feed...sometimes you can find funky things in the feed mill feed. Some time back I kept finding pieces of corn stalk, though I know it wasn't supposed to be in the mix. Big ol' chunks. Someone swept up a pile of leavin's and put it in my bag. I let them know about it when I went back...in a joking sort of way. Haven't received any like that again. Chickens can't eat big chunks of corn stalk and I won't pay for that.

I run my hands through it, sifting for a good look at the grains, and smelling for freshness. I've not tasted it yet, though a person really wants to because it smells so fresh and good!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

How do newbies feel they can REVIEW a breed of chickens when it's their first chickens and they only have 2 and they are a week old?
SMH! Some of those folks treat their chickens like dolls, poor chickens!
Makes me thankful for this thread.

 

[Loghousemom]

You got that right, Al!  When you are old, you learn how to do twice the work with half the steps.  It, too, is an art. 

I keep trying to explain to my hubs this same thing! I swear sometimes that man insists on doing things over!

 

[Celie]

Well I went to the feed store today and nearly passed out. Thank God my daughter was with me "mom. Mom. Mom. MOM. MOM! MOM!!
I think these kinds of additional nutrition should have some kind of warning so a gal can get a little prepared.
The little helper dude was was very cheerful and said "yep there was a drought and now that they know people will pay the prices will never go back down!"

Black sunflower seed 50 lbs.....$28.50
Calf manna 50 lb......$28.50
GMO Layena pellets 50lb......$17.15
bird seed lard cakes $2.29 each
whole corn 50lb...... $18.79
every feed type in the whole store was GMO. Pot bellied pig, horse , rabbit everything.

The good news the ACV organic was only 5.49 and its usually 8.00. That was at the grocer though.

And to top it off my girls dont like the Manna. I didnt get the seeds cause I need to refinance the house first. lol. I told them they "get what they get and they don't throw a fit!"

If you have an Academy Sporting Goods Store near you, their Deer Corn is $7.99 for 50# It is the same clean whole corn sold the feed stores sell, at half the price. I like half price, don't you???

 

[Gargoyle]

I keep trying to explain to my hubs this same thing! I swear sometimes that man insists on doing things over!

There is an Italian saying, "chi che guasta e aggiusta non perde mai tempo". Roughly translated, it says "he who screws up and has to do something over again is never idle".

 

[Beekissed]

And that, my friends, is why OTs have time to be on the forum as much as they do....they do it right the first time.