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

[NikkiMiChickie]

On the subject of fodder (or sprouting grains, as that seems to be a more accurate description) - I was reading up on it yesterday in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/713334/growing-fodder-for-chickens

I'm considering it, after learning that a major benefit seems to be turning 1# of seed into 6-1/2# of "fodder," in a matter of 6-8 days. These "systems" seem to be set up so that you start new seed daily, and therefore harvest your whatever-you-wanna-call-it daily as well. The chickens will eat the sprout, root, and seed, so nothing goes to waste. Seems people are using a lot of barley and wheat, throwing in some BOSS, and some people have luck with oats, although I read complaints of mold as well. It seems easy enough, just a new swish of water every day... And, my horses could also eat it.

I think my husband thinks I'm losing it... Between the Feed I have fermenting away in the tack room and now sprouting grains to feed my livestock, I spend more time "cooking" for my animals than I do for him

 

[Celie]

Good question, I will look into that - I don't believe they did, but never really tried to find out, so I could certainly be wrong.

The American Indians planted a corn, a squash and a legume (bean or pea) in the same hole with a trash fish or fish head for fertilizer. The corn supported the legume vine, the squash plant provided shade to preserve water loss and the legume pulled nitrogen out of the air for the other 2.

 

[Celie]

Darn, I never did the math. Makes sense.

It's hard to get my head around using food for cat litter, but economically, it works. I hate clay dust, too. Coats everything around the litter box.

I use Feline Pine (the Arm & Hammer substitute is terrible) because somehow it contains the ammonia odor. Makes me wonder, though, if I could find a place to buy pine sawdust cheaper.

I don't use a litter box and would not have one inside the house. My 2 cats have a cat/dog door and are housebroken. They use the area as far away from the house and still on their property as possible. We showed the dogs where their property ends and the dogs keep the property line well marked so the cats don't cross. Cats are soooo easy to housebreak, just give them some play-sand, free of fleas like kids use, they'll do the rest!

 

[Pozees]

The American Indians planted a corn, a squash and a legume (bean or pea) in the same hole with a trash fish or fish head for fertilizer. The corn supported the legume vine, the squash plant provided shade to preserve water loss and the legume pulled nitrogen out of the air for the other 2.

I tried the Three Sisters planting method a couple of years ago without the fish heads, with limited success, big problems with flea beetles and other various and sundry insects, added beneficial nematodes, hatched preying/praying mantids, released lacewings, in the end my harvest was pitiful and my garden just looked angry with me. I probably would have had more success if I wasn't doing this experiment while working full time and finishing my BS full time. This year I expect to have more time and energy for the garden, and am in the process of planning which methods to use where, hoping for better maintenance and harvest. It will be of huge benefit if we get a little rain next year, as it seems all we did all summer is water water water and water some more.

 

[smyers32]

just for fun

 

[Celie]

No, DH out of town, overwhelming week me and the kids chillen for a while watching the chickens close and playing with the puppy. Here is my first laugh of the day for your entertainment though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

just for fun

 

[Beekissed]

I once put an ad for breeding pairs of Naughas in the Ga. Market Bulletin as I had a friend with a broken leg who needed amusement while being in traction. It was her phone # in the ad of course. She got 75 calls as soon as the ad appeared from people wanting breeding pairs.

Being a sharp cookie, she took off with Naugha descriptions...plaid, striped smooth, or rough, etc.In the end she got 200 phone calls in a 7 day period. She simply had to tell all rthe wanna be owners that she was sold out.

That is sooooooo funny!!! Why can't I have friends with that kind of sense of humor? Humor is another lost and dying art....

I tried the Three Sisters planting method a couple of years ago without the fish heads, with limited success, big problems with flea beetles and other various and sundry insects, added beneficial nematodes, hatched preying/praying mantids, released lacewings, in the end my harvest was pitiful and my garden just looked angry with me. I probably would have had more success if I wasn't doing this experiment while working full time and finishing my BS full time. This year I expect to have more time and energy for the garden, and am in the process of planning which methods to use where, hoping for better maintenance and harvest. It will be of huge benefit if we get a little rain next year, as it seems all we did all summer is water water water and water some more.

VERY funny! I know just what you are describing....

just for fun

But this?

I love all this fun!!! Had company most of the day and couldn't join in.... now I have to play catch up.

 

[Celie]

That reminds me, I still have a sack of winter rye grass to plant in the back acre for the chickens this winter, as the temps are dippin into the 60's this week, in the good old south. And next week I'll order a sack of field corn to plant come mid February!.

 

[Celie]

GREAT memories! And, somehow, these folks managed to produce livestock and keep them healthy under "primitive" conditions...not a medicine or vet in sight and no formulated poultry feeds with just the right nutritional percentages in them. Go figure!

And they wrote books on how to get 200 eggs a year from a chicken, but today anything under 300 we consider a CULL !