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

[Dead Rabbit]

that hog was probably being fed by someone who made corn liquor. well before my time, i was told by an older man that used to help his uncle make corn liquor that the best way to do it and get away with it was incorporate the process with raising hogs. one of the drawbacks of makin shine was the smell. of it cooking and then what to do with mash after the distilling process. well the smell of a bunch of stinkin hogs blocked the smell of fermenting mash, and when done distilling you feed whats left over to the hogs. no more evidence. the hogs were always tore up drunk. but you lived to make shine anonther day.

and thats your lesson for the day on how to beat the man if you want to be a bootlegger lil chiruns..

 

[Beekissed]

That's very interesting and funny stuff....I always wondered about that~pigs and moonshine~and it makes a lot of sense now that you explained it.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm at day 4 with the CX chicks and am happy to report that all poop is normal, formed chicken poop. All chicks enjoying the fermented feed and still drinking the buttermilk. They are growing quickly and will soon need to be in a bigger brooder space.

Someone gifted me a young White Rock rooster today so the chicks will have some adult supervision when they hit the free range. Ought to be fun to watch one roo try to watch over 50 meat chicks!

 

[WI FarmChick]

Would love to be there to see that!

 

[Beekissed]

I'll certainly post a pic! Should be classic....one big white roo with 54 white fluff balls running around on the green, green grass.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

now taking soaking grains to a whole nother level:

i read about this story in a magazine yrs ago. i dont know the lady, or if its even true. but she had a stud horse on her farm, and every morning she would collect his piss, soak oats in it and feed it to her roosters. the stud's piss was full of testosterone and it was a natural way of of "juicing" her game cocks.

 

[Beekissed]

Now that's just nasty!

 

[ldutch123]

I'm a newbie and I have a question. When a hen seems ill when do u decide to cull? I have chickens as a hobby and for eggs. They free range in a barb wire fenced in 5 acres I do feed them feed from the store and I'm by no means an expert. I am an animal lover and can't help but try my best to help the chicken if I can but I won't tolerate any sign that the hen is suffering. I will take action. We culled our first hen last night. 2 days prior I noticed a large mass in her abdomen. I felt to see if there was a possible egg on the way and got stuck but no such luck. So I gave her a night and a day and when there was no improvement we culled her. I didn't feel great about it but I have to tell myself these birds are livestock. Take a look at my photos to see what. Found inside her. It was a football size egg mass like hard oiled. So weird. So I ask what signs prompt you guys to cull? Lay it on me. I have another sick hen today. The one who was culled was a white leghorn about 2 years old and now another one seems ill drinking tons of water and clear runny poo. She was fine yesterday! So whatcha think. I assume I will give her til tomorrow after work and see what happens but I don't know. I'm lost with this stuff.

Also I could use a little more info on the deep litter method and any other health tips because I have 26 8 month old girls and 32 7 week old bantams and tophats.

Also note I did not baby the chicks when I got them. Those babies lived for 5 weeks in the garage with a light and I threw them I'm their own coop outside. Some still are a little behind with the feathering but they will either make or not. It's been pretty warm though lol

 

[WI FarmChick]

Now that's just nasty!

X2 Gross!

 

[Dead Rabbit]

its hard for me to say how i determine WHEN to cull. if one seems a little off, i give her a number of days. i may even hit her with some type of drugs. but that is extremely rare. and i dont usually go that route for a regular ol laying hen. i rarely have a laying hen get sick. but after a few days if she is getting worse, i just cull her..............as in kill. culling is killing in my book. i dont run a hospital.

any sick or week chicks get culled immediately. if thery are running around active and eating, but sneezing i may run a bout of respiratory antibiotic. but this to is extremely rare, as in a few times in the decades ive had chickens. i just dont have to many sick fowl. im a firm believer that if you raise them like babies, you will always have babies. and like you, my fowl are chattel, livestock. so if i was pinned down for an answer, id say if any doubt, cull her. before she spreads something to the others. you can get layers anytime, anywhere (most places at least)