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

[Fred's Hens]

I honestly have no idea on that feed. Sorry. Just no experience with it. To me, it sounds like a fertilizer, not a feed product, but since it is fish based, who knows. I certainly don't. Sorry.

 

[Zanna]

Thanks Fred's Hens! I bought it at the feed store and told them I wanted it to feed my chickens but I don't trust the counter people, they are not really experienced with livestock........... Didn't read the label till I got it home.

 

[therapydoglady]

Minchi: Have been saying prayers for Colorado for weeks. We had those kind of fires last year here in Texas and the hay I bought all winter came from California because if the drought didn't burn up the Texas hay, the wildfires did. We couldn't beg borrow or steal hay out here.

Hope you're in a safe place and your chickies are all OK.

You guys were right, sort of. My neighbor with the broken hip is not to come back home at all. His berth is already secured in a nursing home close to his kids in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. His place will be put up for sale. His cats have already joined my barn cats. Will continue to take care of his chickens (25 mutts) until the kids decide what to do...NO FLEAS, THO! Thanks for all your help on that one.

Oh! and one of my Sex Links brought 13 baby chicks to the coop this afternoon! They are so cute! The one on top of the hay has hatched, I can hear them, but she hasn't come down yet.

 

[Minchi]

yea I remember last year and praying for you guys to get a good soaking. I just pray it is not repeated.

 

[pomchick3]

Floating Catfish Pellets? I have to run my chicks off when I refill the can we keep out by the lake for the fish. They love the stuff and will try to reach into the water to get what we throw in. Has never seemed to hurt them.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

I am not an old-timer, but had to contribute on this issue of feeding fishy feed to your chickens. BE VERY WARY OF FEEDING THIS TO YOUR LAYING HENS!!! When I was a child, one or two of our laying hens got into the catfish feed pellets and produced eggs that tasted like long-dead fish.

I only got one of those fishy eggs before Daddy repaired the hole in the barn wall, but 40 years later I still gag when I try to eat a fried egg. (Love 'em boiled, deviled, scrambled, or in an omelet, though!)
Take care,
Angela

 

[pomchick3]

I am a vege terrian and I do not like them eating the fish food because I like eggs. But we have never had any bad taste to the eggs from this particular food. And they scramble to eat it like it is a special treat. I guess it rates right up there with bugs to them.

 

[galanie]

I'm not an old timer so far as chickens but I am when it comes to gardening. If that fish meal is 100% fish meal, it should be fine to supplement the feed with. I know you're not going to just let them have at it and eat a lot, you likely are just planning to mix a little in with a custom feed mix. I was considering doing the same at some point.

Oh and as for the catfish pellets, some give them to their hens during molt to help the protien.

 

[HappyHenMama]

I am not an old-timer, but had to contribute on this issue of feeding fishy feed to your chickens. BE VERY WARY OF FEEDING THIS TO YOUR LAYING HENS!!! When I was a child, one or two of our laying hens got into the catfish feed pellets and produced eggs that tasted like long-dead fish.

I only got one of those fishy eggs before Daddy repaired the hole in the barn wall, but 40 years later I still gag when I try to eat a fried egg. (Love 'em boiled, deviled, scrambled, or in an omelet, though!)
Take care,
Angela

 

[Noncentzter]

Only on page 70, but I got a question for the OTs...does feeding fruit to the chickens cause them to stop or slow down on laying? The local feed store told me it does, so just wanting to verify since we're coming in to the fruit season...