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

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
You reminded me of my problem.

I got tired of telling them to go away, so,I went about my business as normal. They learned really quickly that if they stick around by me I'll shovel them with the compost. I'll step on their footsies. And I'll dump cut and bundled branches (for my fire pit) on them if they don't move. Needless to say, they no longer follow me around begging every-time I let them out while I'm out doing chores. They go about their business doing what they do.

Silly little things are worse than begging dogs.

Mine don't follow me around any more either, but they do monitor every movement I make. If they suspect I'm headed for the Repository of the Sacred Scratch they come running. Unless they're mining a particularly productive bug patch, in which case Godzilla could come stomping through the yard and they wouldn't even notice. I keep telling people, chickens are not stupid. They're just extremely focused

 

[Briezeechicks]

the Repository of the Sacred Scratch...chickens are not stupid. They're just extremely focused

that's great! I have observed, in my short journey with chickens, that they ARE extremely self-serving!

Brie

 

[al6517]

Quote:



Well it's no secret folks and I have given it out many many times over the years on the forum in different threads, PM'd over a dozen folks who requested it as well. I never recieved any feedback and a few folks I PM'd back and they said they haven't tried it yet, so mainly people ask for it but really don't want to try to fix things just want to ask and read LOL. I do know quite a few good breeders who use it often but Breeder wanna-bees and BYCer's not so much, it ain't there thing, there more cat food feed supplement type folks

So basicly I don't post it any longer, not worth the time for me and to folks who really don't want it LOL.

 

[galanie]

 You need an outcross to a SOP Cock. There is a lethal gene at work, if that hen is sitting faithfully , and those eggs were fertile. She sets very faithfully. And I candled them around day 14.

One actually was an SOP cock. This one though is one of those hatchery surprises and I still don't know what the heck he's supposed to be. He's nice and he's pretty though so until I get a decent one or until he gets too big for his breeches, he'll stay. I figured there must be a lethal gene somewhere, otherwise why would the other hen's eggs hatch fine and this big buff's eggs always fail?

G

Feed for hatching success, it doesn't need to be done all the time or with all birds, but if you encounter problems more than once or twice I always go to this as first line of defense. Sure poor genetic hatchery stock can and do have more problems than other more well bred stock but that doesn't mean you can't correct it if you try, and a little custom mixing of a special super duper rooster booster just may help enough to get some chicks that will past a few days and into adulthood. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  

Good point. Next time I decide to do this I'll pull out the big guns for nutrition.

G, I dont know a dern thing about hatching at home but I am interested in your situation because my hens are hatchery hens, at least I think they are. I wondered if the 2 roos were different and or from different mothers? Also, if you had success with this hens eggs in the past were they the same roos? I am wondering if there is something in the environment affecting them. If the gene pool is different and the problem is the same then I feel like it would be less likely a gene issue. Can you get the brand name of the bird seed your neighbor favors them with and possibly the upc code on it? Just curious. Dont bother if you dont feel like it. I would be looking for an 8 in the beginning or end of the upc.

Lately it's really been scratch he's throwing. Before this it was the generic Wild Bird mix you get at the store. That bag is long gone, though. The two roos were from very different backgrounds: The first was an SOP boy that I made the grievous mistake of selling in order to keep one that turned out not to work out here. He was flavorful at least. This one is a hatchery whatever. No idea what he is. He was one of a few that I got to 'break a broody' with from the feed store. I have one that can NOT be broken so I just throw some chicks under her and then sell them when they're POL. Only this one was an oops.

Every egg from these hens, and I think it's really been just one of them, has failed. And I mean failed after either almost coming to hatch or hatching then dying. I wouldn't be scared of trying to hatch a hatchery hen's eggs though after hearing this. I have other hatchery birds that I've gotten healthy chicks from. It's just the one(s) I really want chicks from that I can't seem to get!

 

[marty8587]

I've beem using the Boss and Calfmana for the last couple of months and have watched my moulting chickens go from Ghost Chickens to full fledged fluffy Butts again!
Thanks,

Marty

 

[galanie]

Oh and on AL's recipe, if I remember correctly you could just about replicate it with game bird, calf manna, and some melted lard or other oil drizzled over and mixed in.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Well it's no secret folks and I have given it out many many times over the years on the forum in different threads, PM'd over a dozen folks who requested it as well. I never recieved any feedback and a few folks I PM'd back and they said they haven't tried it yet, so mainly people ask for it but really don't want to try to fix things just want to ask and read LOL. I do know quite a few good breeders who use it often but Breeder wanna-bees and BYCer's not so much, it ain't there thing, there more cat food feed supplement type folks

So basicly I don't post it any longer, not worth the time for me and to folks who really don't want it LOL.

Well it's no secret but you aren't telling.......
AL IS A TEASE?
Does Al want us to beg?

 

[Gargoyle]

chickens are not stupid. They're just extremely focused

Then how come half the time I try to photograph my chickens the pictures are out of focus?

 

[bama gal]

Is this it?????!!!!!

Feeding for good feather quality starts with the proper conditioning of the skin coat, proper fat content is so very important. Chickens will hardly get fat in the same sense as we humans view it, so top dress your feed daily with rendered or liquid fat's that keep/store well in the barn or coop during the different seasons. The best I have found for this is common processed lard from the store, it's inexpensive and you can buy enough to treat a decent sized flock for a full season for $10.00 or so, and it won't spoil ever. I also feed seed grains such as white and red milo which is has a heavy/healthy concentration of benificial oils, as does BOSS ( black oil sunflower seed ). high quality wild bird seed includes these seed grains in proper %.

I will often buy these seeds seperately available at any farmers coops or good feed & seed stores. then I will keep them in seperate bins in the breeder barn and custom mix them accordingly in each feeder as needed. I will mix them with a combination of high quality breeder feed, some 16% common layer feed, some added calcium if needed, then finish it off with a drizzle of softened lard or corn oil and mix.

Their skin will become softer and have a better oil transfer to feathers and also help the oil gland produce this very important byproduct. when a chicken preans itself it is spreading the oil from that gland onto it's feathers to maintain their feathers look and placement and dextarity. never apply anything directly to the feather as this will really screw them up and make the feathers sticky and attract dust & dirt which clumps and is a mess. Now as a breeder of rare LF Cornish I keep a miriad of different feed mixing aids at my disposal that is not to say you even need any of that for your birds, just take away from that what you will. Also you may think it's hard to do and sounds like allot of work, but it's not and if keeping your birds in good health is too much work.............. get another hobby LOL.

This feed mix has other beneifts as well, clearer eyes, healthier colored and textured combs and wattles, better looking feet and legs in color and feel. shiney strong beaks etc etc.

 

[bama gal]

Maybe that's just part of it. will keep looking