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

[Beekissed]

Al, what did you think of my chicken's butt?

 

[chickenlover89]

They look great...and very pretty!!!

thank you!

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:


Send me a link to the thread and I'll check it out.
I like the smell of CM it has that strong nasty Vitamin smell, my MIL was a vitamin freak and ate plates of those nasty things everyday LOL, she passed away at 55 so I guess they were useless, Bless her heart.
Why don't you think they don't like the CM ?? is it the fermenting, the change in feed or just chance ??.

Al, I started using calf manna as a top dressing on the layer feed for my scroungy beginner flock of mature hatchery reds a few months ago. For the first several weeks they wouldn't touch it. Beaked all the calf manna pellets over to the side and ate all the regular layer pellets. When they started to molt in earnest they began to eat the calf manna. Not selectively, but in relative proportion to the way it was being fed. Now that they're mostly done molting they've backed off on the calf manna again. They're eating a little more of it than they did in the beginning, but not as much as they were when they were actively molting. I thought that was an interesting pattern. Looks like they don't really like it but will eat it if they need whatever is in it that they're not getting from their regular feed. With pellets they have that choice. With fermented feed they can't choose and it might be an aquired-taste issue.

Don't know why they don't seem to like it. That calf manna smelled so good when I got it it was hard not to eat it myself. And I do not like licorice.

Sarah

 

[michelsal]

food coloring in the vent to mark the next egg that arrives...now THAT is clever!

 

[galanie]

Al, I started using calf manna as a top dressing on the layer feed for my scroungy beginner flock of mature hatchery reds a few months ago.  For the first several weeks they wouldn't touch it.  Beaked  all the calf manna pellets over to the side and ate all the regular layer pellets.  When they started to molt in earnest they began to eat the calf manna.  Not selectively, but in relative proportion to the way it was being fed.  Now that they're mostly done molting they've backed off on the calf manna again.  They're eating a little more of it than they did in the beginning, but not as much as they were when they were actively molting.   I thought that was an interesting pattern.  Looks like they don't really like it but will eat it if they need whatever is in it that they're not getting from their regular feed.  With pellets they have that choice.  With fermented feed they can't choose and it might be an aquired-taste issue.

Don't know why they don't seem to like it.  That calf manna smelled so good when I got it it was hard not to eat it myself.  And I do not like licorice. 

Sarah

Since I feed crumbles, they don't like the calf manna pellets, plus I have a grain grinder that's easy to use, I grind the calf manna into crumbles. Been doing that a while and it got them to eat it since they evidently didn't want to bother picking crumbles out around the manna crumbles. So now, they're used to it and eat FF food w/calf manna too, in fact lick the plate clean. No matter how much I put out there, I'll go out later and it's clean! So I've been slowly upping it to ensure the young ones still get some after the big pigs walk away.

 

[galanie]

Crabby ??? my hiney.......... like I said your too nice to even Jack with, Sweet is as sweet does.

Aw Al. Since there's no blushing icon you get a bunny
hehe.

 

[al6517]

For those folks who stress the fact that their birds don't like the taste..................... or what ever, if you feel they need it make them it eat it !!!! you have children right ?? you have young kids right !!! how did you get them to eat the food they didn't like. I hate to think you raised healthy children and can't get a stupid chicken with a brain the size of a Pea to eat CM LOL. Shoot you got your husbands to eat your burnt cooking when you got married right LOL. Mine like it and eat it whenever I decide to offer it, you know why................... because I told them to that's why LOL, there are way's to get them to eat what you want easy peezy. They don't like the taste Phooooy !!!!! Soooooo who cares it's good for them.......... ever heard that before LOL.

 

[Beekissed]

What he said! Mine eat it or they can starve....what I serve is what's for supper, no argument.

 

[al6517]

Al, what did you think of my chicken's butt?

I saw that Bee.............. they were certainly as bad as the picture you so accurately painted, and what I expected to see. I think you did all the right things my dear with all the right stuff................ which goes to show your not full of it after all heheheheee

What I was impressed with Bee was the time it took them to turn around, very short turn around so far, sure getting rid of the mites and such and weight is pretty quick but you have them looking well feathered and their alertness is great. To have vent's like that in that bad a shape a person almost has to try and mess the birds up, I for one am very glad you got them back and their in good hands just like allstate LOL.

 

[galanie]

For those folks who stress the fact that their birds don't like the taste..................... or what ever, if you feel they need it make them it eat it !!!! you have children right ?? you have young kids right !!! how did you get them to eat the food they didn't like. I hate to think you raised healthy children and can't get a stupid chicken with a brain the size of a Pea to eat CM LOL. Shoot you got your husbands to eat your burnt cooking when you got married right LOL. Mine like it and eat it whenever I decide to offer it, you know why................... because I told them to that's why LOL, there are way's to get them to eat what you want easy peezy. They don't like the taste Phooooy !!!!! Soooooo who cares it's good for them.......... ever heard that before LOL.

Guilty as charged! But even so...
And right on the money!