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

[Beekissed]

Well...I normally don't put things like that into the operating costs because I listed using all natural husbandry that helps me avoid needing to treat for mites and such. The situation I have been dealing with was not caused by my normal flock management and just needed a quick correction. I don't plan on having to do that again any time soon, though I will be keeping the NuStock on hand as an all-purpose animal treatment.

The ash is something I have anyway and the birds just happen to dust in them but even when they don't have ashes they don't get parasites unless they travel in on a host via "free" birds given to me(never again...free is hardly ever free) or some such manner. I've only had to deal with parasites twice in all my chicken years...with the aforementioned "free" chickens that were packing scale mites, though the visual inspection didn't show evidence of such..and the present flock that got parasites while not under my care.

Mites are not usually my milieu...

 

[pigeonguy]

Sorry just trying to help.

 

[Beekissed]

No need to apologize....I asked for help and you gave it! It was sweet.

What do you do to cut costs, PG?

 

[Mountain Momma]

Awhile back in the thread I asked OTs what they did to save money on flock management during these times but not many answered and I didn't get to list things either but here goes:

• Free range
• Ferment the feed
• Buy from a local mill
• Buy cheaper whole grains to mix with layer mash
• Sell excess eggs to recoup feed money
• Currently using leaves for bedding....have stored 4 packed down trash cans of leaves for the winter bedding
• Built trough feeder from cheap rain guttering and scrap lumber
• Nipple waterers to conserve time and water waste
• Split off mother ACV to make more of the same out of cheaper, plain ACV
• Grow pumpkins to supplemental feed and even collect pumpkins from folks who don't know what to do with them after using them for decoration
• Build coop from cheap materials and scrap lumber and other items
• Use natural husbandry to avoid health management costs and promote better laying and a better product for sale
• Cull for laying to improve overall flock laying efficiency and to avoid feeding nonproducers
• Broody hatch replacement hens and extra roosters for eating or replacement
• No lighting or heating of coop
• Keep dual purpose breeds so that there will be some meat on the carcass of culled layers and extra roosters...cheap eats
• Raise meaties on free range and fermented feeds to keep costs down and put more meat in the freezer and jar
• Use family dog as flock predator control unit, which also keeps dog healthy and avoids vet costs and justifies dog food costs

I think that's it...if I remember more I'll add to the list.

Getting ready to ferment!

 

[Mountain Momma]

I am far from an OT or expert of any kind, but to me the problem is the fact that the roofs are metal. That is not to say I dislike metal roofs, I don't, they hold up much better, although louder, in a hail storm, for example. I wonder if the problem might be solved by a cupola? We have a metal barn that was built before we bought the property, it has two 24x32 sections that make an "L" and one is completely open on a long side and a short end attaches perpendicular to the other section, with no wall/door where they come together, so it's pretty wide open, and there is a cupola with screening on each section. I just thought they were decorative at first, but once i realized they actually open a hole in the roof, I decided there had to be a functional reason for them.

I dont know if this is pertinent but our coop roof is metal roofing left over from the house roof on the underside and the deck is over top of it and it never gets condensation. I wonder if it is the temp being hot on the top of the metal, exposed to sun, and cooler on the underside inside makes it happen?So in our case the deck shades the metal and it never gets hot???

 

[Mountain Momma]

No need to apologize....I asked for help and you gave it! It was sweet.

What do you do to cut costs, PG?

So do you think putting ashes in their bath holes is a good idea? Or overkill?

 

[Beekissed]

You don't have to put it right in their regular dusting spots because sometimes they like their dusting spots the way they are and if you change it in any way they will just move to a new one and the ashes will go unused. I'd place them next to the dusting spot and see if they go for it...birds that are used to having them will partake when they feel like it. Birds that are not used to having them will usually act like you just gave them cotton candy...they usually love it and will go whole hog on bathing in it.

 

[Mountain Momma]

You don't have to put it right in their regular dusting spots because sometimes they like their dusting spots the way they are and if you change it in any way they will just move to a new one and the ashes will go unused. I'd place them next to the dusting spot and see if they go for it...birds that are used to having them will partake when they feel like it. Birds that are not used to having them will usually act like you just gave them cotton candy...they usually love it and will go whole hog on bathing in it.

Cool. Now I have this warm fuzzy feeling about using another thing for the chicks that we normally throw away.
I know some of you are probably tired of hearing every little thing that happens with the chickens- but I am still not over them yet and when something happens I gotta tell it. Today, one of the Plymouth Rocks caught a baby mouse. OMG it was the prize of the day. The whole flock chased her all over and they played tug of war with it. The kids were like "wow they stretched that mouse!" It was only topped by this evening when I was locking their doors. I always do a head check by individuals. So I cant really tell you how many I have but I know all of them so its not like a head count. I didnt see one of my roosters so I kept looking and poking around behind the roosts and under the nests boxes and getting worried. I was in my slippers with a flashlight poking around in the coop and putting girls on the roost to get them out of my way.
Yeah, he was right behind me. LOL.

 

[bruceh]

Dude, are you okay? Why dont you just go ahead and get the mustard out. Itll be fun to fill up the Easter eggs with mustard and then watch for a couple hours to see what the chickens do.
Heck, put some calf manna in the nests and they wont eat another egg again! Then you can get some pics of the lash maybe. Play some ACDC for them. Take out the baby wipes and wash the dust off their feathers. Okay, well dont do that- but you are not alone. This great big internet has given you friends all over the Country. Just because we arent sittin on your road honkin doesnt mean we arent here if you need anything. Dont run afowl on us.
L

were good. thanks

 

[Pozees]

Cool. Now I have this warm fuzzy feeling about using another thing for the chicks that we normally throw away.
I know some of you are probably tired of hearing every little thing that happens with the chickens- but I am still not over them yet and when something happens I gotta tell it. Today, one of the Plymouth Rocks caught a baby mouse. OMG it was the prize of the day. The whole flock chased her all over and they played tug of war with it. The kids were like "wow they stretched that mouse!" It was only topped by this evening when I was locking their doors. I always do a head check by individuals. So I cant really tell you how many I have but I know all of them so its not like a head count. I didnt see one of my roosters so I kept looking and poking around behind the roosts and under the nests boxes and getting worried. I was in my slippers with a flashlight poking around in the coop and putting girls on the roost to get them out of my way.
Yeah, he was right behind me. LOL.

LOL