Colorado

[samsr]

I will be ordering organic feed again through this place by the 5th of September. If anyone is interested in joining me, if we get enough people we can get it for a reduced fee. Anyway, have fed it before and our chickens did really well on it, organic feed through the feed stores is pricy and I cannot always find the non-corn/soybean type.

http://happyhens.biz


INGREDIENTS
Ingredients: Organic lentils, organic wheat, organic flaxmeal, organic millet, organic oats, calcium
carbonate, naturally preserved menhaden fish meal, organic molasses, organic poultry premix
(Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Monosodium Phosphate, Organic Kelp Meal,
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Yeast Culture, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese
Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Diatomaceous Earth, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate,
Sodium Selentie, Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3, Natural Sources of Vitamin E
(d-alpha Tocopheryl acetate), Pantothenic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Biotin, Organic
Potato Starch, Organic Aloe Vera Gel Concentrate, Organic Dehydrated Eggs, Organic Dried
Tomato Pomace, Organic Dried Whole Milk, Organic Linseed Meal, Organic Lecithin, Organic
Wheat Middlings, Organic Sugar, Natural Sources of (Magnesium, Iron, Potassium), Potassium
Chloride, Attapulgite Clay, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Ferric Choline Citrate Complex,
Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Copper Choline Citrate Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex,
(MSBC) Source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B12, Thiamine, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Sulfate,
Magnesium Oxide, Carotene, Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium
Thermophilum, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Organic Sources of (Cayenne Pepper,
Peppermint, Garlic, Parsley, Dandelion Root Extract, Elder Flowers, Dandelion Extract, Ginger
Extract, German Chamomile, Lemon Grass Extract, Thyme, Sweet Fennel Extract, Sweet Basil,
Sage, Cloves), Natural Tocopherols), salt, organic D.U.A. (Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation
Product, Organic Dried Kelp, Organic Linseed Meal, Organic Wheat Middlings, Reed-Sedge Peat,
Organic Dried Tomato Pomace, Attapulgite Clay, Diatomaceous Earth, Monosodium Phosphate,
Magnesium Oxide, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Dried Whole Milk, Choline Chloride,
Organic Aloe Vera Gel Concentrate, Organic Potato Starch, Organic Dehydrated Eggs, Organic
Sugar, Yeast Culture, Organic Lecithin, Vitamin B12, Potassium Chloride, Ethylenediamine
Dihydriodide, Niacin, Thiamine, Sodium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Choline Citrate Complex,
Ferrous Sulfate, Ferric Choline Citrate Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex,
Manganous Oxide, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin
D3, Natural Source of Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopheryl acetate), Biotin, Riboflavin, Calcium
Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Carotene, Folic Acid, Cobalt Sulfate, Cobalt Choline
Citrate Complex, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum,
Enterococcus Faecium, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid, Calcium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate,
Organic Sources of (Cayenne Pepper, Peppermint, Fabaceae Poaceae, Garlic, Parsley, Dandelion
Root Extract, Elder Flowers, Dandelion Extract, Ginger Extract, German Chamomile, Lemon Grass
Extract, Thyme, Sweet Fennel Extract, Sweet Basil, Sage, Cloves), Natural Tocopherols.)

Feeding Directions: Feed layer ration as a complete ration from 16 weeks of age or first egg
throughout the egg production cycle. Provide plenty of fresh water and free choice fortified oyster
shells.

BULK PRICES
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINER
(Prices are per pound)
Pick-up (with no weight minimum) = .53¢
Free Delivery (200 lb minimum) = .65¢
Delivery Fee (less than 200 lb) = $30.00
BE A HERO / FREE FEED
If you organize a group for a central drop-off for your friends and family you will get 50 lb of FREE FEED and all of you will receive a .10¢ per lb (.55¢ per lb) savings! We do require a minimum of 1000 lb for a central drop off.

I have been taising my meat birds on this organic feed, but using the flock raiser. It is 19.5% protene. They are doing quite well on it. I believe the layer is 16%. It is $30 a bag for the flock raiser. He is out of burlington. So it really isnt that far. Especially if you are in denver already.
Butcher day is Sunday so i will find out exactly how well they did with it then, weight wise. They eat it like little pigs. For 36 birds. I have gone through 12 bags. That makes it aroud $10 a bird for feed. I am hoping the organic meat will be really good. I guess i will find out next week. If the birds come out to 5 pounds after processing average, that should be about $2 a pound for organic chicken. Not too bad. Thats fot the feed. Purchase price was 68 for the birds. So total at this point is around 12 per bird.
I hope i did that math right.

 

[intangible04]

Do any of you all do quail? I'm teasing the idea. Either Japanese or jumbo coturnix.

 

[samsr]

...

Do any of you all do quail? I'm teasing the idea. Either Japanese or jumbo coturnix.[/quote
Mountainmaggie and i both do quail. They are not bad to do. I raise mine in a hutch on the ground under my elivated chicken coop. No free ranging the quail however. You will never see them again. They do need a game bird feed as they require a higher protein level of feed. It does take a while for my 10 quail to go through a 50 pound bag of the feed. So it lasts a while. Mine are corturnix quail. 16 days to hatch and then six to 8 weeks for the first egg. It happens pretty fast. Their cage can get pretty stinky however.

 

[intangible04]

...

Do any of you all do quail? I'm teasing the idea. Either Japanese or jumbo coturnix.[/quote
Mountainmaggie and i both do quail. They are not bad to do. I raise mine in a hutch on the ground under my elivated chicken coop. No free ranging the quail however. You will never see them again. They do need a game bird feed as they require a higher protein level of feed. It does take a while for my 10 quail to go through a 50 pound bag of the feed. So it lasts a while. Mine are corturnix quail. 16 days to hatch and then six to 8 weeks for the first egg. It happens pretty fast. Their cage can get pretty stinky however.

I have been doing a lot of reading up this past week. What do you keep them for, meat and/or eggs and do you keep them just for yourselves?

I did have some years ago but they were ground level under a swing set fort type thing and my guess is something breached the chicken wire and they got loose. However thinking about it, I don't actually even remember seeing a break in the fence so they must have done some Houdini magician stuff, but, nonetheless, they all disappeared.

Is there a big market for quail, meat eggs or otherwise?

Do you or mountainmaggie sell birds or hatching eggs? I'd rather get locally than have to order.

 

[Mtn Margie]

I wound up processing the rest of my quail, so no eggs here. My family loved the quail eggs and meat. The reason that I got rid of them was that their food is gamebird and the bears are really drawn to the smell of it and after I had a bear pop the back door open raising up to try to get to the quail on my second story deck, something had to go. Fighting off a bear in my house at midnight is a once of a lifetime experience that I am glad to say I lived through and am still here to laugh about it. The bears have been horrible this year!

 

[samsr]

I was keeping mine for eggs and meat. I didnt sell any of the eggs. I actually just gave mine to my neighbor down the street as they were getting forgotten about all the time. I got mine initially from her as eggs she wanted me to try. I ended up hatching them so she gave me more to hatch. I can get some eggs from her if you want to hatch some out. I would really like some jumbos if i can find them. They are a little larger bird and have more meat on them.

 

[intangible04]

I wound up processing the rest of my quail, so no eggs here.  My family loved the quail eggs and meat.  The reason that I got rid of them was that their food is gamebird and the bears are really drawn to the smell of it and after I had a bear pop the back door open raising up to try to get to the quail on my second story deck, something had to go.  Fighting off a bear in my house at midnight is a once of a lifetime experience that I am glad to say I lived through and am still here to laugh about it.  The bears have been horrible this year! 

That's pretty crazy. I think I wpuod have done the same. Fighting a bear or getting rid of the quail, seems like a pretty easy choice.

I was keeping mine for eggs and meat. I didnt sell any of the eggs. I actually just gave mine to my neighbor down the street as they were getting forgotten about all the time. I got mine initially from her as eggs she wanted me to try. I ended up hatching them so she gave me more to hatch. I can get some eggs from her if you want to hatch some out. I would really like some jumbos if i can find them. They are a little larger bird and have more meat on them.

Good to know. I would have to build or find some cages to keep them in so that's probably a good month or two out.
My ultimate goal is to see if I can't get them stocked, meat or eggs, with the local farms we have. I know I would have to get something (permits and health inspections) to do so, so it might not even be worth it on a small scale but when my gf and I were out getting vegetables, no one carried them. Not sure if that's because there isn't a market or no supplier.

Once I actually start looking for birds and or hatching eggs I'll keep you neighboor in mind. I'd really like to find some jumbo's. They have to be put there, I'm sure.

 

[4mountainchicks]

Hi all - New to chickens and saw this Colorado thread. I am in Leadville. Any other high altitude peeps out there?. I am sure there is but didn't want to read the 2500 page thread. Sorry I am wishing I had got my chickens earlier in the spring. Still waiting on eggs and winter will soon be upon us. We have 4 hens, 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes and 2 Easter Eggers hatched April 1. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[uzisuzuki]

@4mountainchicks ! There's a lot of information here and a lot of people willing to help if you have any specific questions. If they all put up with my constant rounds of 20 questions, you know there's a lot of patient people here.

The one main thing I learned getting my first flock right before winter was that they need more ventilation in their coop than you'd think they need. I'm used to dogs and horses, so my mind immediately went to thinking the chickens needed a housing structure like a dog house. I quickly learned here that chickens are pretty dang hardy in the winter (it's the heat that you have to worry about). Don't be afraid to ask any questions!

Speaking of, I totally have one! So. My Polish ladies just started molting! Penelope, in particular, is in the midst of it really bad.





My question is, because they've started their molting, is it still a good idea to add a few more hens to the flock? This is my first adult molt and for a minute I was all confused as to why the pen seemed to keep filling up with feathers even though I pulled Memnoch out of the flock. It took seeing Penelope completely bare on her underside and almost on one wing for me to realize what was happening. I'm not the sharpest pencil in the drawer.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Welcome 4mountainchicks! Ask away, we are here to help.

Quail that I would have gotten had I still been raising them,,,,,,, maybe in a year or so I will again.....
http://www.jamesmariefarms.com/