Consolidated Kansas

[22qZoo]

Danz- goodness ,only 4 ! We just got up to 4 about a week ago and then today we had 7 pluss the duck egg! Whoo hoo !! I'm guessing you'll have eggs coming out of your ears soon enough.

 

[ashncarson]

I realized that I have been feeding my younger chicks layer feedd that I bought when my older girls where alone. When we got the younger ones I totally spaced it off not to have the extra calicum in it for them. I have read both ways on this being a bad thing, or not such a big deal.

We have had them (the younger chickens) for a bit over 2 months now, and they where fully feathered out when we got them but the seller was not sure on the age

I guess my question is, now that that bag of feed is about gone, should I just go ahead and get another layer bag, or switch back to more of a grower for now, or at this point does it really matter?

 

[ashncarson]

That's funny, I started my first jar two days ago. I did my original soak for 12, now I've got nice "sprouts" coming from the berries - my kids were excited. One thing I read on a blog post (lost the link) is that barley has no GMO options. So, I think I'll see if I can find some and sprout it for my girls so they can have something that is nonGMO.

I don't know if the wheat berries I bought are GMO or not. I got them at a local Mennonite Store, where they sale gluten free items and baking items.$3.92 for a 10 lb bag to start with! We will see if they like it! Its fun to watch it grow!

 

[Ralph Moyer]

I need to get rid of some adult Muscovy ducks. If I don't , I'll be over-run with duckling in the spring. My usual buyer moved across country, and I have mostly hens. I haven't had much luck with Craigslist lately. So far they haven't started to lay. Although all breeds of my pullets have started to lay. So far about 18 to 20 a day. so far I haven't had many to freeze and crack, but I've been gathering them several times a day. My Royal Palms are starting to mate. but no turkey eggs yet.

 

[Trish44]

I realized that I have been feeding my younger chicks layer feedd that I bought when my older girls where alone. When we got the younger ones I totally spaced it off not to have the extra calicum in it for them. I have read both ways on this being a bad thing, or not such a big deal.

We have had them (the younger chickens) for a bit over 2 months now, and they where fully feathered out when we got them but the seller was not sure on the age

I guess my question is, now that that bag of feed is about gone, should I just go ahead and get another layer bag, or switch back to more of a grower for now, or at this point does it really matter?

I would put them on starter feed & at this point you don't really need the medicated kind. I don't know where you buy your feed, but you can get the non-medicated starter at Orschelyn's, Atwoods, or TSC. They really need to be on chick starter till they're much closer to laying.

 

[ashncarson]

I would put them on starter feed & at this point you don't really need the medicated kind. I don't know where you buy your feed, but you can get the non-medicated starter at Orschelyn's, Atwoods, or TSC. They really need to be on chick starter till they're much closer to laying.

Do you think if I posted a picture of them, someone might be able to help me guess how old they are? They are bantam cochins, is anyone familiar with them?

I know they are for sure they are 3 months+ based on when I saw a first photo of them, and at that point, they where not in a brooder and looked feathered out. They have become very pretty!

 

[cherwill]

The book is based out of the UK where it's illegal to take food from the kitchen to the birds - they stressed that alot to. My gut feeling is that it was a bit overboard. Forgot who, but someone here was feeding horse poo to their birds, that probably would have flipped the authors out.

That's insane. And I thought we were over-regulated here in the USA! Apparently, it could be worse.

I've seen horse manure; it's full of seeds. I'm sure chickens would love that. They eat a lot worse given the chance, the sick little cannibals.

I know a lot of people are a lot fussier about their birds than I am, but mostly I relaxed after sitting and watching them for hours. For example, I noticed that although I attempted to keep their water bowl scrubbed clean and full of fresh, clean water, given a choice between the clean water in the clean bowl, and the muddy water in a puddle nearby - they chose the muddy water 9 times out of 10. So that told me that imposing human standards - our desire for clean water - on them, isn't necessarily what THEY deem to be preferable. Perhaps there are minerals in the muddy water that are absent from the clean water. Perhaps they just like the flavor better. The thing is, I can't stop them from drinking the muddy water, but I can relax a bit about their bowl of water and not feel like I have to dump it out and scrub it every time it doesn't look perfect.

Again, if you look at what they do when people aren't around interfering, it could be pretty horrifying. Heck, what humans eat in some other cultures is pretty horrifying to me. If you don't have to hurt anyone to get it, and you like it, what business is it of any government?

I agree HEChicken. There's a long list of things you aren't supposed to feed to your chickens. But I watch them. They NEVER eat spoiled food or anything that will hurt them...with the exception of mold. And I've seen them pick through old food in the trash burn bin though and they are careful to pick only the good stuff and leave mold or spoiled stuff behind.
People always used to run hogs behind cattle to clean up the grain and chickens picked even further. So it worked for our grandfathers. I've not resorted to that yet but probably only because I don't have horse poo right here.
The idea for it to be illegal to feed kitchen scraps is insane.
I know in the US it's illegal to feed scraps from restaurants or food institutions to any livestock. I just read that the law does exist in the UK but it isn't enforceable unless the chicken has been taken to the vet and the vet sees evidence of it.
Years ago my husband at the time drove a truck from Dolly Madison to a farm in Missouri every evening. It was all loaded with day old bread and items that weren't perfect. The kind of things they sell in the outlet stores now. This stuff was free to the farmer other than what he paid us to deliver it and the cost of the truck and gas. He had a huge hog operation and we'd drive this big farm truck over every night and dump it directly in the field. The hogs would dig the paper/plastic off and eat the goods. So he was feeding hundreds and hundreds of hogs for no feed cost.We were poor. My husband was in college, and driving the truck was the only income we had in the winter. We also farmed a little. We would stop at home and crawl in the back and pick out bread and treats for ourselves a couple times a week. One of my most prized possessions is a beautiful embossed metal container that had a fruit cake in it. I wish I had taken a bunch more. The hogs obviously couldn't open the metal containers. I've kept embroidery supplies in that container for 40+ years. And the fruit cake was great. I do like fruit cake though!
That all came to an end when they passed the law making it illegal to feed the livestock that stuff. So when it became illegal to feed it to the hogs they opened the outlet store and sold it. Not good enough for pigs but good enough for humans!!
I hate government interference. At a time it was really necessary for unclean conditions in meat processing plants but they have gone so overboard with the rules its insane.
The one thing I do agree with is chickens that are penned in a small coop with no access to free range at all. Those chickens need a regulated diet. They need a feed formula that gives them what they need since they can't get out and scavenger for what they want. I feel sorry for my breeders who never get to free range. If I ever get a poultry facility built like I'd like I would be letting one breed out a day so they would have a chance to free range. The other option would be to keep the roosters all contained but I think their free ranging is important to health of the offspring as well.

It's all ridiculous, isn't it? Especially when you see how much food is thrown away by grocery stores and restaurants because they're not allowed to do anything else with it. I'm way too frugal to be OK with that level of waste. All these politicians and actors are always telling us we have to be 'green' but they only want us to be 'green' in the ways they've decided are right .... sorry, don't even get me started!

We usually let our birds get in a couple of hours of free ranging at least a few times a week, except during gardening season. I'm not doing it now because of the fox sighting.

I can't understand why people go through great length to tell others not to do certain things when chickens have survived all these years on whatever they found out there.

I know, right?!

Stay warm...

It's too late. The fireplace isn't keeping up well, and I've been sitting at the computer wrapped in a blanket and with gloves on.

I'm hoping I won't have to go anywhere tomorrow; it's going to be way too cold.

Trish, was that you who talked about making the orange and vinegar cleaner? I made some and today was just a little over two weeks, so I tried it out. I like it a lot. It cleaned up the gunk under the microwave, where it gets all greasy from the stove. It still took a bit of scrubbing, but it cut the grease as well as anything else I've ever used, and better than most things. I also sprinkled baking soda in my sink, then sprayed it with the orange cleaner, and it scrubbed off all the marks from the pots and pans. I give it a big thumbs up.

I actually got two eggs today, but one was undersized, thin-shelled, and had a hole in it. They're out of practice.

 

[andiecheeks]

Hi everyone! I'm here in Leavenworth Kansas.

 

[Trish44]

Welcome andiecheeks!

Cherwill yes it was me that talked about the orange cleaner. I'm glad you like it, I sure think it makes a great kitchen cleaner.

 

[HEChicken]

I know they are for sure they are 3 months+ based on when I saw a first photo of them, and at that point, they where not in a brooder and looked feathered out. They have become very pretty!

Ash, if it were me, I'd probably buy one bag of an all-flock, grower type of feed and after they have finished that, go back to layer. With only a handful of birds, it will take a month or more to go through the back of grower, and by then they will be old enough to go back to layer feed.

[COLOR=006400]I've seen horse manure; it's full of seeds. I'm sure chickens would love that. They eat a lot worse given the chance, the sick little cannibals. [/COLOR]

Hi everyone! I'm here in Leavenworth Kansas.

Welcome andiecheeks - tell us a bit about yourself!