Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

I do the mash too and it is a good way to use up that powder. I've had powdery bags of Purina, Nutrena and the cheaper store brands. I think some of it has to do with where the bag ends up on the pallet during transportation. If its on the bottom, the food is more powdery than if its on the top.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

It is really hard for me to find a maintaince feed. The feed store in town only sells medicated starter/grower, 16% layer, 22% meatbird and a 22% gamebird. I have turkeys and chickens ranging in age from 22 wks down to the 6 day olds. Of course I buy medicated chick starter for the babies but outside the ages are 18wks to 21 wks. I use a starter plus oyster shell. I didnt want to use the layer on the birds not laying yet and I have 8 roosters and then the turkeys. This first group will be around a few years and I wanted to use a maintaince feed on them but cant find one, any suggestions? My other concern is not going too low on protein because the turkeys need it but not too high as to make them grow too fast and cause problems.

 

[chicken danz]

Geez! I just got off the phone with a lady that called a week and a half ago and wanted to buy all four royal palm turkeys. I told her I would hold them if she picked them up this weekend. Well I called her Friday evening and left her a message because she was supposed to call me to set up a pick up time for this weekend. I hadn't heard from her so I assumed they weren't going to take the turkeys so I listed them for sale and a gal picked them up today. Well she just called and was all upset. She lives clear up by Topeka. I mean, was she really wanting me to meet at 8:30 on a Sunday night to pick up turkeys???!!!??? Am I crazy to think that is unreasonable?

I don't suppose her name was Bonnie? Sounds like my Topeka Lady that was a day late and didn't call until they were half way here. When she did show up it was mid evening. And then was supposed to show up the next weekend for some pheasant and still hasn't a month later. I know they were wanting to buy turkeys from me as well. I wouldn't sell them any.
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Thanks everyone for the advice re the fox/coyote I saw this morning. I never thought about the fact he is stalking us to learn our routines. He never made another appearance today and I plan to take the .22 with me in the morning when I go down to do chores so if he shows up again, I'll be ready.

So sorry, Josie, for losing Aslan. The hawks do seem bad this year.

I spent the afternoon making some improvements at the coop today. I finally got the gutters installed. I've been ready to go for a couple of weeks but needed DH because it took one person holding up one end while the other installed. You know how you always think a job will take X amount of time and it takes about 10 times longer than that? Well, that was the case today too. I thought, how hard can it be? He'll hold up one end while I install the bracket at the other, then I'll move down the gutter installing brackets until I reach his end. There are only 5 brackets, how long can this take? Well, the answer is 10 times longer than it sounds like should take. But - now I am ready to add the rain barrel and start collecting rainwater. All I need is rain.....

I was thrilled to go down to the coop this afternoon and find both turkeys in there. I think it is the first time they've ever been inside. Madge was up on the roosts, walking back and forth on them, exclaiming in excitement the whole time. Eventually they both left but 5 minutes later were back in there, this time both of them on the roosts. Since they are creatures of habit, when dusk came they returned to their pen to sleep but I'm hoping the seeds of an idea they can sleep in the coop were planted this afternoon and before long I'll be tucking them in along with everyone else.

I failed to get my chickens shut up last night. I just plain forgot about it. I sure hope I don't go out to find I'm missing some.
Oh and HeChicken you just had to remind me. You mentioned roosts. I forgot I still have to mount roosts on the two pens in the peafowl building yet. I'm not as near done as I thought. Darn it. Dh has a bunch of tools stored in one pen as well which I am going to have to move before I put birds in. It's these kind of things that slow me down that I forget about. I'm trying to decide whether to run heat tape on the roosts. I've read about doing that for peafowl but don't know if it is necessary. It sure would be nice for them to keep their little toes warm this winter. But that is another expense. I was thinking how nice it would be to put heat tape on roosts for all the birds but it is totally impractical.
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Sigh, I feel like predator alley tonight. I have been keeping Lucie outside on a tie and letting her off in the evening because she is such a good worker and I hate for Molly to be alone out there. Well I let her off the tie tonight and was filling feeders and as I walked into the horse pasture Lucie came flying up past me growling this awful noise that scared me half to death and took off after a COYOTE standing right past my last pen!!! She hauled butt chasing him all the way up the hill through the neighbors pasture all the while making the most evil noise I have ever heard come out of a dog. Then she stood on the hill and barked for 20 minutes to make sure he got the message. Good girl Lucie!

So since you are keeping Lucie for a therapy dog did you decide not to get that one male you were considering?

Thanks everyone or the advice on the poo bottom. I will be working on that today.
The four new pullets are doing great. They have cleaned themselves up and now have shine back to those once dirty feathers and the black australorp has taken to me. She jumps on my shoulder everytime I go to visit. The others are still very scared and I feel terrible for them, I am working on them and hopefully they warm up I dont want them to be scared of me.

Don't postpone getting pasty butt off. It will kill chicks in no time. Pasty butt is often caused by shipping stress and normally hits about 5 days in. I also get pasty butt on certain breeds more so than others that I hatch at home. I used to soak my chicks butts but sometimes getting wet can cause them as much stress as shipping itself does. One thing I have done in the past is apply vaseline to the vent and surrounding area which helps keep the poo from sticking. My daughter automatically just takes a pair of cuticle sissors and trim behinds when her chicks are hatched and dry.
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I have read a lot about people getting food for their birds from the co-op. I don't like how much "dust" I get when I buy a bag of food from Orscheln's, so I'm looking into getting food from the co-op. I have 9 ducks and a goose. What do you suggest I get from the coop? I don't have enough birds to make it worth buying in bulk, but losing less food to dust/crumbs would probably make it worth the switch. My co-op said that they don't have any mixes that they sell specifically for birds but that they could custom-mix something for me. Any suggestions on what I should ask for?
So the co-op doesn't carry bagged feed for poultry? I would ask them to order in some game bird feed. Our local coop didn't have game bird feed and I asked them to order it. They ordered in like 10 bags rather than a whole pallet. I don't use them any more because of some other problems, but they didn't seem to mind ordering. You can also feed some things like calf mana or hog feed if you can't get anything else. You may need to give them some brewers yeast or niacin in addition to the feed but otherwise it should work.

I had several d'uccles hatch yesterday but still have a number of eggs in there that haven't hatched yet. Sure hope they hatch. They were shipped eggs and show development so I am hoping they are ok. I ended up with the one Breda fowl from my only viable egg and 5 fancy brahmas from the 6 eggs that showed development. One of the brahma eggs didn't hatch. I checked it and it appeared the chick died at about 16-17 days in. I really want to get more of the fancy brahmas but not at high cost and poor hatches.

 

[HEChicken]

It is really hard for me to find a maintaince feed. The feed store in town only sells medicated starter/grower, 16% layer, 22% meatbird and a 22% gamebird. I have turkeys and chickens ranging in age from 22 wks down to the 6 day olds. Of course I buy medicated chick starter for the babies but outside the ages are 18wks to 21 wks. I use a starter plus oyster shell. I didnt want to use the layer on the birds not laying yet and I have 8 roosters and then the turkeys. This first group will be around a few years and I wanted to use a maintaince feed on them but cant find one, any suggestions? My other concern is not going too low on protein because the turkeys need it but not too high as to make them grow too fast and cause problems.

I would feed layer to all of the birds that are 18 weeks and older. They don't have to BE laying to eat layer feed - just be of laying age. That will be fine too for the roosters. You want to avoid feeding layer feed to young chicks because the additional calcium can be hard on their developing organs, but once they are adults and those organs are developed, they can process/excrete the additional calcium just fine.

I have never used the meatbird feed before but the other day when I went to Orschelns they didn't have any chick starter so I got the meatbird for my chicks instead. I think on the bag, it suggested it is good for turkeys as well.

I have a mixed flock of ducks, chickens and turkeys. My turkeys started out in a 10x6 dog pen, and they have a feeder in there that contains 28% gamebird feed (the Nutrena brand is 28% where most others are 22%). Now they want out to be with the rest of the flock during the day so they only have access to their gamebird feed first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The rest of the day they eat from the feeder that is out there for the rest of the flock. It contains 18% All Flock (Another Nutrena feed). I offer oyster shell for the laying hens, but the rest of the flock that consists of 7-week-old chicks, laying hens, a 3-month-old cockerel, rooster, turkeys and ducks, all eat from the All Flock.

Oh and HeChicken you just had to remind me. You mentioned roosts. I forgot I still have to mount roosts on the two pens in the peafowl building yet. I'm not as near done as I thought. Darn it. Dh has a bunch of tools stored in one pen as well which I am going to have to move before I put birds in. It's these kind of things that slow me down that I forget about. I'm trying to decide whether to run heat tape on the roosts. I've read about doing that for peafowl but don't know if it is necessary. It sure would be nice for them to keep their little toes warm this winter. But that is another expense. I was thinking how nice it would be to put heat tape on roosts for all the birds but it is totally impractical.

Oy vey, that would be something - those would be some spoiled birds with the heated roosts! The heat tape would increase expense although its actually pretty cheap stuff and only runs about 4 or 8 watts, I believe. However I found for my snakes it is actually too hot so I have to put it on a rheostat to reduce the temperature to where they are comfortable. It might end up being too hot for the chickens' feet too so that is something to consider. Also, there would be the usual problem that if they were too accustomed to it, and then a power outage meant the roosts weren't heated one night, they might end up with frostbite from the sudden experience with cold roosts.

 

[chicken danz]

I have my feed custom mixed. I keep a bag of protein supplement on hand that I can add to give more protein for some of the birds that require more. It usually isn't that necessary in the summer because the birds catch and eat lots of bugs and such that give them the added protein. Most of them free range all day. Most co-ops won't mix less than a half ton at a time which becomes problematic when you only need a smaller amount. Of course I have no idea how that works because I feed at least 75 pounds a day. Obviously the best way to do that if you only need a smaller amount, is to find other people in your area to coordinate with who will buy feed with you. This year I am feeding a bird seed feed which is much higher in protein along with my regular mix to gain extra protein. I have a poultry supplement added to my feed calculated out to about 16%.
My co-op will bag custom feed for $2.50 a bag but that just adds to the cost. With the cost of grain going up it has gotten much more expensive but still a far better option than feeding bagged feed.
That reminds me that someone asked me about feeding calcium, that their birds didn't eat the calcium. I've learned that calcium will break down into smaller pieces if you have it longer which helps them eat it. It is also fairly soft so you actually break it up with a hammer or something too. I learned to always keep calcium out of the weather. If it gets wet my birds won't touch it. Also if you feed you birds some greens and such now and then, many of those actually have fairly reasonable calcium content and contain vitamin D to help them use it. They really use very little volume wise.

 

[chicken danz]

Oy vey, that would be something - those would be some spoiled birds with the heated roosts! The heat tape would increase expense although its actually pretty cheap stuff and only runs about 4 or 8 watts, I believe. However I found for my snakes it is actually too hot so I have to put it on a rheostat to reduce the temperature to where they are comfortable. It might end up being too hot for the chickens' feet too so that is something to consider. Also, there would be the usual problem that if they were too accustomed to it, and then a power outage meant the roosts weren't heated one night, they might end up with frostbite from the sudden experience with cold roosts.

It is suggested you staple the heat tape to the roosts then put carpeting covering them. I like the idea that it is thermostatically controlled to kick on in freezing temps. Of course I can do that with thermocubes and heat lamps as well. That is one nice thing I have discovered over time. In really cold weather when the chickens tend to want to stay in the coop they put out enough heat as a group that the temp stays up a lot longer than the outside temp even with open vents. So the thermocube doesn't kick in until later than the actual outside temperature fall. I do have these thermostats that you can set the temp on which I like much better. But they are pretty pricy when you need 10 or 15 of them at $35 a piece. I only own two of them. I use one in my brooder house.
I probably tend to spoil my birds a little more than most. Some of these tiny breeds and some of these imports seem a little more temperature sensitive.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh, with carpeting over them, they should be fine then. I've seen the same thing with the heat the birds put off. One year I kept a water bowl in the coop and we had a night that was in the teens and the water in the coop wasn't even frozen, which tells me the heat from birds raised the temperature to at least 32.

 

[JosieChick]

I am sorry not to respond to everyone's posts this morning but we started the day off in a very bad way. With the coyote scare last night I decided to leave Lucie off the tie out all night in case Molly needed help. She has been off a few other times overnight and been fine so I didn't think much of it. When I went to bed I told DH I needed to rustle up her invisible fence collar in the garage and put it on her tomorrow. She usually sticks to the back pasture so it hasn't been an issue.

Well apparently sometime late last night or early this morning she decided to cross the road and was hit by a car. DH hollered up to me in a panic that Lucie was hurt. I raced downstairs and the poor dog was laying across the street next to our mailbox. We got her wrapped in blankets and into the car and gave her two different kinds of pain medications and DH hurried down to Andover with her. She is fairly stabile on fluids and pain medications and she had x rays of her chest and hind end. Her chest is clear but she has bilateral femoral fractures. Essentially she has two broken hind legs. I am just heartbroken and sick over it. I feel like it is all my fault. If I had tied her back up or found her collar this never would have happened. I am so angry that someone would hit her and leave her there on the side of the road. The only people who travel our road at night or early morning are our neighbors. And she has a bright red collar on with a tag with our numbers and address. If they had pulled over they could have looked at the tag and seen she was laying right next to our mailbox. We are waiting to hear back from the orthopedic surgeon to see what his recommendations are. I am devastated. I feel like I failed her in every way. I have never had a dog hit by a car and to see her laying there in the cold, frosty grass with two broken legs. I can't hardly stand it.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I have my feed custom mixed. I keep a bag of protein supplement on hand that I can add to give more protein for some of the birds that require more. It usually isn't that necessary in the summer because the birds catch and eat lots of bugs and such that give them the added protein. Most of them free range all day. Most co-ops won't mix less than a half ton at a time which becomes problematic when you only need a smaller amount. Of course I have no idea how that works because I feed at least 75 pounds a day. Obviously the best way to do that if you only need a smaller amount, is to find other people in your area to coordinate with who will buy feed with you. This year I am feeding a bird seed feed which is much higher in protein along with my regular mix to gain extra protein. I have a poultry supplement added to my feed calculated out to about 16%.
My co-op will bag custom feed for $2.50 a bag but that just adds to the cost. With the cost of grain going up it has gotten much more expensive but still a far better option than feeding bagged feed.
That reminds me that someone asked me about feeding calcium, that their birds didn't eat the calcium. I've learned that calcium will break down into smaller pieces if you have it longer which helps them eat it. It is also fairly soft so you actually break it up with a hammer or something too. I learned to always keep calcium out of the weather. If it gets wet my birds won't touch it. Also if you feed you birds some greens and such now and then, many of those actually have fairly reasonable calcium content and contain vitamin D to help them use it. They really use very little volume wise.

I could ask around and see if I can find people to go in on custom mixed feeds. I want something to maintain them for a good healthy life. I need to start researching feed places around here..
Oh off subject,,, when do you start letting the chicks out of the brooder maybe just in a warm room like the bathroom where I have them?

I would feed layer to all of the birds that are 18 weeks and older. They don't have to BE laying to eat layer feed - just be of laying age. That will be fine too for the roosters. You want to avoid feeding layer feed to young chicks because the additional calcium can be hard on their developing organs, but once they are adults and those organs are developed, they can process/excrete the additional calcium just fine.

I have never used the meatbird feed before but the other day when I went to Orschelns they didn't have any chick starter so I got the meatbird for my chicks instead. I think on the bag, it suggested it is good for turkeys as well.

I have a mixed flock of ducks, chickens and turkeys. My turkeys started out in a 10x6 dog pen, and they have a feeder in there that contains 28% gamebird feed (the Nutrena brand is 28% where most others are 22%). Now they want out to be with the rest of the flock during the day so they only have access to their gamebird feed first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The rest of the day they eat from the feeder that is out there for the rest of the flock. It contains 18% All Flock (Another Nutrena feed). I offer oyster shell for the laying hens, but the rest of the flock that consists of 7-week-old chicks, laying hens, a 3-month-old cockerel, rooster, turkeys and ducks, all eat from the All Flock.

ok so a 16% layer will be ok? I guess I could mix in some game bird feed. My turkeys and chickens live together and eat all the same food. we dont have a problem with blackhead in this area so everyone in the area runs them together. Next season when I build my bigger coop I am building a seperate turkey house so they have their own space just cause they are big. I free range all day so they have access to 10 acres and get plenty of bugs and grass.

Don't postpone getting pasty butt off. It will kill chicks in no time. Pasty butt is often caused by shipping stress and normally hits about 5 days in. I also get pasty butt on certain breeds more so than others that I hatch at home. I used to soak my chicks butts but sometimes getting wet can cause them as much stress as shipping itself does. One thing I have done in the past is apply vaseline to the vent and surrounding area which helps keep the poo from sticking. My daughter automatically just takes a pair of cuticle sissors and trim behinds when her chicks are hatched and dry.

I didnt think about cutting it with small scissors. I like the idea that would be better than making them wet. They are 6 days old now. It is only that every now and again foamy poo that alittle of it drys on . I had been using a warm wet paper towel to wipe some off just as management. Other than that they are super great. They run to the end closest to me when I walk in the room and try jumping up at me its so cute. They are already wanting the temp alittle lower they only lay on the far outside edge of the heat lamp so I raised it up so the temp is 86. I cannot believe how fast they are feathering out. They try to take dust bathes in the bedding lol.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I am sorry not to respond to everyone's posts this morning but we started the day off in a very bad way. With the coyote scare last night I decided to leave Lucie off the tie out all night in case Molly needed help. She has been off a few other times overnight and been fine so I didn't think much of it. When I went to bed I told DH I needed to rustle up her invisible fence collar in the garage and put it on her tomorrow. She usually sticks to the back pasture so it hasn't been an issue.

Well apparently sometime late last night or early this morning she decided to cross the road and was hit by a car. DH hollered up to me in a panic that Lucie was hurt. I raced downstairs and the poor dog was laying across the street next to our mailbox. We got her wrapped in blankets and into the car and gave her two different kinds of pain medications and DH hurried down to Andover with her. She is fairly stabile on fluids and pain medications and she had x rays of her chest and hind end. Her chest is clear but she has bilateral femoral fractures. Essentially she has two broken hind legs. I am just heartbroken and sick over it. I feel like it is all my fault. If I had tied her back up or found her collar this never would have happened. I am so angry that someone would hit her and leave her there on the side of the road. The only people who travel our road at night or early morning are our neighbors. And she has a bright red collar on with a tag with our numbers and address. If they had pulled over they could have looked at the tag and seen she was laying right next to our mailbox. We are waiting to hear back from the orthopedic surgeon to see what his recommendations are. I am devastated. I feel like I failed her in every way. I have never had a dog hit by a car and to see her laying there in the cold, frosty grass with two broken legs. I can't hardly stand it.

Oh my goodness!!! dont beat yourself up. It is not your fault and she wont be angry with you. we think we are superwomen sometimes and can do it all and fix everything but we cant. The thing to focus on now is getting her better. She needs you to be strong and make sure she has the best care possible.