Dumbest Things People Have Said About Your Chickens/Eggs/Meat - Part 2 : Chicken Boogaloo.

[AlleysChicks]

Be very careful adding protein; you can overdo it. Although I normally go all organic, I got my girls a Purina feed called Feather Fixer. It's got 18% protein - more than that isn't recommended. It's supposed to help with regrowing feathers and getting them back to laying. I'll take them off just as soon as this second bag is finished. I mixed it with their organic feed because they didn't like the Feather Fixer. They're used to it, now, though and I think it helped some.

I just got another bag of the feather fixer. I really like it and my girls do too. But it's $18 plus tax here unless I can find it on sale.

 

[Penny Hen]

Be very careful adding protein; you can overdo it. Although I normally go all organic, I got my girls a Purina feed called Feather Fixer. It's got 18% protein - more than that isn't recommended. It's supposed to help with regrowing feathers and getting them back to laying. I'll take them off just as soon as this second bag is finished. I mixed it with their organic feed because they didn't like the Feather Fixer. They're used to it, now, though and I think it helped some.

I like it because it is pelleted small enough that adult quails can eat it.

 

[chickendreams24]

Be very careful adding protein; you can overdo it. Although I normally go all organic, I got my girls a Purina feed called Feather Fixer. It's got 18% protein - more than that isn't recommended. It's supposed to help with regrowing feathers and getting them back to laying. I'll take them off just as soon as this second bag is finished. I mixed it with their organic feed because they didn't like the Feather Fixer. They're used to it, now, though and I think it helped some.

Thats what I will do then. My girls eat the nutrina feed noramaly (I cant afford organic yet $30 a bag here!!!) so im sure they would love the feather fixer. Ive seen it in my local store.

You have to feed a crazy high amount of protein to cause damage, it's something like 28 to 30% protein that is harmful. Way higher than what can normally be found in most poultry feeds. And it takes a while to cause any harm. The occasional, high protein treat isn't going to hurt.

My silkie roo, Sully (his name is Sultan, but he's too dorky to have such a regal name), started his molt and he looked so pitiful, I gave him a bath in the bathroom sink. It's freezing cold outside and snowy, so I lightly toweled him off and let him enjoy the blow-drier. Since he was still damp, he got cuddled by the fireplace by 3 different family members and myself, not to mention an hour of youtube-watching on someone's shoulder (there's a chicken "hip-hop" ringtone that drives everyone nuts; he likes to "sing" along by crowing loudly). He thinks that he's a house chicken now.
I also bought bird-bath synthetic preen oil with molt-ease from Eco-trition, made for parrots and other pet birds, and it really helped replace the oils on his feathers. I am also using it on my older birds and they definitely look healthier during the molt. I would suggest it if anyone has birds that fray their feathers or are going through a tough molt.....
Anyway, a few days after his bath and spritz, Petco had Santa pet pictures. Being the crazy person I am, and having the aforementioned crazy rooster, I have a picture of santa and a silkie (nearly blends into the beard). Sully loved all the attention (apparently the best behaved pet that had a picture taken) and had fun "barking" (he can sorta yip, definitely not a chicken noise though?) at some of the dogs from his basket. The thing that got me was when I was in the checkout line with dog food, and the lady behind me asked about him. She figured out that it was a chicken, but this question always makes me cringe: "Is it a chicken or a rooster?"
I always realize that not everyone has the same experiences or knowledge of animals, but in my head all I hear is "Is that a (either gender) bird or an exclusively male bird". With true Christmas spirit, I held back my inner chicken geek and replied that he was a rooster. They gasped because "I didn't know they could be so tame! Or trained to be on leash!" (I used a cat harness so he wouldn't run off, and he rides in a plastic shopping basket that I use as a carrier). He is also so fluffy that he can only see about 10 feet either direction, and he's not too keen to leave the safety of standing on my foot.
Just my little holiday humor...   

I just got another bag of the feather fixer. I really like it and my girls do too. But it's $18 plus tax here unless I can find it on sale.

I like it because it is pelleted small enough that adult quails can eat it.

Feather fixer here is like 22$ a bag which is crazy! We go through nearly a bag a day if you include all the grow out cockerals(some of whom will be attending freezer camp this weekend and I'll he so glad when they're gone.) It will also save us a ton of money on feed once we process them all but even a few will help. Its amazing the amount of feed they eat. Especially the cockerals. The chicks are of course actually being fed chick feed. We've been getting 18% layer from our local feed mill and they love it! We've also got meat bird for the quail, but that's about a bag or two a month so not bad. Still they layer is a much much better price! It's amazing how much better a price it is. 7.50 I think per 50lb bag versus 11-13$/50lbs. We can't afford organic and because our birds free range on uncertified land(non-organic) we couldn't claim it any way so there's no point to it. Not that we don't think some things matter as organics. We're not against organics.

About Sully I love love that story and think that would just be awesome! Lol I wonder what they would do if I brought in my Oegb roos next year lol lol sorry I just had a picture in my mind of Santa with my chickens all over his lap and arms chair and even one on his head... It would so happen if I brought the whole flock.

Most all flocks seem to be 18% protein. We upped our previous 16 to 18 because we added guineas. The feed works better for our flock BC they are used to crumbles and don't like pellets.

 

[junebuggena]

Feather fixer here is like 22$ a bag which is crazy! We go through nearly a bag a day if you include all the grow out cockerals(some of whom will be attending freezer camp this weekend and I'll he so glad when they're gone.) It will also save us a ton of money on feed once we process them all but even a few will help. Its amazing the amount of feed they eat. Especially the cockerals. The chicks are of course actually being fed chick feed. We've been getting 18% layer from our local feed mill and they love it! We've also got meat bird for the quail, but that's about a bag or two a month so not bad. Still they layer is a much much better price! It's amazing how much better a price it is. 7.50 I think per 50lb bag versus 11-13$/50lbs. We can't afford organic and because our birds free range on uncertified land(non-organic) we couldn't claim it any way so there's no point to it. Not that we don't think some things matter as organics. We're not against organics.

About Sully I love love that story and think that would just be awesome! Lol I wonder what they would do if I brought in my Oegb roos next year lol lol sorry I just had a picture in my mind of Santa with my chickens all over his lap and arms chair and even one on his head... It would so happen if I brought the whole flock.

Most all flocks seem to be 18% protein. We upped our previous 16 to 18 because we added guineas. The feed works better for our flock BC they are used to crumbles and don't like pellets.

Feather fixer's got the same calcium level as most layer feeds, so should not be used as an all flock type feed. Not good for non laying birds at all.

 

[chickendreams24]

Feather fixer's got the same calcium level as most layer feeds, so should not be used as an all flock type feed. Not good for non laying birds at all.

As I said we're not using feather fixer we are using a custom mix from the feed mill that has 18% protein. As well as chick and meat bird feed, for the chicks and quail. Even if we were I'm not too worried since the thirty cockerals all but about ten are freezer ready we just need to find the time to process them.

 

[mustangrooster]

Hi guys...im just going to pipe in quickly..

The dumbest thing people have said to me would probably be...."Why do you want more chickens"

I could never be more offended in my life...

Another one would probably be something many people may or may not of already mentioned "Home layed eggs are gross, store brought are more sanitary and healthy" i dont think they know how long those eggs brought at the store are just sitting around for...i bet they dont even know the living conditions of the hens!

 

[junebuggena]

I set another 27 eggs in the incubator today. I've got 11, 1 week olds in the brooder right now, 6 are sexlink pullets. Husband asked if I was sure I could find buyers for them. Silly husband.
I sell chicks at 6 weeks, when I'm certain of gender and they no longer need heat. I've never had a problem finding people who want pullet chicks, but don't want the hassle of raising them. I even manage to sell a cockerel or two each year.

 

[AutumnHens]

That is very silly of him. My moment of amusement came yesterday while talking to my MIL. I cane into the kitchen holding two newly harvested brown eggs and announced that this confirmed that we had a second brown layer. She looked at me and asked how I knew that the one bird hadn't layed twice? Now granted she doesn't know anything about animals but I have explained how they lay in the past, oh say 5 or 6 times.

 

[Beekissed]

Hi guys...im just going to pipe in quickly..

The dumbest thing people have said to me would probably be...."Why do you want more chickens"

I could never be more offended in my life...

Another one would probably be something many people may or may not of already mentioned "Home layed eggs are gross, store brought are more sanitary and healthy" i dont think they know how long those eggs brought at the store are just sitting around for...i bet they dont even know the living conditions of the hens!

That right there is the clincher....6 birds to a cage so small they can barely squeeze past one another to get to the feed and water, when one dies the others have to walk all over her dead body and sometimes will feed off it, nowhere to rest or roost as they are standing tightly packed on wire. It's a horrible, horrible life. They never see the sun, never see a blade of grass, they never experience any real chicken life, they don't get to rest their feet off that awful wire, they get no variation in food, water or scenery...they are prisoners to our world's ignorance and selfishness.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: and they are horribly disfigured immediately after hatching so they don't cannibalize each other.