Eastern Tennessee Thread

[tennesseeckn]

I'm in a discussion on grain feeding if anyone is interested and wants to skim through the posts

Terry...I was laughing at your post on oats because as you were posting it I was posting back and forth on this other thread. I like the info though. I have been reluctant to try it because I thought it would just be toooo much work. I may though this winter. I love what Daphne is doing with that salad bar design also...I am definately going to build a few of those beds in the spring for the run. It will be nice to see some green in the run again.

I am also going to whole grains in the spring. I think I have it worked out now so I can spend 20 per 50 lbs of mixed feed and avoid soy. With flock raiser up to near that now...even if it works out to be 25 per 50, I think I can do it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rocery-store-for-this-winter/120#post_9923640

The salad bards are still going strong. I used four handfuls of seeds and the birds have been grazing on them for weeks. I plan on building quite a few more. You just can't beat the return on investment. I'll be curious to see how long into winter they produce.

I had a nice surprise yesterday. The field peas I had left over from my feed-mixing days got some moisture in the bin and they sprouted! I'm going to use those to start growing fodder. My orps especially act like they never get enough protein. When I set out two feeders, one with layer and the other with starter, they always clean out the starter first. I know there's danger from giving too much protein, but my theory is that if they're given a choice, they won't overindulge in something that's bad for them. I always keep oyster shell out for them.

 

[tennesseeckn]

Thanks, just keep me posted. I totally understand if it isn't cost effective to do the testing. I just can't believe that I finally hatched my first splash pullet, only to loose my only blue male a few months later.

PS: I just had to share this. They finally have the Egg Skelter available for sale in the US. I have been wanting one since last year, and just got to order one finally.
www.mannapro.com has them. Use the code SAVE2 and save $2. Once I get mine I will update everyone on if it was worth it or not. Also please send good hatch vibes my way... I have my Cream Legbars set to hatch tomorrow along with a few others. I am down to 5 eggs from the orginal 12.

Let me know how that works! I showed a picture of one to our welding teacher to see if he'd make me one. He laughed.

 

[Contrastphoto]

That stinks! I'm sorry you lost her. I'm only keeping one blue pullet out of this spring's hatch. I posted a picture of her on the English orp thread. The blue cockerel in the picture on this thread is the on who has feathered shanks. He's still not outgrown it, so I knew he wasn't a keeper from the get go. So, he never had a name. I just wanted to give him a happy, if short, life.

Colin is the splash cockerel and he is such a great guy. Super calm and nice to the girls. If I wouldn't have to get rid of Blue or Thor I would absolutely keep him. The test would have to be awfully expensive for me not to justify it.

Oh I still have the splash pullet, but lost my blue male... all I have left is a black male, so that would mean no splash babies for me next spring.
Here she is (please, please don't look at the bag of dog food laying in the background):




Wow really only keeping one blue pullet? What are you doing with rest of them? Colin is a perfect name for him... I am guessing you are on the letter C this year.

 

[tennesseeckn]

She's beautiful! And so clean! My splash girls, Collette and Calliope, always look like they rolled in the mud. Calliope better be girl!

Yep, I'm on C-names. Can you believe it's been three years already?

ETA: I gave the other non-splash hatches away to Amy and Angie.

 

[Contrastphoto]

She's beautiful! And so clean! My splash girls, Collette and Calliope, always look like they rolled in the mud. Calliope better be girl!

Yep, I'm on C-names. Can you believe it's been three years already?

ETA: I gave the other non-splash hatches away to Amy and Angie.

I am think she is shaping up nice, and not sure how she stays so clean. I guess it is from the sand in my runs.

PS I read a while back you where thinking about starting a project while you are keeping your flock closed.... I think you should work on Silver Laced Orps or AMs... Would that be possible? I love the Silver laced birds! The blue girl you are keeping is a nice dark blue with such pretty lacing! So pretty!

 

[tennesseeckn]

I thought about trying SL, but the skin color would be the big challenge. The combs would take several generations, but the skin color could drag on and on...

I think I'm going to work with some buff cockerels with my black hens. I could end up with a hodge podge of colors but could then refine them back to buff, red, and wheaten. That's where I'm leaning tonight, anyway...

 

[bairo]

The salad bards are still going strong. I used four handfuls of seeds and the birds have been grazing on them for weeks. I plan on building quite a few more. You just can't beat the return on investment. I'll be curious to see how long into winter they produce.

I had a nice surprise yesterday. The field peas I had left over from my feed-mixing days got some moisture in the bin and they sprouted! I'm going to use those to start growing fodder. My orps especially act like they never get enough protein. When I set out two feeders, one with layer and the other with starter, they always clean out the starter first. I know there's danger from giving too much protein, but my theory is that if they're given a choice, they won't overindulge in something that's bad for them. I always keep oyster shell out for them.

I agree..I think you will be fine on protein. I think the damage comes from people that offer "only" high protein feed stuffs and then the bird has no choice but to eat that. I think given the choice she will balance her self out.

I knew you have/do feed organic, but did not know you had mixed grains before. What were the cons for you?? Also, what were you paying for field peas? I have to get the co-op here to order them at a little over 33.00 per 50lbs.

 

[tennesseeckn]

I buy from Dave Waters, our Countryside rep. He adds a couple of dollars to the "store" cost.

http://www.countrysideorganics.com/home.php?cat=4

The grinding is what got to me. By buying scratch, alfalfa, kelp, Nutri-balancer, and peas from Countryside and then adding other grains from Three Rivers Co-op, it wasn't TOO unreasonable, cost-wise, but my flock wouldn't eat whole alfalfa pellets or peas, so there was SO MUCH grinding. I couldn't keep up. They did seem to love their feed, though.

I saw on the whole-grain thread that there's a reasonable grinder on the Premiere One site, so I've been thinking about revisiting whole grain feeding again...

ETA: I still have a TON of Nutri-balancer and peas if someone wants to try a small batch and doesn't want to invest in a whole bag.

 

[bairo]

I am def. going to try it again in the spring when the new flock is old enough to handle whole grains full time. I'm with you on the grinder thing though, I really hope I don't need to do that

 

[bairo]

I buy from Dave Waters, our Countryside rep. He adds a couple of dollars to the "store" cost.

http://www.countrysideorganics.com/home.php?cat=4

The grinding is what got to me. By buying scratch, alfalfa, kelp, Nutri-balancer, and peas from Countryside and then adding other grains from Three Rivers Co-op, it wasn't TOO unreasonable, cost-wise, but my flock wouldn't eat whole alfalfa pellets or peas, so there was SO MUCH grinding. I couldn't keep up. They did seem to love their feed, though.

I saw on the whole-grain thread that there's a reasonable grinder on the Premiere One site, so I've been thinking about revisiting whole grain feeding again...

ETA: I still have a TON of Nutri-balancer and peas if someone wants to try a small batch and doesn't want to invest in a whole bag.

you know me....if I can build the hill billy version for cheaper LOL