Feeding dilemma - NEED INPUT!

[TJAnonymous]

Chicken feed CAN cause bloat in goats, so best to do what you can to minimize access.

This is my worst fear... I really do try to limit their access... That's why I scatter the feed far and wide so they only get a nibble here and there.

Oh, and I was wrong about my chicken math. I counted last night. I have 56 birds...not 30-40. Shhhhh....no one tell my DH!

So if I assume 6 birds at a bowl, I'll need 9 feed bowls. All spaced out, of course. Just trying to figure out how big of a space I should fence off. Think 10 ft x 10 ft will be enough?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Today was the first day feeding the fermented feed! I was able to feed all the chickens in both coops (58 in main, 15 in Silkies pen) and my 4 ducks with what I would normally just feed to the chickens in the main coop! I just have to figure out a better system for straining out the water... But the good news is there is still excess feed in the bowls that the chickens can pick at throughput the day... So I might even cut back a little.

I was able to keep the goats out although they certainly tested the fence. On the left side where I have some stuff placed as obstacles, I will have to cover with chicken wire. It's a tad wider than the bars on the right side so the goats can get through if they work at it long enough.... I made a homemade gate from a throw-away busted pallet. The feed store wanted $90 for a 4 ft farm gate! That's crazy!

Anyway, I will experiment with the feed amount and straining but so far I'd count it as a success!

 

[Percheron chick]

Take a 16' cattle panel. Line the problematic panel with the cattle panel. Cut off the excess flush with the upright so you have the 4" tabs on the off cut. Take that extra 4-6' and make a gate out of it. Leaving the top, bottom and one middle tab, cut the rest off. Bend the tabs down to make hinges out of them. Now wire it up and you're in business.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Today was the first day feeding the fermented feed! I was able to feed all the chickens in both coops (58 in main, 15 in Silkies pen) and my 4 ducks with what I would normally just feed to the chickens in the main coop! I just have to figure out a better system for straining out the water... But the good news is there is still excess feed in the bowls that the chickens can pick at throughput the day... So I might even cut back a little.

I was able to keep the goats out although they certainly tested the fence. On the left side where I have some stuff placed as obstacles, I will have to cover with chicken wire. It's a tad wider than the bars on the right side so the goats can get through if they work at it long enough.... I made a homemade gate from a throw-away busted pallet. The feed store wanted $90 for a 4 ft farm gate! That's crazy!

Anyway, I will experiment with the feed amount and straining but so far I'd count it as a success!

View attachment 3046994

use a really small gauge hardware cloth and make your own!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

use a really small gauge hardware cloth and make your own!

like the screens we use in our windows...