Feeding

[Sally PB]

Semi-related... I give my hens a snack in the afternoon. They don't eat the fine bits of dust that fall to the bottom of their feed bowls. I save that to make their afternoon mash snack. Very little of their feed gets wasted.

Piggybacking, offering wet mash with cool water when its hot out has some benefits in helping to mitigate heat and preventing gorging - since the increased volume slows their consumption some.

This is great on those stinking hot days we've been having. A nice cool treat on a hot day.

And you can use warm water in cold weather, too.

If their water source freezes, they get thirsty and quit eating, so nice wet mash lets them fill up on both food and water quickly, before it all freezes again.

I do this in the cold months. A nice warm treat on a cold day.

Reasons for having snack time? It's a chance for me to visit my chickens, sit awhile, interact with them, watch them. I also give them kitchen scraps along with the mash for variety; not to replace their food, just to be a treat. Those can also be tailored to the temperature. Refrigerated melon guts with seeds are a way for them to get more water and eat something cold.

 

[high5]

Sadly, BYC is littered with threads marking abandoned "breed" projects. Do what you enjoy, the EU already has a number of established breeds well suited to your climates, just as the northern US does. I have a project (a culling project) of my own, here in the SE US, but I'm not looking to make a breed. Maybe a local landrace, nothing fancier than that. I'm a few years away from target, and a few more years (I'm guessing) before I get consistent off spring, most of the time.

Yes, I've noticed the abandoned projects. I like very much the dual purpose breeds which I have now, and couldn't care less what happens (two good roosters and nine good hens). I've become too involved with the 'personalities' under my care, to want to change them too much. I care about their diets, etc, and want the best for them... whatever the outcome!

I will follow your project, thanks for the link (and all the previous info you have given!).

 

[Kiki]

How much feed does 20 laying hens eat a week. Trying to figure out cost. Thanks

On average a full grow hen will eat about 1/4 pound of feed a day.

About 30-35 pounds of feed per week.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm happy to be a part of BYC, but I'm not here for the debates and the *who's smarter olympics* - you know the saying "opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one and they all smell like ". I'll happily go back to "lurking" and stay out of the comments. My anxiety is bad enough without having to fight for my life in a damn chicken feed thread.

Intelligence is no guarantee of accuracy. Most often, it seems to allow one to be right (or wrong) merely faster. Nothing more. Please, comment. Its how we all learn.

Regret that you found my comments condescending, no insult was intended, neither did I intend to make things in any way personal. The source is one we've seen linked here on BYC many times before - certainly better than "Garden Betty" - but also example that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Her sources don't always support her contentions, and she tends to gloss over the negatives mentioned in those same sources. Just as an FYI.

 

[high5]

Happy to be of service. Good luck with your flock!

and is AI finally becoming manageable there on the Continent??? You all have been dealing with the recent outbreak longer than we have here in the States.

Sorry, I missed this.

By AI, do you mean Avian Influenza, or Artificial Intelligence? I'll take it that you mean the former. Maybe you're correct that we've been dealing with the outbreak longer than th US on both counts!

I have to say that I haven't used the TV or radio in over 14 years so, I'm not up to date with the current status.

I've heard that a department (Vendée) a few km north east of where I am has had a rough time of it over the past few months, and thousands of chickens have been slaughtered (just in case!), but I'm not one to believe the 'science' of all this. I think it's maybe part of the scheme to induce people to stop eating meat and move onto eating artificial meat and insects, which seems to be what they're pushing now. There's even an incentive in the UK to pay farmers £5000 a head to kill their cattle! Sounds crazy, but seems to be true!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

@U_Stormcrow I appreciate the info you've reported regarding that site. I'll definitely take that into consideration in the future. Are there specific people or places on the web (or books) that you refer to when needing info?

I also appreciate the discourse here (mostly). I certainly learned a thing or two about commenting. I'm a firm believer in critical thinking, but when it comes to chicken things, I may be falling back on the argument from authority, as I have none in this realm. I'm really trying to learn from "experts" and the way I attempt to determine who the experts are is looking to see if they cite research in their articles/videos/books. However, I know this can also be tricky - I think it's difficult NOT to cherry pick the bits that fit with what one already believes. I always want to obtain as much accurate info as possible, especially when it comes to the well-being of those in my care (people and animals alike). I'll be more thorough as I continue my educational endeavors.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have to argue from authority as well - I'm no expert. Have not found any consistently good sites on the web, apart from the give and take here on BYC where we who participate share our experiences, muster our arguments, show our sources and often reach a general consensus (with important caveats). Of course, some of the same questions tend to crop up again and again, which can create the illusion of expertise, and **some** of the science is well settled to within a small range of measurement, on which many sources agree.

There are some actual experts here, too - particularly on the Illness/Injury forums, and on Genetics. and a poster or three who mix feed as their day job, but they generally don't hang out on BYC "working". Mostly, its people like you and I, trying to muddle thru and make the best of the available resources, in whatever little corner of chicken keeping tickles our fancy. Saysfaa and LauraVonSmurf, for instance, have each gathered a number of resources on historical ways of feeding chickens, which can be quite instructive/enlightening in teasing out assumptions when compared with more modern methods. We have posters who have "lived the life", and are quick to remind (with anecdotes and published sources) that the idyllic past of chicken keeping on "no feed at all" wasn't all that idyllic (or productive).

 

[ChickNanny13]

I only keep 4 - 6 hens; limited space is how I manage control "chicken math" I ferment Flock Raiser and have for several years now. No clue IF it cuts feed cost but I like the results I've gotten. I assume fermenting is "good for gut" health.

1. No pasty butt with chicks; shipped & incubated
2. Less poop, not stinky (no flies), firmer ... Unfortunately no difference with the cecal
3. I also do a modified deep litter in their Chicken House, not much cleaning.
4. No waste; they eat every drop & the "dust" is used up too.
5. Less water changes/refills

#2 is the biggest plus with #4 following, I'd get so irritated when there would be so much "dust" in the feed. Sorry had to interject my support of fermenting

 

[NatJ]

#2 is the biggest plus with #4 following, I'd get so irritated when there would be so much "dust" in the feed. Sorry had to interject my support of fermenting

The dust issue can also be solved by getting it wet, without spending the time to ferment

Since you're happy with what you are doing, I am not trying to change your mind, just pointing it out for anyone else who may be considering the possible benefits of fermented feed.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I only keep 4 - 6 hens; limited space is how I manage control "chicken math" I ferment Flock Raiser and have for several years now. No clue IF it cuts feed cost but I like the results I've gotten. I assume fermenting is "good for gut" health.

1. No pasty butt with chicks; shipped & incubated
2. Less poop, not stinky (no flies), firmer ... Unfortunately no difference with the cecal
3. I also do a modified deep litter in their Chicken House, not much cleaning.
4. No waste; they eat every drop & the "dust" is used up too.
5. Less water changes/refills

#2 is the biggest plus with #4 following, I'd get so irritated when there would be so much "dust" in the feed. Sorry had to interject my support of fermenting

No need for apology for sharing your experiences.

I 1, 4, 5 with wet mash. Also, 3, unrelated to feeding. Can't speak to 2, seriously impaired sense of smell, though I suspect its less firm, not more. The ducks, particularly.