FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[marktoo]

I was concerned about the switch because it was made during hot weather & I left the open pan out in the run till i was certain they were all drinking, which probably hampered things a bit. I put peanut butter on the lever once & l also filled the cups myself a few times. When these cups get low & they try to drink that last little bit I think it's just about impossible not to hit that lever. A short training period complicated by me.

 

[Beekissed]

I used peanut butter too...all I got was really messy fingers and the bottom of the bucket was a mess. Old birds..bah! The youngsters were brought up on the water nipples and the next time everyone is confined to the coop and nipple bucket, they will teach the oldsters how it's done, I'm thinking.

 

[marktoo]

I used peanut butter too...all I got was really messy fingers and the bottom of the bucket was a mess. Old birds..bah! The youngsters were brought up on the water nipples and the next time everyone is confined to the coop and nipple bucket, they will teach the oldsters how it's done, I'm thinking.

Yeah, the younguns seem to catch on quicker. They don't have past experiences hampering the learning process....same with people sometimes.

 

[RedneckGurl]

Only mildly related to formula feed...

We brought our two ISA browns back to the ciy and put them in our garden that is infested with slugs. We think - Excellent! solve our slug problem!

They think: What are these icky slimy things? When I moved the tractor this morning there were tons of slugs still I think they enjoy their FF too much and don't want to do the chicken thing! What do I do to teach the chickens to eat slugs?

It may just be that some don't like them, like some people like or don't like a certain food, because my chickens LOVE them. I caught a couple crawling on the side of our house and took them into the run and they snatched the slugs right out of the bamboo tongs I was using to handle the nasty things before I could even let them hit the ground....then the games were ON! Chicken Keep Away at its finest.

 

[KaFox]

Thanks all who have offered advice and interest in my new chickens that am trying to get healthy.
Update....I have decided to keep them even though the guy I got them from has offered to take back and refund.
They are still not eating the ff without me adding treats to it...so frustrating I know they are underweight and because they aren't free ranging as much as I had expected them to be doing. I have been leaving their run door open.
Before I got them they were free range all the time and given scratch before he put them in a small run and discusting small coop with way too many other birds. All but the one BR is showing some improvement. She is still very little appetite even with scrambled eggs & yogurt( I am guilty I made her some special).
I unfortunately have not been able to purchase some things i plan to use to help them through this....castor oil, poultry powder and VetRx are on my list when i get to the store...having transportation problems of all times!
Feeling quilty that wasn't more prepared.
What I have been doing is keeping them cool...it has been close to 100 last several days and looks like it will be that way for next several days. Making sure they have fresh water which for now till they start eating more ff, I am adding Braggs acv.
Even though this is not the ideal first flock it is what I have and am not going to give up on them yet.
I do have some concerns/questions regarding letting a bird that is not showing signs of improvement and seems uncomfortable breathing...how do you know when it's more humane to cull?
This is something I will probably really have to work on being a major sentimental softy.
I wish I could be doing more for her but the reality is I can't get those extra things until this weekend.
Can I force feed her a little some how? Should I go ahead and dust her and the others with ashes now even though it stress them out a bit?
Regarding biosecurity and me adding to my flock....I really think in my situation it would be somewhat impractical and really like the philosophy Beekissed has about birds needing to have a strong immune system. I most certainly will make sure their are no obvious infestations or signs of illness....unlike what I had the chance to do with my current ones.
I apologize for not multi-quoting and am wondering what sub-forum or thread would be best to keep updating my progress especially if it isn't pertaining to ff?
I was maybe thinking of doing like a blog page or something?

 

[Beekissed]

Wonderful!!! What a luxury shower! We bought a 2.5 gallon hand pumped weed sprayer and will use that on occasion for a shower - but the bowl works just as well, particularly for hair.

I would love to have a hand-pumped well. Do't know of anyone who has them anymore, but I grew up with one in the summers. We will need to find one before we dig our well (if we do!)

Where was your home stead when you were 10yo?

Cheese off my cracker?!? Ah, if it comes from me, they aren't too surprised! Some of the people I am friends with are right up my alley, but those at work... not so much. But then, they just shake their heads because they also know that I've had 4 home births, drink fermented kefir drinks, take permaculture courses, grow my own vegetables in the city, etc... and they wouldn't dream of that!

I'm currently living on part of it! Right here in WV. The folks sold 95 acres of it and still live on 15 acres here on the edge of it.

You can still find deep well pumps or even the shallow well pumps at Lehman's.... https://www.lehmans.com/ ...and all kinds of other neat things for a homestead, but if you are like me, you'll want to find them cheaper, so farm auctions are a great place to find good, old farm equipment such as pumps, churns, tools, etc. Much cheaper and the authentic article.

Advertise that you want one...some people now use them for decorations in their yard and hang flower pots off them and such...or they have one that was grandma's and they don't know what to even ask for it, but they'll sell it to you to get rid of it.

If you want see https://www.facebook.com/WillowWildeEscape where I try to keep relatively up to date on our progress.

I will certainly take a looky loo at your page!

It may just be that some don't like them, like some people like or don't like a certain food, because my chickens LOVE them. I caught a couple crawling on the side of our house and took them into the run and they snatched the slugs right out of the bamboo tongs I was using to handle the nasty things before I could even let them hit the ground....then the games were ON! Chicken Keep Away at its finest.

That's good info to know! Some like them, some don't. I've not seen a slug in so many years that I would never know if they liked them or not!

I do have some concerns/questions regarding letting a bird that is not showing signs of improvement and seems uncomfortable breathing...how do you know when it's more humane to cull?
This is something I will probably really have to work on being a major sentimental softy.
I wish I could be doing more for her but the reality is I can't get those extra things until this weekend.
Can I force feed her a little some how? Should I go ahead and dust her and the others with ashes now even though it stress them out a bit?
Regarding biosecurity and me adding to my flock....I really think in my situation it would be somewhat impractical and really like the philosophy Beekissed has about birds needing to have a strong immune system. I most certainly will make sure their are no obvious infestations or signs of illness....unlike what I had the chance to do with my current ones.
I apologize for not multi-quoting and am wondering what sub-forum or thread would be best to keep updating my progress especially if it isn't pertaining to ff?
I was maybe thinking of doing like a blog page or something?

I have a three day rule...no signs of improvement, I will cull. I've never had to use the rule, but I know what I would do it in that circumstance....I've had birds with this or that minor thing like wheezing or sneezing or limping before and I keep a watch on them. It's always resolved itself within a couple of days, so I started making myself a rule in case it didn't: Three days is time enough for it to resolve itself or get worse or at least show signs of improving towards normalcy.

If a bird is truly suffering, such as respiratory difficulty, hunched over in the coop looking miserable or even horribly injured from a dog attack, I don't wait 3 days...suffering is suffering and one day is the only day they know, so even one day of suffering equals a whole life of suffering for a creature that doesn't know the passage of time. One day...if she isn't right from these symptoms after one day, I will cull. Some require immediate killing, such as those injured from a dog attack...no need to try and doctor them when the wounds look painful, fatal or both. I ask myself, " Do I really need a chicken so badly that I let one suffer just in case I can make her well?" I don't think I do, so I end it quick.

It's hard and often heart breaking, but, for me, it's best to get it over with.

 

[KaFox]

Beekissed thank you, I hope I can be strong and not have to delegated such unpleasantness to my DH. I just came inside from checking on them and she was laying stiff dead in tge same spot she was earlier. At least she is no longer suffering.
I am a little upset but am still determined to rehab the others.

 

[Beekissed]

Beekissed thank you, I hope I can be strong and not have to delegated such unpleasantness to my DH. I just came inside from checking on them and she was laying stiff dead in tge same spot she was earlier. At least she is no longer suffering.
I am a little upset but am still determined to rehab the others.

And that's why I kill so quickly...after you've been at this for some time you realize what a dying bird will look like. Fluffed up, lethargic, pale, not eating or drinking, isolated from the flock...I've seen it in my sister's flocks and in others and I always want to ask them, "If you know this is the look of death, why are you waiting? Kill her...please!"

But..they never do. They never, never do and the bird suffers one more day, maybe two but they always die anyway...even with all the antibiotics they try to force down them, isolating them in a warm place, blah, blah, blah. Death, it comes.

New flock owners don't know this and so they must learn it all on their own and cannot be faulted for the not knowing...but my sisters know it and STILL won't be merciful. That's why I do not give them birds and I let out a sigh when they call and ask about this or that with their birds because I know they simply will not listen...they just let the bird suffer and die anyway. It's a sad thing.

 

[RoseMarie1]

And that's why I kill so quickly...after you've been at this for some time you realize what a dying bird will look like. Fluffed up, lethargic, pale, not eating or drinking, isolated from the flock...I've seen it in my sister's flocks and in others and I always want to ask them, "If you know this is the look of death, why are you waiting? Kill her...please!"

But..they never do. They never, never do and the bird suffers one more day, maybe two but they always die anyway...even with all the antibiotics they try to force down them, isolating them in a warm place, blah, blah, blah. Death, it comes.

New flock owners don't know this and so they must learn it all on their own and cannot be faulted for the not knowing...but my sisters know it and STILL won't be merciful. That's why I do not give them birds and I let out a sigh when they call and ask about this or that with their birds because I know they simply will not listen...they just let the bird suffer and die anyway. It's a sad thing.

oh man that's horrible Bee.

I just can't stand seeing something suffer.
I sure do hate that about the ladies chick! I sure hope the others don't die of whatever this is.

 

[KaFox]

Ok update...the girls are showing improvement today! They even ate some ff! Woohoo...they were all waiting at the run door to be let out....so far i leave the coop door open so they can go into run when they want.
They were alot more energetic doing chicken galloping, kinda flying...my 2 Orps sometimes do that whole rooster fluff up thing..I am still not sure at 6months old if the are both pullets.
The one RIR and ORP that were showing minor symptoms like sleepyness lethargy I havent seen at all this morning. Yeah!
I went ahead and dusted 2 of them with ashes and now they are all hiding in the bushes from me. I think I will have to wait till I get them in their run to do the others.
I am thrilled I think they are on the road to getting healthy.