FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[wlhtx]

The Gnarly Bunch looks amazing!!! I just recently read where you were hoping Bertha would go broody for you, so I'm glad to hear that she really did! Yay for propagating the super genes that those birds must have. They look so happy and content (and plump) in those pics!

What is the oldest you have ever had a hen lay? I have a 6 yr old barred rock who still lays a very large egg 5 days a week. I'm curious how much more she has left in her tank... We also have a 9-10 yr old RIR who has not laid since we've had her. (We are the 3rd home for these two older hens, along with a couple of 2 yr old JGs hens and a JG rooster). Because we are their 3rd home, my husband feels sentimental for the old RIR and feels she has earned an easy life of retirement... I think he also has a notion that you can't eat old birds...

This older bunch is really the reason I went in search of a better way of doing things. They are overall healthy looking - very active and good foragers with bright eyes - but upon closer inspection the JG's have dull feathers and a couple bare spots and the two older girls have dirty bottoms. I don't know that it is gleet as its not horrendously nasty looking, but just a little line of drippage. They are my real test cases for the ff.

----------------

As an aside, I for one am grateful that you still pop in from time to time. I certainly understand and respect your reasons for not frequenting the site as much anymore... If it is any consolation/encouragement, I will say that as someone who has spent a good amount of time reading your words over the past couple weeks, your beliefs shine through your posts - even without direct religious references - particularly when you describe your reasonings behind certain things, like culling, etc. I know that you are a nurse by trade, but you certainly come through as an excellent teacher of practical, valuable information and I think you have a plethora of eager students on this site.

 

[Beekissed]

Well...I'm overwhelmed that you should say so! Thank you! One can only hope that the footprints left behind in life will yield good fruit long after they are gone...if not, why would one even take a step? It's that hope that keeps me posting here and there when folks ask for help because there is no sense in withholding help when you may hold the key to the problem. One never knows.

The oldest hens I've had that were still laying regularly were 6 yr old BAs(and now my current GBs) and they would probably still be pumping them out but a couple of pups I obtained attacked them so badly that I had to kill them. That was probably the saddest cull I've ever had to undertake...the poor hens laid their head on my chest and closed their eyes when I rescued them from the trauma of it all. I can honestly say that I've never been more angry at an animal than I was that day...until then none of my hens had ever had to suffer any trauma. I dislocated their necks and held them close as they died....it was a sad and hurtful cull.

These older WRs(all three are 6 yrs, as are Little Red and Toby) are entering into the realm of being culled before their bodies start to go so far as to cause them illness or pain...Big Bertha, the broody supreme, is very pendulous in her abdomen and is walking so slowly now, though still laying eggs regularly. So is Middle Sister...slower in her walk, more pendulous abdomen, still laying.

Won't be long until they start suffering from laying issues, I'm thinking. It will certainly hurt to cull them but I'd rather do it when they were still feeling good and their bodies won't be wasted....tell your hubby that old hen is the tastiest chicken there ever was! Rich and nutty in flavor, they make the very best soup. It seems to taste even better when it was a favored old hen...like she is once again showing her value and worth in the richness of her meat and broth.

Raggedy Ann will get to stick around, her body is still nice and tight, laying is good, she still has good movement in avoiding preds and defending her pecking order. Little Red will also get to stick around, she is a stellar layer and her body is still good and tight for the job~her little brown, speckled eggs hit the nest at least 4-5 days a week for most of the year. Not high production any longer but my boys are gone and I live too far out to have customers, so I don't require as good a laying performance that I once did.

Thank you for your kindness to an old chickener and I'm hoping you can post when you start to see some gloss and finish on those feathers and when those little chooks start to fill out.

 

[Pent]

I feed Fermented grower mash at the moment; my birds took to it right away. They pile all over me the moment I open their coop with food. They're gaining weight and health by the day, and the food goes much further.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Well...I'm overwhelmed that you should say so! Thank you! One can only hope that the footprints left behind in life will yield good fruit long after they are gone...if not, why would one even take a step? It's that hope that keeps me posting here and there when folks ask for help because there is no sense in withholding help when you may hold the key to the problem. One never knows.

The oldest hens I've had that were still laying regularly were 6 yr old BAs(and now my current GBs) and they would probably still be pumping them out but a couple of pups I obtained attacked them so badly that I had to kill them. That was probably the saddest cull I've ever had to undertake...the poor hens laid their head on my chest and closed their eyes when I rescued them from the trauma of it all. I can honestly say that I've never been more angry at an animal than I was that day...until then none of my hens had ever had to suffer any trauma. I dislocated their necks and held them close as they died....it was a sad and hurtful cull.

These older WRs(all three are 6 yrs, as are Little Red and Toby) are entering into the realm of being culled before their bodies start to go so far as to cause them illness or pain...Big Bertha, the broody supreme, is very pendulous in her abdomen and is walking so slowly now, though still laying eggs regularly. So is Middle Sister...slower in her walk, more pendulous abdomen, still laying.

Won't be long until they start suffering from laying issues, I'm thinking. It will certainly hurt to cull them but I'd rather do it when they were still feeling good and their bodies won't be wasted....tell your hubby that old hen is the tastiest chicken there ever was! Rich and nutty in flavor, they make the very best soup. It seems to taste even better when it was a favored old hen...like she is once again showing her value and worth in the richness of her meat and broth.

Raggedy Ann will get to stick around, her body is still nice and tight, laying is good, she still has good movement in avoiding preds and defending her pecking order. Little Red will also get to stick around, she is a stellar layer and her body is still good and tight for the job~her little brown, speckled eggs hit the nest at least 4-5 days a week for most of the year. Not high production any longer but my boys are gone and I live too far out to have customers, so I don't require as good a laying performance that I once did.

Thank you for your kindness to an old chickener and I'm hoping you can post when you start to see some gloss and finish on those feathers and when those little chooks start to fill out.

oh it's sooooo nice to see you on here Bee! I just found your Gnarly bunch thread last week and was reading it. I have learned sooooo much from you and have cut and pasted and cut and pasted some more. I am new to chickens so I am so excited to have found you to learn from. I have 15 RIR's and 23 BA's and am needing to learn how to know WHICH ones of the roosters I need to keep and what to look for so I will know I made the right decision on which one to keep on the RIR's AND on the BA's. I'm thinking I have 4 roosters in the RIR's and have no clue how many roos in the BA's. Got me some flowers of sulfur and am looking for the other ingredients to make me some NuStock to. Anyway just so excited to see you here!
Sure hate that about your chickens! I bet that did get you, I know it would have me. OHHHH and also I've got me a stick to train my rooster whenever I figure out how and what to look for on which one I need to keep.
ALSO I am studying now on WHAT I need to do to make the ff. Bought me some BOSS and will use my chick starter to ferment.

 

[RoseMarie1]

It sounds as if they are recovering from something, since you've had a few die and some that acted sick for a bit...could be you could up some nutrients and it may help. Are they having diarrhea? Others would advise deworming but I'm more of a natural husbandry kind of gal, so if I wormed it would be with all natural substances like garlic, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, etc.

Could you post a pic of these raggedy birds? It sure would help to be able to see a close up of what you are seeing. Have you checked them for mites and lice? It could contribute to the weight loss even though they have plenty of food and it could also contribute to feather loss. It's hard to trouble shoot when one doesn't get to see and handle the bird but it certainly isn't natural for birds with plenty of food and free range to be so skinny and poorly in appearance, so you have to look at the probable causes being from external sources such as parasites or illness.

Side notes:

Since you are offering FF, you probably don't need the ACV in the water unless you are placing it there to keep the water fresher.

A quick way to increase nutrients is to place a little~and I mean a little because this stuff is powerful~calf manna in your FF to increase vitamins and proteins for birds that are recovering from illness or parasite infestation.

My chicks are losing a lot of feathers. They are 2-3 months old now and at the top of their legs they are getting a little thread bare. ;-) Was wondering what was going on there. Someone said it's what they call a May something or other in other words it happens at this time of the year. It started happening back at the beginning of June and they are still losing feathers.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I mix chick starter to a peanut butter or mortar consistency, no straining is required. If stirring it each day, you don't have to keep the mix submerged in water. I'd only feed enough for them to clean it up..that way, you don't have to wonder how much they are eating or not eating. If it's gone, they are eating. If it's not gone, adjust the feed amount down until only a little dab is left in the feeder each time they are done eating.

For chicks, I'd feed a set amount twice a day if confined to a coop and run situation. If free ranged, I'd feed once in the evening after 3 wks of age.

FINALLY got mine to this consistancy today and it IS awesome and sooooo much easier! No straining!

 

[Beekissed]

My chicks are losing a lot of feathers. They are 2-3 months old now and at the top of their legs they are getting a little thread bare. ;-) Was wondering what was going on there. Someone said it's what they call a May something or other in other words it happens at this time of the year. It started happening back at the beginning of June and they are still losing feathers.

They could be having a little spring molt due to the heat...and that's where they usually lose those downy, small feathers...around the legs. I call that putting on the summer drawers!

If it makes you nervous, examine them under a light at night for signs of anything crawling, especially around the vent area...if nothing is crawling on the skin there or the areas of feather loss, they are just shedding due to the summer heat.

My yard and coop looks like someone had Mardi Gras in it right now....feathers of all shapes, sizes and colors all over the place..like everyone decided to drop trou' all at once!

 

[wlhtx]

Yep. Lots of feathers being dropped here too. I am constantly doing a head count because I swear there are areas in my yard where it looks like one or more birds has been attacked by a predator... But it is legitimately HOT here, so I figured they're entitled to strip down a bit.

So I have to update regarding the FF. My birds were VERY slow to warm up to it, but they now wolf it down whenever I bring it out in the early evenings. I think the key is the consistency of the feed. I just made it too wet in the beginning. Now it's a thicker oatmeal consistency and it's a hit.

The most interesting part to me is the difference between the older bunch that did not have the FF as chicks and the younger bunch which has been on the FF almost from the beginning. All of my birds free range all day. The older birds do go out and poke around finding things here and there, but there are several that seem almost content to hang out in the shade all day and just eat when the food woman makes her evening delivery. (Slackers!!). Now, compare the younger bunch, which is rowdy from sunrise and literally FLIES out of the pen each morning to go out and hunt around. They range further and much more actively than the bigger bunch - it's outstanding. Seriously, it's like they are on a mission every day. And this younger group is a mixed bag of different breeds: RIRs, Cream Legbars, Wheaten Marans, and - wait for it - BOs. I've read over and over how BOs are terrible at free ranging, but mine in this younger group are feisty.

Not a great pic since you can't really appreciate the acreage, but we live in the middle of about 100 acres made up of pasture, woods, and a large pond. These babies go all over!

 

[knjinnm]

"Not a great pic since you can't really appreciate the acreage, but we live in the middle of about 100 acres made up of pasture, woods, and a large pond. These babies go all over!"

No predators?
That's amazing.

 

[RoseMarie1]

They could be having a little spring molt due to the heat...and that's where they usually lose those downy, small feathers...around the legs. I call that putting on the summer drawers!

If it makes you nervous, examine them under a light at night for signs of anything crawling, especially around the vent area...if nothing is crawling on the skin there or the areas of feather loss, they are just shedding due to the summer heat.

My yard and coop looks like someone had Mardi Gras in it right now....feathers of all shapes, sizes and colors all over the place..like everyone decided to drop trou' all at once!

oh my gosh.....

at the Mardi Gras comment. I got one of the pullets down this evening and checked around in her feathers and found nothing. Checked down where they attach to her skin and there wasn't anything there. So I guess it's just that but they're only 2-3 months old now. LOVE the putting on some summer drawers!

That's a good one!!! I had my glasses out here since I had my laptop so I thought now's a GOOD TIME to check it out. Don't know what we'd do without your knowledge on here!!