Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ChocolateMouse]

Well, it looks like one of my new chickens may have layed me an egg today! Not really sure, but I can hope! There was a fresh nest dug in the nest box and inside of it was this!



The bottom two eggs are the exact color and shape and the ONLY color and shape we have been getting since the hawk attack took Nugget, who would once or twice a week lay a JUMBO JUMBO egg. The rest of the eggs have been that exact color and size all winter until today. It looks very different on my egg skelter (an ingenious device BTW, don't mind the dirty cookie sheet underneath it...) than the other two eggs, though the same size.
Maybe one of these derpy little production red/golden buff/whatever they are pullets finally layed me an egg? It's the same color as my Golden Girls layed me over the summer and fall, though MUCH smaller than those ones. What do you guys think?

 

[Angelray]

Well, it looks like one of my new chickens may have layed me an egg today! Not really sure, but I can hope! There was a fresh nest dug in the nest box and inside of it was this! The bottom two eggs are the exact color and shape and the ONLY color and shape we have been getting since the hawk attack took Nugget, who would once or twice a week lay a JUMBO JUMBO egg. The rest of the eggs have been that exact color and size all winter until today. It looks very different on my egg skelter (an ingenious device BTW, don't mind the dirty cookie sheet underneath it...) than the other two eggs, though the same size. Maybe one of these derpy little production red/golden buff/whatever they are pullets finally layed me an egg? It's the same color as my Golden Girls layed me over the summer and fall, though MUCH smaller than those ones. What do you guys think?

Same color as my RIR gives.

 

[Triple Willow]

Martha Stewart is about to make chicken stock in a pressure cooker on PBS. Go Martha! lol

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Pfft. Martha Stewart is nuts. She's convinced that green eggs specifically have all these health benefits.... Dude! They're just eggs! Maybe it's because there's no production green egg layers in battery houses that they're better for you? Apparently she also has a flock of like 150 chickens.

 

[Triple Willow]

Martha didn't do too good on the chicken broth. She did too much dipping and skimming. She makes everything too hard, harder than it has to be. lol

 

[Triple Willow]

Pfft. Martha Stewart is nuts. She's convinced that green eggs specifically have all these health benefits.... Dude! They're just eggs! Maybe it's because there's no production green egg layers in battery houses that they're better for you? Apparently she also has a flock of like 150 chickens.

Martha's flock of chickens is probably about like Michelle Obama's garden - hasn't got any dirt under her fingernails yet... unless a camera is there of course. LOL

 

[RoseMarie1]

I'm in the same boat as you...I really want to have heritage breed birds and you wouldn't believe the kind offers I have had and have even had birds sent to me! But...I'm not in a position to see a breeding program through to the end right now with my health. It's all up in the air right now and I cannot commit to long term projects at all.

I think if you could just get some breeds you like from wherever and just notice what you do or do not like about the breed, then you can decide how deeply you want to commit to breeding programs. Or if you just want to have some really nice birds in the time you have left.

That's where I am right now...I just want good birds in the time I have left but I don't want to waste the time of a good breeder who is wanting me to develop a line. I just can't right now, no matter how much I would love, love, love to get into heritage breed white rocks and take them all the way, I can't. No getting around that at all. And the bad part is I know I could do something great with the birds if given the right amount of time...that's the worst...knowing you could do it. I have a passion and an eye for that breed.

So, I bloom where I'm planted. If I lived closer to someone who had great birds I'd take some of their culls and live happily ever after. If I could only have one breed in my last flock on Earth, it would be the White Rocks. I have some of those and I have some BAs, which I also love, and I now have a completely ridiculous but oddly beautiful Cochin cockerel that I got in a roundabout way and was too skinny for eating. What a peasant to breed to those royal WRs!

Oh, well...God has a funny bone and don't I know it!

I say bloom where you are planted and just enjoy your birds!

LOL , me to Bee........lol had to chuckle at that because I've thought the same thing! You know the more I mess with my chickens the more and more I like the RIR over the BA's. Granted they all are production breeds or so I'm told and the heritage ones might be better BUT I just really like my RIR's. I'm so glad now that it didn't work out when I was going to get some heritage BA eggs to hatch. I can't gripe in the least about my RIR's. I have gotten more eggs than I have been able to use and they are STILL going strong. I actually feel sorry for them because they look soooo bad. I couldn't ask for anything better out of them. I am totally totally satisfied with them. I wanted eggs and that's just what I am getting. Just an awesome bunch of chickens.

 

[Triple Willow]

The world has officially gone mad. Folks, the future does not look good. I feel for not only us, but even moreso for the generations to come. I have a very strong feeling that "the powers that be" are working a plan for population control. How could they do that other than killing the unborn as is done now or starting to kill off the sick or elderly? Our food supply! Things have been pretty scary for a long time with antibiotics, steroids, all of the "cides" sprayed on our food and throughout our environment, etc - but this GMO stuff...? Seriously scary! Check out these bulls...

 

[perchie.girl]

The world has officially gone mad. Folks, the future does not look good. I feel for not only us, but even moreso for the generations to come. I have a very strong feeling that "the powers that be" are working a plan for population control. How could they do that other than killing the unborn as is done now or starting to kill off the sick or elderly? Our food supply! Things have been pretty scary for a long time with antibiotics, steroids, all of the "cides" sprayed on our food and throughout our environment, etc - but this GMO stuff...? Seriously scary! Check out these bulls...

seen it.... been around for quite some time.... bout the time they started cloning sheep.

In 1993 when Jurassic park came out I was working at a biomed company They had a Phd whos specialty was genetics on staff. my job was to refine Gene splicing tools they already had and make them work better. So I worked on the nuts and bolts stuff. I Chatted up the PHd guy who was Indian very nice.... I asked him if the concept of Jurassic park was possible.... He said "absolutely" and walked off. That ticked my radar right then. Later On I found out the company was selling their gene splicing tools as a product. To Any one who could afford them. In my opinion GMO vegitables are only the tip of the iceberg....
I was glad the job ended.

deb

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I did too! I made an extreme study of dog coat color genetics a year or two back for a project I still want to create... An Internet art and breeding project based on canine evolution. At one point in time I could write out the genetic code for any dogs coat. I still barely understood what she was saying!

But something about my rex hybrids... They grow amazingly quick. I have a litter of those growing out next to a litter of NZWs. The rex crosses have been growing much quicker and are significantly larger than the pure NZWs at only two days older. Part of that may be that the NZW is a first time mom but it is still really impressive to watch these kits grow! I think they got a lot of hybrid vigor when I decided to cross the two breeds!

That would be interesting to see if it's just this Rex or if each time you cross a Rex with a NZ you get quicker and better growth. That might be an interesting way to go with a breeding program for meat production. I like their calm natures too.

That's exactly what I will do. I'll buy some white rocks and caponize the extra roos. Maybe a few different kinds until I find one I want to raise. I really love BAs but wondered about our heat. In the summer it gets over 100 degrees and I worried about the fluffy feathers. But the coop will be in the shade most of the day. And I will baby them and take a fan out along with icy treats.

BAs do great in the heat...at least mine always do. WRs do well but you'll see them holding their wings out and panting more than other breeds due to their large bodies and lush feathering. If you are going for heritage stock, you might also consider RIRs....some amazing birds from the breeders on the thread here and their birds are BIG. They do well in the heat, especially if using single comb varieties. Also might not be quite as expensive to get into a the Dorkings.

Wow, don't I wish. I had planned on them at first, but dropping $225 upfront for 25 babies is a little stiff. I watched them on Youtube and they are the quietest birds. Just love them.

You'll love the WR...also a very quiet bird. They do great on forage and will finish out with more meat on the spent hens than most breeds have on their roosters.

Here's a full grown RIR rooster, whole, lying next to just half of a old WR hen.....

LOL , me to Bee........lol had to chuckle at that because I've thought the same thing! You know the more I mess with my chickens the more and more I like the RIR over the BA's. Granted they all are production breeds or so I'm told and the heritage ones might be better BUT I just really like my RIR's. I'm so glad now that it didn't work out when I was going to get some heritage BA eggs to hatch. I can't gripe in the least about my RIR's. I have gotten more eggs than I have been able to use and they are STILL going strong. I actually feel sorry for them because they look soooo bad. I couldn't ask for anything better out of them. I am totally totally satisfied with them. I wanted eggs and that's just what I am getting. Just an awesome bunch of chickens.

Hey, Rosemarie...why are your RIRs looking bad right now?

The world has officially gone mad. Folks, the future does not look good. I feel for not only us, but even moreso for the generations to come. I have a very strong feeling that "the powers that be" are working a plan for population control. How could they do that other than killing the unborn as is done now or starting to kill off the sick or elderly? Our food supply! Things have been pretty scary for a long time with antibiotics, steroids, all of the "cides" sprayed on our food and throughout our environment, etc - but this GMO stuff...? Seriously scary! Check out these bulls...

That's the beef world's answer to Cornish Cross chickens!