Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

alright! That's just what I wanted to hear! Thank you TW! With the 20 or 22% protein my food will go much farther and I can cut it with some kind of grain. I'm needing to work on my feeding with these production rir's because they're laying sooo much I don't think they're getting enough protein. They have pulled that poor roos tail feathers out again and all those hens that had naked backs STILL have naked backs and I think they;re keeping them plucked out as they try to come back. I never catch them doing this but hubby said the other day one hen was on one side of the roo and one was on the other and they were working on them. I was like WHY wont he peck em! lol
and YES on all that dust! You should see the shelf in my utility room where that ff is.

Yes that dust is a pain. I believe the only dust worse than from the feed is the dust from chicks! We have a dirty hobby. lol I was just thinking about what you are saying about the protein today. The owner of my feedmill was telling me that he is supposed to mix a guy a 28% protein gamebird feed next week. I imagine it will be around $14-15/50lbs. I could take that and add some cheaper grains to get the protein level I need for layers, meat chicks or regular chicks.

I am also having a problem with the feathers on my bird's backs. I still haven't figured it out. Can't find any lice or mites, it's not from breeding because it is at the spot right in front of their tail and one even has a bald butt. Bee was telling me about other people having this problem and some think it is mice chewing on the feathers. A lot of them have looked chewed and some just plucked. I took the rooster out of the pen to give them some rest. And you know, every time a feather hits the ground one of them grabs it and eats it. And all those missing feathers and hardly a one to be found laying anywhere. It has not affected all of the hens and it has not affected any of the roosters. This has about drove me crazy.

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
RM, When I needed to use two lamps and only had one with a clamp I used the poorman's answer to everything, duck tape. It leaves a mess on the tubs I use for chickys but who cares? The light will be very secure, just don't let it touch the tub if you use Rubbermaid tubs like I do; they melt! They outgrow the tubs so fast. I have a cream legbar that is only 2 weeks old and is jumping out of the tub all the time. I found her (it) sitting on top of the dog a bit ago. I'll have to top it with some screen if I leave the house. Happy babying! : )

 

[LindaB220]

RM, When I needed to use two lamps and only had one with a clamp I used the poorman's answer to everything, duck tape. It leaves a mess on the tubs I use for chickys but who cares? The light will be very secure, just don't let it touch the tub if you use Rubbermaid tubs like I do; they melt! They outgrow the tubs so fast. I have a cream legbar that is only 2 weeks old and is jumping out of the tub all the time. I found her (it) sitting on top of the dog a bit ago. I'll have to top it with some screen if I leave the house. Happy babying! : )

Wow, you have a good dog. Funny!!

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
Hi TW, I have the same broken feathers above the tail and am quite sure it is my roo doing it. It only happens to the two hens he favors. The roo's front toes wrap around the top of their wings (shoulders?) when mating and I think the back, forth toe is the one that is breaking their feathers. I don't have rats and I have never seen signs of mice, though their sleeping right through a mouse's nibbling is plausible, but then why only two of them out of 15? Let us know what you find out, if you discover the cause. : )

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
I'll have to figure out how to post a picture of him with babies. He lets them walk all over him. He is a really big pit bull and guards my chickens when outside from hawks, squirrels, and doves. I haven't seen signs of possums or raccoons since I've had him. Someone said that they smell his urine in the yard so don't come in. I hope that's right. : )

 

[Triple Willow]

Hi TW,  I have the same broken feathers above the tail and am quite sure it is my roo doing it.  It only happens to the two hens he favors.  The roo's front toes wrap around the top of their wings (shoulders?) when mating and I think the back, forth toe is the one that is breaking their feathers.  I don't have rats and I have never seen signs of mice, though their sleeping right through a mouse's nibbling is plausible, but then why only two of them out of 15?  Let us know what you find out, if you discover the cause.   : ) 

Hi Beverly, mine are slowly getting better. They still look rough, but better thank goodness. I'm not sure but I don't think the rooster was doing it. I took him out just to give them a break anyhow. The one with the bald butt... I have no idea about that either. I finally see some little feathers growing back.

 

[tniron]

I just picked up 7 Cornish X and 2 Black Sex Links from a small local hatchery that only sells on Saturdays. They were aready started on dry starter. I put ff in a chick feeder with some dry feed on top. So far they have eaten only the dry I sprinkled on top. I plan to just leave them ff. How long till i should worry about them starving if they dont eat it?

 

[Beekissed]

I wouldn't worry...they will eat it. Just make sure a crust has not formed and don't feed any more of the dry, even on top of the wet. It's just not familiar to them and they don't see it as food yet...but they will. You can stir it with your finger, "peck" at it and tap on the feeder like a bird pecking food and sometimes that will get them curious enough to peck at it also. Monkey see, monkey do.

Chicks aren't that fragile...just wait for it. Remove all feed for a couple of hours and then just introduce some drier, crumbly FF and see what happens. Peck at it and the pan and see if they try it. They get hungry enough they'll try it.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hi Beverly, mine are slowly getting better. They still look rough, but better thank goodness. I'm not sure but I don't think the rooster was doing it. I took him out just to give them a break anyhow. The one with the bald butt... I have no idea about that either. I finally see some little feathers growing back.

It might very well have been your rooster. They damage feathers on the back and the wings, plus pull feathers from the neck area. Until the feathers that are broken molt out, they won't regrow. They can be broken right to the skin so it looks like your hen is bald when in fact she is fully feathered with broken feathers so short you don't notice them. She needs to molt those broken feathers before she grow new ones.

 

[Triple Willow]

It might very well have been your rooster.  They damage feathers on the back and the wings, plus pull feathers from the neck area.  Until the feathers that are broken molt out, they won't regrow.  They can be broken right to the skin so it looks like your hen is bald when in fact she is fully feathered with broken feathers so short you don't notice them.  She needs to molt those broken feathers before she grow new ones.

The feathers on the shoulders and up on the back are fine. It is the feathers just before the tail that are broken, chewed or missing.

Reckon the rooster did this... bald butt?