Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

Congrats Rose! I know how excited you are, I was too.

I hatched my older flock out and from egg to laying eggs seems to take forever! Actually it was March to August. lol Now some of them are wanting to sit on eggs themselves.

cool!!!

I heard some more good news this morning. I sold one of my RIR cockerels a friend of my nephews and my nephew said he put some eggs under a broody and they hatched so he's doing what he's suppose to do.

Also going to let my nephew hatch out some more for him that he's mixed like. So they sure are growing and coming to age I guess you would say.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Ya know, we are always told to put the nests "up" here or there when really out in the wild chickens would be laying eggs on the ground somewhere. I don't think it is a big deal unless the eggs are getting dirty. It's nice to have them all in one spot and up where we can reach them better, but it's not natural to the chicken. Sometimes people act like they think a big chicken like an Austrlorp would hop up in a tree and build a nest to lay eggs in. lol

lol well she laid her egg on the first nest to the north. I'd figured she would go to the middle but she didn't. I am watching them today and I have one large BA hen that keeps hanging out over there in the nesting area. So I came inside to see IF she will go ahead and lay. Making them stay inside until I see which one IS laying so I can watch her when they are outside free ranging. She has lost her band on her leg so I will have to band her again at night.

Thank you all for your sweet comments. Going to run back out there and check and see IF she has laid an egg yet. She keeps hanging around in the nesting area so I was afraid I was bothering her so I came inside.

 

[Triple Willow]

lol well she laid her egg on the first nest to the north. I'd figured she would go to the middle but she didn't. I am watching them today and I have one large BA hen that keeps hanging out over there in the nesting area. So I came inside to see IF she will go ahead and lay. Making them stay inside until I see which one IS laying so I can watch her when they are outside free ranging. She has lost her band on her leg so I will have to band her again at night. 

Thank you all for your sweet comments. Going to run back out there and check and see IF she has laid an egg yet. She keeps hanging around in the nesting area so I was afraid I was bothering her so I came inside. 

Cool about the RIR. It's neat to see them grow up. You sound just like me. LOL I still wonder every day who laid which egg, who is laying every day, who are the slackers, etc. I had "heard" that they got most of their laying done by about 10:00 in the morning. Balony! lol Mine lay all day. Have fun!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

My B&C Maran eggs are about to hatch guys. :3 This one here was shaking today, just a tiny bit. I will probably be giving them FF for their first few months. So exciting!

 

[Lacy Blues]

lol well she laid her egg on the first nest to the north. I'd figured she would go to the middle but she didn't. I am watching them today and I have one large BA hen that keeps hanging out over there in the nesting area. So I came inside to see IF she will go ahead and lay. Making them stay inside until I see which one IS laying so I can watch her when they are outside free ranging. She has lost her band on her leg so I will have to band her again at night.

Thank you all for your sweet comments. Going to run back out there and check and see IF she has laid an egg yet. She keeps hanging around in the nesting area so I was afraid I was bothering her so I came inside.

This statement has my curiosity up. The first nest to the north? Do compass points have something to do with nest choice?

 

[Kassaundra]

This statement has my curiosity up. The first nest to the north? Do compass points have something to do with nest choice?

My girls favorite nest box is the north one too, never thought about it till now.

 

[Triple Willow]

My B&C Maran eggs are about to hatch guys. :3 This one here was shaking today, just a tiny bit. I will probably be giving them FF for their first few months. So exciting!

It's so cool to see those eggs start rolling around and chicks peeping from inside of them! I've got some due this week too. I thought the pullet had give up the nest today. Thought I was going to have to cook up some balut! LOL

 

[RoseMarie1]

My B&C Maran eggs are about to hatch guys. :3 This one here was shaking today, just a tiny bit. I will probably be giving them FF for their first few months. So exciting!

oh how cool!!!

 

[RoseMarie1]

This statement has my curiosity up. The first nest to the north? Do compass points have something to do with nest choice?

wow now I am wondering about that to.

 

[Beekissed]

Ya know, we are always told to put the nests "up" here or there when really out in the wild chickens would be laying eggs on the ground somewhere. I don't think it is a big deal unless the eggs are getting dirty. It's nice to have them all in one spot and up where we can reach them better, but it's not natural to the chicken. Sometimes people act like they think a big chicken like an Austrlorp would hop up in a tree and build a nest to lay eggs in. lol

Actually, when given a choice, they locate their nests up high...up on top of a big stack of hay bales if they can get to it. They like to nest in the safest spots from predators and up high is the safest to them. They wouldn't build a nest in a tree because they aren't inclined to nest building in that manner, but if you placed a nest in a tree in which they liked to perch, you can bet they would lay in it. My chickens rarely, if ever, nest on the ground if they can find a place higher and my lower nest boxes never got much business either.

wow now I am wondering about that to.

My birds like to nest in the most northern nests as well. Don't know why that is, but it's just that way. Put your nest boxes on a northern wall and eliminate all the "favorite" nests..they'll all be favorites.