Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[waltandlori]

There is a Naked Neck thread, maybe someone on there is close enough to get eggs or chicks from them. Several of the big hatcheries have them at least in the spring. I really love the NN chickens and have discovered another cool thing about them, I raise them to eat too, and they have no chicken "hair" in the skin after plucking. They do really well in out hot weather, and I am transitioning my flock to all NN.

Mine is a skinny runt don't think it would be worth even processing her. But the eggs are sure good. I tracked her once for almost a month and she only missed one day. I started with 2 but a hawk got her sister. My wife named them after the Bronte sisters Emily and Charlotte. I will get more at some point for sure.

 

[waltandlori]

Walt, I just gotta ask. What are the 90,000 females living out beside the garage? Wait, I just got it after I read your last post.

I'd love to have bees, but my wife is pretty allergic to them. If we get to buy the place next to us when it goes up for sale, I oughta be able to have some then. They would be over a mile from the house.

Being allergic is a small problem unless it mean when you get stung you have to go to the hospital or die! I don't use gloves just a jacket with veil. I haven't been stung once. I am a little allergic as I swell a lot but not life theatening.You would probably see more bees if you keep them a mile away than if they are in your yard. When I have to "feed them I don't suit up just t shirt nothing protective. I take the inner and outer cover off to fill feeder so am exposed to maybe 3-300 bees (not counting the ones flying) they are not very aggressive, however there is that potential at certian times but you can "hear" the difference.

Walt

 

[Beekissed]

I know this is off subject, but I just got started. They are the most facinating creatures god put on this earth. If people could take an example from them.....
Right now they keep everything they make. Maybe next year I'll take a little if they have plenty. They were my wifes idea because of the plight of pollinators, so it's for nature not us. If we get food from them then so be it, if not no harm no foul. I'm trying to go Au naturel.

Walt

BTW today is the day I start a batch of FF!

YAY!!!

I agree on the bees. I'm even going to give you a link to a site where a fella has been doing au naturel bees for some time and have the health certificates to prove what it did for his bees over the years..and he posts pics of the certificates right on the site so folks can see the proof. I used his blue plastic barrel design for my top bar and loved it! I met him on the best bee forum, Beesource.com. Good folks over there and real helpful to a newbeek.

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

I wouldn't mind eating one here and there. However, I still don't see raising them as meat birds, I still like my thighs bigger than a wing section.

Uh...on this bird the breast meat will be smaller than any of my chicken's thighs. The thighs will be equal to the upper part of my bird's wings. I'll do a pic comparison on the meats when I process to give you an idea of just how very tiny this bird really is. There is no meat on it..he's basically just fur, ugly and air.

 

[waltandlori]

YAY!!!

I agree on the bees. I'm even going to give you a link to a site where a fella has been doing au naturel bees for some time and have the health certificates to prove what it did for his bees over the years..and he posts pics of the certificates right on the site so folks can see the proof. I used his blue plastic barrel design for my top bar and loved it! I met him on the best bee forum, Beesource.com. Good folks over there and real helpful to a newbeek.

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm




Uh...on this bird the breast meat will be smaller than any of my chicken's thighs. The thighs will be equal to the upper part of my bird's wings. I'll do a pic comparison on the meats when I process to give you an idea of just how very tiny this bird really is. There is no meat on it..he's basically just fur, ugly and air.

You can't become a beek without reading Michael Bush OR Beesoure!!! I got my plans for Nucs and hives from beesource, I think on of the jigs for cutting boxjoints on the tablesaw came from there also. Very nice folks.... a little opinionated maybe.... duh ya think??? lol

 

[Beekissed]

You can't become a beek without reading Michael Bush OR Beesoure!!! I got my plans for Nucs and hives from beesource, I think on of the jigs for cutting boxjoints on the tablesaw came from there also. Very nice folks.... a little opinionated maybe.... duh ya think??? lol

Oh, those boys have honey in their mouths compared to Beemasters...they have the stingers in theirs.

So cool that you are doing bees that way...it's the only way, to my way of thinking.

Hey, if you garden, that discussion a few pages back about planting garden paths with White Dutch clover might interest you. Your bees will thank you for it and so will your chooks if you let them into the garden at the end of season. Your wife will thank you as well, as there will be no weeds and no muddy shoes!

I'll have to live out my bee fantasies vicariously through you now, Walt.

 

[foreverlearning]

YAY!!!

I agree on the bees. I'm even going to give you a link to a site where a fella has been doing au naturel bees for some time and have the health certificates to prove what it did for his bees over the years..and he posts pics of the certificates right on the site so folks can see the proof. I used his blue plastic barrel design for my top bar and loved it! I met him on the best bee forum, Beesource.com. Good folks over there and real helpful to a newbeek.

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm




Uh...on this bird the breast meat will be smaller than any of my chicken's thighs. The thighs will be equal to the upper part of my bird's wings. I'll do a pic comparison on the meats when I process to give you an idea of just how very tiny this bird really is. There is no meat on it..he's basically just fur, ugly and air.

Thanks for the link. I was thinking about keeping bees for my garden a while back and when I started looking into the books about it, it just seemed so complicated. It just seemed that you had to keep medicating, feeding them basically sugar water, and buying new queens. My mother kept them when she was younger and said she didn't have to do any of that. I thought it was to prevent the die off that we have been having. I might have to rethink it when I move now.

 

[waltandlori]

Thanks for the link. I was thinking about keeping bees for my garden a while back and when I started looking into the books about it, it just seemed so complicated. It just seemed that you had to keep medicating, feeding them basically sugar water, and buying new queens. My mother kept them when she was younger and said she didn't have to do any of that. I thought it was to prevent the die off that we have been having. I might have to rethink it when I move now.

DO IT! They (the bees) know what to do they have been at it for (I think this is what I read) 40 million years. We can't teach them a thing lol. Use local bees whenever possible, most "packages come from the southern states mostly Ga. I can't see where you are from but if you have colder winters your best bet is to get bees from a keeper in your area and read read read ask and join a local club. Use what you can and forget the rest. You do not have to medicate, that said you might loose some til they get strong enough to fight off varroa etc. If you lived in south florida and all of a sudden I moved you to say northern maine where it gets -40 how would you feel? Well people can become acclimated enough to survive Alaska and arctic temps ( bees can't do arctic though) well you get the point...

Walt
PS get ABC-XYZ OF BEEKEEPING. Also beekeeping for dummies is helpful. There are others as well.

 

[foreverlearning]

Louisiana, staying in this state and thought they would be great in pollinating my garden as I choose not to grow GMO. Right now I use open pollinated seeds from the same farmer that has been harvesting and using the same line for over 100 years.

 

[foreverlearning]

And the new chicken crack is...wait for it...CHEESE!

So, I let my meaties out of the tractor and into a small yard a while ago. Last night for the first time they all returned to the tractor (or next to it) at dusk, so I decided today was the day to let them see more yard. I have been trying to let them know there is another yard and an open gate all morning. My big birds got it right away and left the small yard, however the meaties were slow to learn. I tried meal worms, feed and corn to get them out...nothing. Then...I got the cheese out...they all came running and about ran me over for it!

 

[waltandlori]

And the new chicken crack is...wait for it...CHEESE!

So, I let my meaties out of the tractor and into a small yard a while ago. Last night for the first time they all returned to the tractor (or next to it) at dusk, so I decided today was the day to let them see more yard. I have been trying to let them know there is another yard and an open gate all morning. My big birds got it right away and left the small yard, however the meaties were slow to learn. I tried meal worms, feed and corn to get them out...nothing. Then...I got the cheese out...they all came running and about ran me over for it!

We have the same thoughts on GMO and those companies like them.... Don't get me or ESPECIALLY my wife started it would be an awful rant lol... The meatys aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but they like to eat! It was cleaning day yesterday and they were outside most of the day some didn't come all the way out of the tractor but the ones that did, didn't wander very far. I didn't feed them while they were out, but they didn't forage much, course a couple of them took a bite here and there and looked like they were going to get the hang of it... Hmmmm cheese huh?

Walt
Aw crap, knew I shouldn't have put that no cheese weed and feed out there!