Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

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. 


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.    

Well my birdies will either be really happy or really confused because I got out the compass and had the new building set as exact north-south as I could. I'm sure the guys putting it up thought I had lost my marbles. LOL

 

[RoseMarie1]

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.


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.

LOL Bee then that would be IN the end of their run. Isn't that the coolest thing? Wondering why they choose the north boxes? I noticed this evening 2 out of the 4 boxes were in the sun when it hit evening time so they might not like laying in a box with sun beaming in? Anyway just curious about that.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Well my birdies will either be really happy or really confused because I got out the compass and had the new building set as exact north-south as I could. I'm sure the guys putting it up thought I had lost my marbles. LOL

lol well what do those guys know anyway?

 

[Triple Willow]

lol well what do those guys know anyway?   

lol for real

 

[Beekissed]

Quiet day on the forum...y'all must have talked yourselves out.

Well, tomorrow night is capture night, with an early processing Thursday morning. I will be doing my old favorite, Big Bertha, along with this cull, as well as Ginny. End of an era, really, so it signals changes in the flock towards new blood and a new day.

I will take carcass comparison pics for you guys and also do a short film of how and where to cut on the silkie and also on the standard bird, as folks seem to have the biggest problem with that single component of processing. Will try to do close ups so that you can see it well, but will be using an old digital camera so it won't be top notch filming.

Got a big bale of this year's hay, fragrantly sweet, and placed in the nest boxes today and also in Jake's house. It's time to start the annual tucking in of the coop for cool weather, one of my favorite times of the year. The leaves are falling fast and so will be raked and stored for winter bedding and also raked directly into the coop for a deep winter litter pack. I have a feeling this winter will be a doozy..very wet and chilly, lots of deep and slushy snow.

Went across the state yesterday and came back today, the colors on the eastern side are simply stunning, as per usual, so we drove with our mouths hanging open, pointing like little kids as each new bend in the road showed scarlet, gold and purple splendor painting the mountains. It never gets old to us. Soon our colors will be changing as well as the season goes out in a blaze of glory. My favorite time of year...the colors, the harvest of wild game and even the meats we have in our own pens, fruit harvests, a gathering together of things for winter survival...wood, food, supplies. Every year without fail, this age old mountain rhythm that seems as old as time. What blessings He showers around us!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Quiet day on the forum...y'all must have talked yourselves out.

Well, tomorrow night is capture night, with an early processing Thursday morning. I will be doing my old favorite, Big Bertha, along with this cull, as well as Ginny. End of an era, really, so it signals changes in the flock towards new blood and a new day.

I will take carcass comparison pics for you guys and also do a short film of how and where to cut on the silkie and also on the standard bird, as folks seem to have the biggest problem with that single component of processing. Will try to do close ups so that you can see it well, but will be using an old digital camera so it won't be top notch filming.

Got a big bale of this year's hay, fragrantly sweet, and placed in the nest boxes today and also in Jake's house. It's time to start the annual tucking in of the coop for cool weather, one of my favorite times of the year. The leaves are falling fast and so will be raked and stored for winter bedding and also raked directly into the coop for a deep winter litter pack. I have a feeling this winter will be a doozy..very wet and chilly, lots of deep and slushy snow.

Went across the state yesterday and came back today, the colors on the eastern side are simply stunning, as per usual, so we drove with our mouths hanging open, pointing like little kids as each new bend in the road showed scarlet, gold and purple splendor painting the mountains. It never gets old to us. Soon our colors will be changing as well as the season goes out in a blaze of glory. My favorite time of year...the colors, the harvest of wild game and even the meats we have in our own pens, fruit harvests, a gathering together of things for winter survival...wood, food, supplies. Every year without fail, this age old mountain rhythm that seems as old as time. What blessings He showers around us!

Yes He does shower us with blessings Bee. I'm here but was doing something else.
Fixing to hit the bed though since I'd like to work on that chicken pen some tomorrow and get some more of that welded wire in place on their run so it will be more secure. Hunting seasons coming up and we always have a lot of hunting dogs folk drop off in the woods to hunt deer and then either just leave them or they get lost or something. So we always see one or two and sometimes more come through here. Don't want to take the chance that they would hurt my chickens so I'm getting up that wire as soon as I can. Then I will feel better about it.

Oh man I know this will be hard for you with Old Bertha and Ginny. I know you must have your mind set right to be able to do it. I know she/they will provide some good food on your table that's for sure. Oh so you going to do silkie pants on this go round? ;-) I just figured you'd get attached to that little booger.

Oh I bet those chickens will want to hug your neck and give you bunches of eggs after all that work. I bet that does smell good to them. I've got to put some more stuff in mines nest and fix that board on there like you suggested. I bet you'll have old Jake and those chickens as snug as a bug in a rug for this winter. Got to get prepared for mine to. Was going to put up some plastic on that north wall that isn't closed in so they will be warmer in their roosting area at night time for those really cold nights. They have already started getting toward the front of their roost where it's closed in instead of on the end of the roost where part of the north wall is wire. Went out there to close their back gate to their run the other night and all of them were jammed on the front and the back board toward the front. Thought it was rather cute. lol

Leaves are falling fast here to Bee. I swept them up with my sweeper the other day for that run and yesterday I got another sweeper full already. I put it under their roost since it was getting really thin under there.

I bet that was beautiful seeing all those colors in those leaves. They say TN. is beautiful this time of year but I've never seen it. I kept watching for our catalpa worm tree to get worms on it for the chickens this year but it didn't have any this year which is soooo weird. It always has them on there at least twice a year. I have checked it and checked it waiting for those worms to appear. Was wanting to see what the chickens would do with them. lol Maybe next year.

OK will chat with ya later! Good luck with your dressing your birds.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Poor derpy silkie! All he wanted was to run around and be a normal bird with the rest of your chooks! XD

Hopefully I'll be getting some pips or some chicks this morning.... There was nothing happening in the nest yesterday.

I'll probably spend much of today building some more rabbit cages. We have a lot of rabbits in temporary/quarantine cages that need permanent homes come the end of the month!

 

[waltandlori]

Well finally got the FF brewing, brought wifey to work and stold the caruck yesterday. went to wally world and got bucket for FF went to feed store and got another 150 lbs of feed for the meatys. So far they have eaten 220 lbs of (dry) feed in 37 days, that's a lot of food. I put UP/ACF in water in bucket with some feed, came back and it was dry did this about 4-5 times and now it is like oatmeal. When I go by it gets a stir, it doesn't seem to be working much and smells like, well wet pellets, go figure. I put a glunk or 2 of ACV, maybe I should have done a glug, I figure there is enough in there to get it going. BTW for the record, I'd rather take a whupping then go to wally world on the 1st I got there fairly early but my the time I got done it was mobbed and 3or4 deep at the checkouts. BRRRR..... Is it possible that the hens egg color could change after molting? It's weird but I swear charlotte's (Turken) egg is darker, I know her's but not all of them, still only getting 3-5 eggs from 8 chickens. I told them the consequences of not laying, but I guess they are going to test me..

Walt

PS yes I do realize this post kinda wanders, just like my mind lol

 

[hefalumpmom]

Going to make my first attempt at meat birds. I am picking up a small batch of 2 week old Cornish X today. I am very interested in the fermented feed, so I will get going on a batch ASAP. If all goes well, I'll try my layers next. My only concern right now is how I will keep the fermentation process going with winter approaching. I don't really have a spot in the house where it would not be a problem. My coop and feed shed don't have electric. Will it still ferment in a cool basement and just take longer?

 

[Beekissed]

Going to make my first attempt at meat birds. I am picking up a small batch of 2 week old Cornish X today. I am very interested in the fermented feed, so I will get going on a batch ASAP. If all goes well, I'll try my layers next. My only concern right now is how I will keep the fermentation process going with winter approaching. I don't really have a spot in the house where it would not be a problem. My coop and feed shed don't have electric. Will it still ferment in a cool basement and just take longer?

It will but if it is very cool you may have to mix very large batches to give it time to grow into the feed. Kassaundra keeps hers outside all winter in a big ol' trash can and she says she keeps good fermentation. If you find that isn't working for you, you can always try a heated stock bucket, which is likely what I will be doing this year.