Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[LOVEIGEE]

Leave her be...she seems to be doing okay amongst the flock and I've never seen a flock get aggressive with new chicks, so I always find it unusual when people speak of their chickens killing chicks. That's just not in my realm of flock keeping at all...some other hens are naturally curious, but usually the mama keeps them at a distance.

If the other eggs were infertile but not rotten, they might have consumed them to clean out the nest.

I've raised young chicks right alongside my older flock for years now without any single incident of aggression towards the chicks, whether they have a mama or not.

That is the cutest darn picture in the whole world......

 

[Triple Willow]

Thank you Bee. I agree with Loveigee, cute pictures. Your rooster is perdy. I've got to add some shavings and rearrange the furniture a little bit, the chick had got out of the nest and couldn't climb back in. The only problem I have seen with them is one of the Columbian Rocks trying to help one chick in its pipping when mom got out to eat. I stood guard until mom went back to the nest. lol Mom and new chicks have got some of the other pullets acting strange. They are sitting in the nest on eggs that were layed today. One of them is sitting on the eggs and picking up shavings in front of her and throwing on her back like she is trying to cover up. What's up with that???

 

[BCMaraniac]

Well... I went out this morning to a new baby standing in the middle of the coop with the big people, peeping its head off. They didn't kill it so...? Oh, as soon as I walked in the coop WHAM! rooster got me. I might be wrong but I gave him a pass *on that one* because I know he is just protecting his new baby. I can't find two of the eggs that were under her, they have just disappeared. I guess they might have been bad but there isn't a trace of them. I still don't know to move her or let her raise them with the rest of the birds.

If it were me, I would probably leave it where it is. I have a broody with 4 chicks, but they are a bit older. One of my roosters stays with them and their mama, and when I picked up one of the chicks, he and mama both both came toward me when it protested being picked up.

 

[AletaG]

been feeding it since saturday. I truthfully have no idea how much they need-they eat every scrap of food, and on days i feed less they follow me around the fence screaming. They were getting hollow in the chest when they were getting 10-15 cups a day. They have no grazing except what i bring and are not free range due to hawks and stray dogs, so maybe thats it? They are on grower feed and i was hoping this would stretch it. Hubby got laid off and everyone is dieting now. This IS saving me 10 cups a day though.

If you overfeed (which they'll happily let you do) they will die in unpleasant ways. That said, you have no range space? 1. how many chickens 2. what's your square footage 3. can you find apple drop, greens from grocery or restaurant to start a 'fun food pile' with 4. look into grow frames. I have 4 4"x4" frames with a mix of greenery growing underneath and they can't rip it up 5. My 20ish chickens eat no more than 3C or so of FF per day, but they do range, I have the frames, and we toss out everything to the chickens, and the DL even outside the run makes for bug-eating heaven.
I know that cage raised chickens on average are fed approx 1lb dry food per day. But, they are intentionally short lived, for one thing, even the layers, and the usefulness of dry feed to the chicken gut is nowhere near that of FF.
Also to think about... no matter what, they will always act starving. Always. You said their crops are full. Feel good about that. Once or twice a day full crop I would think is plenty. They might just be bored, too.
Good luck, and I hope your DH finds work soon!

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you Bee. I agree with Loveigee, cute pictures. Your rooster is perdy.

I've got to add some shavings and rearrange the furniture a little bit, the chick had got out of the nest and couldn't climb back in. The only problem I have seen with them is one of the Columbian Rocks trying to help one chick in its pipping when mom got out to eat. I stood guard until mom went back to the nest. lol Mom and new chicks have got some of the other pullets acting strange. They are sitting in the nest on eggs that were layed today. One of them is sitting on the eggs and picking up shavings in front of her and throwing on her back like she is trying to cover up. What's up with that???

There is something about chicks in a flock that sends the older birds, male and female, into weirdness at times. I had an old hen who went broody this summer but the old rooster was shooting blanks and none of her eggs developed. Meanwhile I had some half grown juveniles ranging by themselves in a pack all summer long. When the broody didn't get her babies, she started trying to mother the 3 mo. old birds...she chased after them, tried to "find" them food, tried to keep them flocking together. I feared for her health because she is 6 yrs old and had just come off of a brood, so she was a little pale and low in conditioning..then she's running around after these teenagers. Pretty soon they started to accept her and, though they still won't follow her, they allow her to follow them and will still accept food when she gives it to them. Well past the age she should have weaned off chicks of her own, she is still mothering these full grown birds...was encouraging them to sleep in the nests with her for the longest time. Imagine this...5 HUGE birds jammed into one nest overnight, some unable to even lay down, but still doing it. Ridiculous!

Here's a pic of her feeding one of them....

....her big, fat 5 mo. old "chick". I don't know when she will finally "wean" these ten ton fannies, but they still jam on the roost next to her and she still follows them around all day.




Here's another odd bod....Rudy the WR rooster, trying to mother some meat chicks. He fussed and fussed over these chicks each evening and wouldn't roost on his own roost but would stand guard over their brooder, so I finally let him co-habitat with them and it was Mr. Mom all over again until they got around 4 wks old and he started trying to mate with them. He didn't have any hens of his own, so he was sure trying to make do with what he had...but he had to be separated from his foster kids due to his inability to control himself.











I see the weirdness caused by chicks in a flock somewhat akin to bringing your baby to work for the first time...everyone's cooing, wanting to hold the baby, going home and asking their husbands if they should have just ONE more baby, etc.

 

[Triple Willow]

If it were me, I would probably leave it where it is.  I have a broody with 4 chicks, but they are a bit older.  One of my roosters stays with them and their mama, and when I picked up one of the chicks,  he and mama both both came toward me when it protested being picked up.

Thanks! I wasn't sure to take her/them out or leave them in. I was thinking leave them in and I'm glad that's what y'all think because that will be much easier. The broody hasn't been too bad at all with me YET but Daddy Roo has been a little grouchy lately. When I walked in the coop I didn't see him coming or going but he left a bruise on my hand. LOL When I picked the chick up to put it back in the nest I kept my eyes (both of them! lol) on him He was okay, just wanted to get his point across when I walked in I guess. He is very protective of his ladies and kids too I guess. Him and the pullets (broody included) are only about 7 months old - so no spurs yet.

 

[Triple Willow]

Now Bee, THAT Is plumb cute!!!

 

[Beekissed]

That would be the perfect time to nip that in the bud. Protecting the flock or not, he needs to recognize that you are top dog in that coop and you WILL handle the chickens at your leisure. If he's already nailing you at 7 mo. he's not going to get more gentle as he goes along. A quick cuff to the side of the head when he pulls a stunt like that will give him a second thought to trying it again. A smart rooster will learn the pecking order. Never too soon to teach a flock master the rules in the hen house.

 

[Triple Willow]

That would be the perfect time to nip that in the bud.  Protecting the flock or not, he needs to recognize that you are top dog in that coop and you WILL handle the chickens at your leisure.  If he's already nailing you at 7 mo. he's not going to get more gentle as he goes along.  A quick cuff to the side of the head when he pulls a stunt like that will give him a second thought to trying it again. A smart rooster will learn the pecking order.  Never too soon to teach a flock master the rules in the hen house. 

I agree, no more free passes.

 

[jajeanpierre]

They had enough cover areas for protection. I am guessing one time when I wasnt home the hawk got a little to close for comfort. Now they have the compost pile to hide in, some trees and some brush. Plus the hawk hideouts I keep out for them. I really need to move them more often

What are you using as a hawk hideout? How much clear area do you have between the hawk hideouts? I have a bunch of Silkies and Polish I want to move to an area that has a lot more open space and I'm worried they'll be picked off one by one. How at risk are Silkies and Polish? (I tape one Polish's topknot up and cut the other three but I think they are still handicapped.