Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Arielle]

@Arielle.. Got them from Meyers.

I got some Delawares, White Leghorns, Anconas and Dominiques from there too. I really like the Delawares and Leghorns as well as the Buckeyes. Anconas and Doms are still debatable.

You have a nice assortment to introduce you to a wide variety of chickens. Anconas and Doms are a bit different than the others you listed. Particularly good if survival in an area with predators is a high priority.

 

[Beekissed]

Dogs are the best deterrents toward other dog types. YEs, fox are fast. Lightening fast. Dh chased one, yelling like a madman, as it ran for dear life. It climbed over the mesh fencing for a fast excape.

In general, animals go for the easiest prey. A dog doesn't make it easy.

We have lots of hawks, espcially late summer early fall when the adults abandon the young to fend for themselves. THey are noobies at hunting and usually come look at our chickens. I know a good number will not survive the winter, but I am not willing to give them MY chickens.

Years ago DH worked on the eagle project, and he was paid minimum wage to collect the dead chickens from the local commercial chicken farms. THe goal was to provide winter food to the birds at the winter rookeries so they had plenty of food and ate clean food that was not contaminated by DDT. ( The eagles are fish hawks and depend on the fish in the rivers for winter food). IT was a 5 years study. I went with him one day-- gag those carcasses are a gross green, and stink. But the beauty of 30 + birds sitting in the trees was remarkable. A high number of juveniles that were still in gray plummage, Those in the regal white were astonishing. THe grad student made a pencil/ink drawing and had a number of them printed up as a limited edition. I'm not sure which one I liked better the bald eagle, or the loon.

They are beautiful, aren't they? The last place I lived was the first time I'd seen a bald eagle in the wild and they were everywhere, as well as every kind of hawk, owl, etc. one could imagine. That area of WV is along what they call raptor alley. We even had a pair of osprey living on the mountain opposite our place, which I had never seen in the wild either. Imagine having the only place for miles and miles with free range chickens and farmers on all sides spreading manure~and dead chickens and turkeys~from the commercial poultry houses on the fields twice a year...the stench was overwhelming when that happened. But, it attracted the bald eagles and it was nothing to see several out in the fields scavenging off the food to be found there.

I rescued a loon off the highway there once and it was gorgeous! Perfection in every feather and the call was haunting. I rescued a Cooper's hawk from the highway once too and it too was perfection.

Never had one single chicken taken by a hawk or eagle...just one silly pullet that roosted up in the barn rafter instead of the coop and out of the reach of the dogs. She got snatched by a Great Horned Owl.

Here's a pic of the loon:

Rose, hope you recover quickly. Yes, fever is the body's method to kill these germs. CHicken soup also has healing powers-- it has been proven in the last few years.

Eggs- was some asking bout how to boil and peel-- I resisted the peel under running cold water but it us my best method. Hate wasting all that water so I lower the volume to what works. ALso OLD eggs that have started to dry out a bit are better than fresh.

Canning deer-- I wish I had a deer to can. Wonder if it is worth going to the weigh station and giving out my phone number . . . . . Still need a better knife. I have tried acouple slot style sharpeners but they don't make them like they used to!!! EVen the blades-- bought one from Walmart, and the first day I snapped the blade. SHeesh.

TW-- where did you get your buckeyes????

It's worth it...free meat, lean and fattened on something you didn't have to buy. Try Rada brand knives...don't think you can get those at any local store, though, not sure. http://www.radacutlery.com/ We've used this brand of knife since I was a little girl...long, long time..and they just don't go bad, only the tips can be broken off it seems and that's if you have kids that use them for screw drivers, and they sharpen up well. We've used them on literally hundreds of deer, chickens and even on butchering cows and sheep.

 

[Triple Willow]

You have a nice assortment to introduce you to a wide variety of chickens.  Anconas and Doms are a bit different than the others you listed.  Particularly good if survival in an area with predators is a high priority. 

Yeah I got just a few of each to see what I like and possibly play around with some crosses. A lot of people don't like flighty birds but as long as it saves them from a predator attack I can handle a little flightiness. The Anconas and Leghorns I have really aren't that flighty. None of my birds like to be touched because I don't make pets out of them. They don't mind touching me but they don't like me trying to touch them. lol I love Australorps - calm quiet birds, excellent layers, hardy, etc. I am wondering how an AnconaXAustralorp cross would perform. I'm not real up on genetics but I suppose they will remain a dark color, be a little smaller, a little flightier, keep the excellent egg production but lay a white egg. I hope to try that cross.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: We tend to be live and let live . . . . .and love all of GOd's creatures. We live next to a wooded area kept just for the wild ones and hunters. So while I get a few wild creatures here, it is not often. Did pick up a fisher on the street HBC a few years ago. Tossed it into the freezer so the kids could have an up close and personal look. Amazingly thick, wide feet, and hard to imagine the dexterity of that mink- like body with such huge feet. THe jaw was surprizing ly narrow and small for the size of the creature. We donated the carcass to a wildlife zoo for a display.

Thanks for the tip on the knife. Will check it out. HOw do you resharpen yours?? I"m clumbsy with that rod thing, a pull thru type works for me.

 

[Beekissed]

That's what we use also...a pull through. The one we currently use is from Smith's, which are the main company I've found for every kind of sharpener a person could want.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks Bee.

 

[JesNflock]

Update on my FF experimental setup.
I have sometimes left the lid ajar, and sometimes snapped it shut. So far, so good. No big explosions. (I know, I know... no fun here!

)
The temps here have been getting down to the mid-forties overnight, and up to maybe 55 during the day. The feed in the picnic cooler is fermenting along just fine. Bubbles are on the surface of the water in the morning even though temps are nothing near the range of an indoor set-up.

Right now I'm just fermenting organic layer pellets.

Does your pellets end up mush or am I just doing something wrong? I've never done this before so I'm not sure what the result should actually be lol

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Yes they will break down completely and be mush. When I used pellets I made the FF thicker (like cookie dough) to feed out to the hens. They liked it better than the soupy texture & did not wear as much of it.

 

[JesNflock]

Yes they will break down completely and be mush. When I used pellets I made the FF thicker (like cookie dough) to feed out to the hens. They liked it better than the soupy texture & did not wear as much of it.

Thanks that's good to know...I was thinking i did something wrong lol I almost dumped it out last night...I'm glad I held off..I'd hate to waste it although I just started with a small batch just in case

 

[RoseMarie1]

We tend to be live and let live . . . . .and love all of GOd's creatures. We live next to a wooded area kept just for the wild ones and hunters. So while I get a few wild creatures here, it is not often. Did pick up a fisher on the street HBC a few years ago. Tossed it into the freezer so the kids could have an up close and personal look. Amazingly thick, wide feet, and hard to imagine the dexterity of that mink- like body with such huge feet. THe jaw was surprizing ly narrow and small for the size of the creature. We donated the carcass to a wildlife zoo for a display.

Thanks for the tip on the knife. Will check it out. HOw do you resharpen yours?? I"m clumbsy with that rod thing, a pull thru type works for me.

Arielle get you a Rada knife and you wont be sorry. We went to the beach a few years ago and I used one of these knives in the condo. Once I did I was hooked and I went to one of the local shops there and actually found one. I bought 2-3 of them and also the tomato slicer knife. LOVVVVVVE these knives. They stay sharpened for a while AND their really easily sharpened with their sharpener when they do get dull and they're not sky high in price either. http://www.radacutlery.com/ I bought the sharpener when I bought my first ones. I have bought them 3x since I think. A lot of people sale them for fund raisers. Next one I want to get is the larger one for cutting up like a turkey or a roast or something.