Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

He was a smaller RIR roo and we felt the name would help toughen him up...and he was a tough little guy. He would stand in the middle of the yard and challenge hawks that flew over after he had all the girls to safety. Funniest thing ever to see that little guy standing there screaming at the sky, just daring the red tails to take a dive.

Good roo...sweet ol' guy, the true southern gentleman to the ladies. Here is a pic of gnarly ol' Sue..standing next to, of all things, a ratty looking BO.

Oh Bee he was a pretty roo! LOL that's funny I bet it DID look funny with him looking up at the sky. One of mine hit me the other day on the leg and thank goodness I had on pants and socks so he didn't get me good. I whopped him with my stick and gave him a sling across the yard. I've been working with him but he come at me from behind so I keep my eyes in the back of my head now. He got hubby to the other day and he sent him across the way. I told him he better not hurt him but he hit him on the breast he said. Bee he is hunting for the girls and clucking to them to come eat it. I've never seen such! I have seen him do that twice now. But been sick for a week now so hubby is tending to them. With this mess in my chest I'm not going out there unless it's warm and I have a mask on. Went out there yesterday and turned their DL under under their roost. Sure do miss tending to my chickens.
Anyway he (the roo) doesn't have any spurs yet but when he does start getting them I WILL take care of them so I wont have to worry about him catching me off guard. BUT will watch behind me and keep on with my stick. When I do he stays back but that time he came from behind and must have forgotten my stick. I whacked him several times afterwards with it and he wouldn't come anywhere near me after that. I always have it in my hand. Hubby says to me, I'm telling you what he better not come at me again. I told him you better not hurt my roo. lol I told him just to watch his back and to keep tapping him so he will remember that stick and stay back.

 

[Triple Willow]

My cane works wonders. I can guide all the chickens to where I'd like them to go, and if Bob starts to even look like he's thinking about putting up a fuss I simply put my cane down near him and he's right back to thinking I'm boss. No violence, no wing flappin' just simple walking out in the yard like everything was normal. And, every once in awhile I pick him up and feed him some meal worms.

Of course, he's still only about 7 months old. And I'm a newbie chicken keeper. AND he's an Orpingon, so, not a breed known for attitude. But so far, so good!

Sounds like I need to get me a stick. Must be what I'm missing in my rooster training. My Aussie roo is about 8 months old, the others somewhere around 5 months.

 

[Triple Willow]

He was a smaller RIR roo and we felt the name would help toughen him up...and he was a tough little guy. He would stand in the middle of the yard and challenge hawks that flew over after he had all the girls to safety. Funniest thing ever to see that little guy standing there screaming at the sky, just daring the red tails to take a dive. Good roo...sweet ol' guy, the true southern gentleman to the ladies. Here is a pic of gnarly ol' Sue..standing next to, of all things, a ratty looking BO.

Perdy roo. I bet he made the hawks think twice. lol It's strange, my younger birds are in a pen about 40-50 feet from my older birds. When the youngsters get into a squabble my Aussie roo in the other pen gets all upset and tries to straighten them out all the way from his pen. He sure tells them about it, thinks he is the boss of all chickenhood. lol Chickens are strange and funny little creatures.

 

[Triple Willow]

@Beverly... I've been reading up on BSF and I like what I'm reading. How do you raise them? What kind of setup do you have?

Anybody else who raises BSF, how do you do it??? Anybody have picture or a good web page?

 

[AletaG]

@Beverly... I've been reading up on BSF and I like what I'm reading. How do you raise them? What kind of setup do you have?
Anybody else who raises BSF, how do you do it??? Anybody have picture or a good web page?

http://gardenpool.org/beneficial-insects/black-soldier-fly-composter-automatic-chicken-feeder
One of many ideas... This is the one I THINK DH has finally settled on. He's got a couple links for buying larva, if you want to attract BSF "interfastically" or whatever that Dr. Who phrase is he likes using.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I"m all for the lowest energy usage. ANd while our water is free forthe cost of pumping, I"m still concious of usage. Of course I dump the duck water every day and refill it.

Ahhhhh Strike One for Angel Eyes, my rooster.

I was coming out to the coop today (with my hands full) when he attacked me. Luckily he doesn't have his spurs yet. (He is 25 weeks old tomorrow) I couldn't catch him, so I ran him all over the yard. I don't know if it will help, but when he hits the roost tonight, I am picking him up and holding him for a while. I have two roosters and he is the dominant one. Ornery cuss!!

Lisa

Good luck with him Lisa. AFter having too many jabs on my legs that are now scars, never ever a naughty rooster--- missed him when he was gone, on guard for two more weeks until I could relax. .

Quote: WOndering what the breeding is on this girl? My muscovy ducks are like that.

Quote:

I have one boy a SS that I excuse for protecting his girls as they all free range and he needs tobe protective. How easily he is provoked seemd to depend onthe time of year.

Quote: THanks for postingthis link-- I"m sure I would never recog nize a wild bsf.

 

[TexasLisa]

I have one boy a SS that I excuse for protecting his girls as they all free range and he needs tobe protective. How easily he is provoked seemd to depend onthe time of year.

Arielle, Angel Eyes came from you. He is a Speckled Sussex! I need to get my husband to take a picture of the 3 SS that hatched. I got two roos (Angel Eyes and Tuco) and one hen (Molly). Molly is the smallest of all my new poults. Unfortunately she is also picked on. She follows me around the yard like a puppy dog.

Lisa

 

[colburg]

Quote:

I bet they are hiding those eggs. I was reading one post on here where some Ancona hens were laying their eggs in the gutters on the owner's house, funny story. lol

That was funny, until I got home. I kid you not, for the first time, we had an Ancona on the roof of the house. If I start finding eggs up there, I'm blaming you.

 

[Triple Willow]

Quote:
That was funny, until I got home.  I kid you not, for the first time, we had an Ancona on the roof of the house.  If I start finding eggs up there, I'm blaming you. 

LOL That is funny! Better check the gutters before it starts raining eggs! LOL Now a bird that can get on the roof is pretty neat. It can get up there and give predators... the bird. hahahaha

 

[colburg]

Just wondering, of you all that supply ur-selves with your own chicken for the year, how many do you raise to feed your family? It's the 4 of us here, and my husband would eat chicken every night if offered, the kids probably 2 or 3 times, and I use chicken broth for just about everything. Looking to figure out if just raising the breeding animals will result in enough culls, or if I should sprinkle a couple small hatches in here and there to just raise for eating. I have a lot of freezer space, but couldn't keep a years supply in there at a time, so will be caponizing culls obvious before 2lbs. Might even try caponizing later when culling, if I don't have enough freezer space... Hmm.

Fuzzie, I do NOT envy you that set up. I think I'd be waiting for a rope or other piece of equipment to break and Oi! So glad our winters are mild enough that I'm not too worried about freezing feed buckets. Would the oatmeal and shovel method work for you?

We tried to this year. Started with 52 CX that were butchered in mid-May. Split the order with the in-laws, sold 1. We also butchered an extra 10 cockerels. So, 25 CX +10 extras = we're almost out of chicken. Without a steer or hog in the freezer, we'll eat 1 to 1.5 chickens/week. There's 4 of us as well. The girls are 2 and 5 yrs.