Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Kassaundra]

This stuff is wonderful. I've got about 130 adults to feed in different yards and pens. I went around this morning and gave the same amount of scoops to everyone that I used to do with the dry layer pellets. And that amount would actually be far *less than usual if it were dry. I can tell you right now it was way way too much & I know they can't finish it all. So I get to feed LESS food, more variety, a ton healthier.....and I get to walk around like a dang hero with a bucket of feed *they think is strictly treats.....amazing.
I asked them, "Who's your mama now??"

 

[RoseMarie1]

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.

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. .

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

I often wonder how many chickens they ate in a week. One story is the only on a Sunday for chicken and dumplings using an old layer. I am very grateful to have chicken anytime I want it.

ANd I have learned that a full freezer lasts better in an outage.

I"ve been canning this year because my freezer space gets filled fast. Having homemade canned soups ready to reheat is a stress releiver as my kids schedules get crazy busy. THey know how to open cans and microwave when we are pressed for time.

I've been trying to figure out how many birds to can and freeze for 2 year supply . . .and then replenish year after year. . . .rotating the stored items.




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.

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

thank you!!! on the part about the boiling eggs.

 

[Triple Willow]

Hi,  I don't do a formal bsf  "farm"  but just leave the lids off the two garbage cans full of coop scrapings.  When it rains I cover them.   I throw what little composting materials I come up with in there along with the poop.  The chickens on their own hop up into the cans and scratch away, always finding enough to keep them busy for 15-20 minutes.  There is an Aussie who has a perfect way of doing it.  Just google "farming bsf's for chickens" and you will find hi video.  You take a ruined cedar chest or make a box of similar dimensions, fill with compost, mostly poop droppings,  and leave it open.  They will come.  Then put boards inside box on a slant on either side, making a "walk way" or ramp for the mature larvae to crawl out, which they will do given proper access.  You put pails on the ground underneath, or my idea was to carve up gal. milk bottles to hang on the sides to receive the larvae as they crawl out.  By the end of the day you always have a handful or more to treat your favorite ckns. The more edible trash you put in there, the more larva you will have.  Duh!    : )

Thanks Beverly. Had I known that BSF was so easy I would have done that before. I believe I have actually thrown them out before not knowing what they were. I thought they looked way too big to be regular old fly maggots. I will definitely be doing BSF now.

 

[Triple Willow]

Do any of you ever trim the beaks of your birds, especially roosters kept for breeding? I know they can't be completely "dubbed" if they are going to be used for breeding, at least I don't think they can be...? And I am sure that a complete "dubbing" would interfere with foraging. I'm wondering if just taking the tip off would prevent them from doing so much damage to other birds. I believe I am going to check into this, especially for birds (roosters mainly) kept for slaughter.

 

[Arielle]

Do any of you ever trim the beaks of your birds, especially roosters kept for breeding? I know they can't be completely "dubbed" if they are going to be used for breeding, at least I don't think they can be...? And I am sure that a complete "dubbing" would interfere with foraging. I'm wondering if just taking the tip off would prevent them from doing so much damage to other birds. I believe I am going to check into this, especially for birds (roosters mainly) kept for slaughter.

I have a lot of roosters, and most everyone free ranges with out big issues like fighting. I don't dub anyone. THe ability to free range most of the day maybe what keeps the beaks trimmed I guess.

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a lot of roosters, and most everyone free ranges with out big issues like fighting. I don't dub anyone. THe ability to free range most of the day maybe what keeps the beaks trimmed I guess. 

Due to the local dog issues I don't let mine out unless I am watching them. My birds' beaks look fine and work fine but their fighting gets a little out of hand sometimes. I believe one thing I may start doing is feeding a little ff on concrete of some kind.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

I think they need more entertainment and a distraction from going for each other.

Also can you invest in electric fencing?? Electronetting is very easy to use. Look at the offerings at Premier 1.

netting
charger
metal pole as ground
solar panel or electrical outlet

 

[fuzziecreatures]

Moved the barrels to the garage. Hubby is wonderful and put new pulleys up with 25# weights to counter balance instead of the tea jugs full of sand. Tomorrow I need to refresh the barrels since they were low and now was the time to move them. Gotta remember to order more feed next Monday so the order comes in on Thursday.
8 bags whole wheat, 3 bags cracked corn, 10 bags layer pellets.... gotta borrow the pick up again. Definitely can't haul all that in my car, lol. I just need to buy a truck so I can stop borrowing my in law's pick up

 

[Triple Willow]

Need a good laugh... LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

I think they need more entertainment and a distraction from going for each other.

Also can you invest in electric fencing?? Electronetting is very easy to use. Look at the offerings at Premier 1. 

netting
charger
metal pole  as ground
solar panel or electrical outlet

Electric netting is on the list of things to do but I don't think it would help much on the rooster fighting. It will just give them more room to run. lol the last group of roosters I had were pretty rough too. A couple of them terrorized the whole flock. They ran one poor rooster off. Ran him out in the field where he hid and I couldn't find him. After I slaughtered all the other roosters he finally came back out of hiding. Now he is my older flock's rooster. Lucky roo missed slaughter day. I also have barred and horned owls, hawks, and turkey vultures that are seen or heard regularly.