Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

I've been keeping mine in a wooden trough. The girls sort of chip away at it when it's frozen.

I was wondering IF mine froze these past two nights but hubby said yesterday they had eaten it all so they must have chipped away at it to.

 

[Beekissed]

Mine is eaten so fast that it doesn't have any time to freeze and I feed in the morning, so there is none left overnight for freezing.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Mine is eaten so fast that it doesn't have any time to freeze and I feed in the morning, so there is none left overnight for freezing.

yeah I normally don't have much left over night either but they have slowed down on their eating since it's gotten so cold and I have backed off on giving them as much but haven't gotten just the right amount yet. They're all acting starved to death today. lol But don't they always? ;-)

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Have you tried chicken soup??? It reallly does wonders.

Going to try something a little different this year and see if it works. Instead of using my heated dog dish for water in the coop this winter, I'm sitting a bucket down into it and attaching a nipple cup waterer on the side of the bucket about 1/4 the way up the bucket. Am hoping the heated dish will keep the water in the bucket warm enough to keep the nipple trigger warm enough to work and also hoping the young birds will teach the older birds a new trick on how to use the nipple cup. Will also keep the water in the dog's bucket low enough that the chickens can't get any when they perch on the sides and lean in so that they have to use the nipple cup or go thirsty. I'm tired of messy water but didn't want to get too elaborate in trying to keep it a cleaner system, so hope this works...had all the materials on hand, so nothing had to be purchased at this time.

The ice chest idea is working very well with no freezing noted even though the past 3 nights have been down in the 20s....hope it works all winter as that would be a cool thing to keep the FF in the coop all year round but not have to buy a heated bucket. Saves me $35!

Bee, the nipples are designed to be vertical, so a horizontal placment is not likely to work. Have heard there is one design that can be side mounted, maybe that is what you have; I haven't found that design yet myself.

Perhaps add a PVC arm and put nipple verticle. If the water sits long enough without girls drinking
it could freeze up though.

I have a couple nipples in soda bottles, and I forgot to empty them last night. THey defrosted by noon time! ( Gave them other water until then.)

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, the nipples are designed to be vertical, so a horizontal placment is not likely to work. Have heard there is one design that can be side mounted, maybe that is what you have; I haven't found that design yet myself.

Perhaps add a PVC arm and put nipple verticle. If the water sits long enough without girls drinking
it could freeze up though.

I have a couple nipples in soda bottles, and I forgot to empty them last night. THey defrosted by noon time! ( Gave them other water until then.)

This is the nipple cup I'm using.....the one located on the side of the bucket. On this bucket I have both, the vertical nipples placed on the bottom of the bucket for the youngsters and the side cup/nipple for the adults.

 

[RoseMarie1]

This is the nipple cup I'm using.....the one located on the side of the bucket. On this bucket I have both, the vertical nipples placed on the bottom of the bucket for the youngsters and the side cup/nipple for the adults.

Bee that is SO STINKIN' CUTE!
Haven't done chicken soup but I have done stuff with chicken in it and did the chicken and rice soup so I guess that would be the same. I put a lot of black pepper in there.

 

[armorfirelady]

Do you think it would hurt to mix 6 week old chicks with 9 mounth old chickens?

I had mixed age groups this summer. I made a little house with slats on it. The tots could get thru the slots to eat and drink and get away from the old girls. They used it for a couple months till they couldn't fit thru the slats
Some people also use creeper feeders.

I know use it to cover the the pop door entrance so it's not so muddy from them going in and out. Minus the slats of course

 

[Beekissed]

I LIVE on black pepper...go through bulk jars of it like water.

I don't know that there is ever such a thing as too much black pepper in foods.

 

[RoseMarie1]

hubby loves the stuff to Bee. I ask him does he want some eggs with his black pepper.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I had mixed age groups this summer. I made a little house with slats on it. The tots could get thru the slots to eat and drink and get away from the old girls. They used it for a couple months till they couldn't fit thru the slats
Some people also use creeper feeders.

I know use it to cover the the pop door entrance so it's not so muddy from them going in and out. Minus the slats of course

CUTE idea!