Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Triple Willow]

My pullets are laying well too.  Their combs and wattles are nice and red, and my girls that have gone through molt have combs and wattles that are pretty lack luster and they aren't laying.  The really interesting thing is that the two broody hens I had late this past summer/early fall are laying extremely well, have bright red combs, an lost very few feathers.  I guess the time off with babies helped with their laying.

Hey Bee, have you ever had a broody hen lay eggs for the better part of her time with her chicks?  One of my BCM broodies started laying huge eggs....72-76 grams.... about two weeks after her chicks hatched, and has continued to do so.

I believe the broody I have with chicks right now is the one who was laying big double yolkers. I have wondered if double yolkers and going broody at 6-7 months is related.

When my younger crew molted it looked like something had killed and plucked a couple birds in their coop/run! LOL The older bunch doesn't seem to have had a very hard molt at all.

That's pretty neat, a broody laying. I gave my younger bunch (20 weeks) a talk yesterday. Only two of the 14 are laying. I guess that is expecting too much out of young girls. lol

I got two pullets out of my three chicks the broody hatched out. The ones with longer tail feathers did turn out to be the girls. The little roo's comb grew a lot quicker too.

 

[beverly evans]

Hey there Beverly. You might have a Cuckoo Maran. I believe some of my Australorps were part Cuckoo Maran.

Hey Maraniac, That is one good looking guy, but sorry Bee, Bud was meant for the pot, at least at that stage of his development anyway. Ihave 30 eggs "cooking". I've candled a few and they are doing good. It will be fun to see all my "mutts" feather out. They say that chicken sperm, like human, can last for a week to 10 days so if I'm lucky some of my eggs will have been by the lovely silver spangled Americauna that I gave away. Most no doubt will turn out black, and hopefully some copper topped.

 

[Triple Willow]

It isn't "naked"......it's "nekked".

You should know that....I know where you live

It's a good thing his boy parts are gone......can you imagine what color they would be?

I was just trying to act safistakated. LOL He looks like he is posing , doesn't he? Got those long legs hanging over the side of the hot tub... I can see him now puffing on a cigarette. LOL ...that is so cruel, stop it!

 

[BCMaraniac]

I believe the broody I have with chicks right now is the one who was laying big double yolkers. I have wondered if double yolkers and going broody at 6-7 months is related.

When my younger crew molted it looked like something had killed and plucked a couple birds in their coop/run! LOL The older bunch doesn't seem to have had a very hard molt at all.

That's pretty neat, a broody laying. I gave my younger bunch (20 weeks) a talk yesterday. Only two of the 14 are laying. I guess that is expecting too much out of young girls. lol

I got two pullets out of my three chicks the broody hatched out. The ones with longer tail feathers did turn out to be the girls. The little roo's comb grew a lot quicker too.

I have a few marans/LO cross pullets.....26 weeks old......first egg yesterday.....patience, little grasshopper

 

[BCMaraniac]

Hey Maraniac, That is one good looking guy, but sorry Bee, Bud was meant for the pot, at least at that stage of his development anyway. Ihave 30 eggs "cooking". I've candled a few and they are doing good. It will be fun to see all my "mutts" feather out. They say that chicken sperm, like human, can last for a week to 10 days so if I'm lucky some of my eggs will have been by the lovely silver spangled Americauna that I gave away. Most no doubt will turn out black, and hopefully some copper topped.

My mutts were all black at hatch.....but had the cuckoo barring show up in a few of the boys. Human sperm is viable for only a few hours unless it makes it through the cervix(pH issues and all that). Then generally 48-72 hours, but a few "marathon swimmers" make it longer......I know, I know.....too much information.....and this is a chicken forum!!!!

 

[Triple Willow]

Trust me, there is enough medical knowledge on this thread that we could adjust meds too.....

Maybe if we adjust THEIR meds we could solve your problems......

Good golly you hit that nail right on the head! LOL And how about some exorcisms... is there a priest in the house? Can I get a buy two get one free deal on those? hahahaha

 

[Triple Willow]

My mutts were all black at hatch.....but had the cuckoo barring show up in a few of the boys.  Human sperm is viable for only a few hours unless it makes it through the cervix(pH issues and all that).  Then generally 48-72 hours, but a few "marathon swimmers" make it longer......I know, I know.....too much information.....and this is a chicken forum!!!!

I am a firm believer that you never know what bits of information you will need in life. LOL

 

[beverly evans]

Bob, I hope you and Carol stay self-sustaining for a very, very long time. Maybe the older folks in our society need to "invent" a new way of surviving since the children/family can't be depended on any longer - maybe some sort of "community" where help from our neighbors can be depended upon. I don't know but something has got to be done and FAST! I don't know any numbers but I am sure the "nursing/resthome" industry is expanding greatly - exploding probably. I can imagine a day when the government tries to take care of that. Now that they are taking control of healthcare I can easily imagine some drastic (and horrific) measures being taken.

The sooner the Lord rescues us from this mess the better!!! God bless you too Bob, saying a prayer for you and Carol.

(I bet you do have some good Mennonite neighbors. There are several that live around me, as well as several Amish. I like both their ways of life much better than ours.)

Robert, Save your money, push comes to shove maybe those Mennonite neighbors will have a young person who has been taught to cherish the elderly who can come by to help and later even to live-in. I have three sons, none married, one mentally ill, all living in diferent places. I am also 72 and when I get in diapers again I'm selling everything and moving to Mexico. I lived there for 7 years, understand the culture, speak fluent Spanish and one of my sons lives there. I'll have a little indian lady take care of me. Lots of Americans retire there and I will be close to Texas. That's the plan anyway. : )

 

[Triple Willow]

I have a few marans/LO cross pullets.....26 weeks old......first egg yesterday.....patience, little grasshopper

Ahhh yes... (long sigh) LOL

 

[beverly evans]

So Bee, your breeds of choice if you were going into breeding heritage flocks would be WR, RIR and BA huh? I was just thinking about that this morning. I don't know but I believe I would like to do Rose Comb Ancona (chickens) and I'm not sure about the other - Delaware, BA, Buckeye...? I really like the White Leghorns too. Some say that an Ancona is pretty much just a colored White Leghorn.

My 8 month old pullets seem to be laying better than ever and recently the egg size has gotten bigger. I didn't figure that would happen this time of year.

What's a WR or BA ?