Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

You're kinda like the Indians that say "thank you" to each species before they eat it!

Nope...I never thank an animal..they have no part in if they are consumed or not, nor do they selflessly sacrifice themselves for my nourishment. I thank the One who created the animal, provided it for my food and also gave me the health and money to care for them. I do this also, in deed, by being a good steward of the animals He entrusted to me. I take that very seriously and I raise chickens as if for the Lord Himself.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

---Heat tape is good for keeping small volume containers free from freezing, such as pipes or hoses, but not sure about larger containers such as buckets and such when the temps really get cold. I don't know of a way it could be utilized to keep chicks warm enough either. ---

I can't think of a way to utilize heat tape to keep chicks warm ...BUT I do know for a fact that a metal bucket can be kept warm/unfrozen with enough heat tape. I use it on a 5 gal galvanized waterer for my chickens. Its just wrapped with 8-10 ft of heat tape, insulated with 2 rolls of vet wrap, and wrapped tightly with duct tape to water proof it. It has worked great for 4 winters now and I just drug it out of storage for its fifth winter Chickens really appreciate 60*f water when its single digits outside.

 

[Beekissed]

That's good to know. I vaguely remember us using heat tape around the 5 gal. bucket and hoses for our watering system in the rabbit barn back in the 90s and I know it kept the water thawed clear down to the metal nipples but those kept freezing. Wasn't sure if my memory would stand, though, so didn't want to mention it.

I'm.....OLD.

 

[beverly evans]

It's raining here....lovely on the tin roof! A great day for curling up with a book and eating home canned chicken soup and homemade bread. That's what we are going today....bliss!

Do enjoy your well deserved bliss, Bee. Sounds good! Mind if I join you? It is cold here right now, 38 or 39 and I wasn't able to get my pilot lit. Will have to call a plumber. Dang! They charge close to $100 just to come to your house! I know that isn't cold for most of you but like I said somewhere here it was 90 last week. I'm not used to it yet so I'm whining! I fed the chooks some warm breakfast this AM while I ate my oatmeal. They obviously appreciated it, it disappeared so fast! I have a bread making machine I got at a garage sale for next to nothing but have yet to try it. I love freshly made yeasty smelling bread and would probably eat the whole thing so avoid making it. : )

 

[Beekissed]

Very cold here today and I'll be working out there splitting massive pieces of firewood(some are 36 in. in diameter), so no bliss today until I come in the house this evening to the warmth of the wood fire...now that's bliss!!! Then I'll be eating some more of that homemade chicken soup and bread..yum! Already built a cheap meat's rooster pen this morning...better than the last one and easier to build with more shelter for the birds from the weather.

I make my bread by hand and since we don't eat it every day here, I make it into a sort of flat roll that can be sliced and used in the toaster. I make a whole batch of these and then freeze them in portions, thawing out a bag of them as needed and then we just toast them to warm them up when we need them. Less bread is wasted in that manner, less crumbs in the toaster, and we can make big batches and not have to do it again for a good while. I call it WV flatbread but it's not a true flatbread as it's made from a yeast recipe that is out of this world and simple to make. I grind my own wheat here and it has so much good gluten that the bread practically makes itself!

Heading out to the cold and blustery day...love this weather to work in!!! Not so cold it makes your face numb but cold enough that you don't sweat too much.

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
Alright Bee, so where in Texas did you begin your life and how soon did you leave it for elsewhere? I began in San Francisco but from 12 years old grew up in Texas, so consider myself a texan. My folks were texans and moved back. : )

 

[Beekissed]

Alright Bee, so where in Texas did you begin your life and how soon did you leave it for elsewhere? I began in San Francisco but from 12 years old grew up in Texas, so consider myself a texan. My folks were texans and moved back. : )

I've never been to TX, Beverly, but I've been told that I've been made an honorary Texan over on the Texas thread here on BYC. I'm quite humbled and honored by that!

 

[beverly evans]

I was raised part time near Parkersburg and part time in Tucker County growing up, then we settled onto a homestead about 20 mile out of P'burg for most of my formative years. Then I moved to Pendleton County for 6 yrs and am finally back on the old homestead outside of P'burg..or part of it. My dad's folks were from down Huff Creek, Wyoming County and my granny was reputed to be one of Anse Hatfield's illegitimate children, born in his house in KY. Who knows that one for sure...it's a tangled bloodline story down in those parts.

I have to ask: The famous Hatfields and McCoys, were they in West Virginia and are you in someway related to them? What fun to have famous ancestors!

 

[hellbender]

I agree. Heat tape is good for keeping small volume containers free from freezing, such as pipes or hoses, but not sure about larger containers such as buckets and such when the temps really get cold. I don't know of a way it could be utilized to keep chicks warm enough either.

I've often thought about making a fleece, down-filled "chick mama" with chicken wire inserts so that it can be bent to a needed shape, wherein one could brood chicks without a brood light or broody mama. One could heat a few bricks, wrap them in flannel, put them down on the floor of the brooder and place the fake chicky mama on top, with space enough under her for chicks to huddle under and fleece fringe hanging down like feathers around the edges to trap the heat while still allowing chick access.

Or the chick mama could have a place for a heating pad to be inserted to create a warm "chicken" over the chicks to give a more natural feel to the whole brooding experience. It sure would eliminate stress over using heat lamps and such, while providing chicks with enveloping warmth sort of like the Ecoglow but without the price.

I might see about fleecing some of these cheap meat roosters or my older hens of their softest under feathers during this next processing and using the feathers to make a chicky mama...maybe try it out next spring if I'm still here.

You would be surprised Bee. I use the wide flat tapes, two to a crock plus the insulation...and as mentioned, they are in a small well insulated room...........Epiphany...I think it might be less pain in the butt to simply heat the ****** room! lol While I do have free natural gas, I'm not supposed to use it for outbuildings but...I can likely get away with it!

New project!

 

[fosterson]

Alright Bee, so where in Texas did you begin your life and how soon did you leave it for elsewhere? I began in San Francisco but from 12 years old grew up in Texas, so consider myself a texan. My folks were texans and moved back. : )

Think you were referring to me, Bev

I was born and raised near a little town called Hughes Springs. Never heard of it? That's alright LOL! It's a wide spot on Highway 11, more or less. I left Texas when I was just under 21. Hit Washington state and stuck like a bad rash. I love it out here!