Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Angelicisi]

Looks like a young heron.

I am 99% sure a baby one of those (about a foot tall) ran across the lumber pile when we were working on the coop a few weeks ago. My Australian Shepherd was hot on his heels but oddly not really trying to catch it. I tried to catch it and take it back to the pond but it went into a huge honeysuckle thicket. Hope it survived!

 

[Triple Willow]

Looks like a young heron.

When it run/stumbled across the lumber pile we were all like - "WHAT the heck was that!?!" LOL I put the dog in his pen and tried to catch it but couldn't. I left the dog up for a while hoping it made its way back to the pond. I don't know if it did or not. Unusual but pretty bird.

...it went by less than 8 feet from us!

 

[Beekissed]

I LOVE seeing wildlife one doesn't normally get to see outside of Nat Geo Wild documentaries! The last place I lived, over in the eastern portion of the state, had more wildlife than I had seen in my whole life. I was amazed at the sheer number and kinds of raptors living there and black bear big enough to stare through the windshield of my truck while standing on all fours. Herons in all the streams and bald eagles soaring overhead. I finally understood why they made them the national bird...it's awe inspiring to see them flying, something so different than other birds. The ospreys were very beautiful but very, very annoying with their calling all the time...every little thing made them screech like they were dying.

We had the only free range chickens for miles there and never once lost one to all those birds until that Great Horned Owl picked off that one pullet...found her in the next field without her head.

Always wanted to go live in Montana, Alaska or Canada so that I could see more such things....much too settled in these parts and the animals are losing habitat.

 

[tsetse9]

question....If my pullets haven't started laying by winter, will they just not lay until the days are longer? I am in Michigan, so its pretty cold and dark, and I don't have a light on to extend their daylight hours... I was thinking that didn't affect pullets as much as older hens but im beginning to wonder if mine will ever lay eggs!

 

[armorfirelady]

question....If my pullets haven't started laying by winter, will they just not lay until the days are longer? I am in Michigan, so its pretty cold and dark, and I don't have a light on to extend their daylight hours... I was thinking that didn't affect pullets as much as older hens but im beginning to wonder if mine will ever lay eggs!

My pullets last year started laying at the end of December and my BCM started laying at the beginning of the week.

I wouldn't give up hope on them yet

 

[BCMaraniac]

Bee,

This guy must feed fermented feed:

 

[Beekissed]

I think his bird has some ovulation issues!

 

[BCMaraniac]

I think his bird has some ovulation issues!

It was her issue on the other end I was concerned about!

 

[Shellz]

Anybody see this? This is what I'm doing now. I love it! I'm also keeping it continuous by adding a bit of feed & hot water every day. One bucket, so easy.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/no-strain-hot-water-easy-fermented-feed-method-w-video

That's a cool vid of the eggs. Wow! I thought 103 grams was big from my old red production hen!

Just catching up here...so much going on at home & you guys are making it hard for me to catch up.
We don't have bald eagles in our region, but once every year I see a golden eagle. Just as big & awesome too.

I've got my first Belgian Cuckoo Malines pullet beginning to lay. Eggs are normally porous for the breed, but I think they have become less so with the FF.

 

[Beekissed]

Anybody see this? This is what I'm doing now. I love it! I'm also keeping it continuous by adding a bit of feed & hot water every day. One bucket, so easy.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/no-strain-hot-water-easy-fermented-feed-method-w-video

That's a cool vid of the eggs. Wow! I thought 103 grams was big from my old red production hen!

Just catching up here...so much going on at home & you guys are making it hard for me to catch up.

We don't have bald eagles in our region, but once every year I see a golden eagle. Just as big & awesome too.

I've got my first Belgian Cuckoo Malines pullet beginning to lay. Eggs are normally porous for the breed, but I think they have become less so with the FF.

Nice music but I'm a little confused by it all. What's the big deal with using hot water and not stirring it before feeding it? And, sorry to say, that's not an "easy" way to make FF, it's just the way everyone else is doing it but without all the hot water, excess scooping and repeated stirring needed.

Here's a few vids that will show you an even easier way to make "no strain" FF...and you can also do this in just one bucket. No hot water, no adding feed each day, no straining....just feed, water, bucket and scoop. Easy peasy. No bread cracking?, water in the bottom of the feed at the top so you can't stir it nonsense, no need to avoid stirring it before feeding, no worry about the feed bubbling over the top of the bucket. Sorry...no nice music either...probably would be better if everyone had that pretty music each time they replenished the batch.