Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

I posted this on another thread and decided to post it here and one other place...

Wish me luck!!!

My family and I have been breeding Turkens and Australorps for decades but strictly for production and have managed to do so with considerable success if I may say so.

I have recently considered taking one of my breeds and using an extra building and acreage I have on hand, and begin to try to breed to the SOP. Still haven't decided which of my two breeds to chose but I'm leaning strongly toward the Turken/Naked Necks. There seems to be enough people working with Australorps so the challenge of Turkens is very strong.

Thanks for reading...Any help will be appreciated. I suppose the first thing I need to do is acquire a copy of the Breed Standards, visit a few shows (never been to one) and just get the feel of things.

This is not something that I have just jumped into....been considering it for some time...the hardest part is trying to figure out which of my breeds I want to concentrate on. I appreciate both breeds and actually thought of going with another breed that I really like but realize that might complicate things...

RON

What is SOP? It JUST hit me. Standard of perfection?

 

[OrangeJuice]

Does anyone have problems with their fermented feed luring in more predators than normal? I am actually a little concerned about luring in feral pigs.....among other things.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, this is my first winter with them.so I wouldn't know completely but currently only one of my four hens is laying and it's my production red. My Australorps stopped laying when they started molting just before the snows hit. They finished feathering in right before the real cold set in and they haven't started up laying again yet. I have no supplemental light.

I currently have 6 birds in the middle of their 7 mo., 2 Dels, 2 WRs, 2 BAs...none have started laying, though they all look mature in their bodies and sex characteristics. I have three older hens, one in molt but is usually a very steady layer even at the age of 6, a NH, one six yr old WR that is currently laying and a BA that could possibly be 7 yrs old and has never laid since I got her back from another farm. The old WR is laying 5 days out of 7 and the NH usually does the same and will most likely resume this when she finishes her molt. The old BA may go in the next processing of the roosters.

But..these young birds are a puzzlement to me. I don't know that I've ever seen first year pullets take so long to start laying, even in extremely cold weather. I'm trying to sort out variables and see what is different than before and the only thing is the FF. I'm wondering if it is a factor and, if so, how?

 

[Beekissed]

Does anyone have problems with their fermented feed luring in more predators than normal? I am actually a little concerned about luring in feral pigs.....among other things.

Someone on another forum indicated the strong smell did lure in more predators but I've seen no one here stating that. I have a dog out there so wouldn't know if they were drawn to it more than usual. Anyone else out there notice more coons, possums, bears, etc. being attracted to their outside/coop stash of FF?

 

[hellbender]

What is SOP? It JUST hit me. Standard of perfection?

 

[RoseMarie1]

Does anyone have problems with their fermented feed luring in more predators than normal? I am actually a little concerned about luring in feral pigs.....among other things.

So far so good here. Although I TRY my best not to have left overs at night time but every now and then they leave some and I worry about possums but so far so good. Sure would like to feed them on the outside of their pen but don't know if I could get them back in their pen until dark without the food. lol sometimes hubby wants to go some where and I have to stick them back inside before dark. I guess I could use some BOSS or chops.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Hormones change in the winter, giving the chickens a much needed down time so that nutrition can be diverted to keeping warm, feather growth and maintaining good health. There are breeds that will lay through the winter but they burn out around the second year anyway. Each chicken is born with a certain number of eggs..like us gals...and, depending upon the breed, some have more, some less, some lay them all as quickly as possible and some go through peak seasons and then seasons of dormancy. Some birds are not known for having very many total eggs and they lay in seasons, but are not known for being good layers or dual purpose breeds...Cochins, EE, etc.

Most layer breeds will be the ones that have a lot of total ova and they lay them through all the seasons and take a little break for molting but they won't be your birds with really nice feathering or high meat yields...they will lay well for 2-3 yrs and then taper off a good bit. They usually will not go broody and reproduce their own replacements.

Dual purpose breeds have a little less total eggs per bird than layers, will lay them in seasonal rhythms and most will take a little break in the fall/winter and their feathering will be much nicer than a layer and they will also have a nice, meaty carcass...they are the slow but steady layers and can lay well clear up to 4-5 yrs of age. They can and will go broody and replace their numbers and provide good meaty roosters in that process and can also yield good carcass when they are done laying. (When I process this next pen of roosters I'll show the difference between carcasses of layer roosters and dual purpose roosters...it's significant.)

Sex link birds have been bred from layer/dual purpose genetics(RIR, WR, BR, NH) will have many eggs, will lay them straight through, have scruffy feathering and a little lower carcass weights than the parent genetics, are not real hardy and usually burn out in the second year, may have laying issues, etc. They are usually not known for going broody nor for their foraging abilities.

Doing good here on eggs so far. Bless those girls hearts though some of them are looking horrible they're puttin' out so much. Been getting 9-10 a day but today I just got 7 I think it was. Don't know what happened there. Had 2 that was laying right at dusk and had to turn the light on for one to find her way to the roost one night. lol she was into dark trying to get it laid. Aussie.

 

[TexasLisa]

I currently have 6 birds in the middle of their 7 mo., 2 Dels, 2 WRs, 2 BAs...none have started laying, though they all look mature in their bodies and sex characteristics. I have three older hens, one in molt but is usually a very steady layer even at the age of 6, a NH, one six yr old WR that is currently laying and a BA that could possibly be 7 yrs old and has never laid since I got her back from another farm. The old WR is laying 5 days out of 7 and the NH usually does the same and will most likely resume this when she finishes her molt. The old BA may go in the next processing of the roosters.

But..these young birds are a puzzlement to me. I don't know that I've ever seen first year pullets take so long to start laying, even in extremely cold weather. I'm trying to sort out variables and see what is different than before and the only thing is the FF. I'm wondering if it is a factor and, if so, how?

I have 1 SS and 4 BR that are a little over 7 mths. They have been on ff since they hatched. I do have the light come on at 5 AM. They are giving me an egg every other day. My ff is nothing but Scratch and egg-layer pellets (w/ACV).

Lisa

 

[Beekissed]

I have 1 SS and 4 BR that are a little over 7 mths. They have been on ff since they hatched. I do have the light come on at 5 AM. They are giving me an egg every other day. My ff is nothing but Scratch and egg-layer pellets (w/ACV).

Lisa

Sounds about right...I'm grasping at straws, I know. The two younger BAs have only been on FF for 3 wks and they came from somewhere else, supposedly at POL, though he couldn't guarantee it. Just trying to figure out how to squeeze out an egg or two out of these free loaders without lighting them up. I'd like to have birds/breeds that can lay without artificial stimulation. I've had it in the past but can't seem to get no satisfaction now. sigh

 

[Kassaundra]

Does anyone have problems with their fermented feed luring in more predators than normal? I am actually a little concerned about luring in feral pigs.....among other things.

None here, don't see how it would attract more by smell they eat it up quickly.