Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[TexasLisa]

Part of me feels guilty for using the light. I like what you have said about letting them rest over the winter months. Mine free-range from about 7 AM to dusk, when they put themselves to bed. I am reading, thinking, and learning Bee.

Lisa

 

[Beekissed]

Part of me feels guilty for using the light. I like what you have said about letting them rest over the winter months. Mine free-range from about 7 AM to dusk, when they put themselves to bed. I am reading, thinking, and learning Bee.

Lisa

Don't feel guilty! Everyone learns by doing and you need to see things for yourself. I used light one winter to keep my water from freezing and that was in the coop, so inadvertently lit up my flock for the winter. I never really saw any difference in laying that winter than any other winter, so I see no point in using a light, though others say it stimulates their birds to lay. I don't want mine to be gumball machines but an occasional egg during a slow time wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[Triple Willow]

I don't know why but my pullets keep on doing good. I got 6 eggs out of the 9 older pullets today and 4 eggs out of the 6 younger ones that I think are laying. Still 6 more to start laying...

@Bee... my Delawares in the younger bunch are doing really well. They started laying first and hardly miss a day. But I hope they don't turn out to be some that give out too soon.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Apparently the 6 production reds I just got are laying at 9 months... Just coming into lay in the middle of winter. XP Not that I have seen an egg yet mind...

 

[hellbender]

I don't know why but my pullets keep on doing good. I got 6 eggs out of the 9 older pullets today and 4 eggs out of the 6 younger ones that I think are laying. Still 6 more to start laying...

@Bee... my Delawares in the younger bunch are doing really well. They started laying first and hardly miss a day. But I hope they don't turn out to be some that give out too soon.

My layers took a hit with the cold snap but I'm still getting enough large to extra large eggs to take care of my most important accounts. The pullets are just beginning to take an interest in the nests at nearly 7 months.

 

[Triple Willow]

My layers took a hit with the cold snap but I'm still getting enough large to extra large eggs to take care of my most important accounts.   The pullets are just beginning to take an interest in the nests at nearly 7 months.  

Most of mine started laying at 19-21 weeks. I'd like to hatch out some more chicks, layers and the roos for the freezer. Wish I had let the pullet that hatched out some earlier set on more eggs.

I need to build two good sized grow out pens - one for cockrels and one for pullets.

 

[bruceh]

guys i am stumped here. please look at this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/843259/no-clue-on-what-do-on-this-or-what-is-going-on. i am sick to my stomach.

 

[bruceh]

so back to egg production. my birds have slowed way down. the reds are laying so so the barnies as well the rest i am feeding

 

[hellbender]

Most of mine started laying at 19-21 weeks. I'd like to hatch out some more chicks, layers and the roos for the freezer. Wish I had let the pullet that hatched out some earlier set on more eggs.

I know some people use pullet eggs to hatch but I never do. I've had better luck hatching eggs from hens that are well into their second run.

It can be a nuisance sometimes because that puts me with chicks in brooders during colder months. It didn't happen this year but might well do so for this coming year. I have a 'summer kitchen' that is 24'X24' and I remodeled it some years back...with a poured concrete floor and a large. This is where set up my whole brooding situation....It has an old kitchen sink and the concrete keeps that room cool, even in the hottest weather. Heat is never a problem here.

 

[Lacy Blues]

guys i am stumped here. please look at this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/843259/no-clue-on-what-do-on-this-or-what-is-going-on. i am sick to my stomach.

Maybe they got some dust or something in their eyes and this stressful situation of being moved has just caused it to flare up? It doesn't look like there's any discharge but just a swollen face after scratching their eyes? I would suggest she clean their eyes with a warm saline solution as often as she can for a couple days just to get it under control.

For the green diarrhea, she needs to get them to eat some plain, unsweetened yogurt. This is a result of them not eating. It is the bile from the gall bladder. Hard boiled egg yolks fed in small amounts and often will usually tempt them.