Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

I'm sure I would have done that but it has always got feed in it for the next two pens. hahaha I don't think it would work anyhow. I have picked up the black feeder off the ground and whacked him with it, now when I pick up that feeder to knock the litter out of it he gets a little too nervous. I could tell a time or two that he thought about getting the first lick in before I did with that feeder. lol He keeps attacking my hands... come on Chicken Whisperer, what is this roo thinking!?! LOL Maybe me and him need a Scratch Summit... wonder what that stuff tastes like? Scratch and a movie...hmmm. hahaha

Well, you know what the Dog Whisperer says...he rehabilitates dogs and trains humans.

You may need some training on how to rehab your roo.....

Fun fact... Carrot have no significant benefit on your eyes and the government claimed they did and were feeding all their soldiers lots of carrots to hide the fact that they'd invented night vision goggles. Carrot are just carrots with no significant eye benefits at all. Still tasty, though. My chickens don't like em.

I have been working hard to wrap up the presents I am making for my honey. Tomorrow is cookies and stocking stuffers. The next morning is cleaning and my SO comes back. Plus trying to make sure things don't freeze solid out with all the animals... What a chore! I am still waiting to see if Diamond is going to kindle.

And suggestions on what would bring a little color to these CX's in the feet and combs and such? They're looking better than when I got them, active and perky instead of super sluggish... But their legs are nearly white and their combs got worse after the attack. I'm going to add a bit of cloves, oregano and garlic to their feed, but if there was anything else... Thoughts?

CM, some of those CX have white legs and almost white beaks. I was surprised to realize that when I did a processing demonstration this summer and all the birds had these pearly white legs and pale beaks, whereas all the CX I've had were really yellow. And these CX were the biggest birds I've ever seen in my life, extremely healthy having been raised on organic feed that was fermented and on free range. All organs were lovely, they were all healthy and mobile but so heavy I couldn't hardly lift them into the cones! Could be you have that strain of CX on your hands.

 

[Triple Willow]

TW,  I got a phone call today from a woman who has two week old piglets for sale.  I had given her father my number for her to call when she had some.  She has 3 more sows that are pregnant, so there will be more a little later.  I hope to get ready for them in the next couple of months so I can raise them and have them ready to butcher this time next year.

BTW, my feed bucket is that glow-in-the dark kind of orange.....all I know is the change in the feed bucket to dark blue and carrying in the scoop has solved the problem for now.

Ahh good! I was watching a program a day or two ago about curing hams - very interesting. The one guy had a little smokehouse about the size if an outhouse that he cured hams and bacon in. I love learning new things. I hope things turn out to where I can get a couple pigs in the spring too.

 

[Triple Willow]

Bee you're prolly right! LOL

 

[ChocolateMouse]

TW, you can make a smokehouse out of a 55gal steel drum. :3 That's one of my future projects... I have quite the list...

Bee, it could be. I am still hoping their combs will perk up a bit more at least. All the CX's I had were pretty yellow-legged beasties!

It looks like we're getting more rain now. I got another rabbit cage cleaned today, and the chicken coop got dried out as well... Here's hoping that it stays dry! I'll be adding more newspaper before too long, even though I just added a whole bunch!

 

[Triple Willow]

Chocolate Mouse... you would be a really cool neighbor to have - always up to something new.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm amazed at how healthy and vibrantly red the leghorn rooster's combs are now in this meat pen. When they arrived a couple had good red combs, some had just pink and one fella had a shriveled half white and half pink comb that had frost bit looking tips and they all had some measure of frost bite on points here and there. Now all combs are red, full and tall and even Fat Cochin's comb is getting more red. He's not favoring that hip as badly either and looks like he's putting on some good weight.

Their feathering has whitened and brightened and their eyes are bright. When they got here one had an eye that was closed, possibly due to fighting injury but now all eyes look great.

This FF is some kind of super food, I'm convinced of it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Well, I try to make the most out of what I have got! My property is to small for even a small smokehouse... But a smoke barrel is just right! I know some people who use them to make Cajun and teriyaki bunny jerky. *drools* I wish my neighbors thought the same about me that you do! I live in suburbanite central and over the summer I literally met someone with nothing better to do than go biking through the neighborhood, pausing to write down house numbers to call the city and report overgrown lawns. Not her job mind, just something she felt like she had to do because "this isn't a ghetto". Maybe if she grew some of her own food she'd have bigger things to worry about than snubbing 6-inch grass. I'd invite you to come live by me but I'm not sure the street could handle the both of us, even if you could move!

Although together... We could keep goats. ;D

 

[Triple Willow]

We might end up locally famous! LOL

 

[BCMaraniac]

We might end up locally famous! LOL

More likely INFAMOUS!

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, yeah! That's more likely!

They'd be sellin' bootleg goat's cheese and seeding the neighborhood with secret stashes of chickens and rabbits, while holding processing demonstrations in their garage and smoking hams in barrel smokers. Folks would think Duck Dynasty had moved into the neighborhood....