Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[beverly evans]

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Hi, Jenny sounds as anti-chickens as my son. I keep telling him that as an old lady (72) I could be into men or gambling or shopping and there would be no inheritance when I was through; that he should be real happy my hobby is chickens, a relatively inexpensive hobby. (Ha!) Look at Angelisici's avatar. Now those are some pretty eggs! I've asked her what they are from. Don't know yet. I'm going to get some legbars too and at least one Maran that produces real dark brown eggs. My Maran eats 3 times what the others eat and gives me a medium brown egg that is medium in size as well. I have another 25 in an incubator and am going to order 6 to coincide with their hatching. I have fotos of my blue Americaunas on my desk top. Do you know how to put them on her? : )

 

[beverly evans]

Does anyone use BPA free buckets? I am planning on fermenting for my layers but want a bucket that is BPA free. Can you buy them at feed stores? Also, (and I am sure this has been asked a lot but I am only on page 140 of these 1475 pages). When I make a small batch, do I cover that, when left on my kitchen counter? I only have 6 4 day olds and didn't want to make the whole 50 lbs bag of chick starter. Maybe just a gallon. Thanks in advance!

ETA: Actually, I am only on page 6.

It isn't as bad as you think because so much is repeated! You go for it. 6 chicks are not going to eat that much but you have to refill their feed bowls often. I used tuna cans at first and kept picking the shavings out. A gallon container will be more than big enough for a long time. We've already been through the bpa bucket thing and decided that not enough chemicals could ever leach out enough to harm the chickens. You cover it to keep the smell down if it bothers you. You never seal it as the gases that form could make it explode, (if it were small and glass anyway, as has happened to somebody on here.) I have mine in a gallon bucket in my kitchen, with the chick mash in a soup pot sitting inside it hanging above it supported by the handles on the sides. Takes up less space, and I have the big girls ff made up mostly of grains, only about 6" deep and then the chicks mash made up of 1/2 organic grain starter and 1/2 chick starter crumbles, about 4" deep. I give my big girls organic feed because I sell my eggs as organic eggs, but the babies don't lay so don't need that very expensive organic feed for all their nutrition. Hope this helps. Happy babying! : )

 

[beverly evans]

Pure wheatan ameraucana eggs

I got them from a local breeder. She sold her flock to start another orpington project and I haven't found a pure breeder around here again yet. Did make a trade for a lovely welsummer pullet to a breeder for one of my girls to get her started with some while I look for another line

hopefully local. If successful I'm on her list to buy chicks! She's breeding to get the deepest blues she can so I know even the 1st few generations will have great egg color

You can find "pure" ameraucana chicks online but they usually don't breed for egg color or standards other than color meeting the standards of non mixed pens and breeding true , tho a few places offer them at a very high cost. It'd be worth going to a known breeder here and get known quality at those prices I would think. Unless the wait lists are too long. Not sure haven't researched lately.

Legbars are on my list of oh my goodness I want thems lol but don't have any yet.
Quote:
Angelicisi, Thanks so much for your response. I guess I won't be spending $20 for an Americauna wheaten if I know I can end up with no better eggs than what I've got. There are cheapy legbars around here. I will have to look into them. A breeder in my local meetup has Aracauna hens with the tuffs on the sides of the heads a bit like earrings and sometimes they are rumpless. Hers are supposed to lay real blue eggs. We'll see. I'm going to a poultry-egg show Saturday and will get to see her produce. Good luck with your babies. : )

 

[Angelicisi]

I have a splash wheaten left. Half those eggs in my avatar are hers the other half her moms, who I just gave to a woman with a Roo! So hopefully she'll have chicks soon and I'll end up being able to buy a trio! I'll let you know how it goes

Angel, do you have a breeding line of Wheaten then? :O Because I may be interested if you do......

 

[beverly evans]

Quote:
Bee, That sounds like those wonderful communs that we had back in the 60's where everyone did their part and they tried to be independent from society and sellf sufficient. I visited some and loved it, but was not into the amount of "sharing" they were into. A fishing club bought it? Must have been near the water, no wonder.Too bad we all weren't around we could have pawned our resources and made a "women's retreat" spot. Fun to dream isn't it? : )

 

[LindaB220]

Bee, That sounds like those wonderful communs that we had back in the 60's where everyone did their part and they tried to be independent from society and sellf sufficient. I visited some and loved it, but was not into the amount of "sharing" they were into. A fishing club bought it? Must have been near the water, no wonder.Too bad we all weren't around we could have pawned our resources and made a "women's retreat" spot. Fun to dream isn't it? : )

The "love" generation totally passed me by. Finished high school in '65 and my Mama would have killed me (truly) if I'd have wanted to go to a commune. Strict lady.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, That sounds like those wonderful communs that we had back in the 60's where everyone did their part and they tried to be independent from society and sellf sufficient. I visited some and loved it, but was not into the amount of "sharing" they were into. A fishing club bought it? Must have been near the water, no wonder.Too bad we all weren't around we could have pawned our resources and made a "women's retreat" spot. Fun to dream isn't it? : )

They didn't buy it but convinced the owner that they would rent it more often and generate more income than mere monthly rent would do. No one could afford to buy it as they wanted far too much. It had a trout stream running through it and three ponds with brood trout in them. It had a lovely old house that was build in the 1800s out of square, hand hewn logs and it had a barn already, a wonderful, sparkling spring supplied the drinking water. It had an orchard, hay fields, woods aplenty for hunting and even still had a good outhouse. It was in a picturesque little valley and was close enough to the little Mayberry like town down the road to be perfect for drawing in tourists to buy farm goods and tour the farm.

It was a good dream!

 

[NewlyHatched]

Thank you Beverly Evans, I am glad it was already gone over about the BPA. I jut wasn't too sure. Also great idea with the soup pot, too! I started to buy organic at the feed store and the guy(who is apparently more well versed than I with chickens), laughed at the fact that I would buy organic. Me being easily swayed, I bought the Nutrena medicated regular chick starter. I should've gone organic. Dang! Any way, thanks again

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you Beverly Evans, I am glad it was already gone over about the BPA. I jut wasn't too sure. Also great idea with the soup pot, too! I started to buy organic at the feed store and the guy(who is apparently more well versed than I with chickens), laughed at the fact that I would buy organic. Me being easily swayed, I bought the Nutrena medicated regular chick starter. I should've gone organic. Dang! Any way, thanks again

You don't need any kind of medicated starter, just make sure their innards are well stocked with beneficial bacteria.

 

[NewlyHatched]

I already have the medicated chick starter, I'll be using(for fermenting) that until it's all gone. Hate to waste. Had I known about fermenting before I bought chick starter, I would've gotten the organic like I wanted to.