Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Since it is in soil...they peck bits off at a time until it is down to nubbins just like grass/weeds in the yard, then usually scratch half the soil out. I actually like giving it to them like this better than the sprouted because it takes them longer to 'gobble it up'...more entertainment/distraction/something to do.

And yes they love it! However, it takes about 3 weeks to get that long and, obviously, you can't stack them like some of the sprouters. I don't have enough space to have a continuous supply...so these are for 'special treat' days. I'll put the remains of the roots & soil on compost and restart them this weekend for a mid Jan. treat...and they'll get them again for Valentine's Day.

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Thank you. Very helpful.
Maggie’s balance fright has made me more observant about food. I should have spotted that much less commercial food was being consumed (from now on I will make a note of when I restock).
What I have noticed is that right now they are desperate for greens (though we disagree on defining leek tops as green!). Fortunately there is still grass around and I can always buy a cabbage, but I think I need to start growing green shoots for them in the winter.
I could do little sprouts continuously and do a batch in soil on the window sill.

 

[bgmathteach]

Thank you. Very helpful.
Maggie’s balance fright has made me more observant about food. I should have spotted that much less commercial food was being consumed (from now on I will make a note of when I restock).
What I have noticed is that right now they are desperate for greens (though we disagree on defining leek tops as green!). Fortunately there is still grass around and I can always buy a cabbage, but I think I need to start growing green shoots for them in the winter.
I could do little sprouts continuously and do a batch in soil on the window sill.

In the late fall, I pick up a bag of seeds for deer plots. I love the mix...higher protein seeds/fodder like clover and peas are in the mix...and it is usually on sale. It is great for this application (not so much for sprouters, as they germinate at different rates). The left-over seeds (lots, as I purchase the 40 lb. bag) are used for my 'fodder frames' in the runs in the spring. Just be careful of the brand you pick up. Some have fungicides and other coatings on the seeds. I get the brand 'Plot-spike' at TSC. They carry a couple items from that company, I get the forage mix, not the straight oats.

P.S. Also, because I grow them in compost & soil, the greens have trace nutrients (minerals) that they absorb from the soil that sprouted seeds don't have. My goal is to eventually have enough space to grow these for them to get once per week in the winter (remember, I have lots of chickens, so this would mean min of 4-5 containers/week min.)

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Just wanted to share a video I took yesterday; the Willy Wagtails were giving the crows some aggro. There’s chickens in there too so I don’t owe tax.

Nice tag-team action! Crows here will harass a bald eagle this way, trying to get it to leave, when they are both trying to get at some carcass meat. They also walk up from behind and pull on the eagle's tail feathers.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Hope everybody had a great Christmas!!

 

[BY Bob]

She was very patient!

They rode in the car so well. I swear they enjoyed it. So patient just watching the outside world.

 

[BY Bob]

My MIL has a Macadamia tree…

How lucky are you!

 

[featherhead007]

I’m gonna have to flip a coin today. It’s church, or rest for me this morning. Didn’t get too much sleep last night, and my feathered house guests kept me in very quiet company. And yes, rain rain all night. (We need it)

 

[RoyalChick]

In the late fall, I pick up a bag of seeds for deer plots. I love the mix...higher protein seeds/fodder like clover and peas are in the mix...and it is usually on sale. It is great for this application (not so much for sprouters, as they germinate at different rates). The left-over seeds (lots, as I purchase the 40 lb. bag) are used for my 'fodder frames' in the runs in the spring. Just be careful of the brand you pick up. Some have fungicides and other coatings on the seeds. I get the brand 'Plot-spike' at TSC. They carry a couple items from that company, I get the forage mix, not the straight oats.

P.S. Also, because I grow them in compost & soil, the greens have trace nutrients (minerals) that they absorb from the soil that sprouted seeds don't have. My goal is to eventually have enough space to grow these for them to get once per week in the winter (remember, I have lots of chickens, so this would mean min of 4-5 containers/week min.)

Love it.
In the sprouter I am using wheat for human consumption. I sometimes cook it for myself instead of rice and I also use it in the sprouter.
Outside, as well as their big yard (where I need to supervise them) they have two smaller pasture runs that I alternate. I sow one with a pasture mix and close it off until everything is established and then let them in to destroy it and while they do that I sow the other one and close it off.
But that only works through the growing season.
I do however have a windowsill in the garage so I could definitely sow forage mix in a couple of troughs.
Thanks for the guidance.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

I’m gonna have to flip a coin today. It’s church, or rest for me this morning. Didn’t get too much sleep last night, and my feathered house guests kept me in very quiet company. And yes, rain rain all night. (We need it)

We were going to go to church today, but because of Covid, we had to stay home (no, we aren’t sick, we just don’t want to get sick again)

 

[featherhead007]

We were going to go to church today, but because of Covid, we had to stay home (no, we aren’t sick, we just don’t want to get sick again)

I have been running from the devil with a COPD respiratory problem lately. Gets hard to breathe for me sometimes. I wish I had the lungs that my rooster Jaffar has. He sure can crow!