Heritage Bantam Thread

[Apdeb]

Bob have you thought of growing a small fodder tray?? I am going to try

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
I love the bantams. Wish I had room for them too with my large Light Sussex. I am a big fan of feeding spouted oats to the birds. So good for them. I use Plotspike Forage Oats I get at Tractor Supply for 20.-25. for a 50 lb. bag. They were developed by Louisiana State University circa 2002. Specially line bred, not genetically modified. Don't have any chemical anti-mold coating on them, so vigorous sprouters.
http://plotspike.com/forageoats.htm
Between 1 thru 3 days old, sprouted oats are fed a grain feed. As part of the daily ration. On the 4th day, a nutritional change takes place in the oat and it becomes green feed. This is fed as a supplement to the bird's regular ration. One adult bird gets on cubic inch of sprouted oats per day. If you hit bowel tolerance and the stools get soft, just back off a bit and they will firm up again.
Sprouted oats green feed is great for bringing hens into lay. For helping the cock create more robust sperm so the chicks he sires are more robust. Scientific studies available thru Google Books prove sprouted oats are the best of all the seeds to sprout for poultry.
I don't use sprouts older than 7 days for 2 reasons. First, there is no nutritional advantage to sprouts older than a week. They don't get better for your flock as they get older. Second, one runs the risk of having the sprouts mold or go bad , then having to throw them out. Sprouts should always look, feel, and smell fresh. If they look "off-color", smell weird, or feel slimy, throw them out and do not feed. There are a bunch of ways to sprout seeds in dirt, water, cloth, etc.. Many are discussed on pages 24 thru 29 of this BYC thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/425134/anybody-raise-sprouts-to-feed-the-chickens/230
Best Regards,
Karen
Waterford English Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[Robert Blosl]

Great idea I fiddle with sprouted wheat is oats better for fertility?

During the winter I give them a pinch ten or so leaves they love it. Its all about semi free range. If they could get out and run they find the stuff they need. When it comes to a finish on a bird free range is the secret. But some of us can not do this.

My problem is hawks and they always get the best bird.

Never had a problem with large fowl except a dog once in a while, owls at night and a fox that would come in once or twice a year.

Got the plan this year. Got to re do my incubator and order a new thermostat for the GQF 1701. Then the eggs will hatch like pop corn.

Thanks for the tips and will go get me some of the oats ant tractor supply down town.

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/4/44/44f879a5_66877_dsc_8007.jpeg
been reading this tread. good reading like this method of soaking for day and half or less then finding this on your sack.

I have some old poultry books that showed old oat spotters and then used a old gas or oil burner to heat the three foot by one foot sq shouter. had seven trays in it that had wire on it boy if this would work you would have one per day. give sprouts at about a inch in length before it goes to a four day period. may loose some of the value on day four or five.

great for the winter especially in the north where no grass is growing down here I have white clover growing and can pull it to give them as well. bob

Edit: yes old oat sprouter made out of wood. four foot tall 12x12 inches sq and powered by a bun son type 1920 burner in the 1920s books. Will use a 40 watt light bulb to heat the chamber.

 

[Wyandotte96]

Is anybody going to the fall Lucasville show on October 5-6. I will be entering 6 birds.

 

[AletaG]

http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/4/44/44f879a5_66877_dsc_8007.jpeg
been reading this tread. good reading like this method of soaking for day and half or less then finding this on your sack.
I have some old poultry books that showed old oat spotters and then used a old gas or oil burner to heat the three foot by one foot sq shouter. had seven trays in it that had wire on it boy if this would work you would have one per day. give sprouts at about a inch in length before it goes to a four day period. may loose some of the value on day four or five.

great for the winter especially in the north where no grass is growing down here I have white clover growing and can pull it to give them as well. bob

Do you mean "old oat sprouter" and "foot sq sprouter" - Just to be clear...
I tried growing on some screening. Decided getting the roots out was more trouble than it was worth. That looks no fun to me, too... What do you do with the bag after? <shudder> I'm just using clear containers at the moment while the flock is small. As it gets larger, may move to trays.
I plan on feeding some things pre day 4 like bean sprouts for the protein, some things post day 7 - for the greens.
Will see how it goes. I'm pretty sure for every flock, there's an equal and opposite husbandry practice...

 

[3riverschick]

Great idea I fiddle with sprouted wheat is oats better for fertility?

The scientific studies I read on Google Books said yes. Oats were better.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Yes, I know this is a bantam, however, Wow! Stunning breed type!

Ohio National
Champion Row 2012
Champion SCCL
Jackie & Vanessa Koedatich
Speckled Sussex
Champion Bantam
http://www.ohionational.org/show/2012/2012pics/DSC_0882A.jpg
Skytop Bantams
Master Breeders of Speckled Sussex Bantams
http://skytopbantams.com/

Adam Leoffel down in KY has Skytop Bantam Speckled Sussex that he got from Skytop.

 

[Apdeb]

Bob can you tell us where you got your buff bantams from????

 

[Robert Blosl]

old male five years ago

his grand son
Bill Bowen from Ohio. He is dead but a few of us still have his great classic line. He was the Brahma King of Brahma Kings.

Great bantam and great mothers. That is why I have them I used them for my Call duck eggs if the egg was fertile they would hatch. For chickens I just put the eggs under come back in a week to check for bad eggs. She will hatch them or raise the young plus give her a total of about 15 chicks and I am off to the raises.

I only keep one good male a back up good male and two females for breeders. Only need to hatch 15 to 35 chicks to have a good selection. I have also the buff silkies which I am not going to breed big with a few white leghorn bantams just to keep the old going . I am big into Rhode Island red bantams.

That's my main breed this year.