Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[Arielle]

Just saw kikiriki's post. We used the purple stuff. We had a strong chemical smell for days. That's been gone. But when we went to use it, 2 out of the 3 chicken nipples we put in are leaking. One's leaks ALOT. So, they haven't been able to use it yet. Can't until I get it to stop leaking. I put teflon (plumber's) tape on to try to stop the leak, but that didn't work.

I have had mixed results with plumbers tape and caulking. I'm starting to think the angle of the nipple is also important. I've been try8ing other watering methods, and none are perfect. Each has a down side. I do plan to add more nipple waterers for the summer and outside.

Quote: I was curious too. THanks for the lengthy response:

Quote: It is below the bit you quoted, in the excessively long quoted portion (lol!):

Chicken poo has nitrates. Nitrates convert to other things depending on what is available to mix with, or what bacterias are around. When mixed with water it forms ammonia, when acid is also present it forms ammonium. A study I read found ammonium reduced oxylic acid in plants. Oxylic acid is refeered to as an anti nutrient because it binds with nutrients preventing us from properly absorbing them. These new chemicals can a problem for people and chickens, as sonme can cause digestive problems, some can contribute to achy joints or kidney stones. Oxylic acid is toxic in very high amounts and yet it is in many very nutritious foods, like spinach, alfalfa, etc... Conversely, other information suggests oxylic acid may help in binding toxins that can contribute to cancer or other health problems, preventing them from being absorbed into the body. Also, it is suggested these salts (the bound chemicals) can stimulate the digestive track making it work better.

I am both trying to find a way to make the chicken poo more useful, and to make the purslane I want for food for family and chickens to have lower oxylic acid than it naturally contains.

Quote: I have seen my birds pick a place clean, and yet they have acres to tear up, yet prefer the same stomping ground. My lawn has gone from picked sparse to too tall to eat. I finally put the sheep in to mow it-- yet all around is bare.

 

[Kikiriki]

Yes, it can be infuriating, can't it? If you look at the pictures of my coop when I moved you can see where there is nothing...just sand...we had spent a lot of money on seed to get some grass going, plus water, and lots of time. They left holes everywhere, and it was impossible to walk. Then our dog had a spinal embolism and went paralyzed on his right half: he had to learn to walk again, so the yard really needed to be level. He still has no feeling on the right, so it needs to stay level because he cannot sense when he steps into a hole. I have three areas for them that are all fenced within the yard from the front of the house to the back property line. All I ask is for one area that is not destroyed! I don't think that is too much to ask since none of these animals are paying the mortgage!

Do finally have that area of grass after another $45 for seed, more money for fencing materials, and lots of time in ensuring it was watered and protected from animals. I had to just realize that it was important enough to me to have someplace attractive to invest in the materials. The chickens came very close to being rehomed, though... It was taking too much of my time to repair all their daily damage, on top of all the cash...

 

[ocap]

My chicks arrived this morning and were placed in a brooder pen with two types of water sources, one traditional the other nipple drinker. I forced each chick to drink from the traditional source and then went back an hour later. The chicks had found the nipple drinker and equal numbers were drinking out of each style

 

[ocap]

After 24 hours of using both types of waterers, I removed the traditional and added another PVC pipe with nipples for a total of 9 nipples for 47 chicks, the pipe set at a height where the Brahma large fowl have to bend down and the Old English Game Bantams stretch to reach. I can measure with a ruler if you need an exact measurement.

 

[danib]

The waterer is working well, but a few drips will fall if they bump the pvc pipe. May not bother me as much when they're outside. Right now, they're in a brooder..so it's noticeable

 

[RoseMarie1]

Okay, no photo, but here is a link to a blog with some good photos and discussion:

http://anaustinhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/08/wholesome-wednesdays-purslane.html

OK that looks like my purslane. Will have to transplant it closer to their pen so it will multiply out there! thanx!!!

 

[Arielle]

After 24 hours of using both types of waterers, I removed the traditional and added another PVC pipe with nipples for a total of 9 nipples for 47 chicks, the pipe set at a height where the Brahma large fowl have to bend down and the Old English Game Bantams stretch to reach. I can measure with a ruler if you need an exact measurement.

I often stack wood like a pyramid so depending on the height of the chick, it can reach the water. I often have mixed ages.

 

[amenfarm]

So here's a question: my husband just started managing an organic bakery that grows all its own wheat locally, and they slice hundreds of multigrain loaves per day - leaving a bucket of around 30lbs or so of whole, baked grains going to waste daily (and a similar amount of cornmeal that they use for proofing dough, and is left unbaked). He's been told that both buckets - baked grains and unbaked cornmeal - are his for the taking if he wants them. What would be the best way to process these for chicken feed? I was thinking fermenting the cornmeal, and either feeding the grains straight or fermenting them too. He also has access to several HUGE trash bags of burned or otherwise wrecked bread every week - I need a pig!

What you want to start is lacto fermention, which will up the protein and convert phytic (sp?)acid in the grains. there is 1, I think 2 site here that talk about it. I want to do it--but as of yet have not. All you need is the food a large enough container of either glass or plastic, a sieve fine enough that only the water will drain back. You must keep the mixture covered in a couple of inches of water. To start the process is simple, load a days worth of feed into your chosen container, cover in water, wait a few days-or until bubbles appear from wild fermentation. To speed the process you can add, yogurt, kirfur,sauerkraut or kimchi any of those will speed the process up, always refill with the dry feed after removing the wet feed, and cover again in water. some folks use the double bucket with the inner bucket having small drill hole to allow the water to drain back. the thread I have been reading is Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds, very informative and quite long.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: WHen I'm not here, I"m there!

Everyone of my birds love the stuff. Like it was candy!

 

[amenfarm]

Arielle did you find duck weed yet?