Icelandic Chickens

[Jake Levi]

Mary thanks for the link on the netting, I want to get this, the 12' width is perfect for covering runs. And half the price of chicken wire here, everything up here has the 'up north tax'.

Layer mash is twice what it is in MI so I am going to formulate my own soons I find a mill to mix it. Time to dust off the Poultry Science by Ensminger, been a long time since I squared and balanced rations but its that time again.

Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Pack Goats !

 

[Jake Levi]

Re: the above post, about feeds,

does anyone here mix their own feeds?

It was thinking about the feeding of the Icelandics in Iceland that really got me to thinking in this whole direction, and the not feeding of them, having read and enjoyed the Icelandic Sagas and will again, I have a fairly good idea of how they survived the winters and all seasons there, a thrifty dedicated to survival free ranging breed.

Those thoughts plus seeing a doubling of what I paid in Mi for laying mash. So I am beginning to take a real look at rations, I searched out and dusted off my Poultry Science by Ensminger, and began looking at what is available here in Wa. I do well remember my grandmother feeding her RIRs when I was a kid, she had a hand ground grain mill for grinding corn, oats and barley for the chickens, and she fed them also table scraps, those which the dogs didnt get. I think I can do what she did. Along with buying the minerals needed, BOSS, and some meat meal, etc,

to make a long story short I am wondering who else is making their own feed or thinking of it ?

Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Pack Goats !

 

[The Sheriff]

Jake, check out the section on Feeding and Watering Your Flock. I usually see that kind of information there. Post the question and I'll bet you get some answers.

Glad the netting will work for you. They had a pretty decent turnaround time on my order. At first I was going to spring for expedited shipping but I'm glad I didn't. Will this handle the snow load? I never have to worry about that.

 

[Jake Levi]

I did make a post on the feeding section, not a lot of interest, yet anyhow, different generation I think that never thought about feed coming from any other place then from a big agra company. I got 2 replies that sound interested, the others are in TSC land. I suspect they think the Icelanders went to Tractor Supply and got purina feed.

Life is good and better with Icelandic Chickens and Pack Goats.

 

[wyan_zen]

Quote:
Kathy, sincere condolences to your lost. We had the same bird of prey attack this pass Monday. Wife had brought the kids to have lunch with me at work and she was out for no more than 2 hours. Took out one of my Blue EE pullet. Irony or timing, I got a photo of her just 2 days earlier. It was a mess with high protein organs and head missing.

We ruled out 4-legged predator as it was broad day light, the rest of the flock took shelter under vegetation and only 1 was lost. We had even trapped 3 4-legged predators in the span on 7 days the previous 2 weeks. Wife suspected that its the turning cold weather that is making predators hunt more in the last few weeks. Maybe its survival of the fittest and smartest. We had another scare today, but both the alpha roo and hen made warning calls and everybody took shelter. It is going to be like this until the weather hits 50s or below consistently. We are mentally preparing for several more loss due to the cold.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
So you're saying they didn't?

 

[LarryPQ]

PSSST....NYD Hatch.

 

[Jake Levi]

Egil didnt mention it in his saga, I think I would have remembered that if he did. Nor Nyal, and he always mentioned things like that !

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
I do, but told you about it already.
And I do buy from a farm miller every so often, too.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
We just discussed this very topic.
Gramma(s) never had "designer" feed...........Gramma never bought anything but whole grains (Sratch) for all her birds.
This is what our heritage birds were raised on.
Their own wits, to forage, and scratch.
Scratch is the only WHOLE grain available anymore...everything else is 2X as expensive and milled distiller by products X with GMO soy (and soy was never here back then)
The feeds nowadays really bother me.
I prefer whole cracked grains, not waste by products mixed with soy...........

Fresh greens, squash & tomatoes from the garden/produce at the grocery....distillers by products are so gross, you open the bag & it smells like beer...waste after beer is made.
What posible nutrients are left?
I like scratch, whole UNUSED grains I can SEE, and even add rolled oats to it.
Birds go nuts for it, and they also hate the beer crumbles.basic poultry & layena.......

But I do have all my pens ground covered in oyster shell, unavailable to most.