Idaho?

[La Casa de Pollo]

She IS gorgeous. Love Shires, one of my favorite breeds!

 

[pawtraitart]

I gave my flock a tray of sprouted fodder today as part of their new Fall/Winter feeding schedule. The bantam cockerals were especially excited and did their happy feather footed dance/chatter song in appreciation.

 

[BeccaSmith]

I gave my flock a tray of sprouted fodder today as part of their new Fall/Winter feeding schedule. The bantam cockerals were especially excited and did their happy feather footed dance/chatter song in appreciation.

I've seen ads for growing fodder in the farmtek sales magazine but the set up for growing it looked beyond my capabilities for providing space for the grow lights, would you mind if I ask what your set up is like for growing it?

 

[blondiebee181]

Who else here has horses as well as chickens? Here's a pic of me riding our shire mare, Tina.

She is quite lovely, I love heavy breeds

My dream is to own an Andalusian or Freisan someday

 

[pawtraitart]

Oh, it's really easy. Soak your seeds for 12/24 hours in a bucket and then spread onto a tray of some sort. I use plastic seedling flats, each set has one with holes and one without. I rinse/drain each set once in the morning and once at night. If you have a catch basin like a tote, then you don't have to lift each tray out or have a bottom tray. I usually just bring the trays to the sink. I have 7 rotating trays. They are on a shelf unit by a window. I have a plain compact fluorescent light on one end for 24hour lighting. It sits on the top shelf and shines down. You want the flats to be in a relatively cool room to prevent mold. If you find you are getting mold, you can add some hydrogen peroxide to your initial soak bucket ( 1/2 cup per gallon) and/or can do a treated rinse. I find that I don't get mold unless the room is too warm. Additional rinsing helps with that, too. I feed out on day 6 or 7.

 

[Daloorashens]

Who else here has horses as well as chickens? Here's a pic of me riding our shire mare, Tina.

She sure is pretty Michelle!! I wish we could have horses, I had them when I was younger, too, when I had the chickens, but not enough room now, someday, I hope to have them again!!

The thread's been busy!! Yay!!

The cooler weather is DEFINITELY welcome, I've been getting some good yard work done, too, plus the coop expansion is going well, hoping to get one side done and put birds in it this week!!

 

[Daloorashens]

Oh, it's really easy. Soak your seeds for 12/24 hours in a bucket and then spread onto a tray of some sort. I use plastic seedling flats, each set has one with holes and one without. I rinse/drain each set once in the morning and once at night. If you have a catch basin like a tote, then you don't have to lift each tray out or have a bottom tray. I usually just bring the trays to the sink. I have 7 rotating trays. They are on a shelf unit by a window. I have a plain compact fluorescent light on one end for 24hour lighting. It sits on the top shelf and shines down. You want the flats to be in a relatively cool room to prevent mold. If you find you are getting mold, you can add some hydrogen peroxide to your initial soak bucket ( 1/2 cup per gallon) and/or can do a treated rinse. I find that I don't get mold unless the room is too warm. Additional rinsing helps with that, too. I feed out on day 6 or 7.

And thanks for the reminder on sprouting!! I have some sprouting trays I need to dig out of the pantry, the birds would love it, for sure!!

 

[pawtraitart]

And thanks for the reminder on sprouting!! I have some sprouting trays I need to dig out of the pantry, the birds would love it, for sure!!

My birds really enjoy their greens. There is a variety of seeds you can sprout for them.

 

[Daloorashens]

Hey Michelle, if you don't mind my asking... did you receive your BTB Marans pullets?

I have seriously been racking my brain trying to figure out how I could make a small pen for that little feather foot cockerel, he is so pretty, it would be soo fun to have bantam cochin chicks, it's kind of making me crazy, actually..... but I still don't have a good plan, space is kind of tight.... sheesh

 

[pawtraitart]

My second line of BTB haven't been shipped yet but I should get them before the snow flies. I picked through my first group and got down to what I think are the best so hopefully I'll be able to do some test hatches soon with those birds to see what I'm working with. I don't really want to have chicks during winter, but this is a special situation so the earlier I get started the better.

Freezer camp day is approaching! You are welcome to the cute little guy if you can find room. He's a real character, the most happy chatty bird in that pen. The other boy is more reserved and doesn't dance as much when I give them treats. I know what you mean about finding room. I have TWO breeding pens of MF/Calico bantam cochins when I really only need ONE. It's just so hard to part with them. It's also not easy refraining from incubating those adorable eggs. I'm itching to hatch out my mottled/split to mottled bantams as well. So far I'm resisting, mostly because it's not the time of year to sell chicks and then I'd have even MORE!!!!!!!!!! LOL