INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

on the topic of FF though, if you have a hard time getting it to start could you just add some dry active yeast to it??

Some have tried it with yeast, but it changes the probotics. the yeast base is also more apt to go to alcohol, so you may get a few drunk hens lol

Quote:
Try adding a little more vinegar, what size bucket? If its 5 gallon I used 1/4 cup and be sure its unpasturized. Mine is outside now, and is fermenting slower but still working well.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Does anyone know if mash grains are ok to feed to chickens? My husband brews beer and I was wondering if it would be ok to feed the mash to the girls when he is done with it. In case you are unfamiliar with the term mash it is basically malted barley that has been soaked in hot water. Also do any of you free range your flock all day?

And I had to share the picture I took of Belle last night. Cracks me up. Poor thing is going through her awkward stage, but we've all been there right? One of my friends said she looked like a vulture crossed with a 13 year old boy. I couldn't stop laughing!

Mashed grain is ok for them as an additive. I free range daily, and it really improves the egg flavors, and cuts my feed costs.

Adorable chick, the uglies go away fast!

yay! tiny map, but can still see the county.

Looks great!

 

[vickichicki]

Some have tried it with yeast, but it changes the probotics. the yeast base is also more apt to go to alcohol, so you may get a few drunk hens lol


Try adding a little more vinegar, what size bucket? If its 5 gallon I used 1/4 cup and be sure its unpasteurized. Mine is outside now, and is fermenting slower but still working well.

I ended up using a 5 gallon bucket. I poured 1/4 cup of vinegar in it (Bragg Organic, unfiltered ACV with 'mother' unpasteurized). I will go ahead and try adding a little more vinegar and see where we go from there. How long can the food stay in the mix for before I decided it is bad? I do not see mold and what little smell there is, is not pungent.

 

[oldrooster]

Quote: at least your chickens put themselves up! not all animals are smart enough to dot that...

 

[CRSelvey]

Hi Everyone!
I think I need help. I'm so new to chickens that mine should be worried. They are 8 weeks oops and still living in my basement. Their house is a 48" dog crate with an attached 2x5.5' run that I keep very clean. They have food, grit, fresh water, scraps, and petting daily. Today I went down to see them and muffin (on my avatar) is limping. She (I hope) sits around with her legs to the side kind of on her own. I took her outside with me and she just stood with me and then curled up like a cat on my lap. I can't see anything specifically injured but I know that something isn't right. She just kind of flops down. Should I separate her so that she gets some rest alone? Their coop is about 1 1/2 weeks from done so I can't move her outside yet.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Hi Everyone!
I think I need help. I'm so new to chickens that mine should be worried. They are 8 weeks oops and still living in my basement. Their house is a 48" dog crate with an attached 2x5.5' run that I keep very clean. They have food, grit, fresh water, scraps, and petting daily. Today I went down to see them and muffin (on my avatar) is limping. She (I hope) sits around with her legs to the side kind of on her own. I took her outside with me and she just stood with me and then curled up like a cat on my lap. I can't see anything specifically injured but I know that something isn't right. She just kind of flops down. Should I separate her so that she gets some rest alone? Their coop is about 1 1/2 weeks from done so I can't move her outside yet.

Is it bumble foot? Not sure I spelled that correctly, but Leah's Mom knows a lot about taking care of it should that be the problem. If the bottom of the foot looks like there is a large pea or marble in it, then that could be your problem.

 

[Too Fast]

I was outside yesterday paintng a pergoda, look up and see this rolling in, I was thrilled. Early day for me

Fortunatly it missed us, sounds like Mother got it instead.

Wow what an awesome looking (and a bit scary, for those of us who've seen tornados roll in) cloud formation. And a great picture.

 

[Too Fast]

Does anyone know if mash grains are ok to feed to chickens? My husband brews beer and I was wondering if it would be ok to feed the mash to the girls when he is done with it. In case you are unfamiliar with the term mash it is basically malted barley that has been soaked in hot water. Also do any of you free range your flock all day?

And I had to share the picture I took of Belle last night. Cracks me up. Poor thing is going through her awkward stage, but we've all been there right? One of my friends said she looked like a vulture crossed with a 13 year old boy. I couldn't stop laughing!






I'm definitely going to try the deep bedding method first. Maybe I'll see if I can't design it to incorporate a poop board if I don't like the litter method. Our compost pile is going to be right by the coop, so cleaning it should be too big of a deal. It can't be worse than mucking horse stalls right? Right now I'm thinking that the coop will sit 2 feet off the ground and the inside will be 5 ft tall. Two doors on the side that we want to access that will completely open up one of the 8 foot sides. Nesting boxes will be on the outside and about a foot from the coop floor. I just can't decide if I want to do a flat slanted roof or a normal peaked roof.


Thanks for the link! That's was very helpful in showing what exactly a poop board is. I was thinking it went under the entire area of the coop, but that makes way more sense now.


Oh my goodness! I hope our chickens will come hang out on our deck! I love the picture of them all roosting on the railing and in the trees. Pretty sure if that was my cat I'd constantly have to be smacking him to keep him off the chickens. Thankfully he's an indoor boy. And if you wanted to make an avatar for me with the county map that would be great, Thanks for doing all the work on it!

Just about what we did. 2 ft off the ground, and a sloping roof with about a 5 ft ceiling on the high side. I like it. We have one access door on the high side, with a pop door on that side also:



Here's a view of the low side, with the cool cedar shake roof, before we had the run complete:



Note how we buried our fencing about 2 feet horizontally out from the vertical interface with the coop. And did this all around the run, to protect our flock against digging predators. We've had red-tailed hawks, great horned owls flying the skies the last few weeks here. I think the word is out amongst the raptors. We've also had racoons, opossums here lately. We've seen coyotes, deer and foxes in our back yard the past 12 months.

 

[ShawnaScott]

Had a blonde moment. I was on here looking and saw everyone posting about storms, and I got to thinking "Oh wow! One passed over me today! It's so weird that everyone else did too!" And then I remembered.....we all live in Indiana.

What is fermented feed and why is it fed?

Just wanted to update e everyone on the pups. I found a no kill to take them to. So happy about that.
FYI, for anyone in the Louisville area. The KY humane society charges 25.00 per anmal for a drop off. While that is not a huge deal, there is a good chance they will just ship the animal to Louisville animal control for euthanasia. So you end up paying them to dump the animals somewhere else. They tell you they don't do this, but I used to work for them and know it for fact that they do.

This is just awful! When fees started to be instated around here, I thought it was a great idea. Too many people will give a dog up to die because it's easier than finding a home, and the fee definately helps cut down on that (though it may ultimately end up skyrocketing the dumping rate, who knows.) but that's just awful that they would make a person pay AND THEN SEND OFF THE DOG. Does this country even have morals anymore!

Oh, and I saw something that should be funny to most of us! I was in Lowes getting some stuff for my coop and garden. I saw an isle of grass seed and a display of different kinds of fake grass. It is called SynLawn. The were listing a bunch of "pros" about why I should buy it. "It's safer for pets, no pesticides!" "It's better for kids, no allergens!" "It's fire safe!" and the best, the real kicker "It's more ecofriendly! No pesticides or fertilizers!"

Really? Plactic, non biodegradable PLASTIC is more "green" than real grass? ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

 

[oldrooster]

Had a blonde moment. I was on here looking and saw everyone posting about storms, and I got to thinking "Oh wow! One passed over me today! It's so weird that everyone else did too!" And then I remembered.....we all live in Indiana.

Are you sure you where not born on the other side of the Ohio river???? lol