INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CRSelvey]

I ran across this article about the benefits of sand, and I had to laugh when I saw that same stock photo of a woman holding a chicken that is used by so many sites.

Chicken Coop Bedding: Sand, the Litter Superstar


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter.html

Thanks for posting this! I was reading her blog the other day on Facebook and when I questioned her about the play sand she told me that the finer the sand the better, so I am confused. I like the idea of this sand better though because it costs significantly less than the play sand and the reasons she listed seem sound. As much as I like the initial smell of the shavings, they get so messy and smelly fast. My family thinks I'm crazy to think chickens shouldn't smell bad, but I just don't think the overwhelming farm smell is completely necessary if I only have 13 chickens and enough time.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I've gotten quite a few free buckets from the bakery inside of Meijer grocery -- just have to wash out the icing that's left inside. Sometimes they have a couple of different sizes. I just go up to the bakery counter & ask if they have any available that day & they're always glad to hand them out. Most likely other grocery store bakeries would also have them to give away.

O I completley forgot about scotts(kroger) and walmart. My town doesnt have a Meijers though I have to drive around an hour to get to the nearest one.

 

[Kiniska]

Sooooo.....
I wanted to get some treats for my chickens that did not have cracked corn in it. I know they love milo and millet so I bought a bag of Dove mix from Tractor's supply. On the drive home, because I was bored, I read the back of the bag. Yes, I am also a cereal box and canned food label reader. In smallish print on the back of the bag it states, “Do not feed to pet or animals meant for consumption. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling." WAIT A MINUTE!
What the heck? So I Google the feed name and look for any articles regarding this.

Ends up Scotts, the fertilizer company, was sued for several million dollars and pled guilty last year for using harmful pesticides on their Wild Bird seed and not placing that disclaimer on it. Apparently many individuals lost personal flocks because they did what I was about to do. On top of that untold numbers of wild birds have died from eating the feed grandma put out for them. Here is a link to one of dozens of articles I found about this.
http://www.naturalnews.com/036253_Miracle-Gro_poison_chemicals.html

Any way, I will be taking that feed back. Is there nothing I can buy any more that is not going to poison me, my pets, and the wild life without paying outrageous prices for organic?

By the way Scotts makes the following wild bird seeds if you are interested....
Meijers brand
Publix
Harris Teeters
Royal Wing
Purina
Nutri Plan
Anderson's

Surely they have stopped using the illegal pesticides on the feeds, but the fact that the disclaimer is on there tells me they won't guarantee it to be safe at all.

 

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

I'm having a CHICKEN GARAGE Sale this weekend. I've done these in the past and everyone seem to really like them. Friday and Saturday. After a lot of thought I just have to downsize, I'm not getting any younger and it is just becoming to much work for me. I have a lot I'm letting go. Just keeping enough for us to show on some breeds , but cutting back on all of them.

All are out of show stock.

I'm south of Greencastle, just 1/4 mile off of 40 If anyone would like to come I've tried to start a list on our farm page. https://www.facebook.com/HeavenlySpringsFarm but I'm sure there will be a lot I'll add as I go through them. Probly won't have a full list till they are in cages . !!!!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Sooooo.....
I wanted to get some treats for my chickens that did not have cracked corn in it. I know they love milo and millet so I bought a bag of Dove mix from Tractor's supply. On the drive home, because I was bored, I read the back of the bag. Yes, I am also a cereal box and canned food label reader. In smallish print on the back of the bag it states, “Do not feed to pet or animals meant for consumption. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling." WAIT A MINUTE!
What the heck? So I Google the feed name and look for any articles regarding this.

Ends up Scotts, the fertilizer company, was sued for several million dollars and pled guilty last year for using harmful pesticides on their Wild Bird seed and not placing that disclaimer on it. Apparently many individuals lost personal flocks because they did what I was about to do. On top of that untold numbers of wild birds have died from eating the feed grandma put out for them. Here is a link to one of dozens of articles I found about this.
http://www.naturalnews.com/036253_Miracle-Gro_poison_chemicals.html

Any way, I will be taking that feed back. Is there nothing I can buy any more that is not going to poison me, my pets, and the wild life without paying outrageous prices for organic?

By the way Scotts makes the following wild bird seeds if you are interested....
Meijers brand
Publix
Harris Teeters
Royal Wing
Purina
Nutri Plan
Anderson's

O wow, I bet you are glad you read the label and very lucky.At Rural King they have 3 bins of seed you can scoop at yourself.One full of all black seed, one of all tan seed, and one full of both seed and pieces of whole corn and something else.I never thought about it being posionious to my chickens and used to by this for them about every month(usually a 10lb bag)-the kind that was mixed. I feed it to my birds several times and they were all fine and they loved it.When I had ducks they absolutley loved it. I made the mistake of leaving the bag where they could get to it and they ducks ripped it open with their beak and ate it all.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I'm having a CHICKEN GARAGE Sale this weekend. I've done these in the past and everyone seem to really like them. Friday and Saturday. After a lot of thought I just have to downsize, I'm not getting any younger and it is just becoming to much work for me. I have a lot I'm letting go. Just keeping enough for us to show on some breeds , but cutting back on all of them.

All are out of show stock.

I'm south of Greencastle, just 1/4 mile off of 40 If anyone would like to come I've tried to start a list on our farm page. https://www.facebook.com/HeavenlySpringsFarm but I'm sure there will be a lot I'll add as I go through them. Probly won't have a full list till they are in cages . !!!!

that is a cool idea.In my opinion that would be the best garage sale ever!

 

[CRSelvey]

Sooooo.....
I wanted to get some treats for my chickens that did not have cracked corn in it. I know they love milo and millet so I bought a bag of Dove mix from Tractor's supply. On the drive home, because I was bored, I read the back of the bag. Yes, I am also a cereal box and canned food label reader. In smallish print on the back of the bag it states, “Do not feed to pet or animals meant for consumption. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling." WAIT A MINUTE!
What the heck? So I Google the feed name and look for any articles regarding this.

Ends up Scotts, the fertilizer company, was sued for several million dollars and pled guilty last year for using harmful pesticides on their Wild Bird seed and not placing that disclaimer on it. Apparently many individuals lost personal flocks because they did what I was about to do. On top of that untold numbers of wild birds have died from eating the feed grandma put out for them. Here is a link to one of dozens of articles I found about this.
http://www.naturalnews.com/036253_Miracle-Gro_poison_chemicals.html

Any way, I will be taking that feed back. Is there nothing I can buy any more that is not going to poison me, my pets, and the wild life without paying outrageous prices for organic?

By the way Scotts makes the following wild bird seeds if you are interested....
Meijers brand
Publix
Harris Teeters
Royal Wing
Purina
Nutri Plan
Anderson's

Surely they have stopped using the illegal pesticides on the feeds, but the fact that the disclaimer is on there tells me they won't guarantee it to be safe at all.

Do you mind if I repost this on Facebook? Its good info.

 

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

that is a cool idea.In my opinion that would be the best garage sale ever!

They are fun. I have a lot of people that just come to talk chickens . I have a few others that might bring birds or ducks, they all show , so it is all show stock.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

I ran across this article about the benefits of sand, and I had to laugh when I saw that same stock photo of a woman holding a chicken that is used by so many sites.

Chicken Coop Bedding: Sand, the Litter Superstar


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter.html

I currently have a plywood floor with hay bedding. After reading this article, I'm ripping out the plywood and putting in sand. It will solve all the problems I've been having.

Thanks, John

 

[vickichicki]

Now that's a good idea.  I did that just now, as we haven't eaten any yet.  Waiting for a few more, but this weekend we have some guests coming in and they are curious about the eggs.  What is your favorite way to prepare them so they really show off the fresh flavor?   (the eggs, silly, not the humans!)
How old are your chickens?   Ours will be 17 weeks this Thursday.  We probably won't get any brown eggs until late July/early August.

Grab a bag of cracked corn and make a trip to a fishing tackle shop and grab some crickets. Feed before the weekend. The corn and fresh bugs make for beautiful golden yolks.
Fried eggs show off the freshness. The yolk should sit high and round unlike the store brought, which lack colouring and are flat.
Scrambled eggs yield a nice dark yellow colour not a light yellow.
For future reference the fresher the eggs the harder it is to peel for hard boiled. I have been working on a perfecting the timing for the fresher eggs but I still struggle to get a consistent peel. Eggs around a month old peel like a dream.

With the eggs you are not eating you should fry up anyway, cook one next to a store egg and see the difference.

As for the best flavour... Ironically I have all these chickens with more eggs than I know what to do with...I don't eat eggs.. Not scrambled, fried, poach, boiled etc... Have to take DHs word for it.