"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[PSJ]

If you look on the meat birds thread, Kuntrygirl has a whole report on hers that she just processed. I've never had them so I don't know.

edited to add - here's the link to it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/832053/100-broilers-and-fermented-feed-project

thanks so much Terri! (and Kuntrygirl for posting it)

 

[mzstre]

I am so frustrated. I have several hens that decided that they are unbreakable broodies. I had eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch tomorrow so I gave a clutch to the hen that's been setting on an empty nest for nearly 3 weeks. When I went out this morning there were 2 dead partridge Barthuner chicks next to her. It looks like she may have possibly heard them cheeping when they internally pipped and broke the eggs open. Neither chick had absorbed the yolk and most of the membrane still surrounded them. Looks like the hen just pulled off the shell. So disappointed. Those were the first Barts I set this year. The breed needs a ton of work and a good number of chicks hatch with beak issues because of limited genetic diversity. Of course those 2 were perfect.

On a happy note, look at the little beauties that arrived for me yesterday! They are Snowy Calls. I love them!

For size reference:

 

[CackedNut]

Morning La-yers!
It's so nice to get up to warm weather and see things starting to bud out! My Meyer lemon was so frost burnt it lost almost all the leaves but I'm happy to say it is leafing out all the way to the branch tips, so not as bad as I feared!

I liberated the guineas last night. Silly things are staying far at the back of the place - maybe they learned their lesson about roaming too far up front! They are not happy with me one bit - every time they see me they sound off.

I got a sample issue of a commercial poultry production magazine in the mail & it had an interesting paragraph in it about Astro-turf - seems that this is a good thing to use in nesting boxes & has been used for years by commercial growers. Astroturf is easy to cut to size and easy to clean so it reduces the amount of litter, the hens like the feel of it, there are less 'floor eggs' when it is used, it does not harbor molds, bacteria or insects and it's easy to clean.

I never thought about it for nesting material. I might cut a piece & put it in a couple of my nest boxes and see do they prefer it to hay.

That's a neat idea! Keep us posted how it works.

 

[CackedNut]

Hi Everybody! Hope you are all doing well. Lost my cripple baby this morning..while she was laying in my hand...very sad. Also, had one die in the brooder and it was very random and I couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Well back to work for me. Hope you all have a great day!

Sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[CackedNut]

I am so frustrated. I have several hens that decided that they are unbreakable broodies. I had eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch tomorrow so I gave a clutch to the hen that's been setting on an empty nest for nearly 3 weeks. When I went out this morning there were 2 dead partridge Barthuner chicks next to her. It looks like she may have possibly heard them cheeping when they internally pipped and broke the eggs open. Neither chick had absorbed the yolk and most of the membrane still surrounded them. Looks like the hen just pulled off the shell. So disappointed. Those were the first Barts I set this year. The breed needs a ton of work and a good number of chicks hatch with beak issues because of limited genetic diversity. Of course those 2 were perfect.

On a happy note, look at the little beauties that arrived for me yesterday! They are Snowy Calls. I love them!



For size reference:

Pretty!!

 

[mzstre]

Hi Everybody! Hope you are all doing well. Lost my cripple baby this morning..while she was laying in my hand...very sad. Also, had one die in the brooder and it was very random and I couldn't find anything wrong with it. 
Well back to work for me. Hope you all have a great day!

Sorry to hear about your chicks. It's so sad to lose them!

Morning La-yers!
It's so nice to get up to warm weather and see things starting to bud out! My Meyer lemon was so frost burnt it lost almost all the leaves but I'm happy to say it is leafing out all the way to the branch tips, so not as bad as I feared!

I liberated the guineas last night. Silly things are staying far at the back of the place - maybe they learned their lesson about roaming too far up front! They are not happy with me one bit - every time they see me they sound off.

I got a sample issue of a commercial poultry production magazine in the mail & it had an interesting paragraph in it about Astro-turf - seems that this is a good thing to use in nesting boxes & has been used for years by commercial growers. Astroturf is easy to cut to size and easy to clean so it reduces the amount of litter, the hens like the feel of it, there are less 'floor eggs' when it is used, it does not harbor molds, bacteria or insects and it's easy to clean.

I never thought about it for nesting material. I might cut a piece & put it in a couple of my nest boxes and see do they prefer it to hay.

I have 2 pens where the crazy hens refuse to leave nesting material in the boxes. It doesn't matter what material- if it's loose they throw it out. I was losing quite a few eggs to breakage and it was very frustrating. Someone recommended that I either use the Astroturf or sand in the boxes. I had sand on hand so I tried that first. It has worked wonderfully! It is very easy to keep clean and the eggs do not get soiled. Any sand that sticks to the egg while it is still damp brushes off quite easily. The hens seem to like it as well. I haven't had any eggs laid outside of the nest box since I started using it.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I am so frustrated. I have several hens that decided that they are unbreakable broodies. I had eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch tomorrow so I gave a clutch to the hen that's been setting on an empty nest for nearly 3 weeks. When I went out this morning there were 2 dead partridge Barthuner chicks next to her. It looks like she may have possibly heard them cheeping when they internally pipped and broke the eggs open. Neither chick had absorbed the yolk and most of the membrane still surrounded them. Looks like the hen just pulled off the shell. So disappointed. Those were the first Barts I set this year. The breed needs a ton of work and a good number of chicks hatch with beak issues because of limited genetic diversity. Of course those 2 were perfect.

On a happy note, look at the little beauties that arrived for me yesterday! They are Snowy Calls. I love them!



For size reference:

I'm in love.

I want a pair of call ducks so bad! Where did you get yours from?

 

[mzstre]

I'm in love. I want a pair of call ducks so bad! Where did you get yours from?

I had them shipped from Ohio. She has lovely birds! Let me know if you want her info and I'll PM you. She in NPIP certified and is a BYCer.

 

[foreverlearning]

as for the meat chickens... Do you feed them grower or something different? Also, if one randomly dies, do you process it or throw it out if there aren't visible signs of what happened?

Grower/starter or check what your local feed mill has. My local feed mill has a mix that is left over crumbles from their 20% later feed and the end of a batch of 28% game bird feed pretty cheap. They clear out their stock every 2 months and offer this mix because they consider it going stale. There is nothing wrong with the feed but it is a little more crumbly then most. I process any meat birds that parish regardless of whether or not I keep them to make sure everything inside looks like I want it to. If the bird is still warm, not stiff, and everything looks good I keep it. If it has gotten stiff I don't because that is enough time for the bacteria in the intestines to leak threw (decomp).

 

[LindaB220]

Cracked, I truly understand the freak out. I once got scabies!!!!!!! Omg!!!!!! I couldn't stop apply poison on my body. Every little twitch and I would bathe in poison. Matter of fact I'm itching writing about it and it was 40 years ago. To make matters worse, my mother believes only prostitutes get scabies!!!! I think I got it from a movie theatre, it was all I could come up with. And, BTW, scabies is NOT a STD. I was so freaked out!! Have to stop, itching all over now. Lol

Years ago I took my daughter to the dr because she had the measles. Me too. The Dr laughed and said this is scabies (mange) and have I been around a new dog. Yes of course there was the stray I picked up and put in the backyard. Thinking to get it healthier again. Ha. It was so bad the poor dog had to be put down. Dumb me didn't know enough about it to beware. I learned better quickly.