Maine

[CoopChick719]

None of my birds get layer feed. I've chosen to go with Multi-flock raiser, and supplement with calcium for the layers. It prevents having to buy different kinds of feed to accommodate layers/non layers, and gives them a higher quality/protein feed. Last year, my girls started laying at 16.5 weeks on the multi-flock. I just prefer crumble over pellets. I also won't use medicated feed for chicks, and the multi-flock is never medicated.

I feed Multi-flock raiser too w/calcium on the side. My girls don't like layer or pellets. I don't use medicated either. On the FF, I just bought this bag within the last 2 weeks. Maybe I should just start a new batch of FF.

What's a hot wire? Is that an electric fence?

I tried to call the gov't warden about the legality of hunting/trapping to protect one's animals on one's property. Nobody answered tried two different numbers. Then was going to try e-mailing them but they wanted way too much info. The website was confusing. Maybe they got a snow day! I always thought it was legal to shoot or trap on your own property to protect your animals but then I always here different answers from people.

I feed my girls/boys layer pellets, they get some scratch in the morning and they have oyster shell free choice plus occasional leftover goodies.

Anya, Lazy Gardener already answered the hot wire question.

It is my understanding that if a predator is trying to get your livestock, you can shoot or trap it.

 

[mlowen]

I'm feeding organic layer pellets, fermented, with their egg shells and oyster shells available. This ferment has been going since July. (It's in the house.) I started it with buttermilk and have added a "glug" of buttermilk a few times since. I mix in organic wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds--1/3 or 2/3 cups each of whatever I have, along with about 2 cups of the pellets. I add to the mix when it gets less than a couple of inches deep in the 5 gallon bucket. Every now and then I put in some fresh oregano or garlic or cayenne. When I have leftover veggies or something, I'll top dress the feed with them, but I don't add them to the ferment. I heat their feed in the microwave thirty seconds on mornings it's in the single digits or below. With the plastic on their run, everything usually thaws during the day. They also have dry layer pellets in a free feeder, just in case.

 

[lazy gardener]

I looked at my eggs again tonight. I know, I'm an obsessed candler! Removed one blood ring, one possible non-developer. That leaves 26/28 with one cracked egg doing well. Temps holding steady! This weather needs to warm up so I can brood these babies. I'm so thankful that this storm did not turn into the blizzard that we were expecting.

Congrats QT on the Ameraucana eggs. It's so exciting to see pure bred stock coming into the state. Wouldn't it be nice if we were able to develop a network of self sustaining flocks of pure, good quality birds so we could replenish our flocks with local chicks/eggs instead of depending on the postal service and hatcheries to meet the demand.

 

[quailtrail]

I looked at my eggs again tonight.  I know, I'm an obsessed candler!  Removed one blood ring, one possible non-developer.  That leaves 26/28 with one cracked egg doing well.  Temps holding steady!  This weather needs to warm up so I can brood these babies.  I'm so thankful that this storm did not turn into the blizzard that we were expecting. 

Congrats QT on the Ameraucana eggs. It's so exciting to see pure bred stock coming into the state.  Wouldn't it be nice if we were able to develop a network of self sustaining flocks of pure, good quality birds so we could replenish our flocks with local chicks/eggs instead of depending on the postal service and hatcheries to meet the demand.

yes it would!!!!! I'm hoping over time we can. But just read a post about shipped eggs and am panicking.

 

[MEMama3]

I've got two chicks out (a maran and an EE). They are too cute! 6 pips and 6 wiggling, but no pips.

 

[quailtrail]

I've got two chicks out (a maran and an EE). They are too cute! 6 pips and 6 wiggling, but no pips.

yay!!!! Pics???

 

[MEMama3]

Excuse the blury quality. They are in an aquarium incubator and the glass is a wee bit foggy. Better ones tomorrow, I promise!

 

[quailtrail]

Excuse the blury quality. They are in an aquarium incubator and the glass is a wee bit foggy. Better ones tomorrow, I promise!

♡

♡

 

[lazy gardener]

MeMama, congratulations. Please, do tell us a bit about your aquarium incubator... what do you use for heat source? Thermostat? How steady do your house temps hold, and how well did your aquarium hold temps? Insulation? hatch rate? This is exciting!

Mlowen, I keep my ferment in the house too, and have had a real nice batch going since I started up again in Feb. It perks real well when I add a bit of scratch to it. Mine is just in a 1 qt yogurt container, as there are only 5 girls. I feed out and replenish every day, and it's well perked by the next morning.

QT, don't panic about those shipped eggs. Others hatch successfully from shipped eggs, and you can too! At least they weren't traveling during the polar vortex. And once you get this first shipped egg experience, it will be behind you, and you'll have some of your own stock to work with, and the next batch of shipped eggs won't be as scary! Folks are even getting saddle and unattached cells, and cracked eggs to hatch with special handling. So, what have you got to loose except for a bit of time and money??

 

[CoopChick719]

I'm feeding organic layer pellets, fermented, with their egg shells and oyster shells available. This ferment has been going since July. (It's in the house.) I started it with buttermilk and have added a "glug" of buttermilk a few times since. I mix in organic wheat, oats, barley, sunflower seeds--1/3 or 2/3 cups each of whatever I have, along with about 2 cups of the pellets. I add to the mix when it gets less than a couple of inches deep in the 5 gallon bucket. Every now and then I put in some fresh oregano or garlic or cayenne. When I have leftover veggies or something, I'll top dress the feed with them, but I don't add them to the ferment. I heat their feed in the microwave thirty seconds on mornings it's in the single digits or below. With the plastic on their run, everything usually thaws during the day. They also have dry layer pellets in a free feeder, just in case.

mlowen, I'm fermenting flock raiser & scratch w/their egg shells too. I started it w/plain yogurt in an 8 quart bucket because the 5 gallon bucket was just too big for my flock of 12. I stir it every day and replace what I feed out. Mine have dry feed available always. About once a week I add the same herbs and top dress w/leftovers. They seemed more interested when I was just wetting the feed w/hot water.