Maine

[lazy gardener]

we've got one new baby this morning! Welsummer x Chantecler I believe.... Lets hope the rest get hatching soon!

congrats Kelly! Incubator??

 

[MEMama3]

Thanks all for responding.  It sounds like no one responding is mixing their own feed.  I keep rolling it around in my head that at least where I am, prepared feed is most likely stale by the time I get it, and with such a small flock, it certainly is by the time I get to the bottom of the bag.  I know whole grains have a much longer shelf life.  Too bad we didn't have a local co-op to buy fresh feed.  If we could set something up with a local distribution once a month, we could all save some money and increase the nutrition of our flocks.  Just throwing that thought out there!!!

I make my own grain mix sprouts, but I still buy commercial pellets.

 

[yankeehill]

I make my own grain mix sprouts, but I still buy commercial pellets.

What is your grain mix and do you know the protein content before sprouting? (Sprouting increases protein, right?)

 

[yankeehill]

Thanks all for responding. It sounds like no one responding is mixing their own feed. I keep rolling it around in my head that at least where I am, prepared feed is most likely stale by the time I get it, and with such a small flock, it certainly is by the time I get to the bottom of the bag. I know whole grains have a much longer shelf life. Too bad we didn't have a local co-op to buy fresh feed. If we could set something up with a local distribution once a month, we could all save some money and increase the nutrition of our flocks. Just throwing that thought out there!!!

I'm currently researching mixing my own feed. It sounds like choice feeding is suggested more than mixing your own.

 

[Mainechick168]

congrats Kelly! Incubator??

Thanks! I've got a few eggs under 2 broody hens.

 

[Widget]

Thanks all for responding. It sounds like no one responding is mixing their own feed. I keep rolling it around in my head that at least where I am, prepared feed is most likely stale by the time I get it, and with such a small flock, it certainly is by the time I get to the bottom of the bag. I know whole grains have a much longer shelf life. Too bad we didn't have a local co-op to buy fresh feed. If we could set something up with a local distribution once a month, we could all save some money and increase the nutrition of our flocks. Just throwing that thought out there!!!

I doubt the food I get is stale. Nor does it sit around here for any length of time. I go through about 50 lbs. every two weeks. Both Blue Seal and Poulin are local. Well local as in made in Vermont and New York in the case of Poulin and Blue Seal has a plant in New Hampshire. So the food doesnt have to travel far to get here. Add the fact that both dealers I use get more than one trailer load of food a week so the food does not have a chance to sit around too long. Plus foods like layer pellets sell fast since they are the most common food fed unlike say a food made just for the rare and expensive one legged Silkie/Nubian/Suffolk cross. (No idea what a chicken/goat/sheep cross would look like but my creative side took over for a minute).

 

[ashandvine]

Interesting looking birds but not for $5000 a pair. I got upset when I lost a TSC bargain Tetra Tint chick that I bought for $0.50.

Cemani are not known for being good layers or anything else other than interesting. They are a hypermelanistic breed which is kind of interesting but totally not worth more than 50 a pair. I also find that GFF is not only overpriced but the birds often are not very good representations of their counterparts in the country they originally come from. Pavlovskaya being one of the most recent.

Thanks! I've got a few eggs under 2 broody hens.

Congrats! I have chicks as well. I have two LF Sultans. Last hatch opportunity on the Orloffs over the next week....

Made pickled cukes and beets today.
Bucka I was about to go check the corn. I'll get back to ya

 

[Mainechick168]

Cemani are not known for being good layers or anything else other than interesting. They are a hypermelanistic breed which is kind of interesting but totally not worth more than 50 a pair. I also find that GFF is not only overpriced but the birds often are not very good representations of their counterparts in the country they originally come from. Pavlovskaya being one of the most recent.
Congrats! I have chicks as well. I have two LF Sultans. Last hatch opportunity on the Orloffs over the next week....

Made pickled cukes and beets today.
Bucka I was about to go check the corn. I'll get back to ya

I hope the pickles and the beets came out ok!! Let me know!! Ugh..speaking of corn- I had about 5 good ears, and thought most of it was not ready...well, when we came back from camping, most of it had gone by..all starchy. Good chicken treat I suppose...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Is anyone interested in a completely naked neck showgirl rooster? He's about 18 months old, friendly and healthy. He is completely naked necked so if you were to mate him to a silkie all the chicks would be bowtie showgirls. He's spunky (he's the alpha roo despite having about 10 roosters in there right now) but has never once come after me.

He's not exactly attractive, per se, but if you have a silkie hen and are looking to make showgirls...

 

[buckabucka]

I came home to find DH got his long hair cut and scattered hair throughout the flint corn looking to scare off the skunks. . Somewhere, we have a bottle of fox urine....