Making Feed at Home

[Ascholten]

we've never had a crop issue in one of our birds.

Note that's ANECDOTE, not data.

I honestly don't see how you could, it's mushy, nothing to get stuck, hung, clogged, it should work right thru pretty much no matter what. You live in Florida, ok, fine, so the mush wants to get stuck, the lizard that bird will catch and eat 10 minutes later will push the oatmeal barricade right thru !
Oatmeal with Raisins and Gecko. Chicken Favorite!
Aaron
(Edit: Ok Fine, they are Anole's) Chicken can't spell that so gecko works for them!!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I honestly don't see how you could, it's mushy, nothing to get stuck, hung, clogged, it should work right thru pretty much no matter what. You live in Florida, ok, fine, so the mush wants to get stuck, the lizard that bird will catch and eat 10 minutes later will push the oatmeal barricade right thru !
Oatmeal with Raisins and Gecko. Chicken Favorite!
Aaron
(Edit: Ok Fine, they are Anole's) Chicken can't spell that so gecko works for them!!

I've heard (more anecdote, I know) about hungry birds gobbling up huge quantities of powdered feed when they aren't free fed (mine are once daily, as you know), then heading for the water and having it swell in the crop...

Having never experienced it, I can't say first hand, but it certainly sounds both plausible and scary.

 

[Ascholten]

You add water though right? So any expanding is already done hopefully. I see where you are coming from, and would think the bird would stop halfway thru or whatnot for water because eating that much dry, its going to absorb water on the way down / way in and eventually bird will be so dry mouth they can't swallow anymore. From what I have seen, it does not swell hugely when wetted, so even if, it should still be mushy and even if crop swells, *think overeating at thanksgiving) it may be a bit uncomfortable but still slide down / in thru Id' hope.

If not then you got a chicken dinner, pre stuffed with stuffin's So make sure you feed them with stuff YOU like to eat too !!

aaron

 

[Solanacae]

Even when you buy pellets, the last 5 lbs in the bag are 'crumbles' or dust anyways, I don't want to waste that. Dust gets spewed all over the ground and lost. By wetting it, I can kind of dough ball it, and even though they still throw it all over, its overall easier for them to eat later and not so much loss on it.

Speaking of, this week was their once every month or so DE feeding, they don't like it much but eat it. I sprinkle about quarter cup of DE on 5 lbs or so of feed, mix it well and have em eat it. Now you will get a lot of people saying it's good for worming, and a lot of others saying it's useless, and you will also get those who will say it's good one week, then two weeks later, say it's useless It seems to work for me, and they are healthy so I do it. Same with putting a few tablespoons of ACV in their drinking water for health.

What I found, it's a bit more expensive but was well worth it. I make a lot of pepper sauces and salsas etc. People whined that there were seeds in it, (grow a set you whiny little ...) anyways I got one of those ice crushing blenders, and it ate right through the seeds and all. If you are finding your blender is struggling, that is an investment that can be used for many things, including for YOU. A bit less expensive may be one of those health bullets.

Just some food for thought

Aaron

I am using a bullet type blender, and yesterday was thick and chunky on purpose, to see how they liked it. This morning was much thinner and smoother. They had a harder time eating it and they hadn’t cleaned the bowls by the time I left to go back inside. So Ill keep tinkering. The blender doesn’t like the peanut butter consistency feed, but it had no problem with what I did this morning. I think I’ll keep tinkering with my water to feed ratio.

 

[Ascholten]

I think they like it a bit thicker too, because they can chomp down on it, and swallow it where the runny, it's more like drinking, and when they drink, they generally suck in water and tip head back and it runs down sort of, so that's an odd way to eat for them. when it mooshes around in their mouths. all in all though, they Do eventually eat it all so with that, maybe the runnier is better because it slows down their eating a bit and keeps them from gorging? the only drawback that I can see to runny is if they are like my girls, they will throw it all over while they eat, and runny may get down into the soil, and be less likely picked back out and ate / hence wasted.

Maybe we should just git a big syringe and every morning shove it in, squirt a meal, and shoo them on their way ! LP

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

I'll be honest, I don't measure when I feed them, I fill their bowl up with solid about 1/2 inch below the top, then take a jug of rain water and pour it in until water just starts to puddle around the very edge of the surface. Let it set a minute or two to soak in, if it's too runny ill throw a bit more dry crumbles and knead it a bit to make it thicker. Then I'll sprinkle this with crushed shells for calcium (which they will either eat or toss, but they Do select and work it) and try to get my hand out in one piece as the vultures try to climb thru the wire screen to get to the food !

Aaron

 

[sandburRanch]

As a kid it was my job to feed the ducklings layer mash mixed with warm cow milk so they could slurp it up fast and get fat for Fall for those town folks that drove Model A Ford 60 miles round trip to buy them for Thanksgiving .

 

[Solanacae]

I think they like it a bit thicker too, because they can chomp down on it, and swallow it where the runny, it's more like drinking, and when they drink, they generally suck in water and tip head back and it runs down sort of, so that's an odd way to eat for them. when it mooshes around in their mouths. all in all though, they Do eventually eat it all so with that, maybe the runnier is better because it slows down their eating a bit and keeps them from gorging? the only drawback that I can see to runny is if they are like my girls, they will throw it all over while they eat, and runny may get down into the soil, and be less likely picked back out and ate / hence wasted.

Maybe we should just git a big syringe and every morning shove it in, squirt a meal, and shoo them on their way ! LP

Aaron

Mine start jumping at the bowl when I bring it out in the morning! I can’t imagine trying to catch a couple of them every morning for food syringes - they’re very much look-don’t-touch personalities.

 

[Ascholten]

Mine start jumping at the bowl when I bring it out in the morning! I can’t imagine trying to catch a couple of them every morning for food syringes - they’re very much look-don’t-touch personalities.

Mine do that too, Ill be pouring the food into the bowl and they are hopping up, trying to hop up on top of the coop, anything to get at it. Lil pests they are !!

1 of mine is a bit flighty, the other 3, nope you can reach right down and grab them right up. They are not exactly lap chickens who will stay with you for hours but you can hold them fairly still a few minutes if you want.

Aaron

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Mine fly into the 5 gallon bucket while I'm carrying it, and dive head first. If I set it down to fill it, some will STILL try to goble it up, the fall of water on their bodies notwithstanding! and once its mash, of course they will try and stand int he bucket, as I am caqrrying it to feed locations, then happily pick mash from between their toes