Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

I don't have an official LGD, but do have a Newfoundland/Australian Shepherd cross beast that is fantastic at warding off predators, including warning the chickens of overhead predators. Its funny to watch him communicating with the chickens, but they sure listen. He has this strange yip noise he makes and they all start growling and running for the hills. Here's Goliath as a 6 month old pup, he's now about 2 1/2 times this size now. Depending which side you see him from, he looks like a different dog. Death on watering cans. grrr

We had Newfie x Black Lab when I was growing up, he was an awesome dog! Such a big lug!

 

[pinkchick]

I don't have an official LGD, but do have a Newfoundland/Australian Shepherd cross beast that is fantastic at warding off predators, including warning the chickens of overhead predators. Its funny to watch him communicating with the chickens, but they sure listen. He has this strange yip noise he makes and they all start growling and running for the hills. Here's Goliath as a 6 month old pup, he's now about 2 1/2 times this size now. Depending which side you see him from, he looks like a different dog. Death on watering cans. grrr

We had Newfie x Black Lab when I was growing up, he was an awesome dog! Such a big lug!

 

[gilavina]

haha big lug is the perfect description!

 

[gilavina]

got a question for people about feeding birds from the garden. I will have kale, chard, collards, comfrey, and other various scraps and etc for the birds. I was wondering if anyone has certain ways they give them to the birds? Sometimes I chop up the chard and kale, etc and will mix it in the feed, sometimes I toss in whole leaves, but was wondering how others do it and what birds like best?

 

[chickenlisa]

We had Newfie x Black Lab when I was growing up, he was an awesome dog! Such a big lug!

Awesome puppy! I love that look so much, I'm getting a Shaded Silver Ragdoll kitten next time I buy a kitten!

 

[gilavina]

also, I was wondering if anyone grows mangels as added fodder for their chickens and other livestock? And if so, how do you prepare it to feed them? I've been doing some reading on their uses with livestock and some of the pictures of how big the roots grow is crazy!

 

[pinkchick]

got a question for people about feeding birds from the garden. I will have kale, chard, collards, comfrey, and other various scraps and etc for the birds. I was wondering if anyone has certain ways they give them to the birds? Sometimes I chop up the chard and kale, etc and will mix it in the feed, sometimes I toss in whole leaves, but was wondering how others do it and what birds like best?

Comfrey.....a food source in itself! I grow Russian Comfrey as it is not the invasive type and I give it to them in whole leaf form but it can be used in soooooooo many ways. I brew it as a tea and pour in my plants as a fertilzer. Chard, kale and others I feed raw right out of the garden and sometimes they get in the garden and just eat right off the plants. LOL!

 

[pinkchick]

also, I was wondering if anyone grows mangels as added fodder for their chickens and other livestock? And if so, how do you prepare it to feed them? I've been doing some reading on their uses with livestock and some of the pictures of how big the roots grow is crazy!

Didn't know about mangels, will have to research that.

 

[gilavina]

Comfrey.....a food source in itself! I grow Russian Comfrey as it is not the invasive type and I give it to them in whole leaf form but it can be used in soooooooo many ways. I brew it as a tea and pour in my plants as a fertilzer. Chard, kale and others I feed raw right out of the garden and sometimes they get in the garden and just eat right off the plants. LOL!

haha yeah, I have that problem too. Most of my birds love it, but some of them, like the bantams have a bit harder time with the leaves, so just wondering if people try other stuff.

 

[gilavina]

here's a 1918 article on mangels for poultry.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=1129,529887&dq=mangels+for+chickens&hl=en