Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[le neige homme]

Quote:
attra's "Pastured Poultry Nutrition" pamphlet says to limit flax seeds to <10% of the diet or the eggs can smell fishy.

I'm using just 2 or 3 cups of it 2 or 3 times a week for almost 50 hens.

 

[Debbi]

I had cooked up some brown rice for myself the other day, and gave some to the parrots and the chicks. They stood there like a toddler would, "EWwwww, I'm NOT eating THAT!" Ok, mixed in a bit of their feed and all of a sudden the rice was being decidedly picked out over the crumbles! Silly birds. Just gave them a little bit of the parrot food mixed in with theirs too. Had to crack the corn for them first, into littler pieces. Same reaction until they saw the feed cup go into the bowl with just a bit of their feed mixed in. Geebs, like you said, the BOSS pieces (I crushed them too!) went like flies! They also liked the safflower seeds that my Quakers won't eat. Guess now I'll have to pick out the safflower when I feed the parrots, and give them to the chooks. Well, time to get back to coop building. You all have a great day!!

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
This sounds good, and makes good sense to me. How in the world do you literally mix it, though? I'm visualizing a large paddle from a paddle boat or something! Also, doesn't it leave gunk on the sides of the garbage can...and wouldn't that get rancid? How far ahead can you mix...i.e., what's the shelf life, in your estimation? This makes me wonder if a large container that can be ROLLED across the ground would work well, although it would really need to have a well-fitting lid....

 

[geebs]

two cans.

Roll them on edge and reach in there... stir by hand and then put the two together.

Nothing rancid... every...I clean the can every time... ( I don't wash it but I blow it out... DE keeps bugs out bigtime.)

 

[le neige homme]

Quote:
Such a device does exist for the purpose of mixing very small batches of concrete. It's not very large, only like a 5-gallon bucket or so, but it has ribs on the inside to aid in mixing and screw-on lid.

 

[Lotsapaints]

My parents used to mix our feed when I was a little kid (not saying how long ago

) and it was a 55 gal drum with a handle and you know it was like a cement mixed because it could be tilted down to pour the feed out when you were done. If I could find plans for something like that my welder hubby could make one....I have all kinds of cans right now because I mix mine everyday.....I did cut costs and I try to use local feed and I've been growing some of mine I have figs going for the birds and pomegranates too right now I have all kinds of apples drops but they are fresh been giving them to the horses I wish I had a grinder for the birds...

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
Hey, you know - I've seen machines that they coat candy in on the Food Network channel - it's like a cement mixer like you mention! Gosh, if I could just get my hands on one those, that would work AWESOME! And, I think they are stainless, so super easy to clean!

le neige homme - that sounds like a neat device, also! I'm wondering if maybe I could use that device, just not include layer pellets, and maybe scoop layer pellets into their feeder, and then a few scoops of the other mixture & just toss lightly...thoughts?

 

[le neige homme]

Quote:
Hey, you know - I've seen machines that they coat candy in on the Food Network channel - it's like a cement mixer like you mention! Gosh, if I could just get my hands on one those, that would work AWESOME! And, I think they are stainless, so super easy to clean!

le neige homme - that sounds like a neat device, also! I'm wondering if maybe I could use that device, just not include layer pellets, and maybe scoop layer pellets into their feeder, and then a few scoops of the other mixture & just toss lightly...thoughts?

You could actually get one of those small, electric cement mixers for only like 200 or 300. If I get just one more chicken, it would probably be worth it. I'm mixing by hand every day in a 2.5 gallon bucket. Luckily, that's all they eat in a day between 50 POL pullets and 8 cockerels.

Wynette, I don't think you can go wrong either way on that. I'd be curious to know how the chickens respond...whether they just eat the good stuff and leave the junk food, or vice versa (sp?)

 

[pinkchick]

I found a small cement mixer for less than $100 @ Harbor Frieght, works great and when left out in the sun to fade....it now looks pink instead of red.

 

[Mamaperreca]

Nice pink chick! My DH LOVES harbor freight.