Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[MamaShell]

I was just looking at Meyers organic feed - they have free shipping on their feed. When I go up to pick up my chicks, I think I will get a 10 lb back of the organic feed & use that to ferment. I can get grit at my local store dirt cheap, even the chick grit. 

I like to feed my sprouts on day 3 - right before they have spent all the energy to "sprout" so they are 1/2 seed and 1/2 sprout. I think it gives the most bang for the buck. You get the protein of the seed aspect and the green of the sprout aspect. I like the sprouts to be less than 1/8-1/4" tall, depending on what type of seed it is. I make up my own sprout variety: flax, amaranth, wheat, kamut, lentil, mung, etc. Basically any organic seed or grain that is cheap or on sale. I buy 1/4 lb and mix it together. I spent about $4 and got enough to fill a 1/2 gallon canning jar. I will sprout about 1 tsp daily. A little goes a long way! And its so good for the crop and digestion!

Where do you get your organic grain & seed? Garden center or health food store? I really would like to try sprouting.

 

[rnchick74]

Where do you get your organic grain & seed? Garden center or health food store? I really would like to try sprouting.

Believe it or not Whole Foods has the best supply and best prices for small amounts of grains/seeds for the small amount of sprouting I will be doing. Whole foods has the bulk bins - that's where the good deals are for these sorts of things. If I was doing a large amount of sprouting, I would be getting into a co-op or something else. For other seeds (sunflower, wheat, etc) I go to my garden center or farm supply store though those might not be organic. I'm not a huge stickler for organic but I do try to get non-GMO if at all possible. For allergy reasons, I won't do raw soy products (soybeans) though we don't have issues with cross sensitivities if the birds eat soy in their feed. And if you find an awesome price on a non-organic ingredient, by all means snatch that up! This week my store had mung beans for $0.75/lb!!! I got an entire lb because those sprout amazing! Lots of protein too. Amaranth was on sale for $1/lb so I got more of that. Kamuth was $1.99, so I only got 1/8 lb. I got hard wheat berries instead of soft because they were much cheaper. I got groats instead of oats because they were cheaper. We aren't feeding royalty - we are providing the best quality we can afford WITHIN REASON for our chickens!

I may be going against the grain here, but $ is tight. For most of us we are trying to make the best choices we can to provider the highest quality food to our families we can...that's one of the many reasons we are raising chickens for meat/eggs. While paying $40/bag for non-GMO, all organic food is great, it's not practical for me. I'm ok compromising & buying non GMO at $15-20/bag but supplementing with high quality snacks & treats to provide a more well rounded diet for my birds. I try to keep it as natural as possible. They will free-range some; they will get some fermented food; they will get some sprouts; they will get some of my table excess and they will produce me some beautiful & delicious eggs in return.

Ok...off my soapbox now

 

[MamaShell]

Believe it or not Whole Foods has the best supply and best prices for small amounts of grains/seeds for the small amount of sprouting I will be doing. Whole foods has the bulk bins - that's where the good deals are for these sorts of things. If I was doing a large amount of sprouting, I would be getting into a co-op or something else. For other seeds (sunflower, wheat, etc) I go to my garden center or farm supply store though those might not be organic. I'm not a huge stickler for organic but I do try to get non-GMO if at all possible. For allergy reasons, I won't do raw soy products (soybeans) though we don't have issues with cross sensitivities if the birds eat soy in their feed. And if you find an awesome price on a non-organic ingredient, by all means snatch that up! This week my store had mung beans for $0.75/lb!!! I got an entire lb because those sprout amazing! Lots of protein too. Amaranth was on sale for $1/lb so I got more of that. Kamuth was $1.99, so I only got 1/8 lb. I got hard wheat berries instead of soft because they were much cheaper. I got groats instead of oats because they were cheaper. We aren't feeding royalty - we are providing the best quality we can afford WITHIN REASON for our chickens! 

I may be going against the grain here, but $ is tight. For most of us we are trying to make the best choices we can to provider the highest quality food to our families we can...that's one of the many reasons we are raising chickens for meat/eggs. While paying $40/bag for non-GMO, all organic food is great, it's not practical for me. I'm ok compromising & buying non GMO at $15-20/bag but supplementing with high quality snacks & treats to provide a more well rounded diet for my birds. I try to keep it as natural as possible. They will free-range some; they will get some fermented food; they will get some sprouts; they will get some of my table excess and they will produce me some beautiful & delicious eggs in return.

Ok...off my soapbox now

Wow. Thanks for all the info! You climb back on that soap box any time!

 

[rnchick74]

Wow. Thanks for all the info! You climb back on that soap box any time!

Aw, gee thanks. I learned a lot about bird nutrition hand raising parrots. I'm happy that 99.9% of it carries over to chickens!

On another subject...my son is falling in love with the blue eggs. I love, love, love the cream leghorns or the blue Amerucanas...but know the chances of one becoming available are slim to none. Maybe I should just add a easter egger female chick to the order? Much cheaper than the others and plentiful! Of course I can wait till close to July when my other chicks are hatching... That will put me at my max # of birds if they all survive, and one will have to be called a roo if anyone asks

 

[autumnhearth]

Aw, gee thanks. I learned a lot about bird nutrition hand raising parrots. I'm happy that 99.9% of it carries over to chickens!

On another subject...my son is falling in love with the blue eggs. I love, love, love the cream leghorns or the blue Amerucanas...but know the chances of one becoming available are slim to none. Maybe I should just add a easter egger female chick to the order? Much cheaper than the others and plentiful! Of course I can wait till close to July when my other chicks are hatching... That will put me at my max # of birds if they all survive, and one will have to be called a roo if anyone asks

Yeah we were going to initially get a Cream Legbar for our son (four years old) but none of the colored egg layers were available for a our hatch date, in that time *he* decided that he wanted an Easter Egger both I think because of the name and the surprise aspect both of color egg and how the chick would change in color as it grows up and I knew I could at least get that from our local nursery that orders from Meyer. Then I got a call from Meyer that two EE were available, so we added one. Both a Legbar and Blue Ameraucana became available during the weeks leading up to our hatch and I was very tempted, but in the end I think we made the right choice with the EE, she is our biggest girl right now, I know the heritage breeds will catch up eventually. She is our beautiful hawk girl. They are only 5 weeks old so not laying yet, but the family we get our eggs from have EE from Meyer that lay beautiful pale bluish green eggs. Plus much less expensive, but I would eventually like both Legbars and Ameraucanas. I would add an EE to your order and if one of the others become available you can call them to switch.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sorry, guys, just getting back to y'all!

that's so cute is that yogurt on the watermelon?

Yup. The watermelon was actually hollowed out and filled with diced bell peppers, cucumbers, and apples, then topped with yogurt so the cucumber letters would stick.

I was just thinking about you and your girls... can't believe they are a year old. Love their birthday treats. The BCM and Welsummer are on my list so I can't wait to see yours.  How far away are you from them?  Hope they all hatch!

Oh, I know! This year went by so fast!

I'm guessing you mean from Meyer's? I don't know the exact distance, but it takes us about 3 hours to get there. It's a long trip, but I'm just so scared to ship these babies! It'd break my heart to find any DOAs.

And I'm hoping, too! Last year, my Dorking didn't hatch and that was probably the chick I wanted the most of the set! Now it looks like some others have gotten Dorkings, so I'm hoping that means whatever went wrong they've fixed since then!

 

[christine9]

OMG. BLUE AMs available for July 21!!!
Was that somebody's date??

 

[autumnhearth]

And I'm hoping, too! Last year, my Dorking didn't hatch and that was probably the chick I wanted the most of the set! Now it looks like some others have gotten Dorkings, so I'm hoping that means whatever went wrong they've fixed since then![/quote]

Oh fingers crossed for you! We love our Dorking from Meyer, so calm, she will stand perfectly still to be petted and is easily scooped up under her boat shaped body and by far the silkiest feathers of our 5 week olds. Just a lovely lovely breed.

 

[rnchick74]

OMG. BLUE AMs available for July 21!!!
Was that somebody's date??

I just saw that! Mine is July 14....I almost peed my pants when I saw it though!! I guess someone cancelled their order! I'm really hoping a cream legbar comes available for July 14, or a blue AM! I won't be picky!!! They have 100+ female EE for my hatch date, so as we get closer, if neither of those are available I will add a EE to make the boy happy!

 

[rnchick74]

And I'm hoping, too!

Last year, my Dorking didn't hatch and that was probably the chick I wanted the most of the set! Now it looks like some others have gotten Dorkings, so I'm hoping that means whatever went wrong they've fixed since then!

I hope that the Dorking hatches for you too!!! Fingers crossed! When is your hatch date???