Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[FnWeirdo]

Welcome to the MI thread.
Not a ton of UP people here, but there are a few. Let us know your general location and maybe someone can give you a few leads.
You could always raise some fodder or try some fermented feed.

im in iron county to be general, don't mind making a bit of a drive as i usually buy 3 or 4 55 lb bags at a time. and its the up so everything is a drive away lol.

not sure what you mean by fodder, and haven't done any research on fermented feed. learning everything step by step first year of chickens and next year we start framing this year was chickens and land set up lol.

btw was reading your story on the post linked in you sig. and man all i can say is holy.... that sucks.

 

[1muttsfan]

I'm in the UP but Eastern, you might actually find more people closer to you on the Wisconsin thread, I know there's a lot of active people on it over your way. They are a friendly bunch.
While I hate to disagree with Raz about anything, I do not believe fermented feed is a very good idea for many various reasons. I'm not sure what your local situation is for feed stores, but keep in mind that feed mixed up at a feed mill does not have the same life span as formulated feed by a manufacturer.

 

[FnWeirdo]

I'm in the UP but Eastern, you might actually find more people closer to you on the Wisconsin thread, I know there's a lot of active people on it over your way. They are a friendly bunch.
While I hate to disagree with Raz about anything, I do not believe fermented feed is a very good idea for many various reasons. I'm not sure what your local situation is for feed stores, but keep in mind that feed mixed up at a feed mill does not have the same life span as formulated feed by a manufacturer.

I'm from wi lol so yah ill give that a try thanks. tsc is about it for me and its a drive lol.

is it a pain to mix your own feed? is this a good option?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! TSC might be your best choice, unless there's another feed store around. Down here, it's still my best option.
It's much more expensive and difficult to do home mixed feed, and would only be slightly less difficult if you were growing your own corn or wheat, and that's doubtful where you live. Buy bags at the feed store! Just make sure that the mill date on each bag is fresh enough!
Mary

 

[1muttsfan]

You would have to buy all of the ingredients, probably already processed into a ground material unless you have a grinder/roller, and then find some way to store them so that they would not lose their nutritional value. Most of the time those ingredients start losing nutrient value as soon as they are crushed or rolled, which means you have in proper storage conditions about 90 days to use them up completely. Then you would have to balance out the food with all of the mineral and vitamin supplementation necessary to make it balanced. It's really hard to do a good job with that.
Manufactured feed has a longer shelf life, as it is made with preservatives such as Vit E and sealed up. It's always a good idea to check expiration dates if you are buying a lot of feed.

I can remember a friend of mine commenting that the horse feed she picked up from the local mill looked like the stuff they scraped up off the floor after they ran the grain through their equipment - dusty craap. I think that was pretty accurate.

For the few birds you have now it would not be worth it. If you have a large number it might work, if you could find a good mill for your feed and/or ingredients.

 

[aart]

It's always a good idea to check expiration dates if you are buying a lot of feed.

I don't think feed has expiry dates....but they do have milling/manufacturing dates.
I'd avoid anything more than couple months old...which can be difficult depending on what you're buying and if anyone else is buying it too.

 

[chickflick]

RaZ, it's awesome they got the roof deck up already!!

Silly, that is the most awesome costume....EVER!

newbie!

I'm done with Halloween! Lots of activities this year. Decorating campsites, trunks and my daughter's front yard. Loved the haunted houses, tho!! No trick or treaters come to our house.
Have a good day all

 

[rachelsflock]

I don't think feed has expiry dates....but they do have milling/manufacturing dates.
I'd avoid anything more than couple months old...which can be difficult depending on what you're buying and if anyone else is buying it too.

Yep. That would be why all the outside beasts I own are on dumor. The purina and nutrenea stuff is always at least two, frequently more, months old. The cheapest stuff tends to smell the freshest here. That was frustrating for me on the goat feed. A bag for me lasts a long time so I could definitely afford premium stuff BUT it's all old, or not there. Just dumor gets bought and rotated.

 

[SillyChicken]

Welcome Weirdo! You could always supplement with extra grains, BOSS, crickets and mealy worms (birds LOVE those). TSC food is just basic to get you by on food. So any extra goodies you could provide... even yogurt, a head of cabbage or caught mouse (live & unpoisoned) is a treat!

 

[SillyChicken]

I thought you were going to dress up.