Michigan

[ChicwannaB]

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The only thing wrong with the crumble (Dumor brand) is that the sparrows love it. My first thought was it had something to do with the protein content. However, your logic makes sense.

My little flock does get an awful lot of free range area to forage in. The scratch gets strewn all over their area once a day, while the crumble sits in the holder at the same place. Plus, they get whatever else they find in the run. Cantelope and watermelon rinds get thrown randomly whenever I have one for myself, so they have to look for it. The only real treats they get are mealworms that I use when I want them to do something specific to suit my needs/wants.

Part of the problem is that I'm getting anxious for some eggs from these free-loading girls. (If I wanted another female to support I'd get married again,

)

It will happen.

 

[Opa]

Good morning Michigan. Another day has started. I just wish that it wasn't starting so early. Waking up this early is a real pain. Especially with sunrise getting a little later each morning.

I don't think I have ever seen any wild birds anywhere near my chickens feed. Perhaps it's because my feeders contain the feed tightly. For both flocks of large fowl I use a Kohl range feeder. They hold 50 lbs of feed that is covered by a bell shaped dome under which the chickens must reach to access the feed. I give slightly less than one pint of scratch grain divided amongst 35 birds. I don't think it is on the ground long enough to be seen my a wild bird.

 

[Olive Hill]

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Well, it does. At least in a round about sort of way. What are some of the most delicious foods we people have created? Chocolate? Chock-full-o-carbs. Pizza? Carb-o-licious. Bread? Oh, the carbs! Scratch is notoriously low in crude protein and terribly amino acid deficient. It's the chocolate, pizza, bread, candy, soda, sugar, cookies, etc of the poultry world. Of course chickens love it. It's junk food, what's not to love?

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The scratch is a treat. It is not and should not be a staple part of their diet. Especially when you're feeding a commercial-bagged layer crumble as those feeds are formulated to meet bare minimum nutrition standards and everything you add on top of it either reduces or increases its nutritional value. Since scratch is junk food it's like taking the apple out of your lunch and replacing it with chips, not healthy.

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Then it's even more important you feed them a healthy, balanced diet. Chickens cannot lay to their potential on junk food. It will decrease your production.

 

[Olive Hill]

I'm not liking this not really light until after six stuff. But when we fall back I really won't like how early it gets dark at night. Can't we just rewind and start again at spring?

 

[1muttsfan]

Agree with olive hill, raz, too much grain and treats leads to low protein levels and decreases egg production, as well as causing too high body fat. My birds get a few handfuls of scratch flung around, which is eaten within minutes. I also feed dumor and prefer the pellets, just harder for them to fling out of the feeder. You may try putting netting across the top of the openings into the area where your feeder is.

 

[FlyingFChick]

So, does anyone know of any day old or really young chicks around? The one that my broody hatched is so lonely!! (It hatched yesterday and the other eggs still haven't hatched.) I don't care what kind they are, I just want to get 1 or 2 so it won't be alone.

Thanks so much!!! I would appreciate any HELP!!!!

 

[babigyrl22]

I dont know of anyone that has dayolds

i am hand carrying some fertile eggs back from California and there are quite a few listings for dayolds here. They wouldnt let me carry chicks back. I even had to promise that these eggs wouldnt hatch on the plsne hahaha.....

 

[babigyrl22]

Sounds like I too need to cut back on the scratch. I only give them a few handfulls but i am sure my DH comes behind me and does the same.

 

[taprock]

Does anyone do anything with rose hips? I'm looking for suggestions.

Well most of my flock is sick today. Yesterday just a couple. I talked to the poultry dr. at MSU. I started everyone on Corid. It turns out it's my fault. The new chicks I got a month ago I quarantined, however I never threw in a sacrificial lamb/chicken to see if they were carrying something. So they have all been introduced to a new stain of cocci. I hope my mistake doesn't cost me any chickens.

ChicwannaB - love the nest box idea.

 

[Longhorns&Chickens]

From what ive seen and read through this chicken adventure your best defense is good breeding and great feeding. From talking with breeders and doctors....some chickens are just not from good breeding.

I find this interesting!! I find the same thing with our longhorn cattle, but I hadn't really thought to apply it to chickens! Longhorns had survive in the wild, which meant calving ease, disease resistance and a natural resistance to parasites as well as an ability to forage for food and water. All of that combined has created an awesome breed of cattle that are very easy to care for. It would be great to have chickens that are the same way! I understand that some things will require my intervention, but having healthy chickens able to resist a lot of the common poultry problems would be great! I know my cows can live into their twenties and still produce offspring every year! If my hens could produce more than a couple years it would be nice. Any thoughts on this? Any one specificly breeding for longevity and health? Just curious....​