Monster Mash!

[kristenm1975]

After a month of putting the girls on timed lighting, upping their scratch intake, etc and not seeing any results with an increase in egg production (1 egg a day from 20 hens!!), FINALLY I think I've hit upon something that works.

A few days ago I found a recipe on here for hot cooked oatmeal with garlic and honey. I didn't have honey, but I put in the garlic, tossed in a half cup of yogurt and put it out for them. The response wasn't as enthusiastic as I'd hoped, but lo and behold, we have a hen laying who wasn't before!! Yipee!

I cooked up another big pot of oatmeal this evening and put in the honey, the yogurt, the garlic (and here's the topper!) a can of tuna. They went nuts out there! I was so happy. It's greatest feeling in the world seeing them in their run with a good new layer of fresh dry hay, gobbling up all that nice warm food to keep them warm during the cold night.

So, that's my monster mash. The plan is to do that several times a week. If I was more on the ball I'd cook it up for them every morning, but four days out of seven, I'm up before 5 and out the door to catch the ferry by 5:30. Not much time for cooking, even if it is "quick oats".

So, question. Is it okay to give them the hot mash an hour or so before dusk? How much garlic is too much? I put in about a tablespoon of minced garlic for a 6 cup serving of oatmeal.

Lastly, do you think its just coincidence that the hen started laying a couple days after the mash or will this really help?

Thanks!

 

[Chicken Woman]

I do think your on to something. I make enough mash for the whole week and store in plastic containers. I heat it up everyday in the late afternoon. My girls love yogurt so I make crock pot yogurt every weekend as it is soooo much cheaper.

 

[kristenm1975]

Thanks chicken women! That's a great idea, cooking it all up at once to last the week. I'll try that. I'd love for them to have something nice and warm every day. I don't get home until 7:30 or 8pm and by then they're all on the roost, but I'm sure they'd love it hot and fresh in the morning before I leave for work. I can see popping it into the microwave the same time I kick the coffee pot into high gear.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I make several different kinds of mash.
I keep the feeders full of grains but I also take a bit of their grains and mix it with wheat bran, flax meal, alfalfa meal and some chick starter. They go bananas over it. I also make a 3 gal container of it and divvy it out all week long.
In combination of that, I make scrambled eggs with oatmeal a few times a week for the "special" birds or the little chicks. Sometimes I make grits and eggs or rice and eggs. Any eggs I have that are soiled and can't be sold go for the scrambled chicken eggs.
Hmmmm......seems they like soiling those eggs!

 

[Chicken Woman]

I would be careful with the garlic !

If they get to much your eggs will taste like garlic.

My girls love cinnamon and honey.

 

[kristenm1975]

Good thought about the garlic... Still, a few of the hens seem to have runny poop and I'm hoping that if I just use the garlic for a while, if the runs are caused by some pest, it will soon subside.

Hey, chicken women, I'd love to hear how you make the crock pot yogurt. I myself go through about 2 quarts of yogurt a week, and that doesn't include the amount I give the hens. I'd love to know your recipe. I have a small crock pot but it would be worth it to go pick up a bigger one at a thrift store to have some nice fresh homemade yogurt. Yummy!

I'm wondering if finding the right kind of milk would be a problem as I've heard you can't use grocery store milk. I've recently begun buying farm milk that's brought to our local organic market. It says its pasturized though so I'm not sure if it would work. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Chicken Woman]

8 cups pasturized milk ( I have used whole or 2%) Do not us ultra pasturized
1 carton of plain yogurt (must have live cultures)

4 qt crockpot

1) Turn crockpot on low and all milk. Cover and leave on low for 2 1/2 hours.

2) Unplug and let covered pot sit 3 hours.

3) Scoop out 2 cups of milk and whisk the container of yogurt and milk together untill smooth. Then dump back into crockpot and stir.

4) Put lid back on and keep unplugged. Wrap in heavy bath blanket or beach towel so it is all covered and cozy. Leave sit for 8 to 10 hours.( I leave over night )

In the morning it will have thickened. Put in containers and refrigerate. I like to strain it before refrigerating with a fine strainer to let some liquid run off as I like thicker yogurt. For the chickens it doesn't need to be.
You can add vanilla,frozen berries,honey etc.
I like to add honey and cinnamin.
Remember to save a 1/2 cup to use for your starter yogurt with your next batch.
It will keep fresh for 7-10 days. ENJOY !!

 

[kristenm1975]

Thanks for the yogurt recipe Lori! That's awesome. I hate spending up to $4.50 (

) on one silly tub of yogurt. I also refuse to eat the cheap yucky kind that doesn't include live cultures.

I had one question after reading your recipe. What size carton of yogurt do you use for this recipe, when you're adding the yogurt to the milk?

Thanks! I can't wait to get started!

 

[Chicken Woman]

I use a 5.3 ounce container of Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt. I save out 5 ounces for the next batch and about every 3 or 4 batches I use a new container of greek yogurt to make sure IM getting enough live cultures.
I buy it at Walmart believe it or not ! Greek yogurt at Walmart ? !!!
It has 5 live active cultures.

Hope you like it as much as I do.

 

[kristenm1975]

Thanks Lori. Yes, too funny, Greek yogurt at Walmart (or MaoMart as they call it around here where I live in Seattle).

I made a big batch of mash for the week and last night when I went out to get the eggs, there were 4!! Yipee! Up until this weekend we only got 1 a day. I'm so excited this is working! It actually gets me out of bed earlier to go feed them, I'm so excited about what it's doing to egg production. Silly, but true.

Whatever works!