Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Hholly]

Perhaps now, in this era, that's true, but chickens also evolved as foragers. I've read multiple stories about how the Buckeye breed in particular are excellent mousers, and my own chickens have caught quite a few field mice along with lizards and even young snakes, all of which they've devoured with glee. A friend of mine who keeps a pond has shown me photos of her chickens catching the small mosquito fish she stocks her pond with every year, and if you've ever watched chickens devour a roadkill carcass you'd swear they were more like vultures than the feathery little pets we've come to adore.

My chickens LOVE blood, no matter the source, including an wound on my own skin.

As far as hanging around other livestock, I suspect that the insects attracted to their droppings or slopped feed present a more appealing and less labor intensive high-protein meal than hunting down mice, lizards, etc. Hence the reason for meal worm treats, or harvest Black Soldier Fly larva.

Ah, that makes sense. I'm still wondering about specific benefits that people see in their birds on an animal protein based feed versus vegetable.

@Georgia Boy 1970 your birds are cool!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

But chickens only rarely catch mice, and certainly never fish, pigs or cows. So why would it benefit them to eat them, especially as an every day part of their diet?

Oh, frogs, when "in season" are hands down the very favorite snack of my Cream Legbar girls! And if a mouse ever got into their coop - yum!!! It's hysterical seeing them run around with it dangling from their beak by the leg...

Perhaps now, in this era, that's true, but chickens also evolved as foragers. I've read multiple stories about how the Buckeye breed in particular are excellent mousers, and my own chickens have caught quite a few field mice along with lizards and even young snakes, all of which they've devoured with glee. A friend of mine who keeps a pond has shown me photos of her chickens catching the small mosquito fish she stocks her pond with every year, and if you've ever watched chickens devour a roadkill carcass you'd swear they were more like vultures than the feathery little pets we've come to adore.

My chickens LOVE blood, no matter the source, including an wound on my own skin.

As far as hanging around other livestock, I suspect that the insects attracted to their droppings or slopped feed present a more appealing and less labor intensive high-protein meal than hunting down mice, lizards, etc. Hence the reason for meal worm treats, or harvest Black Soldier Fly larva.

I use BOSS and mealworms judiciously as treats, but would love to try black soldier fly larvae some day.

I'm off to candle some shipped NN eggs that had a really rough ride with the USPS - they're on day 14, wish me luck, hope that at least some will hatch. But first, a cute photo - guess who I found out after curfew, canoodling on the top of the little coop! Tank and the escape artist Speckled Sussex (They are giving me a message - they want me to go ahead and put them together to make aloha NNs...)



- Ant Farm

Edit to add: Tank was perched on top of their coop again at bed time tonight. I think he's watching over them. I'd put them together (5 SS pullets), but they're still a bit too young and he's a lot bigger than they are.

 

[Kassaundra]

Same here mine are active hunters of mice, lizards, snakes, frogs, oh they love frogs, not to mention all things insect. They love freezer camp day too

 

[Kev]

Just curious about why people differentiate between protein sources. If feed contains all the nutrients to support life and bodily functions, what difference does it make where the nutrient came from as far as plant or animal? Isn't protein, protein?

That is a great question, and one I've thought about. I don't pretend to know anything about it... but that also makes it hard to tell what's right and what's not.

I feel I am noticing a possible negative effect of vegetarian diet only- the black chickens molted out a flat black, where they used to be shiny black(on the other hand, the red hens are looking the same as usual), they are not laying as many eggs and a lot hens are taking forever to come back into lay.. I used to be getting TOO many eggs and now it's too few eggs. Unfortunately and I really really hate this... feather picking seems to be starting to show up.... the traditional response to feather picking is to give more animal protein.

 

[DesertChic]

Ah, that makes sense. I'm still wondering about specific benefits that people see in their birds on an animal protein based feed versus vegetable.

@Georgia Boy 1970 your birds are cool!

When I didn't order enough of the feed (containing fish meal) that I usually feed my birds, and switched to the vegetarian food sold at the local feed store, I noticed a significant difference in behavior, feather appearance, and even egg production. And when my birds were molting, feeding them scraps of salmon worked wonders for accelerating the process of regrowing feathers. But different people may have different experiences. Life is hard here in the desert where I live, and in this climate my birds just seem to do better with animal protein. Ultimately, we each do what we decide is best for our birds. There are lots of way to do it right.

 

[Kev]

Got a few pics from today, before I let them free range.







This one hatched last year. I don't like how her tail stands upright, but she is pretty big and great layer of big eggs.



Mottled?!? She has more white feathers under the wings. I see that when she flapps with her wings.



Can somebody say what color are these and what will they produce with my columbian rooster? I really like it, and they are a bit darker in person. Nn one is exceptional broody. The best we have ever had.



These two are favourites.

If you tap the picture, it will show better.

Nice birds! I am not too sure as their shade of brown is different from the typical NN in the States. Do you know if they were cream colored as chicks or had stripes on their backs?

Cream/yellow down all over, that is wheaten.. if they had very clear stripes down their back or were dark brown all over that's probably darkbrown(eb in genetics lingo)

By columbian, if you meant white rooster with black tail and on neck too, if he is pure for silver(the cause behind his white body) then very likely all chicks would be columbian also. If he is not pure for silver, then half will be columbian and half similar to the hens above.

by the way over here chickens with too high of tail are called squirrel tail.

 

[Kev]

Since I've been back into chickens, I have not been able to locate any chicken feed that is not plant based. I've looked around at different places and can't find it at all.

I've recently switched to a game bird layer feed 22%. Even that is plant based. I'm paying $11.00 a 50lb. I have a friend that buys it by bulk and drives about 4 hours to pick it up. I have no idem what he us actually paying for it himself, but at $11.00 a bag I don't really care, that us the cheapest I've found feed, a 16% chicken layer was costing me a tad over $12.00 a 50 lb. it seems to have made mine pick up a bit on their laying.

As far as BOSS and Sunflower seeds, way too expensive here. I just throw out any meat scraps I have around here. Maybe not the best solution, but it's what I have.

Goodness that is a great price, especially for gamebird feed! Sad it;s vegetarian though. My birds did really well on gamebird feed also- great growth and egg production. I'll try to remember checking the gamebird feed for animal protein the next time. I've kind of been thinking if it does, get one bag and mix it with the layer feed and see how it goes.

Yeah BOSS is not so cheap here either.. the cheapest I could find were 19 for 40 pound bags.

Go with what works for you! I wish I could do the same but oh man too many birds and too many pens..... need something in bulk and dry to mix in with their regular feed.

 

[Kev]

Kev,
What about fish meal? I don't know how it's added or where to get it. A guy on Sally's hatching with friends mixes his own feed. That's what he uses for protein along with soybeans. His recipe is mixed in the 100# measurements so big operation from the sounds of things.
A friend uses black sunflower seeds and mealworms as treats. Don't know if it helps them but they sure love it.

Great idea... does it affect taste of their meat though? You reminded me of how some gamebird folks would feed their exotics fish feed, as in trout or catfish pellets. Hm, bet they are horribly expensive though?

 

[Kev]

I hate the vegetarian feed trend!

Okay...I just had to get that out of my system. I know there's an economical influence pushing the vegetarian chicken feed, but I also suspect there's a "moral" one from the community that believes we should all be vegetarians...including our chickens. As far as an inexpensive way to add animal protein without growing insects....I think that's nearly as great a quest as the search for the "perfect" dual purpose chicken that supplies 300 eggs per year and 5 lb processed carcasses in 10 weeks or less.

Protein is expensive. There's no way around that. During molt or breeding time I feed my chickens dessicated or freeze-dried bison treats made for dogs that I get at one of the local feed stores. I've also given them scraps of salmon from our dinners, but feeding them fish can make the eggs taste fishy. Maybe starting an earthworm colony?

As far as Black Oil Sunflower seeds are concerned...YES! They absolutely help! I've not only noticed an improvement in feather appearance, but the eggs taste better when I feed my birds the seeds...though the already shelled seeds are higher in protein. Here are a couple articles I found supporting the benefits of BOSS, but there are many others:

http://www.ehow.com/list_7362092_effects-sunflower-seeds-laying-hens.html

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/li...ional-benefits-black-oil-sunflower-seeds.html

Thank you, thank you! Do you feed them through the summer? I'm wondering about the long 110-120F summers here.... saw a suggestion of feeding them fall-spring if not year round..

Yes... I believe in OPTIONS. Make VP *and* AP feed readily available. You want to be vegetarian, fine I don't care one bit.. just don't force it on me, thankyouverymuch!

As for the moral part I notice another irony regarding chickens... so many people are horrified when they find out I butcher and eat my own chickens.. even the hardcore meat eaters.

I could not give them bison treats.... because I would eat them myself lol I love bison! so good!

Scraps is a great idea however it is just me here and I already have a good habit of making just enough so there;s no leftovers. The other issue is lots of chickens separated into many pens.. I have to buy several melons, pumpkins just to get enough sizable pieces to divide amongst the different pens. Something dry and in bulk would be the most efficient/convenient.

 

[chickengr]

Perhaps now, in this era, that's true, but chickens also evolved as foragers. I've read multiple stories about how the Buckeye breed in particular are excellent mousers, and my own chickens have caught quite a few field mice along with lizards and even young snakes, all of which they've devoured with glee. A friend of mine who keeps a pond has shown me photos of her chickens catching the small mosquito fish she stocks her pond with every year, and if you've ever watched chickens devour a roadkill carcass you'd swear they were more like vultures than the feathery little pets we've come to adore.

My chickens LOVE blood, no matter the source, including an wound on my own skin.

As far as hanging around other livestock, I suspect that the insects attracted to their droppings or slopped feed present a more appealing and less labor intensive high-protein meal than hunting down mice, lizards, etc. Hence the reason for meal worm treats, or harvest Black Soldier Fly larva.

I am not an expert in nutrition but I do have some experience. I was vegetarian for 11 years till I got some nasty virus that literary ate my blood. my doctor told me to eat some red meat as soon as possible or i would die. I didn't want to but when I got worse I had no choice.