North Carolina

[BHep]

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Good Morning, Happy Chicken People!

Was up a while with doggies in the middle of the night, so slept in. Gotta quit that.

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Puppies!!! I adore puppies of all ages! I want your puppies!

This is why I have four dogs...a five-year-old, a four-year-old, two-year-old, and almost-seven-month-old! Puppies!!!
50 pounds in two months with thirty-some birds? Wow! I need to come see your place, because you must have the best free-range on the planet if that's all they're eating! I'm jealous! Of course, I usually have one or two that stay in the coop and eat feed instead of ranging...although once I've identified their lazy butts, they are gone! I will look at that feed and my egg sales though, and see if it's worth it to me to isolate a few on special feed. If the market is there, I will work on it.

I don't have 30 birds anymore... I'm down to about 20 (not including the 4 ducks, and 6 chicks)...which I honestly don't know how much to feed them, I just leave feed out!! I don't know if the set up would be beneficial for you...we pay $40/50# bag of soy-free, organic, GMO-free feed and most people who want to buy eggs want to buy eggs at what the grocery store sells them for. Whole Foods sells "pastured, organic soy free eggs" for $5-6/doz and to find a market willing to pay something close to that is difficult. Our only bonus is that the coop we belong too will occasionally take our extras off our hands, otherwise DH just takes the extras into work and gets whatever people offer him for them (which is better to us than letting them go to waste). If there is a viable market for them, with people willing to pay...then go for it!!

Please don't shoot the messenger...... NH you should be feeding 30 somewhat birds at LEAST 150 of feed a month.

http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/how-much-does-a-chicken-eat/index.jsp


This is a good reason for your poor egg production. Also why why your birds leaving the property...they are hungry !

Thank you for the website...I will look at the information. Any idea why if they have free access to food, they aren't eating it? Is it because I changed feed not too long ago and went from a powdered style feed to a more identifiable feed? I have a feeder that I hang up in the coop, but aside from right before I let them out and when I call them in at night, I don't see them eating any...now when I toss some feed in the run at night to lock them up, they play with it like scratch!?! Am I doing something wrong? How much do ducks eat also?? The website only mentioned them at 8 weeks...does the amount not change then? The ducks don't stray, only a few of the teenager girls - my BLW in fact...they are a small little "clique". LOL, I don't want to starve my gang.

NH

X 100..
I am just trying to be helpful. You wonder about egg production and now your birds are straying. Then you make mention of feeding 50 lbs every 2 months. it then occurs to me that may be your problem.
I am just sending you a link with info on proper feeding. You need to leave free feed. I know I have a lot more birds then you, I am proud to say I am within the 100 mark.. I think 110 or something. I feed 50 lbs of feed a DAY !!!!
Growing birds eat twice as much as adults.. IMO. Like a pack of hungry teenagers. (which in fact they are LOL )

Please don't be upset at me... or anyone for that matter. We are all here to support one another..teach one other.

NEVER, to be upset at someone for trying to help is just plain silly and prideful on the part of the one receiving the information!! I am thankful that you all are trying to be so helpful!!

We are all on here because we LOVE our chickens and we share that bond. Like extended family - only this is the extended family you actually LIKE...LOL (oops, did I say that out loud?!? LOL)
I do feed them quite a bit of scraps, and they never really "seemed" hungry to me, so I didn't know. According to DH I also was wrong about how much feed we buy. (He's the one who drives out to pick it up...I haven't done it since we had just the 7...oh so long ago) Apparently we are buying 150# (3 bags) not 100# just about every 10 weeks. Still, I would like to know what I am doing wrong, and how to better feed/supplement my flock. I feel like such a bad chicken owner now!!

I bought a special bag of feed for the chicks (grower I think?!? - it was whatever the feed store recommended for the mama and young chicks) so they are on their own special bag, but any other suggestions for the rest of the group??!! Any advice/help is ALWAYS welcome...I still consider myself learning and therefore will gladly accept anything being suggested!!

mm sorry about that coop scoop

the last kiddo gets to go to pre-k testing today

hoping she gets in for next year

OOhh - GOOD LUCK!! Let us know how she does!!

Alex - Thank you for the offer on the mill, but with DD1's allergies, I would have to be guaranteed that there would be NO cross contamination. There would not be able to be any soy in the feed at all, which is why we pay out the nose for a company that ONLY makes soy-free, GMO-free, organic feed, there is no risk of cross contamination and they are truly a "soy-free" facility. It's a "guaranteed" safety net for us, I just can't bring myself to risk putting her through the terrible illness if she gets any soy. I also like that the feed we get is GMO free and organic which automatically drives the price up (boo, but worth it to not support Monsato's attack against small farmers). That aside, I would have NO place to store that much feed, nor would I be able to use that much feed (unless feeding it to the local wildlife as well as my flock...lol, I'm sure the birds/squirrels wouldn't mind) to make the purchase worth it. I wish I could, but I'm just really hesitant/scared!! Thank you for the offer though!!

No chicken news here...praying for a baby to come in 10 days

!! Have a GREAT Monday everyone!! Seriously...thank you again for all your help/advice!! PLEASE keep it coming...I'm here to learn!!

 

[Moores6]

Quote: My birthday is June 13th

 

[KangaDoodle]

Good morning fellow NCers! Anyone know of where I might me able to find a maran pullet?

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Good morning fellow NCers! Anyone know of where I might me able to find a maran pullet?

What kind of Marans do you want? I know CSB has Black Coppers.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hey guys I have a question on hatching eggs.
If I were to buy them from an auction is it possible for the birds to be sick or be carriers of something?
I know eggs are porous, so I didn't know if they could pick something up?
Also, can diseases be spread from the parents in eggs?
After this whole respiratory thing that wiped out my flock I want to be super careful when we restart.
I was wondering if hatching my own was the best way to go.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I don't have 30 birds anymore... I'm down to about 20 (not including the 4 ducks, and 6 chicks)...which I honestly don't know how much to feed them, I just leave feed out!!  I don't know if the set up would be beneficial for you...we pay $40/50# bag of soy-free, organic, GMO-free feed and most people who want to buy eggs want to buy eggs at what the grocery store sells them for.  Whole Foods sells "pastured, organic soy free eggs" for $5-6/doz and to find a market willing to pay something close to that is difficult.  Our only bonus is that the coop we belong too will occasionally take our extras off our hands, otherwise DH just takes the extras into work and gets whatever people offer him for them (which is better to us than letting them go to waste).  If there is a viable market for them, with people willing to pay...then go for it!!  

Thank you for the website...I will look at the information.  Any idea why if they have free access to food, they aren't eating it?  

NH...if you are free-feeding, the only thing I can think of at this point is that they don't like the feed for some reason. I can't imagine thirty birds going through so little feed, even in summer. (20-some birds + 4 + 6 = 30-some. I just added them up.). Certainly not in winter, when there is nothing out there for forage.

My egg market for regular eggs is solid. I have no trouble selling my eggs, and my customers insisted I raise my price to at least $3/doz, so I have. I'm just wondering if there's a different market I could tap. But, I can already sell my 30/dozen/week allowed before having to grade, so I probably shouldn't even think about it. I don't want to go over that amount and have to start grading them. One of the things they like is the variety!

For your extra eggs...you can freeze them for when they aren't laying. No need to sell them at a loss.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Hey guys I have a question on hatching eggs.
If I were to buy them from an auction is it possible for the birds to be sick or be carriers of something?
I know eggs are porous, so I didn't know if they could pick something up?
Also, can diseases be spread from the parents in eggs?
After this whole respiratory thing that wiped out my flock I want to be super careful when we restart.
I was wondering if hatching my own was the best way to go.

Some diseases, like MG, can be passed from parent to egg. Most can not.

 

[BHep]

Hey guys I have a question on hatching eggs.
If I were to buy them from an auction is it possible for the birds to be sick or be carriers of something?
I know eggs are porous, so I didn't know if they could pick something up?
Also, can diseases be spread from the parents in eggs?
After this whole respiratory thing that wiped out my flock I want to be super careful when we restart.
I was wondering if hatching my own was the best way to go.

You will need to do a little research. Some diseases CAN be transmitted via the egg. MG is one, I think it is 25% chance. Not sure on others.