NY chicken lover!!!!

[pharmchickrnmom]

Hey wildorchild--brings back memories of growing up in Boonville! I am just below Kingston Ny now and am still waiting for real snow like that to fall here! Been down here 26 years and have yet to need a pair of snowboots! Your chickens must have taken one look and said no way to going outside!!! That is a lot of snow!!! Hope it stops soon for you! This is our first year having chickens and our first winter so it should be an experience. We have no snow, just very windy and cold but they still run outside instead of staying in the tractor. Crazy chickens. Cant wait to see what they do when we finally get snow.

Oh--side note. When I was around 12, we got so much snow in Boonville that we had to ride our skidoos into town cause the plows couldnt plow the roads! Two days before the roads were passable--imagine that!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Oh so this is how I find out! Maybe I should start following your postings? Seriously I thought you had a laying problem early this winter. I don't know when they laid them but I just took three eggs from my delaware side. Lord have mercy, doofus cleaned off the roof and dumped all the snow in the path. No wagon pulling this morning, I had to carry everything and make two trip to bring them water.

Trish hope you got the mag, I got another to give to Don for you too.

Take care

Rancher

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Oh so this is how I find out! Maybe I should start following your postings? Seriously I thought you had a laying problem early this winter. I don't know when they laid them but I just took three eggs from my delaware side. Lord have mercy, doofus cleaned off the roof and dumped all the snow in the path. No wagon pulling this morning, I had to carry everything and make two trip to bring them water.

Trish hope you got the mag, I got another to give to Don for you too.

Take care

Rancher

I did have a laying problem...they were molting! LOL But you are right in the sense that I was a nervous nellie, because I was all worried that it was my new feeding program that was causing them to stop laying. I was very relieved to realize that it wasn't! They've picked up and I am soo happy!! This years pullets are now laying and I still have half a dozen or so molters, but the eggs are increasing daily.

Because they are now in the coop....the run has a bit of snow, (didn't get the tarps on the sides up in time) I had to redo the nest boxes in the layer coop. I fashioned them after the ones in the hoop coop, with curtains!!

I feel much better now that even if they are all inside, they (fingers crossed and prayers sent) won't be temped to get in that awful habit of eating eggs. That would be all I need!!!

I do also throw them boss and corn in the coop to keep their feathered butts occupied.

Also, no I didn't get the mag....tell me which one it was. If I am not at the p.o. working, I would hope to God that Don just leaves it there for me to get on Saturday. Don......ya gotta be real specific. I don't mean that in a negative way....

Take care all and stay warm!!!

Trish

Well why not follow my postings? I follow yours..how did you think I found you on here!! LOL

 

[rancher hicks]

Well DD said one of the hens was in the nest box last night but didnt say which I did chase a GLW out this morning and the EE from yours was in the nest sitting with an egg under her. She is young and nothing surprises me, evern with this cold weather. Man o man it was freezing and the waterers were froze so it looks like it's either bring the in at night or replace them each moring with unfrozen ones.

 

[marquisella]

I was surprized when I wanted to buy some whole corn to help the birds with the cold, and found corn was $4 more expensive per 100# than oats!

Besides the oats going up by $2 a hundred. But, if I was buying chicken feed already made up, I would be spending twice as much.

I'm going to try & sprout some oats to see if that helps spread out the feed. I think I read that it triples the nutrient value. Anyone know about that?

Sue

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Can't comment on the oats, but I don't think it would be good to feed chcikens "whole" corn. Cracked would do the same thing and not to much. At night is good as it helps them generate heat.

 

[AmyJ]

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Hi! I dont know anything about that, but would be very interested to find out too! I did grow some corn last year, but will need to plant a bunch more next year. Hopefully someone can help! Hope everyone is keeping warm, its too darn cold!!

~Amy~

 

[admhotel]

Quote:
Where are you buying your feed? Have you tried Richardson feed down in Vernon Center? That's where I get my feed.

Travis

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Where are you buying your feed? Have you tried Richardson feed down in Vernon Center? That's where I get my feed.

Travis

The last time I called him, he was more expensive than were I've been going. If you are buying corn, there is a place on Rt. 31, Larry Carney that sells corn, but I haven't bought from him yet,so I don't know his prices. Last year he sold his corn to Richardsons.

I go down to the Louis Gale Mill, in Bouckville right off Rt 20. I pay $10 for 100 lbs of oats. the Corn is $14.00 per 100. Last year the corn was $10 per 100, so that is a $4 jump.
Corn has less protein than oats, so I'm just giving more oats to the chickens.

Sue

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Can't comment on the oats, but I don't think it would be good to feed chcikens "whole" corn. Cracked would do the same thing and not to much. At night is good as it helps them generate heat.

I've always feed whole corn. The thing with whole grains is, once you crack them,they start to lose the nutrients faster. Whole grains retain more of the nutrients, so they are utilized by the birds more efficiently. I don't feed corn very often, because its more of a filler or "heat" maker than good for protein. Oats are the best grain for chickens because it has more of the nutrients they need and are most digestable.

Of course, feeding whole oats to chickens that are not used to them takes a while to get used to because they will not like the shape of the oats. What I did was only feed the whole oats for a few days, and they finally gave in at ate them. Now, they practically attack me when I do feeding.

Of course, one has to provide the protein levels that is required fjor egg laying. I use fish meal and alfalfa meal for that, free choice. The positive side of that is, that roosters don't eat as much of the protein mix, as the hens do, so they don't develop the kidney problems that roosters that have to eat the same high protein formutated feed that the hens eat experience.

I've been feeding whole grains for 4 years, and the proof is in the pudding,so they say. I always get positive comments from judges at shows that my birds are in very good condition.

Also, one has to provide good vitamins as well. I was using Red Cell Horse vitamins, and found I had less spraddle leg than with other "poultry" vitamins. Especially since I"m buying oats grown in New York and we are selenium deficient, which helps with muscle development,and red cell is the only one that I've found that has selenium. I put the red cell in the water, which at this time of year is a constant test,because the water freezes and they don't drink like they should. But on the positive side, it contains molasses, and molasses lowers the freezing point of water, so its a win win situation....I put molasses in my horses water so it doesn't freeze as easliy.

AS an aside, this summer & fall, I decided to try another poultry vitamin, and I had much lower egg laying & fertility,so I switched back to red cell. I'm really upset that I didn't stick with what I "Knew" to be better....

I have some results of my "whole grain" feeding program on my website: www.sterlingcenterfarm.com

Just be aware, that I have not been able to update the site in 2 years, as my computer with the site died, taking it with it....

Sue