NY chicken lover!!!!

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Pearl brought the kids out! yay!

How adorable

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Anyone give their chickens tomatoes ?
Mine love them ..I gave them some grape tomatoes ..I was bending down ...One chicken grabbed one ..it popped & sprayed me in the face .
I felt something on my ear this eve ...it was a tomato seed LOL

Mine love tomatoes.

Thought I would share some pictures of my new coop! Last night was the first night I felt like I might actually get it done before the snow starts to fly. The goal with this coop was to make it as cheap as possible, so far the most expensive part has been the screws and the linoleum flooring from a leftovers bin at a local store, I wasn't going to waste my time with the peel and stick tiles again. Aaaand, if you go in Lowes and see damaged ondura roofing they will give you 50% off. I lucked out and got 3/4" plywood and used 2x6's and pallets from a recycling place for free.

The coop!
Looking in before it was whitewashed

The GIANT nest box.



The run, still under construction, but getting there! It looks more interesting in person. We have a lot of trees so I have been using the limbs from what hubby has thinned to use as the frame, then I'll wrap and bury wire around it. Next year I'll let nasturtium and morning glory grow up it.

Very nice and I love the run.

Well, the little EE that lost her eye and part of her face is doing okay. Subdued, but I would be too if that happened to me. Still eating and drinking, and the wound has scabbed over, which is a good sign. I'm working on devising a little eye patch for her - the one I tried today she didn't like and scratched right off, so we'll try again tomorrow. She's doing a weird thing when eating now, and I think it's because she can't see out of that side of her head now - she's doing some weird head tilting while trying to eat and find food. Hopefully she's young enough that she can learn to compensate.

She should be fine I have a RIR Roo who lost his eye from another chicken and him fighting over a strawberry. He is doing fine actually was mounting some of the hens the other day.

My chickens love, love, love tomato's. they are enjoying my cleaning up the garden.

I learned something new today. Cats can be allergic to foods with fish in it and should not have it often. What hogwash is that? I had to have 2 older cats put to sleep today. They both had cancerous tumor s. it's a very sad day at our house. We planted them in my flower garden.

My neighbors saw a hawk swoop down in the chicken pen today. Thankfully, no one is missing.

So Sorry about your cats.

And it is still only the 2 EE chicks out of 15 eggs. Last night found another egg completely swished flat, chick and all. Pulled the remaining 2 eggs out, as by this time they will not hatch. She is definitely not getting more eggs, only chicks from this point forward. The 4 June chicks are looking good, wellie roo is getting all his colors in. If anyone wants him or the partridge rock roo, let me know. Otherwise they may make the trip to the processor too. The 2 of them will fit in the crock pot hot tub together.

One of my orpingtons is the same way great with the chicks but sucks when it comes to hatching them so I gave her just some chicks which was perfect cause she let one of the other Orpington Broody mommas have the eggs and she is great with hatching them.

On the topic of molting--My frizzles tend to molt just about bald and look awful for a time until the new feathers come in.

Sally--Sorry about your kitties.

I believe we're going to go with Nora Heath for a name. All my girls will have names ending with the 'a' sound.

Very Nice name and I like the fact of the meaning behind it. My kids middle names are all after someone special too.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

There I finally got caught up. My birds are molting too and egg production has just about stopped. I do have a light on the layers that comes on at 3am and goes off at 8 am so they should be getting plenty of light so started today with upping the protein. I do have some teeney boppers that should start laying soon and lay through the winter they are 18 and 21 weeks old so hopefully they start laying soon. Life continues to be hectic this semester guess I shouldn't have agreed to also do 2 days a week for the office for the aging. Oh well just 10 more weeks of classes then I will be on break again and next semester am only teaching 2 classes or at least that is what I keep telling myself LOL!.

 

[Glasshen]

6:45 the coyote munching pears right behind the coop. Earl was silent. I crept down the stairs, and he was gone when I got to the porch.

 

[armorfirelady]

Lynzi try upping their protein with eggs

How do you do the fermented food and how are you doing the grains only?

I ferment the feed by initially covering with water and some UP. with mother and let it sit for a few days to ferment then feed out to the girls. After that I just add food and water as needed.
Here's the thread I learned how to do it on
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/8850#post_12065292

There is a pearsons square which helps you calculate how much of each grain to use to get the protein level you want. I hoping for 16-18% then I am going to try a flock block to provide the other nutrients they need and if that doesn't works buy nutribalancer to add to it, I ferment them all together. I'm trying to get them off commercial feed. I don't like giving layer some of my hens had prolapse with it but it went away once I took them off the layer. I've read calcium can cause it. They oyster shell free choice since the hens know when they need it and can eat what they need. They are all on grower now since 2 are not laying. With grains it won't matter on ages or laying so no need for multi feeds. And will be cheaper also. And fermenting makes the food last linger as well. I have 8 hens and a 50# bag of grower lasted 4 months fermented with a once a day feeding. That's about 12# food a month for them all

 

[marquisella]

Quote: I ferment the feed by initially covering with water and some UP. with mother and let it sit for a few days to ferment then feed out to the girls. After that I just add food and water as needed.
Here's the thread I learned how to do it on
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/8850#post_12065292

There is a pearsons square which helps you calculate how much of each grain to use to get the protein level you want. I hoping for 16-18% then I am going to try a flock block to provide the other nutrients they need and if that doesn't works buy nutribalancer to add to it, I ferment them all together. I'm trying to get them off commercial feed. I don't like giving layer some of my hens had prolapse with it but it went away once I took them off the layer. I've read calcium can cause it. They oyster shell free choice since the hens know when they need it and can eat what they need. They are all on grower now since 2 are not laying. With grains it won't matter on ages or laying so no need for multi feeds. And will be cheaper also. And fermenting makes the food last linger as well. I have 8 hens and a 50# bag of grower lasted 4 months fermented with a once a day feeding. That's about 12# food a month for them all

Actually, even just 1 day in the water brings up the protein, but grains alone won't get the protein high enough unless you include soy. I have fed fermented oats and the chickens love it! I added some fish meal to it, or add the soy beans. I don't like soy, but the cost of a pure oat feed without soy is prohibitive for me, but that's because I have 75 birds, lol.

I didn't like it for the silkies because they dunked their crests and they were always icky on the heads. But if you don't mind that, then they love it as well.

Whole grains for chickens is the best for them. I never fed it in the winter because it freezes as I have to mix it out in the barn due to the amount I feed daily.

Its also important that you start over with your ferment before it gets moldy. You can also just keep the grains in the water until they start to sprout. That also increases the protein.

I have too many birds and it took up a lot of time to feed them that way, but I think its the best for them! Everyone could try it and if you don't have a lot of birds and can keep your fermenting bucket in the house, you can do it all year round.

 

[houseofknauss]

Could your hens be about to molt?

Also I know what you mean with the telemarketers they drive me nuts. I told one right off the bat before she could even start her speech that I wasn't interested in what she was selling and she actually laughed at me. I just like playing games with them. Next time ask them for their number so you can call them back.

caller id is a blessing

 

[Tough Old Bird]

caller id is a blessing

You said it, sister! It is the one option on our phone service that I would actually be willing to pay more for ... a lot more. I cannot stand telemarketers. They are persistent, and the same one will call over and over. Some time I just pick up the phone and instantly hang up, but most of the time, I just let it ring away. Rarely do they leave a message. Beware of the intimidating men that call from the police force. Those are definitely fishy and they are pushy and try to strong arm you into giving $. Real policemen discourage us from giving out personal info over the phone.

TOB

 

[Sally8]

...

caller id is a blessing
[/quote

X2
Unless I recognize the phone number, I don't answer the phone.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
sometimes when I do know the number I don't answer