NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tough Old Bird]

Hooray! Pringles (my Delaware) laid her 3rd egg this afternoon after much dramatic opera singing. This time the egg was perfect...no holes, no cracks. I notice she pushed the shavings around in the top box again, but chose to lay it in Helen's nesting box on the bottom level. She didn't kick any shavings out of that one. Go figure. Maybe she didn't want to tick Helen off. No one wants to tick Helen off.

Raining here, which will make getting the younger birds in tonight a bit of a pain...


TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Well I maybe a dead man walking when I get home from work tonight. I desided i'm going to ferment some chick starter and ultra kibble with some brown sugar. Only a few problems.

1. wife don't know yet.
2. what started out with one bowl became 3 bowls.
3. have to make new feeders which wife aint going to like me doing I already have enough to do lol.

So if you don't hear from me in the next few days I may be dead.

 

[armorfirelady]

You all are talking about this fermented feed so much that you're making me want to try it. I'll have to do a little more research....

Quote:
I was thinking the exact same thing! All this talk makes me want to try it. I think I'll grab a plastic bucket and give it a try. I'm just going to use my layer pellets with some water and ACV.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/9720#post_12161616 This is where I learned how to do it.

Another question on the fermented feed, if this is done to also save the amounted of wasted feed, once it's fermented how much do you measure out for each bird you have each day? Right now I just a fill a bowl for them, I'm not even sure exactly on the amount that's given. If I do this I want to start out giving it to my larger 4 chickens that free range during the day in the chicken yard.

I five each bird 1/2 c. I measured it into a bog scoop I use to scoop the food out. I fill the scoop to that mark and divide between 2 drywall troughs. My hens love it and look so much better. I've been using grower & now finishing up the little bit of layer I have then switching to whole grains when it's gone. My older hens had problems with prolapse and messy buns on layer. When I switched everyone to grower it went away. I've read calcium can be cause of prolapse. They have oyster shell and grit available 24/7 so the hens cane at what they want when they want. Grains may cost more initially but in the end should be cheaper. I'm keeping track of costs,etc to see if its true. I only have 8 hens and with ff feed I go 4+ months before I need to buy more

 

[Lynzi777]

So my husband is off today for his birthday and as usual his phone is blowing up every 10 mins with calls from his employees. Well when we get calls on our cell phone here we go out on the side porch cuz the service is better. Each time he has gotten a call today and gone out on the porch, the ducks have come running over to him looking for treats I'm sure and they're quacking up a storm right in front of him. I just laugh cuz I don't know how he can even hear what these people are saying to him on the phone with all that noise! Lol

 

[JLaw]

Another question on the fermented feed, if this is done to also save the amounted of wasted feed, once it's fermented how much do you measure out for each bird you have each day? Right now I just a fill a bowl for them, I'm not even sure exactly on the amount that's given. If I do this I want to start out giving it to my larger 4 chickens that free range during the day in the chicken yard. 

From what i read they will eat more at first then less. As left overs are there give less each day till none are left over. Atm i'm still feeding regular feed not fermented. Going to start chicks on fermented in a few days. Im still reading up on this though and learning.

I've been googling and reading blogs and some byc forms today. I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow i am going to get 5 gal buckets and make/buy cheap feeders for them.

 

[JLaw]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them/0_20

This is the one i was reading earlier.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

So after playing with the fermented started how do you drain the water. This stuff is like cream of wheat.


went back in and looked at the stuff it seems it separated some water top with starter on bottom and the ultra kibble floating on top of water.

How much less will they eat by feeding fermented feed ruffly?

Mine are eating less than half of what they used to eat. and I was draining it with a colander but I too have just started to make it thicker

I make mine thicker like cookie dough so I don't need to drain it. Usually the BOSS floats at the top.
I only have 8 hens but 50# of feed lasted me over 4+ months. I know others that have larger flocks say it cut their costs/feed in half.

Here's a thread on fermenting feed
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

Yes my BOSS does float to the top also

You all are talking about this fermented feed so much that you're making me want to try it. I'll have to do a little more research....

I researched it for a while and then tried it my birds all look so much better and they love to eat it

I might but I just don't have the time. Still it sounds good.

Rancher only takes a few minutes to do dump some in the bucket and replace what you used when you are done plus stir it up every once in a while.

I still don't know that understand it 100%, but can I do this with just the mash that I currently feed my chickens or do I have to add stuff to it? I've read some articles of people doing this seed, not mash or pellets and that to me would be costing me more money, not saving me any. But then another video did it with pellets and then mentioned adding veggies to it? Think I'll give it a go today and see what happens with just the mash with maybe some uncooked corn thrown in there. Don't really have much else to add to it.

You can use mash, crumbles, pellets and yes you can add corn to I do.
Quote:
I use crumbles and mash because that is what I have I feed it to my ducks too but I also use it with my pig pellets and corn for them

Ok from what i read fermented feed is easy. Keep it wet when you remove some put more back in and mix it up. You can ferment anything regualr feed, scratch, ect. One post said you don't even have to add mother it just takes longer for the enzimes to build up. You want it to smell sour but not like alchol. There is the thread linked and another thread on feeding called fermenting feed does anyone use. Or somthing like that.

I've read about it before but thought was for whole grains only. Today i saw someone saying they do chick starter crumble. Try googling "fermented chick starter" it should link you to the other thread here on byc.

I use it on my chick starter too. Also you feed them what you normally feed them and when you start seeing left overs the next time you feed them you cut back. My babies are eating 1/3 of what they were eating before are growing like weeds and feathering out pretty quick too. The only ones that took a while to eat it were my orpingtons but when you give it to them don't feed them anything else they will eventually eat it took 2 days but the orpingtons finally gave in now they are waiting right there for it .


Ok I have to go give a midterm.

 

[miquwid]

Well I maybe a dead man walking when I get home from work tonight. I desided i'm going to ferment some chick starter and ultra kibble with some brown sugar. Only a few problems.

1. wife don't know yet.
2. what started out with one bowl became 3 bowls.
3. have to make new feeders which wife aint going to like me doing I already have enough to do lol.

So if you don't hear from me in the next few days I may be dead.

I think I need a pole barn built here soon with hatching chicks fermenting feed and getting more chickens I don't think the house can hold much more.

Willing to trade eggs for a year for a pole barn lol.

LOL well good luck with that.

 chickens burying eggs- google

https://www.google.com/search?q=chi...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Thanks its a natural instinct to do so. Basically gathering a clutch of eggs and hide them from predators. Imma skip over the part about broody, aint got time for that right now.

miquid to answer you .....our Silkies do not bury their eggs.
We have 3 wooden nesting boxes with hay in them. And
our Silkies lay their eggs in the nesting boxes.,

We are NEW to Chickens. We raised Show Call Ducks
for 10 years. We are in the Country and have many
predators. One weekend when we were away...we came
home to ALL of our Call Ducks gone. Don't know what
happened.

Our Friend from Albany had Silkie Chickens and she had
to our our Call Ducks. She said....I think you should try
Chickens and so we got into Chickens. I LOVE OUR
SILKIES. And like you I think they have the most delicious
eggs.

Looking forward to Spring and more Silkies. Regards, Aria

LOL my girls are just goofy! They have a nest box.

I might but I just don't have the time.  Still it sounds good. 

Yeah i was thinking next year when i can make a hoop shed.

Miquwid, sure we can meet up. We'll probably be there early since it's a Sunday.
Stony, tasty stuff.
Cracrzy4chicks, is the BLRW single combed? I might take one if they are.

Sounds good.

I might be going as well. Just need to see if I can get my Mom to go with me since she can help with driving 

I would love to meet up with you guys as well. If you dont mind. It would be nice to put faces with names 

Absolutely

 

[ke5hde]

 well duh is all I have to say    . I was in no way shape or form condoning that. I want that to be as clear as can be. Not sure why you chose to quote me.... and not anyone else, but in this case I wish you had not. 
    Again, being clear and paranoid as big brother reads everything. I was making a statement to NOT kill birds of prey. 

  once again, I was NOT condoning killing birds of prey. That would be not only stupid but against federal law. 

    I hope this was clear enough for big brother 

Nor was I saying that you were. I just wanted to make it clear so people would think twice.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

I did post it once. I just googled it and found the federal link to it. The fine is more like $25,000. Not a measly $500.

I knew it was a lot, but yikes!