NY chicken lover!!!!

[Sally8]

Making fermented feed adds less than 5 min a day for me. My chickens love it and the food bill is waaaay down.

A Hawk question. All spring and summer I had 7 crows hanging out. No hawks at all. The crows have moved several houses down and now I see the hawks. Did I read thousands of posts ago that crows help deter hawks?

Posted to get rid of my BCM roosters a few hours ago and I've gotten rid of 2. Turns out that out of 11 chickens hatched 9 turned out to be roo's.

 

[stonykill]

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

I know you didn't but it does suggest that I would. So I can't be clear enough about it, that I would NEVER!

 

[stonykill]

Making fermented feed adds less than 5 min a day for me. My chickens love it and the food bill is waaaay down.

A Hawk question. All spring and summer I had 7 crows hanging out. No hawks at all. The crows have moved several houses down and now I see the hawks. Did I read thousands of posts ago that crows help deter hawks?

Posted to get rid of my BCM roosters a few hours ago and I've gotten rid of 2. Turns out that out of 11 chickens hatched 9 turned out to be roo's.

in the spring when the crows and ravens are breeding they will attack hawks. Not so much this time of year

 

[marquisella]

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.
For some reason I haven't been getting the NY thread. I also tried fermented feeds. I used whole oats instead of mash or pellets. Yes, It was less expensive, but in the winter, unless you have a heated place to keep it, it will freeze. I didn't like using pellets or mash as it was a huge mess. My birds had wet heads, maybe it was just them, but it was ugly....LOL I appreciate doing fermented feeds, but it proved to be too much work for me and time consuming. I have 13 coops. Just more time than I wanted to spend.

 

[Lynzi777]

For some reason I haven't been getting the NY thread. I also tried fermented feeds. I used whole oats instead of mash or pellets. Yes, It was less expensive, but in the winter, unless you have a heated place to keep it, it will freeze. I didn't like using pellets or mash as it was a huge mess. My birds had wet heads, maybe it was just them, but it was ugly....LOL I appreciate doing fermented feeds, but it proved to be too much work for me and time consuming. I have 13 coops. Just more time than I wanted to spend.

Thats why I want to try but start with the bigger birds first before even thinking about going that route with the silkies. I can only imagine how messy their crests would get and I'm doing enough right now to keep them clean. If I do this, since it will only be for the 4, I will do it in a small portion and keep it in the house. I'm just trying to figure out WHAT I have laying around to keep it in. LOL

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Making fermented feed adds less than 5 min a day for me. My chickens love it and the food bill is waaaay down.

A Hawk question. All spring and summer I had 7 crows hanging out. No hawks at all. The crows have moved several houses down and now I see the hawks. Did I read thousands of posts ago that crows help deter hawks?

Posted to get rid of my BCM roosters a few hours ago and I've gotten rid of 2. Turns out that out of 11 chickens hatched 9 turned out to be roo's.

Crows will mob hawks and owls and other predator birds. I've seen crows coming from all different directions, obviously different families, to unite forces and drive out large raptors. Say what you will about crows, I think they're pretty darned cool.

TOB

 

[Lynzi777]

Crows will mob hawks and owls and other predator birds. I've seen crows coming from all different directions, obviously different families, to unite forces and drive out large raptors. Say what you will about crows, I think they're pretty darned cool.

TOB

x2, not that I ever had a problem with them but after seeing how fast they'd chase a hawk away earlier this spring I don't care if they get the bread out in the lawn before the chickens! LOL

 

[Glasshen]

About FF, it is interesting, and I had started to read one of the threads, and bags of grains would be possible, but I don't really know how to blend them to be sure they get enough variety and especially protein. How does one do that. In the winter I sprout grains for them so they have fresh greens.

 

[JLaw]

About FF, it is interesting, and I had started to read one of the threads, and bags of grains would be possible, but I don't really know how to blend them to be sure they get enough variety and especially protein. How does one do that. In the winter I sprout grains for them so they have fresh greens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds/80_20
Post 96 has links telling protien per grain.

Atm i'm just doing chicks may do ladies next. But i plan on mixing scratch corn layer evenly to start then find a mill and just do grains if ita cheaper.

 

[JLaw]

For some reason I haven't been getting the NY thread. I also tried fermented feeds. I used whole oats instead of mash or pellets. Yes, It was less expensive, but in the winter, unless you have a heated place to keep it, it will freeze. I didn't like using pellets or mash as it was a huge mess. My birds had wet heads, maybe it was just them, but it was ugly....LOL  I appreciate doing fermented feeds, but it  proved to be too much work for me and time consuming. I have 13 coops. Just more time than I wanted to spend.

13 coops seems like you need to trade eggs for a pole barn also.lol