NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Certainly we can't control what chickens eat when ranging but keep in mind.

This from an article in Hobby Farms by Mike Wilhite. You can find the entire article online just google "mice and chickens" it will pop up.

Rodents are responsible for more than a quarter of all farm fires of unknown origin, but the main risk from infestations is feed contamination and disease exposure to both you and your flock. A rat can produce more than 40 droppings per day and a gallon or more of urine per year, while a single mouse can produce more than 80 droppings per day and more than a quart of urine per year. A variety of human and livestock diseases are spread through contact with rodent excrement, which include cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, brucellosis and salmonellosis.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

A variety of human and livestock diseases are spread through contact with rodent excrement.

Yes rodent crap is nasty. No I'm not concerned with my family's health due to the fact my birds eat rodents. People have been eating chicken eggs much longer than we have been making chicken feed. Chickens are omnivorous, they NEED MEAT in their diet for best health. As I said in my original post, for my flock it's what works best. I am not telling everyone to stop feeding processed chicken feed. I just got excited about finding a way to have fat happy chickens while spending less money. Being as I am now running an actual farm not a hobby farm, saving money is important to me. I have to be able to cover all overhead costs. All of my customers know what my birds eat and how we raise and process them. I give each new customer the run down of risks they are taking by purchasing from me not the grocery store. In 18 months we have yet to make 1 person ill or lose a bird due to illness. Thank you for your concern @rancher hicks however the birds eating the rodent helps reduce the risk of excrement and urine born illness. I have done my reading and research over the last several years. That's how I am able to run a fully functional farm with just my husband and 5 kids help. No I don't make a fortune but I do make enough to pay for everything "farm" without taking money from my family needs. My farm income also adds a nice bit to my family savings. I would not risk my farm or family over a rat.

 

[Gramma Chick]

1/2 Aussie 1/2 Cucko maran 2 boys white spots on head 1 girl no spots

 

[Gramma Chick]

Certainly we can't control what chickens eat when ranging but keep in mind.

This from an article in Hobby Farms by Mike Wilhite. You can find the entire article online just google "mice and chickens" it will pop up.

Thanks for Posting ...I Hate Rats..they also eat babys...

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Woohoo! I'm down to 2 coops now. Monday is processed my cx. As we move into colder days my entire flock has freedom now. They have 2 coops connected by a run. As well they have free range all day. Some of the 10 week old actually went into the big coop tonight. Oddly enough the bigs were very accommodating about it. Every little in there was under the wing of a big. I love chickens.

 

[Gramma Chick]

. Every little in there was under the wing of a big. I love chickens.

How sweet

 

[nposluszny]

Averaging 11 eggs a day here, but had 16 yesterday! I'm now overloaded, what a great problem to have!

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks for Posting ...I Hate Rats..they also eat babys...

So if you've followed some things I've said about getting back issues of Mother Earth news, I found this about mice that I did not know.

"Looking for safe to have around rat poison? Jim Thorgensen just places jar lids filled with some carbonated soda pop ( the Mission Hills California" varmit like Coca-Cola) to strategic areas. The rodent eagerly slurp up the sugary liquid........but, since they can't burp, eventually pop and die. And you may well wonder does Jim's bubbly exterminator really work? Well, a friend of his tried the ploy in a service station one night...and the next morining shoveled away three bushels of rats!"

Now I do hope no one has that many rats around, but I expect to try this since there are mice about. We have no cats to deal with them and I've been setting traps but outside the moles,voles or whatever do not seem to be attracted them. I have caught a couple in the garden next to the raised beds. I set the traps under a piece of plywood next to the side of the beds or where I see holes. I use peanut butter and a bit of cheese cracker. I even bought a bottle of bait. It looks like black goo, but it didn't help. Don't waste your money.

I expect around coops though there is a lot of dropped feed for them to eat so it might take something more irresistible to get their attention.

I did try some stinky cheese for the mole/voles but that didn't work either. How do I get them to come out of their holes ? I can see they've dug up quite a bit of the yard.

 

[rancher hicks]

Averaging 11 eggs a day here, but had 16 yesterday! I'm now overloaded, what a great problem to have!

Amen to that.

Big Delores is looking better but the EE haven't been laying well nor the Delaware. The marans aren't either.

Now I have an Olive egger that had chicks and after she was done I put her in with the EE's but she and another EE were always trying to get back in with the Dels. She didn't begin laying, until after she got back in with the Delaware. She was just not happy where she was.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Averaging 11 eggs a day here, but had 16 yesterday! I'm now overloaded, what a great problem to have!

Im wishing for that problem ...do you have 16 young hens ?
Mine arent laying ...I am getting 1 -3 eggs a day .. I have 13 older hens ...
They are also doing a light molt ..3 are still broody ...