NY chicken lover!!!!

[lklik]

Question: I'd like to feed my flock non GMO feeds. What is everyone else feeding? What's a good mix that doesn't involve corn?

 

[marquisella]

Question: I'd like to feed my flock non GMO feeds. What is everyone else feeding? What's a good mix that doesn't involve corn?

I've started feeding fermented grains, but they are probably gmo. They say that within a few years, unless you live on a separate continent that doesn't allow gmo foods, cross pollination will eventually invade all grains, so we will not be able to find grain without gmos. Sad....

Fermented grains are soaked in water for a couple of days. It does something, honestly I don't know, except it increases the protein content of the grains, I'm all for that. They say, I don't know yet, that they eat less because they are getting more nutrients, and fermentation is good for their systems. Anyways, I supplement with fish meal & alfalfa meal, & vitamins. Whole grains is less expensive so that also works for me. I've only been doing it for 5 days, so I'll post after a few weeks how its working out.

 

[Aria]

My 5 lavender silkies were shipped this morning and should be here tomorrow! Praying they all make it safely!!!

How great. Lynzi, where are they coming from? And would you mind
sharing how much? We are trying to find Silkies. Regards, Aria

 

[Lynzi777]

How great.  Lynzi, where are they coming from?  And would you mind
sharing how much?  We are trying to find Silkies.  Regards, Aria

I got 5 from Geri Godina in PA. I forget her screen name on here but I have her email if you want it. I paid $20 x 5 + $35 to have them shipped. She shipped them Wed morning and they got here by Thursday morning.

 

[Lynzi777]

Alright question....
So I got these chicks yesterday, they're 3 weeks old, going on 4wks. It's 66 here today but tomorrow it's supposed to drop to 46 and be rainy. Geri told me they were still under a heat lamp so I have them under one. But would it be terrible to move them outside to the coop with the two other silkies? Should I keep them inside for a week or two more without the lamp and THEN move them? They are pretty feathered, just seems like they could be ready.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I was just woken up by the squabbles again and I am wondering, is it normal for 3-4 week old chicks to be DIGGING in their brooder?! I mean throwing around the pine, ripping apart the newspaper and generally acting like they're scratching for bugs at this age.

You want them to have some real fun ?
Take a small Pile of dirt & put it in the cage ..They will go nuts in it ...

 

[JLaw]

I was just woken up by the squabbles again and I am wondering, is it normal for 3-4 week old chicks to be DIGGING in their brooder?! I mean throwing around the pine, ripping apart the newspaper and generally acting like they're scratching for bugs at this age.

mine do it all the time. I bought a 50lbs play sand bag for 6 bucks and a little thing of reptile sand for 6 bucks. I put play sand and a little bit of reptile sand in a 9x13 bake pan and they dust bath scratch and just plain peck at the sand and eat some. they fling it every where though so be ready for a mess which isn't a big deal for me since I have full side walls on my brooder I know some use a wire wall.

edit

I also added meal worms to it and let them dig for the bugs one day. only bad thing is my sand is wet so I fill the pan up 3/4 full then put in the oven for about an hour on 395 using a slotted metal spoon to stir it some at about 30 min in and then 45 min in. this of course is with out meal worms in it lol.

 

[Pyxis]

Are we still doing photo Friday? If not, too bad, I'm posting anyway Taking a break from coop building at the moment because my darn drill died, but I wanted to show you guys my lovely assistant who volunteered to help test it.

 

[Lapeerian]

Alright question....
So I got these chicks yesterday, they're 3 weeks old, going on 4wks. It's 66 here today but tomorrow it's supposed to drop to 46 and be rainy. Geri told me they were still under a heat lamp so I have them under one. But would it be terrible to move them outside to the coop with the two other silkies? Should I keep them inside for a week or two more without the lamp and THEN move them? They are pretty feathered, just seems like they could be ready.

Stress of shipping + thrown in a new flock + removed from heat lamp + cold/damp weather. I would wait.

 

[rancher hicks]

What chicks do you have ? that you dont want ?

Right now I'm in contact with a friend from church whose chicks at got taken by something or other. She bought 12 at TSC.

These would be straight run, you must take the roos, marans, dels, perhaps an orp or two and ee's. What I plan to keep are 2 or 3 marans pullet, 1 maran roo, non black ee's, 3 or 4 Del pullets, and perhaps a CR pullet and roo.