NY chicken lover!!!!

[miquwid]

Stony pat is definitely a nice looking duck and big!

 

[stonykill]

Stony pat is definitely a nice looking duck and big!

Pat certainly is going to have the Pekin size.
Pat should be Baby Hughie size.

 

[rancher hicks]

If you don't get the Country Max ad, they're having a sale on wood chips. It's a good time to stock up for the winter.

 

[Gramma Chick]

My fermented feed set up. The gallon of bleach is just for size showing. This is after it settles and the extra water is on top. I love that paint mixer works great for mixing it and so little work. I had to buy a corded drill though or I would blow through batteries on my cordless drill.

If you add more feed ...than water ...you dont have to mix ...you just skim the thicker part off the top .
Then add more feed & water after then stir

 

[AQHAchick22]

Do you find the fermented feed really smells bad? I want to start it but the only place I really have to put it is my basement..

 

[armorfirelady]

Nope no smell except a pickling kind of smell. Neither the commercial feeds,or grains smell horrible

 

[JLaw]

If you add more feed ...than water ...you dont have to mix ...you just skim the thicker part off the top .
Then add more feed & water after then stir

It thickens up some once i mix it. But it's still almost like a cream of wheat. I add more dry to what is scoop to make more like cookie dough.

You want water on top to help keep mold from growing. Also you can use panty hose to cover to keep stuff out and let it breath.

Mine smells like wet food mixed with sour dough smell. My wife don't like the smell but i dont mind it. Mine is kept in kitchen so it will stay 68+

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I thought that I would see what the fuss is about with the fermented food, but on a very small level. I made up 2 pint size canning jars. The first time I let them sit for 4 days then opened up the jars. Needless to say there was a large explosion all over my back room and a few cus words.

Then I did it again opening them everyday to vent the air. I just wanted to see first if I could do it. I just used some of my pellets and a small amount of scratch. The smell was almost "pickleish" and I keep doing it. I let it set for 3 days and then give them a big scoop in their food bowls with the other food that I give them. I put the scoops right on top and they girls seem to go right for it. Right now it is more like a real healthy snack thne a meal, but perhaps in the future I might try it o a bigger scale.

The girls wouldn't come out of the coop today. We only had about an inch of snow this morning, but the girls stayed in for a while. I came back out an hour later and only half had ventured out into the snow. The boys (the ducks) went running out into it then spent most of the morning laying in some straw that I put out. What do they think they will do when we have feet of snow?

 

[AQHAchick22]

I thought that I would see what the fuss is about with the fermented food, but on a very small level. I made up 2 pint size canning jars. The first time I let them sit for 4 days then opened up the jars. Needless to say there was a large explosion all over my back room and a few cus words.

Then I did it again opening them everyday to vent the air. I just wanted to see first if I could do it. I just used some of my pellets and a small amount of scratch. The smell was almost "pickleish" and I keep doing it. I let it set for 3 days and then give them a big scoop in their food bowls with the other food that I give them. I put the scoops right on top and they girls seem to go right for it. Right now it is more like a real healthy snack thne a meal, but perhaps in the future I might try it o a bigger scale.

The girls wouldn't come out of the coop today. We only had about an inch of snow this morning, but the girls stayed in for a while. I came back out an hour later and only half had ventured out into the snow. The boys (the ducks) went running out into it then spent most of the morning laying in some straw that I put out. What do they think they will do when we have feet of snow?

I think I'm going to try the fermented feed on a small scale as well for now. Just to see how they like it and what the smell and consistency are like. I've heard such great things about it that I figure I may as well give it a god.

Ick, snow. we only got a small dusting this morning. My girls last winter didn't venture out unless I shoveled them a path to go under the coop and put some sand down. One of my buff orps did venture out into the snow but she got "stuck" and refused to walk back so I actually had to go out into the run and pick her up and bring her back to the coop

this is a hen that never lets me pick her up to. I'm interested to see what my 'teenagers' are going to do when they see their first snow.

 

[armorfirelady]

Instead of a tight lid try putting a lid on with holes in it or just cover with a towel. You know why thankfully you were not hurt.

I feed outside. They eventually come out when they get hungry enough and venture into the snow.