NY chicken lover!!!!

[wny egger]

I think we go through a 100 lb bag every month...we have 21 birds.

Speaking of feed...many of you mention pellets. I've been buying layer ration from our Community Feed store and it's crumbles, not pellets. Does that make a difference?

We have very little wasted food here. Hubby built a gravity-fed feeding station and its high enough off the ground that birds can't dig. Plus he fashioned some covers, which allows them to get their head in there, but not their feet...lol. Our feed consumption dropped considerably after he built it.

Water's another story...my birds are drinking well over a gallon EVERY DAY!

i notice on rainy days my birds drink very little from waters..

i used to use crumble till a guy told me at the feed store there was alot less waste with pellets ..
i just built some stove pipe gravity feeders ..i think i need to raise them up ..they do kick alot out of them now ..but i just let them clean it up ..

i was thinking of fermenting the feed but it seems like alot more storage areas needed..i am very limited on space right now till i finish building another shed..

my birds are kept in a run with no grass left in it so i give them all their greens ..i let them out in the lawn once in awhile if the wife and i are going to be out there with them ..i dont trust my neighbors to leave the birds alone or not to let their dogs run free..




i have 9 nesting boxes for 21 girls and you would think that would give everyone a chance to lay their egg and move on ..but i noticed they all want to share the same nest..i used the cat litter buckets the big yellow ones ..and i have a nesting table /box i built ..but they are screaming at each other to use the same nest ..the older girls tend to always win the arguments..i notice they dont even use some of the nesting boxes at all ..should i move them around ,add more in other parts of the coop ..i was thinking maybe to just start adding fake eggs to the others and see if they dont start using them ..they make a huge fuss over the one nest . i mean they really squawk at each other over it ..

 

[marquisella]

Sounds about right to me - I have 15 biddies and they go through about 50#/month depending on the weather.

I have about 80 chickens , 4 ducks, and 17 geese. I use about 450 lbs of feed a month. And that is with the geese out pasture during the summer. Winter its closer to 550.

 

[boskelli1571]

I have about 80 chickens , 4 ducks, and 17 geese. I use about 450 lbs of feed a month. And that is with the geese out pasture during the summer. Winter its closer to 550.

 

[marquisella]

Quote: I feel like that sometimes.....LOL

 

[marquisella]

I'm looking for a good quality light Sussex roo. Anyone?

 

[smazourek]

Hi everybody, I haven't checked in for a long time so I'm just getting ready to scan the posts I missed and see how you all have been doing.

In the meantime- I've got a silkie pullet that I'm thinking of rehoming. She won't roost with the other birds because she can't fly and my roosts are too high for her- and even if I put in a short roost she'd be all alone on it. I'm worried that she'll freeze to death over the winter. Is this a legitimate worry or am I overthinking this?

Thanks!

 

[ag29ande]

Hey all! It's been a long time since I've been on, busy, busy, busy! I've got lots of pages to scan through!

Some might remember we had a tornado in the early summer, roof on the house has been replaced, downed trees cut up for fire wood and we had a bulldozer in. Cleared 2 acres and dug a pond. The horse is very happy with the extra space! So am I more room to garden and less places for predators to hide.

Looks like some of the girls are starting to molt, I'm beginning to see lots of feathers in the nest boxes, run, and in my yard.

In not so good news....I broke my arm last week. Plates, screws, and a cast. I think I might need to downsize birdsu a bit. :/ it's rather difficult doing chores one handed.

I have B/b/s Orpingtons pullets, Roos, and chicks.....

 

[ag29ande]

Hi everybody, I haven't checked in for a long time so I'm just getting ready to scan the posts I missed and see how you all have been doing.

In the meantime- I've got a silkie pullet that I'm thinking of rehoming. She won't roost with the other birds because she can't fly and my roosts are too high for her- and even if I put in a short roost she'd be all alone on it. I'm worried that she'll freeze to death over the winter. Is this a legitimate worry or am I overthinking this?

Thanks!

Maybe you need another silkie! I had a bantam hen that roosted by herself without any issues.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hey all! It's been a long time since I've been on, busy, busy, busy! I've got lots of pages to scan through!

Some might remember we had a tornado in the early summer, roof on the house has been replaced, downed trees cut up for fire wood and we had a bulldozer in. Cleared 2 acres and dug a pond. The horse is very happy with the extra space! So am I more room to garden and less places for predators to hide.

Looks like some of the girls are starting to molt, I'm beginning to see lots of feathers in the nest boxes, run, and in my yard.

In not so good news....I broke my arm last week. Plates, screws, and a cast. I think I might need to downsize birdsu a bit.

it's rather difficult doing chores one handed.

I have B/b/s Orpingtons pullets, Roos, and chicks.....

I am sorry for your trouble. Is there no family to help you til you're healed?

Was it expensive to clear the land and dig the pond? I just said to DW that we need to figure a way to make this land pay for itself.

I'm not sure I'd like to clear all the big trees but if all the saplings were gone it would be nice.

 

[rancher hicks]

Has anyone here ever bought Tax Delinquent property?