NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

So the extra FF left in the bucket doesn't spoil? Since you're not using it all out, and just adding to it?

I use a 5 gallon bucket ..take feed out from the bottom daily ...add fresh water & feed everyday on the top .
It MUST BE STIRRED EVERY DAY ..or it can go bad
Put your feed in ...cover with water ...stir every day ...has to be in a warm place .
After about 4 days it will start to ferment..you will be abLe to see it bubble ..it is ready
DONT USE A METAL CONTAINER.
Plastic or glass is fine ...DONT COVER IT TIGHTLY ..IT WILL EXPLODE !
mINE IS ON A TABLE i ..I scoop it out & put in a plastic strainer..DRAIN THE LIQUID OUT OF IT
and put it in a bowl ..the drained liquid goes back in the big container

Ok, I will definitely start a batch tomorrow. Since I don't need much right now, I can start the three jar system. One with starter for the chicks and one with grower for Chick. I need to go get some acv

The Chicks & Chick the rooster can both eat starter 20 % protein , grower is (16.5%)
some People feed starter till they lay & some do starter for 8-12 weeks, then grower (16.5%) until they are 5-6 months

 

[Purpletie3]

Hello all~ Hoping you all are making it through the cold okay. Things have been busy here...BF got laid off two weeks before Christmas and we finally caught up on our projects in the nice weather & got a new house built for the babies and 24 roosters to the freezer. (Hated to do it) The hens started to lay again!

I made it to Florida for a couple weeks- One of my students watched the flock and no losses! Somehow, my BF's watch was not as successful. I think i am ready to move South...I returned to 5 degrees. Yuck!

I bought some ingredients to make a flock block. Hoping to get some of those made because I am not as thrilled with what is on the shelves at TSC. Stay warm!

 

[Beer can]

Corn is a very desirable grain, for some reason a bunch of people (mostly on this site) believe that corn has no nutritional value which is very incorrect.​

All my father fed his chickens yrs ago was cracked corn, and free range. They grew fine and laid plenty of eggs. I just throw a few big handfuls out in their run and around their litter in the coop to keep it stirred up.

 

[Beer can]

Excerpt from a article Golda Miller wrote, a once well known breeder of the best Jersey Giants, I thought was interesting;

"January 1988
I start them out as early as they come from the incubator...with commercial baby chick crumbles and water. You will be surprised how much a day old baby chick will eat...and (in 2 days, it will be much bigger than a chick that hasn’t been fed) it is a very good idea to also have a mixture of 10 pounds of finely cracked corn, ¼ lb. of charcoal, 1 lb. chick grit their second day and for a few days, sprinkle this mixture over the crumbles. If you have any chicks with a little diarrhea from getting a little hot or too cold...this will take care of it...the charcoal is sweetening or something to the intestines and the corn and grit helps with the constipation. The charcoal is very hard for me to get and I don’t always have it to feed but it is very good if you can get this mixture.
When the chicks are 3 or 4 weeks old, I start feeding a little grain in the evenings...they love grain and let you know they expect it every evening...for the grain I mix cracked corn, put in some sorghum milo, and some wheat...(nothing cracked except the corn). In about 6 weeks I start feeding commercial grower along with the mixed grains, also feed whole oats free choice. Oats provide bulk that helps to keep them from wanting to eat feathers. I continue with this feeding in the evenings until they are about 8 weeks old when I start feeding both grain and mash free choice. In the summertime when they are out on the range...they eat much more grain than mash...and they grow like weeds.
For mash...we have a 20% protein formula using our own grains with a supplement, to make the 20% formula...with minerals that we get from the vet...adding the minerals when we have our feed ground and made up at the elevator. We have our own grain so why buy expensive crumbles etc...why not feed whole grain also...why feed expensive cracked grains...I don’t believe in feeding cracked feeds to grown or growing Giants.
I think that most folks push these GIANTS too fast with high powered feeds. They mature before they get that big frame built...you have to build the frame first, and then put weight on. At 6 months of age the cockerels will weigh 10 pounds but not be ready for the shows. Some of the pullets will start laying at 5 months which is too early...the later maturing ones get the largest."

 

[Chicken girl 15]

So the extra FF left in the bucket doesn't spoil? Since you're not using it all out, and just adding to it?

as long as you keep it rotating daily it stays good. If you know you will be gone for a day or longer and can't tend the FF use it all up and start over when you return.

 

[tao chick]

Thanks. I took water out this morning. The coop is warmer than the outside temperature, but that doesn't say much. I'll seal up the north window completely. The west door opens to a sheltered space, so I'll leave that as is. The east window will have a insulation and cover added that will be able to open for ventilation every day. I'll add insulation to the water system to keep it thawed and add the heated water bowl just outside their coop area. They'll have access to that every day, but not at night. I'm writing this all here to keep track, I hope you don't mind.

So, here's a story about the hardiness of chickens. My youngest chicks are 10 weeks old. One is a lavender split ameraucana. The other is a barnevelder. They have plenty of cozy spots they could sleep in the coop. Instead, they choose to sleep in front of the ventilated north window. I believe it dropped below zero last night and there they were this morning anyway. They fly down in the morning and seem to be as healthy as ever.

I need to use some eggs. My ladies are happily laying daily. The pullets don't know it's cold. The light comes on at 7 am now.

 

[akaruby]

Thanks. I took water out this morning. The coop is warmer than the outside temperature, but that doesn't say much. I'll seal up the north window completely. The west door opens to a sheltered space, so I'll leave that as is. The east window will have a insulation and cover added that will be able to open for ventilation every day. I'll add insulation to the water system to keep it thawed and add the heated water bowl just outside their coop area. They'll have access to that every day, but not at night. I'm writing this all here to keep track, I hope you don't mind.

So, here's a story about the hardiness of chickens. My youngest chicks are 10 weeks old. One is a lavender split ameraucana. The other is a barnevelder. They have plenty of cozy spots they could sleep in the coop. Instead, they choose to sleep in front of the ventilated north window. I believe it dropped below zero last night and there they were this morning anyway. They fly down in the morning and seem to be as healthy as ever.

I need to use some eggs. My ladies are happily laying daily. The pullets don't know it's cold. The light comes on at 7 am now.

What are you using for your nipple waterers to heat them? I have an aquarium heater in the buckets and it keeps the water unfrozen but I can't keep the nipples from freezing.

Got the chickens pretty well set up with plenty of good warm water and feed. I'm having a tonsillectomy this afternoon and I tried to get as much done so it's easier for my DH to watch the chickens.

I know getting tonsils out as an adult can be a difficult thing to go through...wish me luck!!

 

[shodack]

What are you using for your nipple waterers to heat them? I have an aquarium heater in the buckets and it keeps the water unfrozen but I can't keep the nipples from freezing.

Got the chickens pretty well set up with plenty of good warm water and feed. I'm having a tonsillectomy this afternoon and I tried to get as much done so it's easier for my DH to watch the chickens.

I know getting tonsils out as an adult can be a difficult thing to go through...wish me luck!!

Oh gosh, I hope all goes well and recovery isn't too bad!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks. I took water out this morning. The coop is warmer than the outside temperature, but that doesn't say much. I'll seal up the north window completely. The west door opens to a sheltered space, so I'll leave that as is. The east window will have a insulation and cover added that will be able to open for ventilation every day. I'll add insulation to the water system to keep it thawed and add the heated water bowl just outside their coop area. They'll have access to that every day, but not at night. I'm writing this all here to keep track, I hope you don't mind.

So, here's a story about the hardiness of chickens. My youngest chicks are 10 weeks old. One is a lavender split ameraucana. The other is a barnevelder. They have plenty of cozy spots they could sleep in the coop. Instead, they choose to sleep in front of the ventilated north window. I believe it dropped below zero last night and there they were this morning anyway. They fly down in the morning and seem to be as healthy as ever.

I need to use some eggs. My ladies are happily laying daily. The pullets don't know it's cold. The light comes on at 7 am now.

Tab has a recipe for pound cake that uses lots of eggs and DW has a spinach pie that I like that uses eggs too. The spinach pie is good cold or warmed up with breakfast.

I have lots and lots of egg too.

 

[rancher hicks]

What are you using for your nipple waterers to heat them? I have an aquarium heater in the buckets and it keeps the water unfrozen but I can't keep the nipples from freezing.

Got the chickens pretty well set up with plenty of good warm water and feed. I'm having a tonsillectomy this afternoon and I tried to get as much done so it's easier for my DH to watch the chickens.

I know getting tonsils out as an adult can be a difficult thing to go through...wish me luck!!

Oh gosh, I hope all goes well and recovery isn't too bad!!

Same here. I hate being sick and not being able to do things. I'm sure everyone here is the same.