NY chicken lover!!!!

[stonykill]

Afternoon all. Spent the afternoon, cleaning waterers and feeders and refilling. Not sure which of the pullets is laying but I am getting an egg a day so far. My hens have slowed down again and I am only getting 2-3 a day from them. I keep telling them their replacements are ramping up and they dont seem too worried. I knew I spoiled them too much! One of the boys grabbed me last night as I was sitting outside. He sidled up to me so I put my hand down to invite him over. He reached out and grabbed me quick. What he didnt count on is the whack upside the head he got almost immediately from my other hand. Needless to say, he ran off squawking and into the coop to think about it for a while. He is marked for freezer camp anyways so once he is at weight, he will be gone.

Question---anyone ever try to feed their chickens crushed acorns? We have several oak trees around and I was thinking of gathering up the mast, crushing it with a hand held sledge in a bag and feeding it to the cheeps. Turkeys eat them so I was thinking that if the chickens will eat them, thats free, high protein food that can offset my feed bill. Opinions please!!!

I haven't tried it, but would. Deer, turkeys etc eat them.

 

[ladylibra]

I just read that oak leaves and acorns are toxic to chickens....I'd research it well before you chose to feed or not feed it to them.

 

[stonykill]

I just read that oak leaves and acorns are toxic to chickens....I'd research it well before you chose to feed or not feed it to them.

http://livingthefrugallife.blogspot.com/2010/10/acorns-as-chicken-feed-revisited.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/371358/do-chickens-eat-acorns

http://www.permies.com/t/10724/chickens/Feeding-your-chickens-acorns

various opinions, but non say death unless I missed something. I'll ask the question in the old timer thread and see what they have to say?

 

[rancher hicks]

Lynzz - gotta post pics if SIL has any.

Stony -

I'm saving eggs for a Maran hen who has gone broody again! I'm not sure which of the two she is but one was up and roosting in about three weeks after she hatched chicks.

Pharm - I've never read of anyone feeding Acorns to their chickens. Keep us posted.


I spent a good deal of today with a guy who's just getting into chickens. He hasn't yet got a set up but I'm sure he'll be bit by the bug. He does have a rooster though but didn't get any hens. I have people who are looking for hens so if you have any let me know and I'll either pass your info to him or his to you. He did pay for a pair of Dels from me so he'll have at least a Del hen. He says he has a Maran. He said Red but I don't know of any Red Marans. I figured it's a BCM.

I have other people contact me so if you have hens to sell let me know. Gotta someone coming for one of my older hens soon too, and I know they'd like more but I'm out.

 

[Glasshen]

On the subject of acorns, at a Wild Edibles walk there was discussion of acorns being edible, but it made a difference if it was red oak or white oak, or there are lots of other oaks....red oak has more I think it is tannin. I think there was talk of rinsing the nut meat in lots of changes of water...native Americans ate them. It sounded like a lot of work, and where I live the pH is inhospitable to oaks.

 

[Cass]

I have 7 chicks hatched so far. 2 RIR (or red leghorns, the original owner can't remember which), one Maran, 2 Lav Ameruacanas and one total Mutt. I didn't even think the green egg was fertile, but it hatched out a cute little black chick, so it must have been fertile.


I don't want any more chickens. I really really am at max capacity. Ok, I'll admit it. My chickens are CROWDED and will have to remain crowded until the bus comes to take the roos to freezer camp. Now the roos I am speaking of are just 8 weeks old. Oh wait, some of them are still in the shell. That bus is gonna be a long time coming. sigh I see my fingers freezing as I pluck chicken feathers in December. I don't even know how many roos I have yet, cuz the jury is still out on the chicks from Featherz and I may keep one of the D'uccle roos in the small side of the coop.

 

[marquisella]

Lynzz - gotta post pics if SIL has any.

Stony -

I'm saving eggs for a Maran hen who has gone broody again! I'm not sure which of the two she is but one was up and roosting in about three weeks after she hatched chicks.

Pharm - I've never read of anyone feeding Acorns to their chickens. Keep us posted.


I spent a good deal of today with a guy who's just getting into chickens. He hasn't yet got a set up but I'm sure he'll be bit by the bug. He does have a rooster though but didn't get any hens. I have people who are looking for hens so if you have any let me know and I'll either pass your info to him or his to you. He did pay for a pair of Dels from me so he'll have at least a Del hen. He says he has a Maran. He said Red but I don't know of any Red Marans. I figured it's a BCM.

I have other people contact me so if you have hens to sell let me know. Gotta someone coming for one of my older hens soon too, and I know they'd like more but I'm out.

Tim, I have some pullets for sale, black copper Marans, 2 Coronations, a few blue laced Red Wyandottes and a 5 mo. old Silver Laced Wyandotte...I'm also getting Coronation eggs that are available..They are layinng great while the others, not so well in this heat.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have 7 chicks hatched so far. 2 RIR (or red leghorns, the original owner can't remember which), one Maran, 2 Lav Ameruacanas and one total Mutt. I didn't even think the green egg was fertile, but it hatched out a cute little black chick, so it must have been fertile.


I don't want any more chickens. I really really am at max capacity. Ok, I'll admit it. My chickens are CROWDED and will have to remain crowded until the bus comes to take the roos to freezer camp. Now the roos I am speaking of are just 8 weeks old. Oh wait, some of them are still in the shell. That bus is gonna be a long time coming. sigh I see my fingers freezing as I pluck chicken feathers in December. I don't even know how many roos I have yet, cuz the jury is still out on the chicks from Featherz and I may keep one of the D'uccle roos in the small side of the coop.

You will simply have to build one of those "Drill chicken plucker" attachments.

 

[kamir]

Hi everyone.
I wrote earlier about one of my Dells that "chirrrrrupped" when she pooped. I was watching her in the run Sunday and got a good look at her rear end, which looked like a chick's pasty butt. Also, unlike the other birds whose tail feathers basically come to a point beyond the vent area, hers are arranged like an inverted U, possibly because she seems to peck a lot below the vent.
Anyway, a story, "How I Spent My Sunday Afternoon".

I went into the run with a bottle of warm water and a roll of paper towels, picked up Miss Chirrrrup, sat down and placed her on my lap. Then as delicately as possible, I dabbed her hind end to loosen the caked-on poop. And I dabbed, and I dabbed. That stuff is like cement! All the while, I had to hold onto a squirming chicken who was oblivious to my trying to clean her. In addition, the rest of the girls, being the curious creatures they are, were climbing all over my outstretched legs, trying to roost on my arms, pecking at my watch and occasionally missing and drawing blood from my wrist. Finally, after about 30 minutes or so, I had all of the poop removed. My pants were soaked from the dripping water and it looked like I peed my pants, LOL.

I patted dry Miss Chirrrrup, then placed her on the ground and expected her to bolt to the other side of the run, as far away from her tormentor as possible. But to my surprise, she hopped up on my leg and began to fluff her tail feathers.

I'll keep an eye on her, but she appears as healthy and active as the rest of the birds so this may just be an anomaly.

kamir

PS: I hope those who need rain get some over the next couple of days.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all. Dreary day today so its a good day to do chores. Going to the feed store so that should be good for raising the heart rate and blood pressure! Getting a pullet egg every day. My hens are not laying so well. Dh and I were discussing if and when to cull some. We need a camera to take pics in the coop of who is laying and who isnt. Elanor is broody so we know she isnt and because she is such a good broody we are keeping her for hatching purposes next year. Her psychotic sister betty, however, may go to freezer camp. I suspect she isnt laying. Nonlayers will be culled as feed is too expensive. I love my cheeps but there it is. One of the randy rir boys chased down and mated one of my hens last night. This led to Trouble, the lead hen, going after him and kicking his can all over the yard. She is a big girl and no one to trifle with (but is very cooperative and calm with us). The boys were awake early this morning, but only 2 of them really crow. Little man doesnt start till 6 or if he sees me, and even then its only for a couple of minutes. I think the pullets will all be happy when we are down to two roos. I now have 2 broody silkie girls who are going to be dissappointed because I refuse to hatch any more chicks. Both are being witchy too.

Cass--you have an awsomely wicked case of morefowl disease. I heard there is no cure but you can control it through "diet and exercise"!

Rancher--good to see that you are an active enabler. Pretty soon the disease will be spread to the newbie!

Oh--I have white oaks so I am going to gather acorns this fall and break them and see if my chickens eat them. If they do, that will be an added form of exercise for me (gathering and cracking) and some free, high protein food for them. I will keep you all posted on the results.