***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[TipihlowLadies]

They're in different 50'-75' yards and 10x10 pens so not any real free-ranging. I think there's close to 200 counting the bantams. I was feeding 2 5 gal buckets a day, still am actually but it's wet instead of fermented now. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who overdoes everything. If it's worth doing it's worth over-doing :-/

that's a job in it's self

 

[eddieokie]

Help!!! Turkey hen has hatched one egg went to check on her and one has hatched , she was off the nest with the one baby . Eggs are still warm what do I do???

 

[subhanalah]

Help!!! Turkey hen has hatched one egg went to check on her and one has hatched , she was off the nest with the one baby . Eggs are still warm what do I do???

what happened with this? Did she go back to the nest? If not, throw those puppies into the incubator and pray for the best.

 

[SharkmanDan]

I look at this as an arena of ideas. We discuss ideas, and opinions. I'm brand new at this, and while I'm not fearful of snakes, in general, I'm not fond of them either. Do they have redeeming qualities? Sure. But so do skunks, opossums and politicians.
I'm not advocating it, as I haven't even put my chickens in the coop yet. My weld wire fence, around the pen/run area, with 1.5"x3" openings, is still a bit open for the bantam chicks, and certainly big enough for a snake to get through. A dog run, around the pen, should keep out the mammal critters, but a snake could easily slip in. I'm open to all suggestions, and only mentioned this one, that I've been told of, so far, for perusal. But, I must admit, that I don't get heart broken, when my dog hunts and captures a lizard, torturing it to death. And, I would not feel terrible, about the death, regardless how gruesome it may be, of a snake, be it viper, or not. They leave me, and mine alone, and I leave them alone. Mess with my flock, or pack, and I will hunt you down and kill you, if I can, whether you are a 1' bull snake, or a large cottonmouth or copperhead. Sorry, in my opinion, on my land, the only good snake, is a dead one.

 

[eddieokie]

what happened with this? Did she go back to the nest? If not, throw those puppies into the incubator and pray for the best.

she finally went back to the nest. Have the bator going now . What temp and humidity should it be just in case ???

 

[ashtree]

I look at this as an arena of ideas. We discuss ideas, and opinions. I'm brand new at this, and while I'm not fearful of snakes, in general, I'm not fond of them either. Do they have redeeming qualities? Sure. But so do skunks, opossums and politicians.
I'm not advocating it, as I haven't even put my chickens in the coop yet. My weld wire fence, around the pen/run area, with 1.5"x3" openings, is still a bit open for the bantam chicks, and certainly big enough for a snake to get through. A dog run, around the pen, should keep out the mammal critters, but a snake could easily slip in. I'm open to all suggestions, and only mentioned this one, that I've been told of, so far, for perusal. But, I must admit, that I don't get heart broken, when my dog hunts and captures a lizard, torturing it to death. And, I would not feel terrible, about the death, regardless how gruesome it may be, of a snake, be it viper, or not. They leave me, and mine alone, and I leave them alone. Mess with my flock, or pack, and I will hunt you down and kill you, if I can, whether you are a 1' bull snake, or a large cottonmouth or copperhead. Sorry, in my opinion, on my land, the only good snake, is a dead one.

Agreed! (Except I love geekos)

I'm curious what everyone is talking about as far as fermented feed? I'm very interested! I want my girls to be as healthy as possible!

 

[mjgigax]

ugh, sorry, but sounds like a horrible way to die. I will kill a snake if it an it or mine thing (and have).... but in general - I'd take the snake over all the mice an other nasties it would be eating. On the other hand, my main coop is snake proof. Now that I have outside runs that might not be...I might be singing a different tune later on.

x2
I found a huge snake skin when I was cleaning around my pens last Spring. I freaked out at first and then thought, "I don't have any missing birds and I could sure use some help with the rodent problem.
If the snake does kill a bird I may feel different but it has been a year since I found the evidence and no dead birds and still a lot of mice.

 

[Kyzmette]

ugh, sorry, but sounds like a horrible way to die. I will kill a snake if it an it or mine thing (and have).... but in general - I'd take the snake over all the mice an other nasties it would be eating. On the other hand, my main coop is snake proof. Now that I have outside runs that might not be...I might be singing a different tune later on.

I figured he was using the golf balls the same way I suggested using eggs as bait. Snake eats the golf balls, can't get back through the fence, the next morning the poultry owner is the real reason the snake dies. I say live and let live... until it gets inside my house or my chicken yard. I never would have suggested shooting a dog until I lost over a dozen chickens to one.

 

[Kassaundra]

Agreed! (Except I love geekos)

I'm curious what everyone is talking about as far as fermented feed? I'm very interested! I want my girls to be as healthy as possible!

Here is a huge thread on the topic.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds


But in a nutshell, grains all grains have protective enzymes and anti nutrients designed to protect the seed and keep it able to germinate. These make digestion and nutrient retrieval by monogastric animals difficult. To bypass that natural seed protection you can ferment the grains. This makes the nutrition in the grain more bioavailable to monogastric animals. So your chicken gets more "bang for the buck" and more feed value to what you are already buying, besides which they love the stuff.


There are many, many formulas and additives and what nots you can read about on the thread, lots of people complicating and adding to the process, but grain (or feed that is grain based) + water + time = fermented feed. The feed is best when fully fermented and about 1+ weeks old and older. You just add more grain and water as you use it. Making sure your batch is big enough to feed out for several weeks before having to add new. No metal containers.

 

[nnbreeder]

I look at this as an arena of ideas. We discuss ideas, and opinions. I'm brand new at this, and while I'm not fearful of snakes, in general, I'm not fond of them either. Do they have redeeming qualities? Sure. But so do skunks, opossums and politicians.
I'm not advocating it, as I haven't even put my chickens in the coop yet. My weld wire fence, around the pen/run area, with 1.5"x3" openings, is still a bit open for the bantam chicks, and certainly big enough for a snake to get through. A dog run, around the pen, should keep out the mammal critters, but a snake could easily slip in. I'm open to all suggestions, and only mentioned this one, that I've been told of, so far, for perusal. But, I must admit, that I don't get heart broken, when my dog hunts and captures a lizard, torturing it to death. And, I would not feel terrible, about the death, regardless how gruesome it may be, of a snake, be it viper, or not. They leave me, and mine alone, and I leave them alone. Mess with my flock, or pack, and I will hunt you down and kill you, if I can, whether you are a 1' bull snake, or a large cottonmouth or copperhead. Sorry, in my opinion, on my land, the only good snake, is a dead one.

That plastic mesh tree netting will stop a snake in it's tracks. They can start through it but then get hung up. And when they are caught they are peeved so be careful.