Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chiques chicks]

Dog is priceless mutt from a rescue, just not sure who rescued who.
Doubt she would help with an intruder, she's never met a hand she didn't think should pet her.

Only had one batch of turkey, Bourbon Red. Plan was to hatch some, keep some for breeding, eat extra. Unfortunately they were all toms, so all went for meat. They were good, not huge.
Have some blue slate in the incubator now. Haven't candled yet, so not sure how it is going.

 

[ChirpnBern]

I go to the mill & they mix it for me. Some mills require 1,000 pound minimum order, others only 500 pounds. My current mill is 500 pounds & cost me about $100 for a batch. That's about $5 per 50 pound bag. MUCH cheaper than commercial feed & protien is 18+% without any soy.

Wow, that`s great. I wonder if my mill would custom mix. Somehow I think they are kind of proud of their own formulae though. And I don`t have that many chickens.

 

[ChirpnBern]

Dog is priceless mutt from a rescue, just not sure who rescued who.
Doubt she would help with an intruder, she's never met a hand she didn't think should pet her.

Only had one batch of turkey, Bourbon Red. Plan was to hatch some, keep some for breeding, eat extra. Unfortunately they were all toms, so all went for meat. They were good, not huge.
Have some blue slate in the incubator now. Haven't candled yet, so not sure how it is going.

Ah. Good luck with them! I wanted some BRs but just for pretty, not to eat. Have only ever had some bronze, a white or two, and a pair of wilds back when you could buy wild poults at the feed store. They`ve long since died and the feed store isn`t allowed to sell them anymore. They were fun, interesting birds, the tom especially. Once when they were free ranging the hen got on top of a police car and rode it down the street, with the tom chasing after. I was at work so missed this show. Had to keep them penned after such antics.

 

[ChirpnBern]

If you want milk, go for a milking breed. Scour your classifieds for a solar charger and any fencing equipment you can find. Wire sucks used, but the posts and charger are just fine used. It will make your life much easier in the long run. Goats can be a real PITA with escaping and destroying everything. I ended up sticking with sheep. I get milk and lamb meat AND wool to spin. Win-win-win.

How does sheep milk compare to goat and cow? Never tried goat milk either, but wondering if sheep is closer to one than the other or just its own unique flavor.

 

[chiques chicks]

now Ray..you are NOT alone... ...just say the word, I would love to visit ya...told Todd all about ya..the crazy-good guy with the kilt , and serious enabler who handed me a bator!! ... he said.."sounds like someone to meet!"..hahaha

I'm scheduled at work every day for the next month, so after that, let me know when you're headed this way!

 

[SilkieSensation]

I go to the mill

Wow, that`s great.  I wonder if my mill  would custom mix.  Somehow I think they are kind of proud of their own formulae though.  And I don`t have that many chickens.

Most mills that can mix will mix whatever you want. Find someone near you to split a batch with if you don't need that much. Way cheaper than commercial feed & you get what you want in it.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

So I washed two of my girls butts' today because I saw there was some nasty poo stacking up back there. Then I find my one girl has lice. Yick

Are there any natural treatments? I think I may try tea tree oil diluted in olive oil. And maybe some DE in the coops. I'll have to check the rest of the girls tomorrow to see if any of them have a build up. Only my one hen had them today after inspection. I wonder if it had something to do with such a long stinky winter and nowhere to dust bathe much.

 

[SilkieSensation]

So I washed two of my girls butts' today because I saw there was some nasty poo stacking up back there. Then I find my one girl has lice. Yick

Are there any natural treatments? I think I may try tea tree oil diluted in olive oil. And maybe some DE in the coops. I'll have to check the rest of the girls tomorrow to see if any of them have a build up. Only my one hen had them today after inspection. I wonder if it had something to do with such a long stinky winter and nowhere to dust bathe much.

Natural stuff can work well as preventative but doesn't do much once the bugs are there. I recommend ivermectin (cattle pour on), .1 ml per pound of bird (about .5 ml for a large fowl hen). Apply a few drops under each wing, near vent & on back of neck to spread the dose out. Put it directly on the skin. It will treat worms at the same time.

 

[wingstone]

Hey Wingstone!

 I am doing a hatching egg run tomorrow.... going to the source I got my Barred Rocks from, do you want some more?  My broodies are looking to have something to keep them busy, so can let them hatch and raise for a while and then get them out to you before they become obnoxious teenagers! LOL

Yes, yes and yes.
Plan is to switch over to all rocks ( I believe there's 8 different colors ) I have gotten started with the elimination of extra Roo's and the remaining oddball hens will be allowed to roam as long as they want but everything coming in will be rocks...
Hopefully within a few year's I can stay away from hatchery stock
And of course my 2 separate pen's with the bantams.

 

[fisherlady]

Yes, yes and yes.
Plan is to switch over to all rocks ( I believe there's 8 different colors ) I have gotten started with the elimination of extra Roo's and the remaining oddball hens will be allowed to roam as long as they want but everything coming in will be rocks...
Hopefully within a few year's I can stay away from hatchery stock
And of course my 2 separate pen's with the bantams.

OK....

and FYI, my hens are currently sitting on a bunch of Silver Pencil Rock eggs from my birds, so should have at least a trio or quad of them to spare in a few months also. I would offer white rocks also but before I got the trio separated one of the hens went totally broody on me and the other is walking around clucking and thinking about it.... so it will be a while before I am getting eggs from them to share, though I am working on another source of good stock (recommended by the breeder/judge the boys you have came from)