Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Blarneyeggs]

is anyone going to the north east poultry congress in springfield mass next weekend? I have a bird that needs a ride to PA from the show. please me and what you would charge. thanks

Not this year.

DS is completely bummed. But I will keep my ear to the ground for you. Where in PA?

I finished my FREE brooder, made from the box DD#3's trampoline came in, unfortunately the pic won't load. I did invest in an Ecoglow from Brinsea. The jury is still out on the handiness of this contraption. So far, they are quiet at night as it is dark, and the chicks can better control how warm or cold they'd like to be as it is very easy to escape the warmth. They took a little while to figure out where to go, and they DO poop on top.

I took a bunch of MF Cochin pics, but can not upload, these chicks are so stinking cute!!

 

[BullChick]

Quote: Says the man that will eat any woman ...THING! THING!

 

[mama2my4]

Not this year.

DS is completely bummed. But I will keep my ear to the ground for you. Where in PA?

I finished my FREE brooder, made from the box DD#3's trampoline came in, unfortunately the pic won't load. I did invest in an Ecoglow from Brinsea. The jury is still out on the handiness of this contraption. So far, they are quiet at night as it is dark, and the chicks can better control how warm or cold they'd like to be as it is very easy to escape the warmth. They took a little while to figure out where to go, and they DO poop on top.

I took a bunch of MF Cochin pics, but can not upload, these chicks are so stinking cute!!

Oh I can't wait to see those photos!!!!

Let me know your final thoughts on the Ecoglow. I have heard such mixed things about it.

 

[BullChick]

Quote: Sally, for dogs it is the same process. Sturgis went to FF because I couldn't keep him out of the chicken's FF. Good coat/skin. Prevents/helps digestive problems. Soak it for about 2 days, and when it bubbles (BUBBLES!!

) it is ready.
Blarney, ACV is good for humans for digestion (and weight loss) too. Remember the ACV diet a few years ago? I am told it takes time to get over the taste. A little is all you need (for anything). And beer, pickles, cheese, sauerkraut ... All fermented.
And as far as Chad's O.J....

 

[bower007]

I guess I am looking for eggs and possibly meat. Not going to show. Can't free range, too many hawks.

If you go to this site:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

They have a breed selector tool. You can put in what you are looking for and they will give you suggestions. Then you can come back here and tell us what you are looking for. Lots of PA breeders on this page with a wide range of breeds.

I bought chicks from My Pet Chicken last year; all chicks were healthy and we had no issues with our order. If I had one complaint, I think the shipping cost is too much; you pay more for shipping than you do the chicks themselves. I was at the PA Farm Show last week and I met a representative for Myers Poulty; they have the same breeds, they are PA based and their shipping she quoted me was about 50-60% cheaper than My Pet Chicken. Maybe use the My Pet Chicken to find breeds that fit your needs, then give Myers a look for the purchase. Just my $.02. Pretty much what mama just told you too.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Our 4H is taking a field trip to JM Hatchery They are north of Lancaster.

They have Freedom Rangers, ducklings and more. Here is their website:

http://www.jmhatchery.com/

 

[mama2my4]

Our 4H is taking a field trip to JM Hatchery They are north of Lancaster.

They have Freedom Rangers, ducklings and more. Here is their website:

http://www.jmhatchery.com/

What are Freedom Rangers?

edit: oh I see! They are broilers.

 

[wingstone]

Our 4H is taking a field trip to JM Hatchery They are north of Lancaster.

They have Freedom Rangers, ducklings and more. Here is their website:

http://www.jmhatchery.com/

can you pick up my order while your there, let me know what they are like, be nice to know the standards of the place my chicks come from....they have 2 different branches though, the chicks i get come from the denver area.

 

[chickencowranch]

I thought it was complicated so I never did it, and someone on the NYDhatch thread made it simple for us!!!
FERMENTING FOR DUMMIES
or
FERMENTING FOR BEGINNERS lol

Its funny because I cleaned coops today and after I saw all that wasted mash and then when I filled feed up and saw the girls just pushing the mash all out of the feeder I thought I had been so stupid for NOT DOING it....

I am going to video tape the girls making the mess and then when they eat the mash FF!! Can you imagine how much time we will save if the amonia in the coop is put off for a longer time period too!! YAY only plusses here!! It may be more work feeding but that beats cleaning any day!!!

All I did was start with chick starter and a 5 gal bucket, starting with med chick starter for the chicks and will be doing with the mash for the others SOON!
Several PA'er do it... Bruce does, Chad how is bruce?

added some warm water and added UP ACV with "the mother" about 1.5 cups
and the feed slowly and kept adding water as needed until it was mixed well and about 6 inches from the top of the bucket.
Keep in a warm place 65-75 degrees for 2-4 days so its starts fermenting.....
then you only strain the feed you will use and replace that much feed and add water as needed.
Sorta like sour dough bread, you need the "starter" so you gotta start that process and then it keeps on going!
This is a paste from my notes from several people so far... and then the link at the bottom is a WONDERFUL thread read!!





my notes so far and they are from several dif people LOL


What the heck is fermented feed and why on earth would you want to give it to chickens?

Fermentation of foods has been done for hundreds of years by many cultures. If you have ever consumed cheese, yogurt, sourdough bread, wine, beer kimchi or sauerkraut (just to name a few) you have eaten a fermented food.

The fermentation process uses naturally occurring bacteria to partially break down the food, improving its enzyme content and increasing its levels of vitamins B, C and K. It also makes food more digestible, and boosts the "usable" protein level by about 12 percent.

The other benefits to using fermented feed:

Feed consumption and waste will drop by 1/2 to 3/4 (this will save you money)
Poultry on a diet of fermented feed are generally healthier and less likely to contract disease
There is almost zero waste as chickens don't scratch through it, kicking it out of the feeder
Stools become more solid and many people report less smell in the coop and run!
Egg yolks of eggs laid by hens on fermented feed will become noticeably larger, and shells will be more solid.
Endeavor


In my Fermented Feed, I use:
scratch grains,
Purina Flock Raiser crumbles or Layena pellets (depending on the age of the flock)
black oil sunflower seeds with the shell on
safflower seed without the shel
and sometimes others things (end of the oatmeal, heels of dry bread, veggie scraps, etc)

I started with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar "with the Mother", about two tablespoons full, in 1 and 1/2 gallons of water straight from the outside hydrant in a three gallon bucket.

I added a large scoop of scratch, one third of a scoop of crumbles (or pellets), quarter of a scoop of black oil sunflower seeds, small handful of safflower seeds. I "swirl" the bucket around, cover with a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the whole top of the bucket.

I kept it in the barn during the fall but it now resides on the laundry room floor.
To feed, I have a plastic colander that put over a second bucket (mine is a horse water bucket that has one flat side intended to hang against a wall). I pour the mix into the colander which holds the grains, seeds and "swollen" crumbles/pellets. It drains while I open the coop doors and check waterers. I then put the mix into various bowls/dishes/troughs around the coop and yard so that everyone gets a fair chance to eat. I use a smaller plastic scoop to serve it up.
I take the liquid left from draining and put it back it the bucket and add water to get it back to 1 and 1/2 gallons and add the grains, seeds and feed. No need to add more ACV.
Great stuff! Finished my Freedom Rangers on it and now my flock all gets it.
I can post pics tomorrow of the buckets and colander if interested but right now it is my bedtime.......
Sally, I stopped here, several pages back, to let you know how I do it. I just have one bucket at the moment, I think two buckets would be best because then I could have the feed ferment longer. But as it is, what I do is try to feed everyone last time around noon, then I take my bag of mash, pour a bit more than I think I'll need for the next day into the bucket, add tepid water a couple of inches above the feed after stirring (it sucks up a lot of water) then set it down to ferment until about 9 AM the next day. The original bucket full, I added ACV to get the fermentation started. It smells like beer!
I use a spaghetti spoon to scoop and drain out the feed, then dish it out into bowls for the birds that way. It's easy and I just add feed the next afternoon to feed out the next morning, keeping it in the house at about 60-70 degrees. It may not be as long a fermentation as it should be though. I plan on doing this with two buckets so they get a day and a half to ferment instead. I'm using home depot orange buckets and lids (lids put on loosely to keep interior clean but allow the air to escape (it bubbles). I find this to be the easiest for me, rather than a double bucket system. Also, since I use mash, I think it'd go right through any holes I'd drill at the bottom, also, doesn't feed got through anyway and collect in the bottom bucket? I dunno? But it works for me and the birds like it
Quote:
I drilled small holes in a 5 gal. bucket and placed it down into another. Place the grain in the top bucket, cover the grain/feed with water and soak. I speeded up the fermentation process by introducing a little unpasteurized ACV with a good mother culture in it.
You don't have to do it in the sieve system I setup but it comes in handy to just lift your grain bucket up and let the excess fermented fluid drain off before you feed. Depending on the warmth of the place in which you are doing your fermenting, soaking 8-15 hours is supposed to give your grain time to ferment enough to produce the valuable probiotics you are looking for. They are just pulled from the air...unless you want to speed it up like I did.
I just keep the same fluid in the bottom bucket and just add fresh water when necessary to get the right level to cover my feed. They call that backslopping....keeps those strong cultures in your grain fermenting system. Think sourdough bread...same thing.

Fermenting your grains is supposed to increase your protein by 12%, increase the absorption of your feed nutrients, increase total nutrient value, increase bowel health, increase laying performance, help prevent disease~particularly the intestinal ones like cocci, salmonella, e.coli, lower total feed consumption and thus total feed costs but will cause more weight gain on the lesser amounts of feed.
I've been doing this with my new CX chicks(54) and we are on their 4 th day. Their poop now looks like normal chicken feces, they have consumed less feed than they normally have by now, seem more content on the feed they are eating, prefer the fermented over the dry and are growing well. All bright, active and gaining ground. I am also offering buttermilk free choice in one waterer and unpasteurized ACV in the water of the other waterer...they can't get enough of it but don't seem to have the excessive thirst the CX normally have. Could be because they are not dehydrated from the constant diarrhea typical of this breed.
I drilled small holes in a 5 gal. bucket and placed it down into another. Place the grain in the top bucket, cover the grain/feed with water and soak. I speeded up the fermentation process by introducing a little unpasteurized ACV with a good mother culture in it.
You don't have to do it in the sieve system I setup but it comes in handy to just lift your grain bucket up and let the excess fermented fluid drain off before you feed. Depending on the warmth of the place in which you are doing your fermenting, soaking 8-15 hours is supposed to give your grain time to ferment enough to produce the valuable probiotics you are looking for. They are just pulled from the air...unless you want to speed it up like I did.

I just keep the same fluid in the bottom bucket and just add fresh water when necessary to get the right level to cover my feed. They call that backslopping....keeps those strong cultures in your grain fermenting system. Think sourdough bread...same thing.
Fermenting your grains is supposed to increase your protein by 12%, increase the absorption of your feed nutrients, increase total nutrient value, increase bowel health, increase laying performance, help prevent disease~particularly the intestinal ones like cocci, salmonella, e.coli, lower total feed consumption and thus total feed costs but will cause more weight gain on the lesser amounts of feed.


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

Wait til they start laying eggs. The eggs get bigger. Makes me wonder if it hurts coming out.

 

[JerseyHen]

I am in Northern NJ and I keep up with this thread since many of you are closer to me than my NJ thread peeps... Just saying hi! and thought I would respond to a couple...

have any of you drank sheep milk ???
Taste ?
Texture?

just curious came across an article about sheep dairies, never knew they existed.

In my opinion sheep's milk is milder in flavor than goat's milk. It has a better nutritional profile than cow or goat, and has a higher percentage of solids than cow so you can make more cheese per gallon. The cheese is outstanding.

I am very uneducated about these things, but have also heard the same thing. I'm sure it's not exclusive to all shows, but could someone enlighten us about this. I wonder what the point is to having the prize winning, ribbon winning chicken, if it's going to be killed? I would think I'd want to breed it if it were a prize winner, or show it off at the very least? I am not trying to offend anyone, I just really would like to understand the pros to this?

They don't kill the poultry (except for the meat classes). It is really important to quaratine any birds returning from a show though.