San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[luvanimals2]

I think I am so confused. I always thought that the Alfalfa pellets were a dehydrated version.

Okay, when I am at the feed store, they have 3 types of bales. One that is green and very hard, another is like straw and the last one is hay I believe. They usually let me take whatever is on top for free since I use it for the nest boxes only. Sometimes, I give some of it to the rabbit.

Which one should I buy to give to the hens to eat?

My apologies for my ignorance.


Nancy

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

@ Kev, have you timed their crowing and if so how long do they crow for?

@ Sunny, hope your little chick continues to do well. It's darling!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

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What you're probably seeing is alfalfa (hard stalks with leafy greens), straw (yellow, looks like a straw if you look down the hollow stalk) and bermuda ( a grass hay, finer, light in color). You can feed them alfalfa and bermuda. I give mine either since I have it in the barn. They enjoy the leafy part of the alfalfa most. I rake out any left over stalks just because they get poopy. This morning I knew I was going to be gone all day so wouldn't be letting them out to free range. I scattered seeds in the run and shook some bermuda over it. They'll scratch to find the seeds then they'll work on the grass. My run is covered so it won't get moldy. I can leave it in there for several days, then I rake it out again because it gets poopy. Straw is used for bedding but they'll enjoy picking off any seeds found in it.

ETA: Here's a cute blog that talks about feeding alfalfa and alfalfa pellets to chickens:
http://seedyeggs.blogspot.com/2010/07/alfalfa-to-nourish-and-entertain-your.html

Allison

 

[Kev]

Quote:
I don't know either!

I just look and point at the greenest, leafiest bale and say that one, please! Never tried grass, have used straw to line coops prone to getting wet-they do not eat straw at all. Just walk on top, maybe scratch around a little bit in.

I like the more loosely packed hay, only because it falls apart easier- great for the birds to scratch or tug apart. If I get a really compacted hay bale, I loosen it up by hand.

My knowledge/experience doesn't extend beyond that..

p.s. thanks for the info, KKH. Why are some alfalfa hay more loosely packed, others packed so hard, almost need a chainsaw to get flakes off them? Also what's the difference between first cut, second cut etc? I have noticed some bales had big green leaves(the birds clearly like these the best), and some with tiny leaves.. does that have to do with the "cuts"?

 

[Kev]

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Only managed to time a crow once- it was 8 seconds & that was in the late evening. The other crows I caught seemed to be about the same length. Supposedly most of their longest crows are in the morning. I am not a morning person though..

They don't seem to crow very often, if it's because they're still young or naturally more quiet(infrequent crowers), I'm not sure. non-tomaru cockerels of similar age already are crowing fools...

btw, 8 seconds doesn't seem terribly long but that rooster was WALKING several feet at the same time!

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

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Sunny, I hope the little guy continues to do well. Could your heat lamp be too close to him? Is it adjustable?

Nancy

Its only a 45w bulb, and I've checked the temp with a thermometer. I'm going to pick up some different bulbs tomorrow to test out. In the meantime, my new incubator, that was supposed to be my hatcher, is his home... LOL. Oh well. Glad I have the extra one now so that my eggs aren't affected by the constant opening and closing to feed and water.

 

[SD_Paulo]

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Sorry to hear about the job loss. I hope you find something soon!

 

[SD_Paulo]

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He is a cute little bugger. It would be hard not to get attached. I am wishing him a speedy recovery.

 

[Phage]

Talking of alfalfa, hay etc.. they sell a lot at Mary's tack and feed in Del Mar, and there is almost always a lot on the ground around where the bales are stacked. I was told to help myself to what was on the ground as it just gets swept up and hauled away. So if you are passing and do not want to buy a whole bale you could just just bring a bag/box.

Fingers crossed for your little guy Sunny. Looks like you are doing a great job.
I have left weak chicks in the bator for up to 4 days before now, giving them a chance to get strong in an even temp/humidity environment.

 

[flower]

Kev, as far as bales, think of lettuce or any green leafy that you would eat. The first pick is the greenest, sweetest and most tender. The hard packed stuff has been cut, baled and sitting around for a while to dry out a bit. On a fruit tree or even tomatoes or potatoes, The first picked are the the most fresh, tender and tasty. If a mother goat throw one kid, it will be larger that if the mother throws two or three at each gestational period.

sorry, these are just rules of nature !