Sdwd

[Serrin]

Quote:
Nope! Don't use that Nick! Cypress contains oils that can be harmful to the chicks. You'd be much better off with plain old pine shavings. Pine shavings also break down much faster in the compost heap. Cypress and Cedar take forever due to the oils in them. This is why Cypress and Cedar are the wood of first choice for outdoor wood construction projects. The stuff is nearly indestructible when it comes to weather related rot.

You might want to check into some of the paper based kitty litters that you can find at places like Petsmart and Petco. These are made from recycled newsprint. Very absorbent, non toxic, recyclable, and fairly effective at keeping their brooder smelling good.

But, if you're on a tight budget, I suppose pine shavings will serve admirably. It's what I've always used. Some will argue that pine shavings are bad for young chicks. All I know is that from my own experience, I've never had a single problem with it, and my chicks have all grown up healthy and happy on it. Like anything, it's your own level of diligence in keeping their environment clean and as near to dust free as you can, that is going to be the determining factor in how well your chick-chicks do.

Remember, they're counting on you!

 

[kathyinmo]

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Ya know what you need Amy? A Marans rooster for Maggie. That would make her pretty green egg darker, an Olive Egger!

By the way .... I found an interesting article on Flaxseed ....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504124740.htm

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Ya know what you need Amy? A Marans rooster for Maggie. That would make her pretty green egg darker, an Olive Egger!

By the way .... I found an interesting article on Flaxseed ....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504124740.htm

HA! I have been arguing that point on this place for over 2 years and finally gave up. I already knew the great properties of flaxseed and have been mixing them in my girls' food from the time they went off chick starter about 8 - 10 weeks old. HA! It helps with their molting too.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
HA! I have been arguing that point on this place for over 2 years and finally gave up. I already knew the great properties of flaxseed and have been mixing them in my girls' food from the time they went off chick starter about 8 - 10 weeks old. HA! It helps with their molting too.

I know you have! I thought you would like the article!

 

[Serrin]

Kathy, you stumble upon the darnedest things!

It's just part of why I love you!

Very interesting reading. And Cetawin, you say there are other benefits from feeding flax? Such as? How often are you feeding your flock flax? [say that one ten times fast!

] How much? Please ladies, don't just leave me hanging like that! I need more information!

Although, I'll admit, I'm already curious enough to contact Del's and see if they either have it or can get it in for me. I'd so love to start concocting my own mix of dry grains and such for my chicken children. It would just have to be better than anything made by the big feed companies. What is it with them that they feel everything has to be processed to the hilt?

 

[PepsNick]

Wow, Amy! Thanks for telling me- glad Chief is back with his girls!

 

[Cetawin]

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Amy, flaxseeds are high is Omega 3s which aides the skin, feathers, body weight and so forth. With the exception of 5 girls just recently, my girls have never had a bad molt or a long molt. I am looking for a source for whole flaxseed here locally becuase they get expensive buying by the pound. What the girls eat (all the time) is a mix of:

50# Layer Crumble
8-10# whole flaxseed
5# Rolled Oats
10# whole Red Winter Wheat Berries
10# Scratch (corn or a grain mix version)
5# Oat or Wheat Bran

I just mix it all together and fill the feeder.

Since moving I am playing with the mix because of finding local suppliers. But, the girls like it better and they look better when I mix their food with the good stuff in it. Right now they eat most layer pellets, rolled oats, scratch grains, flaxseed mixed ... they also get a little of Jo's sweet grains as a treat....I just toss a handful or two out for them a couple times per week because of the molasses in it.


Amy this mill will ship to you and they carry tons of good stuff...food grade quality for human consumption... 25# flaxseeds delivered to washington $51.00.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/buy_flax_order_brown_flax_purchase_bulk_flax.aspx

 

[NellaBean]

Alright kids, I hit up TSC last night and got 6 new bales of shavings.....hit up the one feed store today and got 4 bags of scratch. I am ready to rock and roll! I switched the two older batches of chicks from starter crumble to the pelleted 22% I feed my big birds as of this morning....that should fatten them up nice and easy. This last batch of crumble is half powder, what a mess. I think I will use it to make some warm mashes or something.

My blue brahma/cochin rooster is being a jerk.....so I am considering sending him to become a kabob along with 13 of the 14 young boys I have leaving in a month or two.....and picking one special boy to stay around here. I can't help but like that huge cochin/giant rooster I have coming up.

There has been some obvious changing of the guards recently. My head flock rooster was last one out of the coop this morning. He was actually still up on the roost in there after all the girls and other boys were out and about. I'm thinking he must have gotten his butt kicked recently and has dropped from Head Honcho down to 2nd from the bottom. Poor guy. Fortunately he is sold and just waiting to leave with his ladies, so I won't have to feel bad for him too terribly long. He was a great head rooster....very calm, very gentle to the girls and very mellow and fair. Now i have the three amigos running things around here which means everybody is fighting and squawking and having issues. Stupid roosters. I need to drop kick 1 or ALL and see if that works.

I'm going to go out this evening and clean all the garage brooders. Phew! It's 40ish degrees out, although all the snow is still around out back. Stupid shade. I need a sled to get the shavings down the hill I think. I'm going to bag up all the brooder mess and I guess carry it up the hill myself.......darn it.

My chickens are busy eating old pizza and pasta today. I got home and there was a chicken just waltzing around the front yard. She saw me backing the truck in and took off and made a flying leap over the fence back into the back yard. Smart bird!

 

[Cetawin]

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Sounds like my house....they were eating baked sweet potato and turkey burger leftovers just a bit ago. My ducks do that Nella...whenever it rains they run out into the road to play in the puddles and they see my truck and they haul butt to the house. I jump out and yell "BAd Ducks" and they take off around to the back of the house. hahahaha

 

[crazyhen]

Nella
You keep me laughing.

Yes the snow here has not melted and although my compost pile is below the coop, it is still a tiring walk with the coop cleannings down there. Don't you slip on that stuff. I have about 6 inches left after today. It got up to 40ish here too, today. I have the problem of disease for the first time this year in my flock. Clear runny nose in almost all of them. I am having the Npip guy lead me through it. They are on Antibiotics. I wonder if its the hay I brought in for them to snuggle in on the floor? Would that cause it? Even my sweet new 5 month old roo has it this morning.

I love those little fluffy butts of mine. Gloria Jean