Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Sallysec]

Hey Lindz, I would worry about the fat content....especially in the hot weather. I know I read that the one thing that chickens really cant have too much of is fat or artificial sweeteners. I wouldn't do it based on what I have read.

but hopefully someone else answers with experience.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Hey Lindz, I would worry about the fat content....especially in the hot weather. I know I read that the one thing that chickens really cant have too much of is fat or artificial sweeteners. I wouldn't do it based on what I have read.

but hopefully someone else answers with experience.

I will handle this one. We can have all the PIE we can consume but go heavy on the scratch and meal worms.

 

[lindz8504]

Alright this is probably going to be a pretty long post, just to warn everyone!

I will handle this one. We can have all the PIE we can consume but go heavy on the scratch and meal worms.



OK, here is what I did..... I had about a cup of hamburger grease, 2 TBS of peanut butter, cup of layer pellets, 2 cups oatmeal, and about 3/4-1 cup of bird seed with BOSS, and a good squeeze of honey. Mixed it all up and put it in a container in the freezer.... Should I wait til it gets cooler to give it to them or just go ahead?

Today was a rough day around here! I decided early on in my chicken keeping adventure to free range. I knew that eventually I would lose a chicken here and there. I let everyone out at about 9:30 this morning, and they were all fine. I noticed that Doodle and Bertha weren't out there around lunch time. I couldn't go looking for them then because I couldn't leave the kids alone and go traipsing through the woods. When Hubby got home, he went walking in the woods to see if he could find them. H found doodle across the creek in a pile of feathers. We never found Bertha. In amongst hunting for her, I walked by the chicks coop and they were really agitated. I looked in and found my little cockerel dead! Hubby got to looking and saw this............





The two pullet chicks were tramatized, and I had to catch them before we could deal with the snake. I think it was a rat snake, but not really sure. Since it had killed a chick and plus Hubby can't stand snakes, he shot it with a shot gun. I put the two girls into a dog crate in the big coop until we can work on the smaller brooder coop and make it more snake/critter proof! Clarabelle played musical nest boxes for a little while today... I hope that the eggs will still be ok and hatch! I would love to get a rooster out of the bunch since both of mine were killed today. One of the rouges may possibly be a Roo, but I am not sure. Even if it is, it runs from all the other chickens, even the smaller cochin chicks! If they do happen to get close it pecks and screeches at the other chickens. So, unless hormones take control, he wouldn't do me much good anyway. I have considered calling the guy that I got Doodle and the girls from and seeing if he has another cochin rooster.... I guess I have a few options, but haven't really decided what to do. I am hoping that Bertha was just scared and hid somewhere for the night and will show back up tomorrow, but I am not really anticipating that. I guess me and Hubby are going to build a run this weekend and only let them free range under supervision.



RIP Doodle!

 

[cheeka]

omg lindz! SNAKE

I'da chopped it to bits if it got my chick... don't blame your hubby for blasting it! as for your cakes, seriously... it's not an everyday item. give it to them, don't stress... use it for fun. and next time use it in the freezing weather. I still say frozen would make a fun treat.

 

[cheeka]

on the old timers thread, they called that stuff "liquid gold" for their flocks... all the skimmed fats were used in feeds

 

[cheeka]

She just not happy unless she torturing holding somebody.

13 Eggs today. Perty darned happy 'bout that!

 

[lindz8504]

She just not happy unless she torturing holding somebody.

13 Eggs today. Perty darned happy 'bout that!

She is adorable Cheeka!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

lindz, what a bummer about Doodle and the others lost.

Little unnerving to find a snake in the nest box. Odd to happen all on one day.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

She just not happy unless she torturing holding somebody.

13 Eggs today. Perty darned happy 'bout that!

Sign that girl up for 4H or FFA! College scholarships are available.

 

[lindz8504]

lindz, what a bummer about Doodle and the others lost.  :/    Little unnerving to find a snake in the nest box.  Odd to happen all on one day.

It was a little nerve wracking. I am just glad I wasn't getting eggs out of that coop. I expected to lose some along the way but didn't expect it to all happen in one day.