Silkie thread!

[Mumsy]

Maybe that's what was on the top if the feed. I was making it but the last batches Had the whiteish stuff on it. I was just afraid it was bad. I'll check the ingredients on the bag. All I know us that the chickens love it and I'm using way to much feed not making it. Where do you get the herbs and pumpkin seeds for them?

That's what I was thinking maybe you were seeing. The more hours the mash sits undisturbed, the thicker that bloom gets. I added fresh feed to my chick bowl and the larger flocks bucket last night before I went to bed. After twelve hours over night you can just barely see the bloom started on them both. If I let them sit another twelve hours it would be really pronounced. I stir with a big wooden spoon or spatula before scooping out what I need to strain. While it strains, I get dressed and have a cup of coffee. Then out to the barn I go.

I buy three pound bags of dried pumpkin seed in the wild bird and squirrel section at the feed store. Once a week I put a cup into my old blender and grind it. I keep it in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Whenever I refresh the ferment, I shake some in. I never measure. The cheapest place I can find the powdered garlic, cayenne, and oregano is at the dollar store. I have to drive forty miles to mine. I stock up when I go. I just shake it into the ferment. Some folks can get a better deal buying it in bulk at the big warehouse stores. I don't have one of those on my island.


Pumpkin seed lists 30% protein.

I love the way it smells whens it's ground.

My fermented bowl and bucket are in the house until it gets warmer in the barn. I love the garlic-y smell of it. My husband doesn't mind the smell. He will be glad when they go out to the barn though.

When I stir the big bucket, I love the aroma! Maybe I'm weird that way.




My week old Catdance chicks attacking their fermented feed. They fight over the little pumpkin and oregano bits they find.


Part of my free range flock filling up on their ration of fermented feed. Three bantam RIR pullets, six twelve week old Johnny babies, and the two moms of the Johnny babies. They will have these pans licked clean in no time.

 

[Feathersprings]

oh goody =) I want her to hatch some from her and toulouse's pairing! I have someone who has a few in the incubator, but she said only 2 looked like they were growing out of 7 (that was my first attempt at collecting them) I will have to ask her if they are still doing well.

I hope you get some good ones I have a bunch of white and a couple partridge eggs in my incubator and am hoping to get a decent hatch this time.

 

[aoxa]

That's what I was thinking maybe you were seeing. The more hours the mash sits undisturbed, the thicker that bloom gets. I added fresh feed to my chick bowl and the larger flocks bucket last night before I went to bed. After twelve hours over night you can just barely see the bloom started on them both. If I let them sit another twelve hours it would be really pronounced. I stir with a big wooden spoon or spatula before scooping out what I need to strain. While it strains, I get dressed and have a cup of coffee. Then out to the barn I go.

I buy three pound bags of dried pumpkin seed in the wild bird and squirrel section at the feed store. Once a week I put a cup into my old blender and grind it. I keep it in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Whenever I refresh the ferment, I shake some in. I never measure. The cheapest place I can find the powdered garlic, cayenne, and oregano is at the dollar store. I have to drive forty miles to mine. I stock up when I go. I just shake it into the ferment. Some folks can get a better deal buying it in bulk at the big warehouse stores. I don't have one of those on my island.


Pumpkin seed lists 30% protein.

I love the way it smells whens it's ground.

My fermented bowl and bucket are in the house until it gets warmer in the barn. I love the garlic-y smell of it. My husband doesn't mind the smell. He will be glad when they go out to the barn though.

When I stir the big bucket, I love the aroma! Maybe I'm weird that way.




My week old Catdance chicks attacking their fermented feed. They fight over the little pumpkin and oregano bits they find.


Part of my free range flock filling up on their ration of fermented feed. Three bantam RIR pullets, six twelve week old Johnny babies, and the two moms of the Johnny babies. They will have these pans licked clean in no time.

Of course there is always one little bratty kid that likes to eat while standing IN the trough. I had a EE pullet who would jump on the bucket and ride the trolly all the way to the feeders.. perched on the edge.

 

[crystal10asee]

I've never had my ff go moldy. Even when it sits in the pan a couple days in the barn. If it comes from a really good ferment, a bloom will develop over it. This is not mold but the active ferment. I can't imagine it getting moldy in that short amount of time unless you live in a very warm tropical climate. I usually feed my birds in the morning. They don't get more feed of any kind until that morning  FF in their dish is gone. If you have feed left over in their dish, you are giving them too much. Once chickens get used to eating this, they eat less than what you would feed them dry. That's one of the beauties of feeding FF. It takes less feed and allows  your birds more nutrition from what they do eat. Sometimes it seems like they aren't eating enough but they won't starve themselves. They are getting a nice full crop with the FF and you use less feed in the process. Feeding treats to chickens is like giving candy to children. If they fill up on treats, they won't want to eat the good as much. Treats for my birds are once in a while. When they get them, they really enjoy them. But treats are not part of their nutritional intake. They are treats. Once every few days or so. Not every day. Just like when I would give my children a chocolate bar. I didn't count that as part of their every day food intake. It was an occasional goodie.
The idea for me is this. I want my money to go as far towards  feeding my layers, breeders, chicks, and show birds as it will go. Giving my birds the best chance at health, fertility,  and good nutrition. A benefit to that is the gorgeous lush feathers they grow and the vitality they have in the breeding pens. I scooped dry crumble out of a bag and fed chickens with it for decades as is. And for decades I had just so so results. The way I'm feeding them now is giving me spectacular results.

mumsy,could you post some pic of ur birds? Any of them ,but I really want to see ur silkies.I'm dying for some.I have 2 roo's but they are not of quality and I think one is a cross.too many hard feathers and a straight comb.the other has a very large almost gross looking comb,although walnut.and footfeathering is not good either.etc....

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

When fermenting a larger amount of mash, the double bucket system makes it easier to keep the mash back slopped with the ferment juice.

Ingrediant's I use to make Fermented Feed for my layer flock or keep them healthy. Cod Liver oil gell caps and eye droppers for ailing birds.Bag balm for my chapped hands.

My double bucket system. Smaller bucket with holes allows the fermenting liquid to freely back slosh the mash.

The mash in the inner bucket. I stir every day. I add fresh crumble every other day. Think about how you would make sour dough bread starter. You need to feed the ferment. It starts to go bad when it sits too long. Like more than four or five days without fresh.

Very informative nd the fact you added pictures, really wants me to give it a try. It looks pretty easy. Thanks

So now the one silkie I have left is 14 weeks old. I still think girl but again, I don't know for sure. Seems to be getting girlier in the face, but acts like a boy! Maybe she's a tomboy

Many pictures..

















and Hope - the frizzled silkie (dad was 1st generation sizzle, so her foot feathering is very poor, and she has no beard!) But her crest is very good. She has a vaulted skull. For a non-bearded she has a good big crest.

Very cute! and as usual I love your pictures!

Baby got Back

Nice girl!

Nori is back to laying normally

Just looked because she was nesting and found a perfect little egg under her. Hoping she will collect a few and go broody. Should I just leave it in there for her to collect a clutch of them? Ice is also in there with her, I tried taking her out but Nori got upset her friend was leaving so I had to put her back.

Yeah! I am so glad she is doing ok!

How long will she be fertile if I removed my rooster last sunday and she had only had one egg since then(excluding the one today)?

I will say 3 weeks.

 

[Suzierd]

Ok thanks. Does the stainless steel react to the vinegar? I just looked up stainless steel fermentation tank and found that companies use stainless steel tanks to brew beer. Seems like it would be safe then for fermented feed. Is there something I'm not aware of that makes stainless steel a poor decision? Thanks.

The high acid content of the FF can interact with the metals and cause contamination of the feed.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-fermented-feed-part-3-of-3.html

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Do you guys remembered my girl with the mystery disease? Well she is not improving after treating her for so long. I kept bathing her, treating her for mites and even though her skin isn't as bad as it used to be, she is still struggling. However, now I am very concerned because for the past two days I have seen blood coming out her vent. I know it is not coccidia, but I was thinking it might be an overload of Adams/ frontline, etc..... Will that be possible? She is eating and moving around like nothing is wrong with her, but obviously it is just an illusion. I am thinking on giving up on her after more than 3 months of trying to fix her. I just don't know what else I can possibly do for her. The blood in her vent scares me and makes me realize something more serious is going on. It makes me mad not to know I am not able to help her out and not be able to put a name on her disease. I have spent hours and hours researching but I have never seen a case like her. Therefore, I will probably put her down sometime this week.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Do you guys remembered my girl with the mystery disease? Well she is not improving after treating her for so long. I kept bathing her, treating her for mites and even though her skin isn't as bad as it used to be, she is still struggling. However, now I am very concerned because for the past two days I have seen blood coming out her vent. I know it is not coccidia, but I was thinking it might be an overload of Adams/ frontline, etc..... Will that be possible? She is eating and moving around like nothing is wrong with her, but obviously it is just an illusion. I am thinking on giving up on her after more than 3 months of trying to fix her. I just don't know what else I can possibly do for her. The blood in her vent scares me and makes me realize something more serious is going on. It makes me mad not to know I am not able to help her out and not be able to put a name on her disease. I have spent hours and hours researching but I have never seen a case like her. Therefore, I will probably put her down sometime this week.

Have you thought of an allergy? Possibly to corn or soy? They have corn and soy free foods, but I don't know if you want to spend the money to order it specifically for her adn the work to keep her away from the rest

Where are you located again? I need a black and would take her for you but I don't know how far you are.

edit: nvm your in CA, so unless your willing to ship I obviously can't help

 

[fluffyfeathers]

That page was very informative. Thank you.

The high acid content of the FF can interact with the metals and cause contamination of the feed.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-fermented-feed-part-3-of-3.html

 

[Sanna]

So now the one silkie I have left is 14 weeks old. I still think girl but again, I don't know for sure. Seems to be getting girlier in the face, but acts like a boy! Maybe she's a tomboy

Don't you just hate the age when they're almost old enough to sex, but not quite?? lol Both of them are very cute.

What is the font called you used for Hope's name in this picture??

I am wanting to get my cousins silkies to show at fair and was wondering how big they would be in 5 mOnths? If I get them as chicks now

I personally would wait until they were at least 6 months old to show.
The size of the chicks 5 months from now all depends on how old the chicks, that you're planning on getting, are now?

Nori is back to laying normally

Just looked because she was nesting and found a perfect little egg under her. Hoping she will collect a few and go broody. Should I just leave it in there for her to collect a clutch of them? Ice is also in there with her, I tried taking her out but Nori got upset her friend was leaving so I had to put her back.

Good news!