Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

Thank you! And yes I will definety keep you guys updated! so excited to see what comes out !

This link will be a good reference.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Hi everyone!

I have a question about all chickens!

Why do they open their mouths and act like they are gulping in air to swallow when a breeze of any sort hits them in the face?

TC

 

[subhanalah]

Hi everyone!

I have a question about all chickens!

Why do they open their mouths and act like they are gulping in air to swallow when a breeze of any sort hits them in the face?

TC

I just thought my chickens were trying to cool down. Maybe they can smell in their mouths like snakes and cats?

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

Yes these are mine. 1 kg becomes 5 kg once it has sprouted, the horses aren't that keen on it but the chooks and goats love it.

just wondering how everyone grows their fodder/sprouts? I've tried before but it was kinda a failure!

 

[blipit007]

So sorry but last year my breeder moved to the Midwest to get out of heavy snow country in VT.  None too soon as right after her move the East Coast got hit with that lousy blizzard weather this last winter!

Snow is an understatement! I don't blame you'r breeder!

I feed mine Nutrena Feather Fixer and mix some 5-grain scratch.  I tried 11 grain scratch, put they pick and choose, waste a lot..The Feather Fixer has small pellets.   I haven't noticed any feather difference in the Feather Fixer.  I use it to put weight on them, and the "mite technology" seems to work.  I've seen less mites with it.  I haven't tried other Nutrena variations, but they might have the smaller pellets like Feather Fixer does.

I just bought this feather fixer. Is this what you are saying has the mite tech? I threw out the bag already. It sounds great. Do you use the scratch mixed with the grain? Or just as a treat?

I recommend everyone take a look at the benefits of fermenting feed.
It increases immunity and resistance to parasites, helps gut flora and fauna, increases the ability of the body to absorb nutrients as well as increasing the bio-availability of nutrients while decreasing anti-nutrients.

From a more economical standpoint, it reduces feed waste and reduces feed consumption with more nutrients being absorbed with less feed.

From a practicality standpoint, as long as you mix it dry enough, even one day old chick's can eat it, whether you buy pellets or crumbles, it all breaks down in the fermented feed, so it doesn't matter which you get. Even the fines in the food get used.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

I'd like to try this. Haven't looked at your link yet, but every other link I ever saw gave a recipe for like 50 birds. I only have five. Still would like yo try.

just wondering how everyone grows their fodder/sprouts? I've tried before but it was kinda a failure!

Me too. I saw someone puts seeds in a mason jar for a week to sprout. But not sure where I saw that link.

 

[blipit007]

I have the opportunity to get 2 SQ & 2 BQ porcelains. (1 SQ pullet and 2 yo SQ cock bird. 1 BQ 2 yo hen and 1 BQ cockerel). I really am interested in the 2 SQ's. I'll post photos. My other option is to get a few 1 month old chicks from an awesome well known breeder of assorted colors. My goal is to show. Let me know your opinions.

Here is the BQ & SQ females. And the SQ cock. Photos are not mine. Given to me from the breeder.

 

[Teila]

So I am now a new chicken junkie totally addicted! I used to be a professional horse trainer...can you imagine what I could do with this set up?

Yep, I can imagine what you could do with that set up .... disassemble it, ship it over to my place and reassemble it! lol .... Beautiful, I want it! lolz

 

[Fancychooklady]

just wondering how everyone grows their fodder/sprouts? I've tried before but it was kinda a failure!

I went to the $2 shop and bought one of those cheap plastic 4 x draw filing cabinets, drilled 1/2 doz holes in the bottoms of the top 3. X drawers and placed down the side of the shed, in the warm sun. A 20 kg bag of barley costs me $10-$12 . I found one of those stainless steel pasta colainders that sits inside a slightly bigger bucket at vinnies for $2 . I half fill the colainder with barley pop it inside the bucket fill the bucket with water loosening with my fingers as I go. I leave it to soak overnight , lift the colainder out and rinse the starch off the barley the next day. Spread the seed out in the bottom of the trays in about an inch deep layer.
I keep a watering can filled close by and water the top tray twice a day. For the first few days I run my fingers threw the seed as I am watering, this stops the seed from becoming mucky and smelly. Takes 6-7 days from woe to go. Be careful though cause like chickens it can become a little addictive..

 

[CarsonOrps]

I feed mine barley sprouts in the winter.

We call this fodder here..maybe there too? I use wheat..this looks very nice...did you do these?

fodder/sprouting is different than fermenting grain based feeds. I do love giving mine spouts though, it's very good for them.

Yes these are mine. 1 kg becomes 5 kg once it has sprouted, the horses aren't that keen on it but the chooks and goats love it.

I tried that for awhile and my animals loved it I'm gonna start more soon I hope!

 

[Cynthia12]

Hey! I've been keepin up with this thread, it's very popular so I gunna ask you guys

it's not about silkies but it's about eggs!
So I put about 24 eggs in the bator, possibly some silkies, I got them from a friend so I'm not sure what breeds are here...

so I have an egg turner, I've searched through forums and seen that you should place then pointy side down, is this true???
I put them that way bc most ppl said that's the way they were

There's some greenish blue eggs in there too

I have added more bantam eggs in there too lol

So, here you have two saying..yep, pointy end down...Good Luck with your hatch!