Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Carolyn252]

Can any of you tell me if it's okay to feed raw, uncooked, brown rice to the chickens?

 

[goldeneggtees]

Wooo Hoooo! Ya done it goodly!! MUCH BETTER! It looks great. I love it. Can you make some that say "cluck, cluck, cluck" instead of "cock-a-doodle-doo" ? (For the non-rooster chickenkeepers.)

Eventually, I will Carolyn but that'll have to wait for next time!

 

[JerseyHen]

I love, love, love, the new design! My tshirt collection is going to need a new drawer this year. Maybe you can do some preordering? What is the sizing like? Unisex or womens/mens? I will need 3 of these (perfect gift item). Chickens, cool chicken people, support, caring, laughs, local small business shopping, new friends.I love this forum! Sorry, feeling very squishy today.

 

[Carolyn252]

Eventually, I will Carolyn but that'll have to wait for next time!

Cool. I hear ya.

 

[JerseyHen]

Can any of you tell me if it's okay to feed raw, uncooked, brown rice to the chickens?

The answer in this wiki answer page seems well reasoned. That is not to say that uncooked rice cannot carry a risk of crop impaction or some other issue, but I think too much of anything can do that to a chicken. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_chickens_explode_when_you_feed_them_uncooked_rice

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/237758/raw-rice-and-rice-grains-in-feed

and before someone tells you that it will swell and blow them up... 1 oz of uncooked rice and 2 oz of water = 3 oz, 3 oz of cooked rice = 3 oz. So the only way that it could happen is if they gorged themselves on rice, then drank enough water to expand the rice (which they won't have room for if they have an already full crop). Oh, and have any of you ever tried to get rice to absorb water without boiling it? Yeah, it takes weeks (will rot first). So, that gizzard of theirs will grind it up and process it before it has a chance to absorb water. Corn and all the other dry raw grains we feed also absorb water (some much more than rice). That said, rice has a less beneficial nutritional profile and should probably be treated as a treat. Just my 2 cents.

 

[JerseyHen]

This is pretty genius. I wish I found it before I planned my current set up. I might have to find a way to incorporate this plan. It is a large fenced area with a coop at the center front. Two fences run off the back of the coop to the surrounding fenced in area. This creates two yards on the sides of the coop and one small one in the back. chickens live on one side for a year, garden on the other (compost in the small yard), at the end of the year the chickens go to the other yard (just by opening a different pop door) and you till in the yard they were living in for next year's garden (along with the compost). Probably great for reducing the parasite load in the soil as well. I think I saw a design like this somewhere with 4 yards too, but didn't mention gardening in the others. Anyway, just thought I would share:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira44a.html

 

[goldeneggtees]

I love, love, love, the new design! My tshirt collection is going to need a new drawer this year. Maybe you can do some preordering? What is the sizing like? Unisex or womens/mens? I will need 3 of these (perfect gift item). Chickens, cool chicken people, support, caring, laughs, local small business shopping, new friends.I love this forum! Sorry, feeling very squishy today.

THX! Will you be at the show? They will be there. The shirts will be unisex and I will have s-xxl. Otherwise they are on my site as of this morning.

On a totally different subject, I got into a bit of a tiff this morning with my mom whom I NEVER argue with and she told me to go suck an egg and hung up on me.

 

[Imprfctme]

I love, love, love, the new design! My tshirt collection is going to need a new drawer this year. Maybe you can do some preordering? What is the sizing like? Unisex or womens/mens? I will need 3 of these (perfect gift item). Chickens, cool chicken people, support, caring, laughs, local small business shopping, new friends.I love this forum! Sorry, feeling very squishy today.

I hug you. SQUISH!

 

[JerseyHen]

THX! Will you be at the show? They will be there. The shirts will be unisex and I will have s-xxl. Otherwise they are on my site as of this morning.

On a totally different subject, I got into a bit of a tiff this morning with my mom whom I NEVER argue with and she told me to go suck an egg and hung up on me.

I am going to try to be at the show, but I am not sure if it will happen or not. Logistical stuff with the creatures, family, and a DH who works nights. Just got the other 2 today, can't wait to wear them!

I hug you. SQUISH!

Squish back.

 

[Imprfctme]

Donna, look what came in the mail today!!! So excited.







Ok so the photo booth camera flipped the images, but the point is, I am wearing all of it at once and it is all super cozy and comfy. This wide neck sweat shirt is especially awesome. I opened the mail package in front of my "Writing about Animals" friends, more on that later, and they all wanted your spreadshirt shop address.

My writing class friends are all these amazing women I met through a continuing ed course offered at Sarah Lawrence. My awesome teacher Katie is offering it again in the spring, and I will be signing up for it. If any of you have an interest in trying some creative writing, I highly recommend it. I told them all about the NE Poultry show, and my friend Linda said she was interested in seeing it. She is this incredible woman that has worked with chimpanzees her whole career, founded a sanctuary in Louisiana for them - she's pretty cool. So can I give her your names etc so she can come say hi at your shops?
This is the link to the writing course: http://nts.slc.edu/modules/shop/index.html?action=section&OfferingID=1569&SectionID=2950

I am trying to find someone to take all my hens at once, but it is not going as well as I had hoped. I may really have to ask you all to take one each. Sigh. I just don't think it would be fair to them to ship them, I can't imagine not losing at least one to illness.