Surviving Minnesota!

[I Love Layers]

I thoight the state vet was a guy? Cuz they had the state vet at a 4H thing last year and it was a guy? Unless there is a couple of them for each zone?

I know the vet we get in SW north Dakota, for 4H is a guy

 

[MNChickMom]

Chicks have arrived! They all got a drink and before I could give everyone their individual inspection the first ones found the food. Hopefully, that is a good sign.

Not such a great experience with Hoover's Hatchery though......they automatically substituted 12 of my son's Plymouth Barred Rocks with Asian Blues. Minor detail except that these Barred Rocks are his 4H project and Asian Blue are not certified by the APA yet. Can't wait for poop to hit the fan when he sees them after school. They also sent a 2 toed Black Laced Wyndotte. I have placed a call to Hoover's....Can anyone recommend who to speak to there or what to do next? Thanks to @duluthralphie we may have a back up plan.

 

[duluthralphie]

thanks....i am going to try this way of feeding them. I have a tractor for them and if it ever warms up i will get them outside . What kind of food do you give them? I have Organic chicken starter grower. I would love your recipe for feed. And obviously you are close to me so where do you get the stuff for your feed? I think i will ferment feed and give it to them late afternoon/early evening after they have been out all day roaming. I know they will kill themselves eating so to limit their food intake. Like i said, fermented feed fills them up (makes sense), they get water from the feed (in addition to their water) and it forms their poop better. thanks

I just buy the stuff from Martie's in Elk River. I use their starter then go to their grower. I use the mash they make. I know I can mix the fines with water and re-feed it

The guy at Marties is the one that told me all the problems I would have if I did not feed their 22% stuff the whole time. I suppose it depends on how long you plan to keep them before sending them to freezer camp.

I do not use Fermented Feed. I know if I say what I think about Fermented feed, it would cause problems here so I keep it to myself. Just know when you ferment feed you are converting carb, Calories and sugars to alcohol taking it out of the mixture increasing the protein percentage... I think everyone agrees fermenting increases protein percentage, it is the how people dispute.

 

[holm25]

Chicks have arrived! They all got a drink and before I could give everyone their individual inspection the first ones found the food. Hopefully, that is a good sign. Not such a great experience with Hoover's Hatchery though......they automatically substituted 12 of my son's Plymouth Barred Rocks with Asian Blues. Minor detail except that these Barred Rocks are his 4H project and Asian Blue are not certified by the APA yet. Can't wait for poop to hit the fan when he sees them after school. They also sent a 2 toed Black Laced Wyndotte. I have placed a call to Hoover's....Can anyone recommend who to speak to there or what to do next? Thanks to @duluthralphie we may have a back up plan.

Glad they r healthy! I always go with Meyer hatchery and they always called and made sure it was ok to switch breeds. Idk who to talk to there... Ralph or Klop might though.

 

[KlopKlop]

Chicks have arrived! They all got a drink and before I could give everyone their individual inspection the first ones found the food. Hopefully, that is a good sign.

Not such a great experience with Hoover's Hatchery though......they automatically substituted 12 of my son's Plymouth Barred Rocks with Asian Blues. Minor detail except that these Barred Rocks are his 4H project and Asian Blue are not certified by the APA yet. Can't wait for poop to hit the fan when he sees them after school. They also sent a 2 toed Black Laced Wyndotte. I have placed a call to Hoover's....Can anyone recommend who to speak to there or what to do next? Thanks to @duluthralphie we may have a back up plan.

Every time I have called or emailed Hoover's i have talked to alicia. this is the same one that gave me the 'oops we got busy and forgot to email you' line

I know this is peak time for them but substituting a breed sounds like crap to me, especially if they didnt refund you for the BRs or ask you first. I am very sad to see hoovers customer service tanking...

 

[KlopKlop]

I have been working on my corn grinder today and have to run to town in a bit. I called my pooch who was out ranging around with the flock and lo and behold she is covered tip to tail in POOP! i dont know what it is from or where she found it but dear lord does she smell! i guess we are going to have to hop in the shower before i leave for town. Darned pup! i love her to bits so i can't even get mad at her!

 

[I Love Layers]

Chicks have arrived! They all got a drink and before I could give everyone their individual inspection the first ones found the food. Hopefully, that is a good sign. Not such a great experience with Hoover's Hatchery though......they automatically substituted 12 of my son's Plymouth Barred Rocks with Asian Blues. Minor detail except that these Barred Rocks are his 4H project and Asian Blue are not certified by the APA yet. Can't wait for poop to hit the fan when he sees them after school. They also sent a 2 toed Black Laced Wyndotte. I have placed a call to Hoover's....Can anyone recommend who to speak to there or what to do next? Thanks to @duluthralphie we may have a back up plan.

That's why I order from Murray McMurray. They will ask you if you are ok if they substitute chicks in

 

[I Love Layers]

Chicks have arrived! They all got a drink and before I could give everyone their individual inspection the first ones found the food. Hopefully, that is a good sign. Not such a great experience with Hoover's Hatchery though......they automatically substituted 12 of my son's Plymouth Barred Rocks with Asian Blues. Minor detail except that these Barred Rocks are his 4H project and Asian Blue are not certified by the APA yet. Can't wait for poop to hit the fan when he sees them after school. They also sent a 2 toed Black Laced Wyndotte. I have placed a call to Hoover's....Can anyone recommend who to speak to there or what to do next? Thanks to @duluthralphie we may have a back up plan.

Where do you live? I have 2 barred rock hens I may need to get rid of

 

[MNChickMom]

Great News....Rose at Hoover's is going to send a new order of my son's Barred Rock and a "few extra" Silver Laced Wyndotte next week. But she did play the game 20 questions about why he could not show a Non - APA certified breed for 4H. I had to explain that he is judged on a set of breed standards.

"Ummmm honey...we are going to need to put an addition on to the coop." Chicken Math is working already.

 

[lilbear412]

I just buy the stuff from Martie's in Elk River. I use their starter then go to their grower. I use the mash they make. I know I can mix the fines with water and re-feed it

The guy at Marties is the one that told me all the problems I would have if I did not feed their 22% stuff the whole time. I suppose it depends on how long you plan to keep them before sending them to freezer camp.

I do not use Fermented Feed. I know if I say what I think about Fermented feed, it would cause problems here so I keep it to myself. Just know when you ferment feed you are converting carb, Calories and sugars to alcohol taking it out of the mixture increasing the protein percentage... I think everyone agrees fermenting increases protein percentage, it is the how people dispute.

I actually went to the St. Francis Marties and got the organic grower mash. Because i have 6 pullets that are 11 weeks old i still have starter..plenty of it... but i am not sure about fermenting the mash. i am not crazy about the idea..i might just give them fermented feed (seed form) a couple times a week but stick with the mash i bought. thanks for the info...