The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[getaclue]

The threads I read about it, were emphasizing how much cheaper it was, while providing balanced nutrition, better than some commercial feeds. Cheaper being the keyword.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hmm, I guess I have no clue what a cecal poop is either. I see see chicken poop, half white, half dark. I've heard the term but again didn't pay no mind to it, nor really know what it is.

My chickens poop smell like poop, I had never found it offensive but I grew up on and owned a dairy farm, now cow poop stinks.

Considering how many birds I feed, over 100, I don't feed that much, especially in warmer months. My feed usage does double in winter. FF would freeze solid within an hour around here. I've fed moistened warm mash in winter so I know it's a short window before it's a block of ice.

Thank you @Pyxis . Good information.

@getaclue thankfully I don't currently need to worry about cheaper, I prefer easier these days.

 

[getaclue]

Pyxis, I have to wholeheartedly agree with you. During Irma, I had 14 chickens in my garage for 2.5 days. No open windows, no open garage door, a fan for air circulation.
There was a little odor the second day, but it was not stinky. Nothing like dog pooh, or a cat litter box. What exactly are they feeding their chickens that the pooh would be that stinky, or could it be their chickens need worming? I show my birds, and one of the things they judge is the sheen, and the color of the sheen. Not a dull feather in the flock. My bird's feathers glisten. A little research on anti-nutrients reveals they are not harmful, and can actually be beneficial. They've become a buzz word for "experts" to scare, and sell products to combat anti-nutrients to gullible people. As to toxins, Google toxins in corn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin This is a good read. https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/Corn/corn001.htm This is even more informative. It does sound like the FDA has a pretty good handle on it.

On another note: I buy cheap cat food, mackerel, and sometimes canned meats that are on sale, and feed a little, not a whole lot at a time, to my chickens when they're in molt. That way they get some animal protein.

 

[getaclue]

Ok, I have to admit, it's the "cheaper" thing that got to me. Not in a good way. Far too many wanting chickens, and/or other animals, either don't bother finding out what their needs are, or know but can't really afford those needs, so they want to cut corners. Cutting too many corners is bad. Some corners should never be cut. To top it off, not only are they cutting corners, but don't stop increasing the number of animals, when they've reached too many to properly care for, within their budget.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Ok, I have to admit, it's the "cheaper" thing that got to me. Not in a good way. Far too many wanting chickens, and/or other animals, either don't bother finding out what their needs are, or know but can't really afford those needs, so they want to cut corners. Cutting too many corners is bad. Some corners should never be cut. To top it off, not only are they cutting corners, but don't stop increasing the number of animals, when they've reached too many to properly care for, within their budget.

Too many people complaining they can't feed their animals properly. That is the question, why have them than?

 

[getaclue]

Exactly

 

[speckledhen]

The idea that it produces B vitamins is not exactly true, according to some studies. It depletes some vitamins. And no waste? I have folks who have told me differently, that it molds quickly and must be tossed if not eaten. This "it's all good, nothing is bad" is a flat out LIE. And to defend it to the death, so to speak, is plain old stupid.
I found this article, not related to chickens, per se, but it does bring into question some of the claims:
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/fermented-foods/the-harmful-effects-of-fermented-foods.html

As far as poop smelling, my barn doesn't smell. The only smell really is after days of heavy rain and they have not been able to go outside, the dampness raises the smell factor, but it's still not a truly bad smell. I have five windows, fans blowing, etc, plenty of air flow in there, especially when the two end doors are open.
Cecal poop is that butterscotch-colored stuff that they poop every so often that does have a nasty smell to it, but it's not all the time.
I have a barn spray that I make, mostly water, a couple teaspoons of castile soap and quite a few drops of things some essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender and something called Thrive that has cinnamon and clove and some other stuff in it. It is a very mild thing that I just spritz around. Seems to keep the flies at the exit areas.

As far as feather quality, have you seen the feathers on my old ladies? I mean, really! Look at 10 yr old Gypsy! My Barred Rock girls shine, super soft feathers, all of them. I feed dry feed. Occasionally, they get plain yogurt and/or some scrambled eggs, but not every week. They get greens when they free range, but they don't get out there every day.

 

[speckledhen]

@getaclue thankfully I don't currently need to worry about cheaper, I prefer easier these days.

Me, too, Lisa. I am still thrifty with my money, but "work smarter, not harder" is my motto now. My birds have superior feather quality and good energy, they produce up into their senior years, albeit at reduced rates, so why should I be looking for something different? The feed they've been on for years is doing the trick.

 

[speckledhen]

You know, I just realized that I actually use a Purina feed too - what they call "meat bird", it's a 22% protein feed that's really nice for ducklings, goslings, and keets, and probably poults too but I like to use a real turkey starter for them which has 26% protein. That one actually has the nice smell, I wonder if they make it differently? It's the only Purina feed I use - I've tried their layer and chick starter before and just was not impressed. It does have a weird smell to it.

You may be right that it's different. I do remember using the Game Bird Starter/Grower and it didn't smell like their chick starter did. I like the Tucker Milling 22% Super Layer, though the last time Tom went, they were out and he had to get a bag of 16%, but I'll get a new bag of 22% (they are rarely out) and mix it so they'll get an average of the two. I don't mind my older hens getting slightly lower protein, being mostly non-productive, except when they molt.

 

[speckledhen]

In back to back posts one of the FF people arguing in there said that they know the difference between good yogurt and moldy yogurt, yogurt being a fermented food, then came back and said that fermented foods don't mold because of the microbes that populate it during fermentation. So, which one is it?

You can't argue with them.

I beg to differ with the "fermented feeds don't mold". A very smart lady who subscribes to my YouTube, I think I quoted her, said her lacto-fermented feed did mold and she did not see any advantage to it whatsoever, it was too much work to make up a messy slop for chickens and they either overate, or what they did not eat had to be tossed out because it would mold. Think about it. If they don't eat it, it has to be thrown out. How can that save anything? You can't leave that stuff out like you can dry food. They throw dry food on the floor and they can eat it off the floor later. You can scoop it up, blow out some of the shavings and put it back in their feeder! You absolutely cannot do that with wet and/or fermented feed. Seems an obvious thing to leave out when pushing the FF fad, doesn't it?

Yogurt is lacto fermented, not continuing to process. That is the example these people are throwing at me, too. Yeast fermented is what a lot of these people are doing, as Leahs Mom said, and they are feeding that putrid mess to their birds. Birds will eat moldy, or beginning to mold, feed if that is all they have in front of them. They are not going to starve themselves.