The Middle Tennessee Thread

[CityGirlintheCountry]

On the food front you might also try giving them yogurt. Mine love it and it seems to help when we are laying soft shells.

 

[believer01]

Jenski, the little lady who laid yesterdays should be coming on 1 now. When I bought them last year I asked for hens 4 - 12 mos old. Pretty sure that 2 are older (1 lays about 2 per week and has very pale legs) so I'm not sure. But Gypsy's legs were nekkid when she came here and about a month later a few feathers started to come in on them. She laid an egg her first day here; so I guess that puts her in her first year? She's always looked pretty ratty, her feathers are 'frayed' rather than neat like the others. I had one lady out to look at her last year but she only has silkies and didn't know what 'regular' feathers should look like.

It's been about 6 weeks since I saw the first soft shell egg. I scoop the poop from the sand floor every morning so it's not likely that I'd have missed one. Oh, wait - I had straw on top of the sand during the cold weather so I may have. But I still cleaned every am, it's just harder to see things in the straw.

I feed an organic 16% protein layer pellet from Kreamer. To raise their protein levels I use organic whole wheat as scratch, along with oat groats and shelled sunflower seeds (they're crazy over them). Every day they get something in the way of people food although they prefer grain or meat based dishes and will hardly eat veggies (including the pulp from the juicer). I've given cooked eggs; grind up or smash their egg shells, buttermilk or yogurt at least a couple times a week (made from raw organic milk). Water changed every other day unless it gets dirty. Thru the winter I kept a tonic of apple cider vinegar, burdock and garlic in it. After the first soft eggs I started using a powdered vit mix 2 days a week. Bout once a week I add a powdered probiotic to something.

There is oyster shell and grit in dishes in the coop and underneath it (protected from rain) where they like to lay around. I just don't see evidence of anyone eating much of either.

There's no vet around here that does fecal floats so I've only used a powdered herbal wormer. Wondering now if they need something stronger just this once? I've read where you can hurt them by using something strong the first time as they unload too much too quickly. Isn't there a wormer that only gets one type of worm, that can be followed with the more full spectrum wormer after a bit?

And should I use it on everyone? One other gal has had diarrhea for a couple months but looks just great otherwise.
Thanks again!

 

[believer01]

Holly - weather alert radio just called for a "Take cover immediately" for northern Wilson county for a Tornado Warning!

 

[HBuehler]

Thanks for the heads up

I'm pretty sure we saw that cloud mass while we were outside..it was awfully dark with a neat light show.Went to the East of us a wee little bit hardly got a drop of rain here all day.
Hope everyone had a great Easter with lots of cute new chick fluff and bunny fluff

. My Easter hatch is still hatching..now the procrastinators are at work 1 hatch and going to be 3 days in age difference.
CityGirl-there are always some I want to keep and usually keep those the longest so I can see what they are maturing into but most have to go or I can't keep hatching them.Some are really hard to see go.There are a few named pets that just get to stay no matter what

 

[HBuehler]

OK close neighbors or reasonably close neighbors I NEED some Silken Tofu all the stores in Lebanon seem to have stopped selling it..Soft won't work it must be that creamy silkie stuff .My husbands birthday is Tuesday and I promised him his favorite cake.The tofu needs to drain for about 2 days so tomorrow I'm already cutting it too close but better a wee bit late...SO any ideas on where to start tomorrow.I don't want to drive all the way to Nashville for 2 packages of Tofu.Gas prices and Jeeps

 

[believer01]

Holly - glad the storm missed you!
Did you try the Corn Crib? Sometimes grocery stores carry Silken......
Lotsa luck. And happy b-day to hubby!

 

[HBuehler]

I tried Corn Crib...I'm always in there.She can special order me some but it will be a belated cake at best...all of our grocery stores used to sell it so never had this problem before now they only carry the soft or firm...chunky frosting just wouldn't be the same

1 more Wheaten Ameraucana and 2 of our bantam Cochin's made it out of the shell for Easter

 

[Jenski]

Morning all! What a wild morning here in Mid-TN. Nothing like the sound of tornado sirens at the crack of dawn . . . It blew and poured like nobody's business here, but aside from some seriously mucky pens everything appears to be in good condition . . . including the chickens! They sure are grumpy after having a late breakfast, though.

Hope everyone is safe and sound this morning. I know of one tornado that flew south of here. Hope it missed all of you!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Okay, everybody check in please! Let's do a head count and make sure everyone is okay.

The chickens and I are okay here. I lost a whole chunk of shingles off the west side of the house. Limbs are down all around me, but the house and coops and still standing. There are an awful lot of wet, cranky chickens though. I guess it is time to put a new roof on the house. Sigh.

 

[cpegram]

I was at work when it went through coffee co. But DH and DD's ok house ok. Guessing everything else is fine DH did not say otherwise. Keeping fingers crossed schools and daycare closed thank goodness for having an age difference of 10 yrs in DD so have a babysitter

I am sure DH will update when he heads out. Round 2 Is near Memphis now

. I am so glad when we built this house we put in the tornado shelter!

ETA...DH said all buildings and amimals are doing great.....we had corn on the cob last night and he took left overs to the chickens made them happy

He said quite a few trees down on roads but had already been cleared...hope everyone else is ok this morn