The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[misbhaven]

Finnally took pictures I had been asked for a few over the last couple weeks of various items
Here is the little 4x4x4 growout made on mothers day 100% recycled materials bought from a restore cost about $ 40 including the wire..no run yet just fenced in with short fence i lock them in at night.


For Fathers day we built this coop and run for the Wheaten Marans..ouside plywood from cull pile at menards $8 a sheet usually $32 a sheet used 6 sheets so $48 and 2x3's 20 @ 2 $40 shade cloth i got at a yard sale $5 so less than 100 I had the dog kennel it was a freebie


repurposed one of those fabric cube holders took out a couple of the selves laid it sideways for nest boxes !!



an old crib as a fence, my large coop with the door no quit shut (lol), a rabbit cage, another small coop and run, and raised duck pen all fenced so everyone takes turns getting time out...even the bunnies all under a nice shade tree..




.

 

[lazy gardener]

Wonderful job. I love to see repurposed materials. The Habitat for Humanity store is one of my favorite places to shop... also love our local dump. I can get everything from mulch to windows, plywood, wheels for tractors, and picked up a nice dorm fridge for an incubator.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I have been reading and trying to figure out three FF thing and I'm not getting it right. I tried with ACV with mother and without. My feed is a mix of pellets and something my feed store mixes together called whoop'em. Is there a little more step by step directions? I'm not usually inept, but this is escaping me.

Check this out: http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html
And...I used buttermilk and have kept it going since last July. I have a food-grade 5 gallon bucket from Lowe's. I let it get down to about 3 or 4 inches and then add about 3 cups of layer pellets, a cup each of wheat, barley, and oats and then water to cover. I have added a splash of buttermilk twice since I started the fermented feed, but the good bacteria seem to be just fine without it. I let it be about the consistency of oatmeal to feed...not totally liquid and drained, but lots of people keep it really wet & drain it to feed. 
I have found that I need to let my tap water "air out" for a day before adding it to the feed...there seems to be enough anti-bacterial stuff in our city water that it dampens the bacteria's enthusiasm in my fermented feed.

I was going to point to the natural chicken keeping blog as well.

I had exactly the same problem with city water. I had a couple of batches go yeasty before I figured out what was going on. The chlorine and chloramine in the water will kill the beneficial culture, but mold and yeast will grow on the surface just fine.

I would also suggest that when you add water, pour it slowly down the sides of the bucket all the way round, to rinse down whatever dust and feed is there. Do this every time you feed the chickens, so that the bucket is always sitting with clean sides. Also be sure to rinse the inside of the lid if anything gets on it. Also be sure to skim the top of the water after you stir new feed into the bucket. Basicly do everything you can to prevent mold or yeast getting a foothold.

Do not use ACV as the starter culture. Its the wrong kind of mother.

I'm not sure buttermilk would work either, unless it is unpasteurized. I wouldn't use it.

I used juice from my homemade sauerkraut, because that's also a lacto-fermentation process. Vinegar-soaked cabbage that they call sauerkraut in the stores wont work either.

The good news is you don't have to use any kind of starter to get the FF going. The bacteria you want are in the air, on your skin, on the feed, everywhere. The really important thing is to keep the water level above the feed in the bucket and trust your nose. If the feed goes bad, trust me you'll know. Good FF smells slightly sour in a pleasant way. Bad FF smells like rotten bread and vomit. Sorry if that's a bit graphic for younger readers, but that's the smell.

Do not give vomit-feed to your chickens, they will eat it. God love em, sometimes chickens are nasty.

Good luck!

 

[LindaB220]

I was going to point to the natural chicken keeping blog as well.

I had exactly the same problem with city water. I had a couple of batches go yeasty before I figured out what was going on. The chlorine and chloramine in the water will kill the beneficial culture, but mold and yeast will grow on the surface just fine.

I would also suggest that when you add water, pour it slowly down the sides of the bucket all the way round, to rinse down whatever dust and feed is there. Do this every time you feed the chickens, so that the bucket is always sitting with clean sides. Also be sure to rinse the inside of the lid if anything gets on it. Also be sure to skim the top of the water after you stir new feed into the bucket. Basicly do everything you can to prevent mold or yeast getting a foothold.

Do not use ACV as the starter culture. Its the wrong kind of mother.

I'm not sure buttermilk would work either, unless it is unpasteurized. I wouldn't use it.

I used juice from my homemade sauerkraut, because that's also a lacto-fermentation process. Vinegar-soaked cabbage that they call sauerkraut in the stores wont work either.

The good news is you don't have to use any kind of starter to get the FF going. The bacteria you want are in the air, on your skin, on the feed, everywhere. The really important thing is to keep the water level above the feed in the bucket and trust your nose. If the feed goes bad, trust me you'll know. Good FF smells slightly sour in a pleasant way. Bad FF smells like rotten bread and vomit. Sorry if that's a bit graphic for younger readers, but that's the smell.

Do not give vomit-feed to your chickens, they will eat it. God love em, sometimes chickens are nasty.

Good luck!

I'm surprised about this. Thousands of people have good luck with apple cider vinegar. Also, no started is actually needed. Just water, feed or grains and air. Lightly covered with a cloth and stir daily for 4-5 days. Never have to add anything. I don't keep mine covered in water. I keep it fluffy with consistancy of thick oatmeal. A good site for fermented feed facts and questions:

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

 

[mlowen]

I'm surprised about this. Thousands of people have good luck with apple cider vinegar. Also, no started is actually needed. Just water, feed or grains and air. Lightly covered with a cloth and stir daily for 4-5 days. Never have to add anything. I don't keep mine covered in water. I keep it fluffy with consistancy of thick oatmeal. A good site for fermented feed facts and questions:

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

I used buttermilk with live cultures just because I wanted to give it a "kickstart." I, too, keep it at a thick oatmeal consistency, except when adding dry ingredients when it gets low. This is definitely a method that can easily be tweaked to suit oneself. And it's such a benefit to the chickens.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Quote:




As far as keeping the feed submerged - It looks like there's debate on this that I wasn't aware of. I honestly don't have time to read the research behind the two viewpoints. What I know is when I ferment cabbage or cukes or any other veggie, if I don't keep the food below the water, it turns into a horribly moldy slimy mess and has to be thrown out. Maybe chicken food is different. Go with your conscience.

 

[Leahs Mom]

An article worth reading... And one of the reasons we're not feeding and raising like the CAFOs.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...gn=20140617Z1&et_cid=DM47855&et_rid=556711712

 

[armorfirelady]

Great info everyone. I love the chicken
Coops from
Repurposed items also. I am all about repurposing & recycling

I got a chick update from home. A 5th has hatched !!!! They are all on the coop floor exploring with the co mommas fiercely protecting them. Apparently they don't like the chicks pictures taken

 

[misbhaven]

I have a Wheaten Maran Roo that is down i have only had them 2 weeks they are housed alone except for a little silky chick that goes and visits (escapee and always ends up in their coop)
this is him on Sunday

there was a fox attack killed a pullet in a different growout pen next to this one..My ROO has no injuries, last night he kind of fell off the roost ( on;y 2 ft high)out the pop door after a hen got up i was right there and just laughed he got right up they never had a roost so i figured just learning..this morning his head is twisted up and couldn't even hold it up, I gave poultry vitamins, Vit E mixed in pedilyte by sryrininge he took about 15 cc it pepped him up some going to give him some scrambled eggs and put a chick waterer in with him...hens have no symptoms at all even layed an egg this morning any other ideas? The Roo is about a yr old

AS for the Fox my neighbors and I are all setting traps for the Fox as it is making its rounds I have 2 live traps coming ( i live in a rural dead town but still a town so have to take it outside of town to shoot it)

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I have a Wheaten Maran Roo that is down i have only had them 2 weeks they are housed alone except for a little silky chick that goes and visits (escapee and always ends up in their coop) this is him on Sunday there was a fox attack killed a pullet in a different growout pen next to this one..My ROO has no injuries, last night he kind of fell off the roost ( on;y 2 ft high)out the pop door after a hen got up i was right there and just laughed he got right up they never had a roost so i figured just learning..this morning his head is twisted up and couldn't even hold it up, I gave poultry vitamins, Vit E mixed in pedilyte by sryrininge he took about 15 cc it pepped him up some going to give him some scrambled eggs and put a chick waterer in with him...hens have no symptoms at all even layed an egg this morning any other ideas? The Roo is about a yr old AS for the Fox my neighbors and I are all setting traps for the Fox as it is making its rounds I have 2 live traps coming ( i live in a rural dead town but still a town so have to take it outside of town to shoot it)

Is his comb still bright red? Or has it purpled a little?