The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

I don't usually grow sprouts in the growing season for the chickens, figure they can pick their own grass and weeds. But I just got some meat rabbits and so I've been trying to figure a way to grow just a few sprouts for them, that lead me to the old sock idea. I do not have a video, but here are a few pics of what I've been doing for them.


These came up out of order, I have been putting 1/3 cup of dry seed in the sock each day, and b/c of the seed I am using (mistake my hubby got when sent for something else) only soaking 12 hours instead of my usual 24 hours




This is day 4 sprout, I'm taking it out to feed the buns.




They approve!





B/c I'm to lazy to pick seeds off, and the rabbits would chew the socks up, the chicks and broody moms get a windfall.



The socks stay in a to go container after the initial soak, O for odd day


E for even day, so I don't get confused when turning the container



Days 1, 2, and 3 snuggly fit inside.

 

[armorfirelady]

Kassaundra you are way to creative !!!! That is a great idea. Heck I could use socks for my few hens for the winter months instead of a burlap bag.

 

[lazy gardener]

Awesome idea. I like the idea of that as well. I have a whole pillow case full of mis-matched socks!

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Does anyone have a good brine recipe?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

Good 12 hour soak for chicken/duck/goose/turkey brine.
5 gallons ice water 1 1/2 cups kosher salt.
If it is a small batch I have also tossed in lemons for lemon chicken later, or sage, or even rosemary sprigs.

salt, lemon, sugar, ....
I love it when the apples ripen and I cook them to slime and use that for brinning. I leave all skins and cores. I strain them out and give to the birds after. Save some fresh for ACV!

Yum...I tried a brown sugar and oregano brine a few days ago and baked it last night for 45 minutes, than smoked in in the grill for an hour..OMG..it is to die for.

As I process the chickens I place them in a plastic tote with running hose water(we have a well).
They could be in there for an hour or 4 depending on how many I am doing.
I have a chest cooler 1/2 filled with ice and brine all ready. (brine refrigerator cooled)
BRINE
2 gallons of water
3/4 cup of sugar or honey or you can use 1/2 with stevia leaves chopped up if you hate the sugar idea
3/4 cups kosher salt
4 lemons sliced and floating

I brine over night and bag them up the next day.
I do not freeze with brine.

If i am doing just a few birds, I bag them up and add the brine to the bags and over night them in the fridge. I dump out the brine, rinse, and freeze or cook.




Apples:

For adding to brine I just pick the apples off the ground, wash them, cut out spots and food process the whole apple. (I have 4 trees) I even use crab apples.
I use this liquid as part of the brine measurements. So if i have 1/2 gallon of apple slime i use 1 1/2 gallons of water.

 

[Mrs Hutcherson]

Thanks, looks great

 

[flyladyrocks]

Could use some help from you experienced lacto-fermenters! In my post ER delirium at 4 AM this morning, I fed the chickens and left the lid off of it. I just went out and noticed this and it had this white feathery coating on the top. I was thinking it was yeast, if my memory serves correctly from what i have read. I think I know from making sourdough started that wild yeasts can be caught in the air right? And now what do I do? This happened once before when I first started in a small container with a lid that did not fit well. I was planning on switching containers so I just tossed it and started over but am not wanting to do that now. I am just too tired I don't have the energy to research this at the moment, and I have a completely incapacitated hubbie to take care of so limited time and energy at the moment. Translated I am being too lazy right now too find this out myself and hoping you can help!

 

[LindaB220]

Could use some help from you experienced lacto-fermenters! In my post ER delirium at 4 AM this morning, I fed the chickens and left the lid off of it. I just went out and noticed this and it had this white feathery coating on the top. I was thinking it was yeast, if my memory serves correctly from what i have read. I think I know from making sourdough started that wild yeasts can be caught in the air right? And now what do I do? This happened once before when I first started in a small container with a lid that did not fit well. I was planning on switching containers so I just tossed it and started over but am not wanting to do that now. I am just too tired I don't have the energy to research this at the moment, and I have a completely incapacitated hubbie to take care of so limited time and energy at the moment. Translated I am being too lazy right now too find this out myself and hoping you can help!

No, no, honey, that's the good stuff. Stir it in and feed it. Hope your hubby is better.

 

[subhanalah]

Could use some help from you experienced lacto-fermenters!  In my post ER delirium at 4 AM this morning, I fed the chickens and left the lid off of it.  I just went out and noticed this and it had this white feathery coating on the top. I was thinking it was yeast, if my memory serves correctly from what i have read. I think I know from making sourdough started that wild yeasts can be caught in the air right?  And now what do I do? This happened once before when I first started in a small container with a lid that did not fit well.  I was planning on switching containers so I just tossed it and started over but am not wanting to do that now.  I am just too tired I don't have the energy to research this at the moment, and I have a completely incapacitated hubbie to take care of so limited time and energy at the moment.  Translated I am being too lazy right now too find this out myself and hoping you can help!  

see...I don't believe this sort of disclaimer should be necessary here. It's really none of our business why you need our help and it's a simple answer, not long and drawn out.

I'm sorry that the environment here has compelled you to feel that you must defend your actions to us: please forgive us.

 

[flyladyrocks]

see...I don't believe this sort of disclaimer should be necessary here. It's really none of our business why you need our help and it's a simple answer, not long and drawn out.

I'm sorry that the environment here has compelled you to feel that you must defend your actions to us: please forgive us.

I think that you all were just a victim of a little fatigue/frustration induced venting. I didn't really feel like you all are an atmosphere where I needed to defend myself at all.

I greatly appreciate the wealth of information here and everyone's willingness to help. I don't really have much to offer b/c I am such a newbie but I am learning a ton!

I am so thankful for the resource this thread provides.