The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

I grew up in South Langley, so we were crossing the line all the time to go to Bellingham!!

Hah! I grew up in Bellingham! Well...Not actually B'ham. My folks farm was fifteen miles from the Lynden border. Spent a lot of my teenage years in your neck of the woods!

 

[holderh]

Wow i just cant keep up lol! About the fruit cake my grandmother makes an applesauce cake..its like a fruit cake and delish!

So i gave my flock the ff for the first time and they gobbled it up like they were starved! I never could find any nustock but i had something for all animals that treats a variety of ailments and it included yeast infections so for the past two days I have been putting it on them. I have been giving them probiotics in there water, and yogurt. Hopefully if i continue this will solve their problems.

Does anyone know how to make home made yogurt? It's gonna be expensive buying yogurt for my chickens so i thought maybe I could make it.

We have some roosters i was trying to sell. Looks like we are just gonna have to process them. We have never done this before. For those of you who process is there anything you do special to pre pare the meat for the freezer? I have also heard some people wait a few days before putting them in the freezer....so does anyone have any tips?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm just getting back from processing the roosters and brought 2 home. I haven't read all afternoon's posts so I'm not caught up. I just wanted to ask y'all these questions - for those of you that process and eat your meat.

1. How long to you age the meat before you put it in the freezer?
2. Do you use brine - if so what ratio water to salt and do you put anything else in the brine? I think I saw Delisha say she had used milk in a brine... and apple cider too?
3. Do you use the brine BEFORE freezing or do you brine just before cooking? How long do you leave in the brine?

I'll catch up later..but I'll be looking for your advice on this!

 

[Bulldogma]

I'm allergic to many citrus fruits and am allergic to fruitcake. Makes me break out in hives all over. Which is a good thing. Fruit cake is so gross

even the tiniest amount of orange marmalade gives me hives

OK - that's bizarre... I've never met anyone else allergic to citrus! Pretty much figured I was the only one on earth - LOL! Oranges are the worst - close my throat right up! If someone peels an orange near me, the smell alone is enough to do it. I've never tried fruitcake (for rather obvious reasons.

I was half terrified when we cleaned out the attic this winter that we might find the thing.

Oh my gosh - that is the funniest story!!

 

[jendodd79]

Hah! I grew up in Bellingham! Well...Not actually B'ham. My folks farm was fifteen miles from the Lynden border. Spent a lot of my teenage years in your neck of the woods!

So funny! Small world!!

 

[aoxa]

I'm just getting back from processing the roosters and brought 2 home. I haven't read all afternoon's posts so I'm not caught up. I just wanted to ask y'all these questions - for those of you that process and eat your meat.

1. How long to you age the meat before you put it in the freezer?
2. Do you use brine - if so what ratio water to salt and do you put anything else in the brine? I think I saw Delisha say she had used milk in a brine... and apple cider too?
3. Do you use the brine BEFORE freezing or do you brine just before cooking? How long do you leave in the brine?

I'll catch up later..but I'll be looking for your advice on this!

1. 3 days in the fridge or I use a cold storage.

The rest: I don't brine.

 

[pigeonguy]

To order a few day old baby chicks or not??? that is the question. Good Grief, you wouldn't think it would be such a decision!!
My coop is 10x10 with attached run,,,I have 6 now and not sure I should put more in there???? What do you guys think?

Going by the 4 square feet per bird rule you could have 25. Is that to many depends on do they go outside most of the day or do they stay inside and only step outside a little every day. Even if they stay in a lot you could still probably have 15 with no problems.

When I was talking to the guy at the hardware about drilling the glass he suggested putting a little oil on the glass surface while drilling. His thoughts were that it would help it not get quite as hot and help keep from cracking. I'm assuming that would be good advice for the procedure you're doing here too.

And YES...Jeff I'm glad you mentioned it too!

When drilling my rocks they are set in a kerosene bath. The kerosene is pumped from a holding tank to the area where the bit meets the rock. The drill is pulled upward by a spring and you add weights to make it move downward very slowly. Some rocks are very fragile and can take all day to drill through. I don't have to be there because it runs itself.

Water is better. Any time I drill glass, I fill the piece with sand (if possible), pack the piece in a bucket of sand, with the area I'm drilling exposed and have my wife drip water on the hole while I'm drilling.

But grinding isn't drilling. Coolant normally isn't used. No reason not to, I guess, and it would cut down on the dust.

Like this idea.

Some have been doing the same original for years. My current one is about 1 months old for the layers. I did stop during really cold weather and than started it back up. I have personally had them for months and months. I would think the scum is the mother forming. It can be grey in color too. If you make sure your *brew* is covered in liquid, you are fine. The brew smell means it is working well.

That is my theory also. Keep it covered with water. Mine has been going since the middle of September (had to go back through old post to find out it seems like forever) So 4 months and I have never started over. I do every once in a while put a shot of UP/ACV in my main ferment bucket. Just one bucket not one with another drilled with holes. (That is what works for me and you need to do what works for you) I did just today start another bucket fermenting so I will have two main ferment buckets. That way I can use out of one then the other. That will allow my feed to ferment longer before being fed. Also just started adding a shot of UP/ACV every other to every 3rd day to the feed taken out of the main bucket and put into another that will be fed that day. That way I know they get their UP/ACV.
Oh ya how long can it ferment. Well Kasandra has had hers going for over a year.

 

[pigeonguy]

OK I am all caught up on this thread anyway. I went and got chicken mash from the local mill tonight. Always a messy job since I have them grind it and them shoot it out a spout that I hold over a large garbage can I have 2 of them and a tote that gets filled with 300 pounds of mash. The mash is still just 100# corn 100# oats and 100# poultry base. Not GMO free not organic but only cost $62 for the 300 pounds.
Anyway after that I came home and weighed out a hundred pounds and took to a friend he goes through a 100 in the same time I go through 200. So it works out for us to co-op. I am looking to find enough people that I can go to Dekalb feeds and get feed by the ton. That is the only way they sell it. I will have a much better recipe then and it should be closer to GMO and Soy free. Inheritance I know so far are Popcorn, oats, kelp, meat meal or fish meal or maybe both. There will be other things just can't remember what right now. I really need time to sit with the nutritionist and talk.
If you wonder why pop corn instead of field corn. Pop corn is GMO free.
I just need enough people in my old fashioned co-op to buy what equals 3/4 of a ton between them. I have some but not enough yet. OH and all my feed is fermented I think most know that.

 

[pigeonguy]

DP

 

[Arkansas81]

Ok, all caught up!! I so want to ferment some feed but will have to wait. I think its a great idea - need to do something to prolong their food. I let them out for an hr or so a day. But it has been sooooooo wet and nasty here - only to get worse!!!!! I have tried everything I can to help keep the run - coop dry but no luck. I just keep adding dry everything I can. If I ever get a dry day I will scoop out the old and add a ton of new. I just can't stay ahead of this weather I'm exhausted by the time I get done messing with them. But that's part of it I guess. Well off to bed - busy day tomorrow!!