The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

It probably is slightly less than the lb per week since there is one ingredient I leave out in the feed during the summer...just remembered. So it's probably more like 8 lbs in a week for the 10 birds.

 

[aoxa]

It probably is slightly less than the lb per week since there is one ingredient I leave out in the feed during the summer...just remembered. So it's probably more like 8 lbs in a week for the 10 birds.

I'm selling off quite a few birds tomorrow. Wish me luck... I'm looking forward to feeding less and much less work for chore time.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm selling off quite a few birds tomorrow. Wish me luck... I'm looking forward to feeding less and much less work for chore time.

 

[armorfirelady]

Eh gads. I went out and measured the food again.Seems I was giving them 1 cup per hen. No wonder I still wasn't seeing them out in the yard lately. I swear those girls hypnotize me as soon as I walk in the coop. :/

ETA the measurement is wet food. I hope Delisha meant wet food :/

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

I have a new one that I LOVE - What do you think of this one? I also love seeing all the different colors. It's a happy "party on the counter"!

Oh sweet! where did you find that one!?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Wow that is a lot per bird dry. I go through a little over half of that per bird a week. I go through 3 bags of dry a week. That's 150 pounds for roughly 220 birds. A lot are young, but I'm considering the fact that meat kings eat a crazy amount compared to a chick, so it averages out to .68 lbs of feed per bird per week. No I'm not including scratch.

We are going through a lot of feed right now, too. It's the turkeys -- they currently eat about 250 lbs of food a week just themselves (and then there is the laying flock of about 150 birds, and over 20 ducks). I keep wanting to process all the turkeys, but I don't have freezer space for that.

I haven't figured out how to ferment enough feed for all my birds. Without using a large plastic container. I don't want to use a plastic container.

 

[delisha]

Eh gads. I went out and measured the food again.Seems I was giving them 1 cup per hen. No wonder I still wasn't seeing them out in the yard lately. I swear those girls hypnotize me as soon as I walk in the coop.

ETA the measurement is wet food. I hope Delisha meant wet food

Yes, wet

Quote: You can order an old whiskey barrel or wine barrel.


I have this 5 gallon glass jug I could use as a FF container


Old rain barrels are available and you can even order them online.
They usually need conditioning to get them water tight. This one was used as a rain barrel.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=old+wooden+barrels

 

[AletaG]

You can order an old whiskey barrel or wine barrel.



Old rain barrels are available and you can even order them online.
They usually need conditioning to get them water tight. This one was used as a rain barrel.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=old+wooden+barrels

Duh! And, well, MADE for fermenting stuff in... Now, do you go for aged oak? Or those ones with the burnt insides meant for whiskey (eew)?

 

[aoxa]

Duh! And, well, MADE for fermenting stuff in... Now, do you go for aged oak? Or those ones with the burnt insides meant for whiskey (eew)?

That really is something I wouldn't have even considered! Great idea Delisha!