The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

RR I wanted to thank you for your treatise on LGDs. I have no experience with them and have often thought I would one day like to have one to protect the poultry. At this time I am not aware of anyone in my neck of the woods raising pups with poultry, but will keep my ear to the ground. I am glad I read what you wrote. I've often thought when I'm ready for another dog I would seek an adult from a shelter, but now I know that unless there is a history available which shows the dog was raised with poultry it probably isn't the direction I want to go.

X2 !

 

[delisha]

Nice job LM on the glass waterer





Great work on getting rid of those peskie mites P

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
ok thanks... next question. how MUCH do you feed for a certain number of birds?

I've got a number of pens plus free rangers plus babies (working on the next 2 pens currently!) and would like to get an idea of HOW MANY of those 2 gallon containers i'm going to need. LOL

by groups, I have 6 sg dorkings, 5 mottled cochins, 6 mille fleur cochins, 4 sfh, 4 assorted age, 6 blrw & red dorkings. the rest are free ranging (4 ee, 3 sg dorking, 1 colored dorking, 1 buff orp & 1 bantam blrw roo). now i'm down to 5 older chicks (3-4 weeks) and 10 younger chicks (1 week) and the one new girl in quarantine.

you know, I haven't added that up yet. LOL not sure I want to know. (ok I did.) ok not too bad. 57 total. oh! wait. I forgot the 6 red cochins and 4 silver laced cochins. LOL make that 67.

wondering too, if my horses will stop trying to inhale the chicken feed if it's fermented. LOL that in itself would save me $ on feed. LOL

and another question that just popped in... does anyone use FF and keep pellets available too (for penned birds that can't forage?) or how often do you feed them the FF?

 

[delisha]

Quote: ok thanks... next question. how MUCH do you feed for a certain number of birds?

I've got a number of pens plus free rangers plus babies (working on the next 2 pens currently!) and would like to get an idea of HOW MANY of those 2 gallon containers i'm going to need. LOL

by groups, I have 6 sg dorkings, 5 mottled cochins, 6 mille fleur cochins, 4 sfh, 4 assorted age, 6 blrw & red dorkings. the rest are free ranging (4 ee, 3 sg dorking, 1 colored dorking, 1 buff orp & 1 bantam blrw roo). now i'm down to 5 older chicks (3-4 weeks) and 10 younger chicks (1 week) and the one new girl in quarantine.

you know, I haven't added that up yet. LOL not sure I want to know. (ok I did.) ok not too bad. 57 total. oh! wait. I forgot the 6 red cochins and 4 silver laced cochins. LOL make that 67.

wondering too, if my horses will stop trying to inhale the chicken feed if it's fermented. LOL that in itself would save me $ on feed. LOL

and another question that just popped in... does anyone use FF and keep pellets available too (for penned birds that can't forage?) or how often do you feed them the FF?
16 lbs of wet feed..I took into consideration ages and weight guesstimates...I am on the high side for first feed. (you probably missed a few birds) I would not feed more than 8lbs the first morning and adjust after you watch what they do to the food. Free ranging birds I have just started to night feed..they have seemed lethargic the last two days. They are not used to the grains. I might have started them too soon. Everyone else gets fed 2x a day.

I keep feed in front of new baby's in brooders till they are 4 weeks old. I do at times keep dry the first week if I am gone a lot and not sure I will be home to check them on and off through the day.

 

[CoopChick719]

Does this look like a dead chicken, or what? It was about an hour after I let them outside to free range, and she's right against the outside of the run.



"Hey, what are you looking at? I'm just taking a nap in the sun!"


Here she is a couple minutes later, with her bed-head:

I hope it's normal for chickens to sun-bathe like that! Several of mine have done it a few times. They sure look silly all sprawled out.

I have several that do that! Scared us half to death the first time we saw them. I thought for sure something had happened to them. My daughter & the hens scared each other. She thought they were dead so ran over to them. They jumped up because she was running at them.

ETA: Today is day 10 since the last wood ash bath. No mites on the nightly checks. Today just because I am so um......determined......I gave them and me one more wood ash bath. I think I WON the MITE war

HOORAY! I haven't seen anyone scratching on the roost since I Frontlined, cleaned and added ash to the dusting bin.

We added a sun room for the girls but haven't got the roof on yet. I came home to 5 of the girls out free ranging. When I asked them what they were doing out of the pen, they ran over like "Oh good you're home, we couldn't get back in!" 3 followed me directly into the coop as I called for them. The 2 older girls started digging in the compost hoping I wouldn't see them. So the door will be closed until DH gets some lumber and wire. Knowing him, it will be tomorrow.

 

[RedRidge]

RR - I just use one pre-mix for all. Then I put out free-feed calcium and give the littles more meat protein daily until they're older. Less fuss for me.

Works great if you are using meat. Wonderful option.
I use BSF for my extra protein... chicks can't eat much BSF because it is too high in calcium.
So... chick premix has extra fish meal.

I also add more alfalfa meal during the winter when free ranging in not an option.

 

[RedRidge]

RR I wanted to thank you for your treatise on LGDs. I have no experience with them and have often thought I would one day like to have one to protect the poultry. At this time I am not aware of anyone in my neck of the woods raising pups with poultry, but will keep my ear to the ground. I am glad I read what you wrote. I've often thought when I'm ready for another dog I would seek an adult from a shelter, but now I know that unless there is a history available which shows the dog was raised with poultry it probably isn't the direction I want to go.

My dog experience centers mainly around Toys, with one working dog (Dobermann) as my first dog raised from a puppy, whom I shall miss forever. LGDs are something of a mystery to me, and your post was very helpful to me. I have 42 acres not dog-securely fenced on any border, and currently insufficient time to devote to training properly, so I have elected to remain dog-less for the time being. DH retired this year, but he is not so much a dog person, and honestly only recently becoming a poultry guy Bless his heart, he cared for my birds while I went on a business trip last week, did an outstanding job, and I don't want to push my luck

There is an excellent breeder in OK who sometimes will part with adult lgd's... you get ready for one let me know and I'll get you her contact info...

 

[RedRidge]

ETA: Today is day 10 since the last wood ash bath. No mites on the nightly checks. Today just because I am so um......determined......I gave them and me one more wood ash bath. I think I WON the MITE war

YEAH!!!

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: ok thanks... next question. how MUCH do you feed for a certain number of birds?

I've got a number of pens plus free rangers plus babies (working on the next 2 pens currently!) and would like to get an idea of HOW MANY of those 2 gallon containers i'm going to need. LOL

by groups, I have 6 sg dorkings, 5 mottled cochins, 6 mille fleur cochins, 4 sfh, 4 assorted age, 6 blrw & red dorkings. the rest are free ranging (4 ee, 3 sg dorking, 1 colored dorking, 1 buff orp & 1 bantam blrw roo). now i'm down to 5 older chicks (3-4 weeks) and 10 younger chicks (1 week) and the one new girl in quarantine.

you know, I haven't added that up yet. LOL not sure I want to know. (ok I did.) ok not too bad. 57 total. oh! wait. I forgot the 6 red cochins and 4 silver laced cochins. LOL make that 67.

wondering too, if my horses will stop trying to inhale the chicken feed if it's fermented. LOL that in itself would save me $ on feed. LOL

and another question that just popped in... does anyone use FF and keep pellets available too (for penned birds that can't forage?) or how often do you feed them the FF?

Here's an easy way to estimate how much FF to feed adults...
The average weight of 1 lb of dry feed when it is fermented is 2.25
The average adult production bird eats .25 lbs/day... the average large fowl heritage eats .33 lbs/day
Take the amount your birds would eat in dry and multiply it times 2.25
That's "approximately" what they will eat IF they have no other feed and are not free ranging.
This is a good place to start.

Now... as time goes on and you want to refine... adjust according to what they are consuming in a day.
For instance... I feed in the mornings. I don't fee twice a day like a lot of folks unless I have chicks (chicks eat more often).
So... when everyone roosts at night is there any left... any at all? as in, it looks gone, but the feeder is still dirty, or is the feeder clean?
I like for there to be "evidence of a little feed" left at roost time... that way I know they are getting plenty but not too much.
If it's totally clean then maybe I need to "slowly" increase. If there is FF left, then decrease.

It varies from group to group, so adjusting after the first few weeks of feeding FF is necessary.
For instance I have one group of 20 production layers... they are not big eaters and eat only 7-8 lbs of FF/day.
If you multiplied 20 x (.25 x 2.25) = 11.25 lbs... so they obviously don't require the full amount and are eating several lbs less each day.

On the other hand, I currently have a group of 10 HRIR cockerels who are eating machines... they are going through more than their estimated 7.4 lbs/day
But... my two replacement (possible show) cockerels are in that group, so I am feeding them more than enough on purpose... yet there is still no waste.
They are eating me out of house and home, so I really need to cull some more... having a terrible time deciding. LOL

So... that gives everyone a place a start.
Keep in mind... these amounts are with NO supplements. If you feed BSF, meat, veggies and/or free range these requirements change.
Also keep in mind when developing your own custom rations that poultry don't just need protein, they need animal protein.
One other comment I'd like to make when developing rations and beginning to feed FF is one of my favorite words from our dear recently departed friend Bob Blosl... KISS.
You don't need dozens of ingredients... you don't need a lot of fancy equipment...
I used to feed a lot of variety of grains... they all have their uses, but many can be easily over fed.
I now have only 3 grains in my FF... organic corn, peas, and oats... that's it.
It's my premix that changes according to season, and even then it is just a few ingredients... nutribalancer, and various amounts of fish meal, kelp, alfalfa meal, limestone.
I feed BSF year round, so that keeps the fish to a minimum when feeding adults... I use more fish meal for chicks.

Yes, you can add other ingredients... flax seed, BOSS, and a list of others.
What I have discovered is that if you stick to the basics, provide fresh water, fresh air and sunshine, the other things are simply not necessary.
Health of your birds will dictate what is necessary for your situation... so KISS... if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[armorfirelady]

Good news on the mites. Determined little buggers.
Are you sure that Stella isn't one of Mr Tweedy's organized chickens from Chicken Run?

Yes they are !!
Hahaha All I know is she one smart hen.......I am just happy that Lucy & Edie, who I both know can go over the gate as well, are behaving themselves

Great work on getting rid of those peskie mites P

Thank you for all your help!!

Here's an easy way to estimate how much FF to feed adults...
The average weight of 1 lb of dry feed when it is fermented is 2.25
The average adult production bird eats .25 lbs/day... the average large fowl heritage eats .33 lbs/day
Take the amount your birds would eat in dry and multiply it times 2.25
That's "approximately" what they will eat IF they have no other feed and are not free ranging.
This is a good place to start.

Now... as time goes on and you want to refine... adjust according to what they are consuming in a day.
For instance... I feed in the mornings. I don't fee twice a day like a lot of folks unless I have chicks (chicks eat more often).
So... when everyone roosts at night is there any left... any at all? as in, it looks gone, but the feeder is still dirty, or is the feeder clean?
I like for there to be "evidence of a little feed" left at roost time... that way I know they are getting plenty but not too much.
If it's totally clean then maybe I need to "slowly" increase. If there is FF left, then decrease.

It varies from group to group, so adjusting after the first few weeks of feeding FF is necessary.
For instance I have one group of 20 production layers... they are not big eaters and eat only 7-8 lbs of FF/day.
If you multiplied 20 x (.25 x 2.25) = 11.25 lbs... so they obviously don't require the full amount and are eating several lbs less each day.

I certainly hope you just copy & paste all this info..........I feel bad for you keyboard lol

I am making a FF sheet with all this info on it so I can keep it in my chicken binder of info. After I get all the FF set & start feeding it out I am going to compile all my info and see how much it turns out to cost per chicken to feed out vs commercial feed. So far it seems with all the grains I have I wont have to buy grains again till next summer

(Ok maybe not that long but it sure seems like it)