The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

@armorfirelady

On the feed, I also just feed an "all-flock" level on EVERYTHING.

The littles get MORE PROTEIN....so what rr is saying is that she puts more fish meal into the feed when they are separate from mammas. But if the mammas eat more fish meal their eggs will be fishy so...

In that case you want to use something different to raise the protein level higher for the babies since they are mixed in with the flock. I did that by giving a little ground meat every day to the kiddos (and the moms cuz there was no way not to...although the mammas fed most of it to the kids). I'd also put in come sunflower seeds on the side that the moms will break for the kids.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Did an interview on the "Urban Chicken Podcast" on fermented feed along with Leigh. The interview is LONG... about an hour and 20 minutes.... but you can pause it and listen at leisure. It's here if anyone is interested ...scroll way down to the bottom of the page for the show audio: http://www.urbanchickenpodcast.com/ucp-episode-048/

It covers some of the basics of different kinds of fermenting, why lacto-fermenting is healthy, how to do it, etc.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3390.0#


tardis coop

Okay, now I have 278 lbs of envy.

 

[armorfirelady]

I had never heard of a Tardis coop...I better check out the story behind it!


ETA:  I'm not a big TV watcher... so I'm probably the only person in the US who doesn't know the story 

Nope your not. I didn't have a clue either until I looked at the link. I don't have cable or satellite so I don't get many channels lol

@armorfirelady


On the feed, I also just feed an "all-flock" level on EVERYTHING. 

The littles get MORE PROTEIN....so what rr is saying is that she puts more fish meal into the feed when they are separate from mammas.  But if the mammas eat more fish meal their eggs will be fishy so...

In that case you want to use something different to raise the protein level higher for the babies since they are mixed in with the flock.  I did that by giving a little ground meat every day to the kiddos (and the moms cuz there was no way not to...although the mammas fed most of it to the kids).  I'd also put in come sunflower seeds on the side that the moms will break for the kids.

Thanks for the info. I will have to think on that. I'm trying to make something simple for my friend when he watches them. Might just be simpler to get a small bag of all flock or grower with higher protein. Or even a bag of chick feed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL - you could temporarily make your feed higher protein by changing the ratio of the peas to the grains and just do it with the pea part initially.

Now you know I like more animal protein, but in the short term just adjusting the protein higher using the peas would do the trick. That's what they're doing in the "grower" or chick feeds anyhow except using roasted soybean or soybean meal.


The rest of the flock already gets free-feed calcium so you won't have to worry about the calcium level. (Chicks need lower calcium than the layers.)

 

[heartsizedfarm]

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3390.0#

tardis coop

This is really out of this world!!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I know everybody on this thread feeds black oil sunflower seed, but can you feed regular sized sunflower seeds as well. You know the zebra striped ones?

 

[Kassaundra]

I know everybody on this thread feeds black oil sunflower seed, but can you feed regular sized sunflower seeds as well. You know the zebra striped ones?

I've seen my girls swallow mice, snakes, and toads whole, I bet they could manage a large sunflower seed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think folks use the BOSS because it's easy to get in a feed price.

On the KY website it doesn't differentiate specifically what kind of sunflower seed. It says:


Quote: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Nutrition-Sunflower_seeds.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

And they also will crack off the outer shell and take the meat...if they're not in a huge hurry to keep them away from the other chickens.