The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[flyladyrocks]

I second that! I started chicks last year on unfermented feed and bought it at Tractor Supply. I quickly went to fermenting and noticed things like less runny poops. Then I started making my own whole grain and seed mix and the poop was much more solid. Yep, their poop was the first thing I noticed! Then the sheen and softness to the feathers. They also became much perkier during a heatwave we had when I started feeding FF. Skip ahead to this year and a friend with chicks was visit. Her comment was "what is wrong with my birds! They are the same age or older than yours and so much smaller!" She does not ferment. Have fun at the grain mill! I love them and the guys get a kick out of me b/c I am like a kid in a candy store. Yes I am a poultry geek.

Mom0, I would not look for a brand at all! That usually means a national or regional highly processed bunch of junk, IMHO. And then you have to worry about whether the feed is rancid or not, and how it has been stored. We've had folks on this thread that got some bad feed (got wet before the person bought it, and they brought it home not knowing it was molded, and it made their birds seriously ill). Manning has at least one feed mill that mills their own feed -

Manning Feed Mill & Supply​

[COLOR=737373]233 Dinkins St Manning, SC 29102
(803) 435-4354[/COLOR]​

that would be a great place to check it out. I don't remember how many chickens you have, but if you are unhappy with their milled options, you can ask what they can mix for you. They probably have a mash (ground grains versus pelleted crumble stuff) - sometimes there is an "all flock" which has a higher protein level than most layer feed. You just have to be sure to provide calcium in oyster shell/eggshell. good luck!

 

[flyladyrocks]

I ferment is a glass 2 gallon jar. I have one for my 18 (soon to be more) chicks and one for my layers. Once all these babies grow up I imagine having three of those going. I don't measure, just fill it a little more that half with feed and the rest water, see how it expands and adjust. I outgrew my one gallon jar very quickly and will probably end up using two 2 gallon jars for chicks soon. When I tried using astic it did not ferment properly so I stick with glass.

I'll sleep on this and start thinking of a way to assure it doesn't. I got to get the feed situation dealt with tomorrow and then start the bale project.

I have 22 chicks, about how much FF should I need to start with? Should I start with a gallon of feed? It will swell up to about a gallon and a half when wet I think. That should be enough to have left over to add to I think .
I don't measure the dry , just make sure they have clean dry feed available all day.

 

[Momo chicks]

Thank t

I ferment is a glass 2 gallon jar. I have one for my 18 (soon to be more) chicks and one for my layers. Once all these babies grow up I imagine having three of those going. I don't measure, just fill it a little more that half with feed and the rest water, see how it expands and adjust. I outgrew my one gallon jar very quickly and will probably end up using two 2 gallon jars for chicks soon. When I tried using astic it did not ferment properly so I stick with glass.

Thanks for the information. I will be checking all that out tomorrow and I can't wait.

How much UPACV per gallon should I use?

 

[COChix]

I ferment in 5 gallon buckets and have four buckets going at one time. I put in 3 quarts of dry feed at a time. One bucket feeds 24 birds for the day - that is an am and pm feeding.

 

[curious chickee]

I use one 5 gallon bucket and back slop when starts to get low, after the initial start up it only takes overnight to ferment. I feed 24 chicks 7 weeks-2 weeks. Back slop every few days. I use a ratio 1:1 feed (chick starter) to water.

 

[lalaland]

Leahsmom, I was thinking....the AI strain wouldn't be antibiotic resistant because it is a virus, not a bacteria. I'm not sure that routine antibiotics would undermine the immune system - they have some strange results re: weight gain, etc. Although I sure don't think antibiotics would strengthen the immune system, and to the extent it left bacterial issues unchallenged by the immune system, I guess it could be underdeveloped. anyway, late night musings.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I should have included "anti-virals" in what I was asking. There are also anti-viral resistant stains of virus.

 

[Momo chicks]

The Mill photos.

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't offend easily. Couldn't resist the opportunity. Hope I didn't offend you!

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a thought.....

I straw bale garden organic and sometimes the bales sprout wheat so..... Why not just wet down a few I know have seed pods left in them and just let the chicks scratch up a opened bales in the run?

Thoughts anyone??

(Without using organic fertilizers)

That would be an excellent way to give the girls some entertainment as well as some nutrition. I've done hay bale gardening also. Found it to be much cheaper than the straw bales, and IMO, the hay b/c it's multi-species carries more nutrition.

Leahsmom, I was thinking....the AI strain wouldn't be antibiotic resistant because it is a virus, not a bacteria. I'm not sure that routine antibiotics would undermine the immune system - they have some strange results re: weight gain, etc. Although I sure don't think antibiotics would strengthen the immune system, and to the extent it left bacterial issues unchallenged by the immune system, I guess it could be underdeveloped. anyway, late night musings.

IMO, anti-biotic use would weaken the immune system, making the birds more prone to even a viral infection. It alters the gut flora. There's continued documentation that low dose antibiotics are being used routinely even for the benefit they provide of increasing weight gain. Gotta love (NOT) our country's agri-factory-farm mentality. In the mean time, you can bet that our government is having a grand time with the fear mongering fodder this little issue is providing.