The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

Quote: I feed mash just like that, I really like it, although come winter they'll go back to the dry stuff. But I found that they seem to absorb the feed much better, and stay hydrated nicely. Also, they don't spill their feed from the bowl.

 

[LindaB220]

My first (and last) trip was as a kid - sort of a 'scared straight' thing. Jail did not strike me as a very appealing place; hence, I have never desired to return. However if Wisher wanted to cuff me -------------------------------

Years ago when my daughter Jenny was dating her now husband he decided to celebrate his 18th birthday along with a buddy by shop lifting cd's from KMart. Being that they were 18 they were jailed , stripped, hosed down and put in a cell. I think they both spent the night crying. His daddy had just moved from La to Dallas to become the county District Attorney . I can tell you how happy that made him to be called about this. He had to spend over $2000 to get it expunged off his record so he could go to a good college. You talk about scared straight, he won't even speed.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I feed mash just like that, I really like it, although come winter they'll go back to the dry stuff. But I found that they seem to absorb the feed much better, and stay hydrated nicely. Also, they don't spill their feed from the bowl.

Thank you - those same reasons are some of the same reasons we soak for the horses, and I have always thought it would be the same for chickens.

 

[LindaB220]

I read something about the FF thread getting weird but I don't know what the issue was. I used to follow it but the same questions were asked over and over I quit going there. I noticed the lady that started the thread hasn't posted on it for 2 months.

That's because some troublemaker came on the thread and said "Don't feed your chickens fermented feed or you'll kill them". She of course answered back "Pay no attention to that troublemaker, he's in the pay of the big feed companies." And it went from there. Back and forth. I have learned so much in my year on BYC that I'll never leave. Too much info on tap and so much fun.

edited by staff

 

[vehve]

Quote: Only downside is that you have to make it daily, and can't use a feeder. I haven't tried FF, but I'd imagine it's a lot more work than the mash. I add a bit of progut to the feed when making the mash (a yeast based chicken feed additive), so I would imagine I'm getting some of the FF benefits as the mash is allowed to develop throughout the day. Other additives include crushed flaxseed and occasionally a dried garlic additive meant for horses.

 

[Alaskan]

Sorry, gotta put in my five cents worth ... Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones!  Must have a thing for the bad boys! 

Bad boys are fun.

I've always thought James Garner, and Sam Elliot were good looking men.  Sophia Loren has always been gorgeous too.  "To each his own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow."

I had forgotten Sophia Loren, yep, she was gorgeous.

Well, I guess I missed out.  I really wanted that 20,000th post, but I was driving at the time and it wouldn't have been safe.  I have this really cool car (a Ford Crown Vic) that has a Toughbook computer mounted on the dash and it gets the internet and BYC anywhere I go.  I can watch the goings on, but posting requires pulling over. 

AH well, I'll get the 40,000th one ........................ some time next weekend! 

i got to ride in the back of 1 of the new dodge chargers last week. Not nearly as roomy as the crown vics tho. Had a failure to appear on driving with suspended license from 2009.

I remember my first trip to jail. It was 1992. I was at our jr/sr prom. As we were leaving i decided to urinate on the principals car. I didnt see the cop standing behind me. I got charged with minor in possession of alcohol, indescent exposure, and criminal mischeif.

A wealth of entertainment! My life has been so quiet.

I did not know they were moving BYC to a new website. I guess that explains why I could not get on for so long last night and then the reply box and tools were gone.

My cockerel did not make it, it passed last night. my DH looked it over good and found a puncture on it's neck which would explain the gurgling sounds I guess. I wonder if one of my other roosters got to rough with him or what. 

Always tough to loose them.

Sounds more like you were being escorted rather than chauffeured.  

Was there jewelry involved, too?  Bracelets?

Oh, Bama, Bama, Bama.....

yes i was cuffed in the front to start with. Then i lit a cigarette in the back of the cop car and asked him to crack a window. He politely pulled over and moved the cuffs behind my back

And to think you thought that was a good idea. Hummmmm.

 

[LindaB220]

Well said.

It is just my opinion but I'm not really impressed by the overly large show birds. Though they may be pretty and impressive, I think the trend in shows is for birds that are larger than the SOP. If anyone really cares one way or the other, I think they should strive for the original SOP, not some version of it that is 3 pounds heavier.

I don't think FF works very well if it is too hot. Below freezing is a no-no also.

I do like it though as I use SOOO much less feed. I think the nutrition is better too, not because the ferment is supposed to improve vitamin content but because the fines are bound up in the feed and get consumed. Besides the grains and legumes, most of the ingredients in feed are in the form of powders - or more definitively - dust. The fines in the bottom of a feeder that the chickens ignore are where the added vitamins and minerals are located that are added in the mill to make it a complete feed. The pellets and crumbles contain all the goodies but between transit and pouring from container to container, inevitably some of the finer particles break off.
I also think it depends on the feed one uses. When I use something like Purina Start & Grow, I'm not really happy with the result. I mostly use a 16% organic grower that is very coarsely ground. I don't like feeding it dry but as a fermented feed, the consistency is awesome. The birds don't waste any and the fines are completely consumed.

I will never stop fermenting my feed. My birds are incredibly healthy and growing. And it helps the budget. Different studies posted show that the nutrient content is raised by 12%

When I came on the thread this morning I was 249 posts behind. Down to 20 I'll finish. Man, definitely a chore to catch up. Never put off perusing the thread.

 

[dsqard]

Linda, as much as it may shock some people on this thread skimming through posts when you have been off the site for a while and the group has been very chatty (which seems to be about every day now) is perfectly acceptable.

 

[dsqard]

BTW bamadude, my brahmas came from breeders and I don't think they look any prettier than yours. I would bet yours have the same sweet personality the breed is known for. As you stated as well, the eggs taste exactly the same as my hatchery bird eggs.

 

[LindaB220]

Only downside is that you have to make it daily, and can't use a feeder. I haven't tried FF, but I'd imagine it's a lot more work than the mash. I add a bit of progut to the feed when making the mash (a yeast based chicken feed additive), so I would imagine I'm getting some of the FF benefits as the mash is allowed to develop throughout the day. Other additives include crushed flaxseed and occasionally a dried garlic additive meant for horses.

Not true, Felix, Kassaundra has been fermenting her feed for over 3 years and she does it in a 33 gallon trash container. Using a paddle or something to stir. She didn't add anything to it. Feed or grains and water. Stir daily for 4 days and start feeding. After it gets down to a a serving or two she does it again adding the water first and stirring the mess around before adding grain. Ready the next day. I'm not that big and I keep two 5 gallon buckets going for the adults and kiddies. Three quarters full made up will last each set about 4 days. The best place to feed is to cut a 10' rain gutter in half and have 2 5' long sections to feed out of. Put a piece of 2x4 lumber to stabilize on the ends.