The Old Folks Home

[casportpony]

I lost a hen quickly a couple years ago. When I cut her open she was loaded with fat. The gizzard was completely encased in a ball of fat.

I lost one to cancer last year.

I suspect I will see lots of fat in this one, too. Another odd thing, and maybe it's my imagination, but the inside of her vent felt greasy. Is that even possible?

-Kathy

 

[bamachicks8]

@chickadoodles

@ChickenCanoe I love honeysuckle. Its welcome at my house.

@casportpony thank you.

 

[ronott1]

I suspect I will see lots of fat in this one, too. Another odd thing, and maybe it's my imagination, but the inside of her vent felt greasy. Is that even possible?

-Kathy

Any hen that is not laying will have kidney and likely other organ problems from eating layer feed. There is too much calcium in it for them.

The fat is a sign of liver problems. If you see it, take a section of liver and check for fatty liver disease.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Perhaps I should start feeding them more like I feed my peafowl, which is no layer feed, just a bowl of oyster shell? Or do I just keep doing what I'm doing? Sigh...

-Kathy

 

[bamadude]

LG or Farm Innovator conversion


 

1. remove the thermostat in place and cover hole. i use part of the side of a square laundry soap bucket. 

2 .Follow instructions to wire STC1000 thermostat. Attach to heating element

3. position sensor on inside of styro lid at the level of you eggs using zip tie

4. turn the puppy on.

5. after inserting ear plugs place original thermostat in carbage disposal.

you now have a cheap genesis quality incubator

the new lg 9300 and 10300 have digital thermostats. The heating element is 4x4 inches. The sensor moves all around. The temp spikes sometimes 5 degrees F. In hindsight I should have bought the older 9200 model

 

[ronott1]

Perhaps I should start feeding them more like I feed my peafowl, which is no layer feed, just a bowl of oyster shell? Or do I just keep doing what I'm doing? Sigh...

-Kathy

The only adjustment would be in the winter when they are not laying.

Perhaps the older hens can have a retirement pen with a nice flock raiser type of feed and free choice calcium? I would move any hen over three or four years old into a pen like that.

Seven is a nice age for a chicken to get to!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@chickadoodles

@ChickenCanoe I love honeysuckle. Its welcome at my house.

@casportpony thank you.

I love native honeysuckle too but the Lonicera japonica, Lonicera maackii (Amur) and Lonicera x bella (Bella) are a nightmare. There's areas around here where, other than older trees that's the only plant. Between shading the soil and sucking all the water and nutrition from it, nothing else can grow or even sprout. It's a year round battle. I can eradicate every plant on the property and within 2 years, the whole place is covered again. Where that's not growing the knotweed is.

Here are a couple of the good ones.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d990
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/yellow-honeysuckle

Here's a link to a local city and the mission they're on to eradicate the invasive lonicera.
http://www.creve-coeur.org/DocumentCenter/View/3882

The neighbor that lives behind me loves the invasive honeysuckle. I was cutting them all down and she stopped me from cutting the ones on her side of the fence. She likes the screen they create, but since they kill everything else, in winter they're worthless for even that.

Perhaps I should start feeding them more like I feed my peafowl, which is no layer feed, just a bowl of oyster shell? Or do I just keep doing what I'm doing? Sigh...

-Kathy

I almost never feed layer. The only time I do is if there's a pen of just young layers and no cocks.

I'll also mix about 50:50 layer and grower when pullets first start to lay.
Otherwise I feed 16% grower to everybody and I keep two containers of oyster shell in each pen. One by the feed and one next to the nests.

 

[chickadoodles]

Thank you kathy

 

[Highcotton]

Good afternoon everyone. FYI, I have changed my user name from Hagar3 to Highcotton.

 

[ozexpat]

Good afternoon everyone. FYI, I have changed my user name from Hagar3 to Highcotton.

never will i think of that little cartoon character again

welcome highcotton