The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

it is not molt or lack of light

Do you supplement light?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Yes i always have red on but also leave a white on during the day

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have bought more of the pipe to make 3 more feeders
much to my limited incomes dismay

 

[microchick]

Good grief! I run errands all morning, work out in the coop all afternoon, come inside and see that I have 31 unread posts in this thread.

So it's finally happened. Back in the little town where DH and I had a business I used to go down to the local drug store. It used to have a soda counter once upon a time. They used it to make coffee and still sold pop. It was comical to go in on Wednesday and see the local seniors gathered around the table they had set up, reading the news paper and drinking coffee. Mostly gossiping.

We aren't gathered around a table, we are gathered around our computers, probably drinking coffee. We are definitely talking of sorts so it's officially happened. I'm.....I'm.....One of them

On a happy note. I have a new definition of 'Joy". I let my mother hen and her 8 chicks out for the first time today. Mom showed the babies how to take their first dirt bath. It is just so darn cute to watch those little 2 week old fuzzy butts contorting in the dirt trying their best to duplicate their mom who is busy kicking dirt and chicks every direction.

There is nothing happier than a chicken taking a dirt bath.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well answered my own questions here through out some food and corn on the floor
now have 8 eggs the two long metal feeders I was going through 9 bags a month
135.00 a month in crumble

 

[superchemicalgirl]

No driveway fires yet. We did put together a giant horse skeleton and visited an old graveyard with mid 1700s stones mostly in German.
We hiked a few hours today and plan to do more tomorrow.

 

[ronott1]

Well answered my own questions here through out some food and corn on the floor
now have 8 eggs the two long metal feeders I was going through 9 bags a month
135.00 a month in crumble

There is a delay between feeding them and eggs being laid. The saying is that this mornings feed makes tomorrows eggs.

It is not that simple however. Chickens are often finicky.

I made feeders from home depot 5 gallon buckets. It really does save on them wasting the feed.

 

[Beer can]

Try fermented feed. Save $, better for them, many benefits.

 

[ronott1]

Try fermented feed. Save $, better for them, many benefits.

I did not get into this on the production thread but will here.

Karen posted research that does not show this to be true. There was no benefit over regular feed with added pro biotics. Purina feed has pro biotics in it now too.

It is also not something everyone can do. I can't do it here since it is too hot most of the year. I did it for a while though.

 

[pennyJo1960]

nope lazy they can eat crumble. tree limbs, weeds.. dead sections of the garden
corn now and then and any little creatures from the ground