The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

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Beekissed said:
Of those breeds? I like the BR, RIR, Leghorn...you will get plenty of eggs. You might get one of those EEs to go broody for you, but I'm not hugely fond of the breed. Mediocre layers at best and the few I've had went broody all the time but were not good mothers, which presents a problem.
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My Ameraucanas is a good layer and has not gone broody..... she is 18 months or so ??? Her offspring Silkie x Ameraucanas both laid for 2 weeks and went broody.... Ons snapped out of it and the other followed a few weeks later..... WEll GUESS WHAT??? That 1st one is BROODY AGAIN.... I didn't count to see how many weeks she laid for this time before going broody! Those Silkie genes are something FIERCE!!!
barnie.gif
She so wants to be a teenage mom
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She was hatched in Feb/March??
 
Beekissed said:
My advice is for anyone feeding FF is to build a trough style feeder and drill drainage holes in the bottom for any excess moisture. That way you won't have to worry about not getting the feed drained properly before you feed and it can cut some time off your feed routine and it also keeps the feed dryer for consumption.
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I am way behind. Chore load has become so heavy. plus son gave me my first grand baby 7 pounds 6 ounces 20 inches long pink and healthy. I just don't have time to set around and read. Am still lurking though nightly as I pass out to reading.
Now about this post. You tell us all the time moisture is our chickens enemy. Then you post to drill holes in our feeders and let the ferment water drip on the deep litter floor. My feeders don't have holes drilled in them and my 30 chickens clean it up and leave no food or water when done eating. Heck there so clean I don't even have to wash them.

I would also like to address this fat chicken thing and I am pretty sure you agree with this under normal circumstances (not what happened to the narly bunch) If you have a few fat chickens ( in my case any fat chicken) cull them. Don't put them on a fancy smancy diet. It simply means they can not conform to your particular husbandry methods and if they don't thrive under your husbandry methods they don't need to be around. Fat chickens are not healthy chickens. They don't have good egg production.
Again this does not pertain to the narly bunch. I fully understand they are alive because you want chicks out of a flock that was considered good under your husbandry methods. Almost sentimental value. I could see myself doing the same thing.

Back to the feeder what is up with the holes doesn't it get the litter wet. You really have me confused with that one. Some would put too wet of feed (wasn't drained well enough or mixed thick enough) and get the floor saturated under neath the feeder. Then the bad germs come and get the chickens. Even if it is dripping on the bare ground in the coop and not the litter it makes a bad germ spot.
I've just got to say no holes necessary if there is any feed left after feeding that means to much feed. If there is water left after feeding feed is to wet.
My chickens get 20 minutes a day all I can afford to give. In the morning I take the FF feed bucket I prepared the night before dump the table scraps in it from night before go to the coop slam it upside down in a large rubber feed pan. (yes its a free for all if you ain't strong enough to get your share tough crap) Take bucket back in house 5 minutes and done. That night grab the other FF feed bucket and water bucket I prepared night before go to coop very evenly spread feed out in 5 foot long double sided feed trough. everyone has plenty of room to get in there and have a good meal. Dump water in rubber feed pan (yes the same one used to feed in morning) take buckets back in house fill all three for next day replenish ferment bucket 15 minutes done.
I know sounds like they get no looking at. Well that is Sunday while the wife watches her precious football. I go out and just look at the chickens. You might even hear me saying come here baby let daddy take a look at ya.
Told ya I would change up the way I do things again. Had to for winter come summer back to feeding once a day.

PS: I miss all you guys just not enough time in the day to do the choirs and this too. I'm only on page 501 and I read slow.
 
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So funny....I've heard a lot of folks that think that Walmart is evil and I guess I just don't get that. Not that I want to open up an political or socio-economical discussion here but the word "evil" has truly lost its meaning if a building filled with material goods is evil.

Even the corporation....I can give you a full blown list of the corporations in this world that are what I consider "evil" and many of you would be surprised that you use their products nearly every day or frequent their stores quite regularly.

Walmart is just a store. Nothing more and nothing less. For many people who live in rural areas, it is the only store with anything in it for 50 mi. or more. You folks who live in urban areas can call it evil all you wish because you have many choices in life but some do not have so many.

On another forum I belonged to some lady was sneering at dollar stores, Good Will and Salvation Army stores. I guess there are many out there who have an idea on what they think is evil or bad.

I shop at Walmart a lot...I don't sense a bit of evil lurking when I purchase foods or goods at prices I can afford. Can't afford to frequent the places that cost more just so that folks can feel like I'm not contributing to the monster that is Wally World.
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There is evidence that Walt Disney was a pedophile.....want to talk about evil, we can go there.
 
I finally made it to the end! And can get some sleep tonight.

Have noticed my tiny 5 hen flock eating twice as much food since FF started this week. Licking bowl clean even after refills. food bill savings??? Some mild pecking at the lower hens they want to hog on the ff. Thanks Rf and LM for pointing out that this pig out does naturally taper off. Even here in Florida we have our own version of seasons. This is our dry time and not much greens left in the yard and with shorter days they must be getting ready for a slower pace by their own calendar.

Why I finally have the chickens I have wanted for a decade...because I was too chicken to dispatch a sick or injured or elderly bird I never acquired a flock. Now with DH in the picture and he being comfortable and confident to process as needed, felt the time was right. Cant have any animal unless you can picture the life span and see yourself "seeing it through" (even if its into a pot) to the end. Beloved dog to farm animal we must be prepared to give mercy when the time comes and eat if you like. We love the eggs but the feeling I get watching my chickens be chickens is just so much more gratifying than ever imagined. I see them out on the bushes or flipping dirt on a hole and I am so thankful to have them. They are soul food! I look out my kitchen window and see them dashing across a clearing with wings flapping and I am still thrilled they are here.

Thank you BK for helping me LOOK at my flock on a new light. The very thick n chunky BO does lay a jumbo egg 4x week but she is a piggy fooder. Her BO sidekick is our best forager and bug hunter but has not laid an egg in 4/5 days. Our 2 americaunas are just darn cool looking and have been laying almost daily a sweet blue egg. One of them came into laying 3 months after the other even though they are the same age and her egg is bigger! These 2 plus our 1 RSL would barely make a family meal they seem so light. We have one steady eddy daily laying RSL and she is the top hen and the smallest. I will be looking for egg laying longevity in my next birds such as BA or WR. And would love to get my hands on a welsummer. No feathered legs or lace or lavendar or bouffant hair dos! They are pretty but I like a chicken looking chicken. And for sure no RIR, boy I have come across some bully RIRs!

We may be city dwellers and have an incomplete flock with no roo but DH never lived without a household flock until he moved to the States. And now that we have a small flock established we will never go back. Not a fad. So its just been learn learn and improve from here. And teach Nina my 3 yr old animal stewardship along the way. She is a BOSS treat dispenser ans has quite a following around here. Nothing beats watching a 3yr old leading a chicken parade.

PS the hawks are here now and casing my yard he past few days. Ladies on a bit if restriction at the moment
 
Quote from Pigeonguy:
Now about this post. You tell us all the time moisture is our chickens enemy. Then you post to drill holes in our feeders and let the ferment water drip on the deep litter floor. My feeders don't have holes drilled in them and my 30 chickens clean it up and leave no food or water when done eating. Heck there so clean I don't even have to wash them.
Click to expand...

I would also like to address this fat chicken thing and I am pretty sure you agree with this under normal circumstances (not what happened to the narly bunch) If you have a few fat chickens ( in my case any fat chicken) cull them. Don't put them on a fancy smancy diet. It simply means they can not conform to your particular husbandry methods and if they don't thrive under your husbandry methods they don't need to be around. Fat chickens are not healthy chickens. They don't have good egg production. Yep, I agree!
Again this does not pertain to the narly bunch. I fully understand they are alive because you want chicks out of a flock that was considered good under your husbandry methods. Almost sentimental value. I could see myself doing the same thing. They are alive because they earned it...and, yes, who wouldn't want those genetics, so I'm hoping for some eggs and chicks. Show me someone else's 6 yr old chickens in that good of shape and laying well into their 5th and 6th years. Not many.

Back to the feeder what is up with the holes doesn't it get the litter wet. You really have me confused with that one. Some would put too wet of feed (wasn't drained well enough or mixed thick enough) and get the floor saturated under neath the feeder. Then the bad germs come and get the chickens. Even if it is dripping on the bare ground in the coop and not the litter it makes a bad germ spot. Well...seeing as not too many people are taking soup out to the feeder~at least I hope not~ and dumping it in and I'm only feeding once a day, the only liquid that I see going into the litter is about a tablespoon each day. Germs? You mean those good ones from the lactobacillus that we want in the coop anyway? Those germs? I'll take 'em. My birds toss any wet spots in that bedding and mix it with dry and it's absorbed appropriately. Heck, we've been so dry here that I've been emptying their dirty water in my bedding to generate moisture. Some moisture is good, too much, not so good.
big_smile.png

I've just got to say no holes necessary if there is any feed left after feeding that means to much feed. If there is water left after feeding feed is to wet.
My chickens get 20 minutes a day all I can afford to give. In the morning I take the FF feed bucket I prepared the night before dump the table scraps in it from night before go to the coop slam it upside down in a large rubber feed pan. (yes its a free for all if you ain't strong enough to get your share tough crap) Take bucket back in house 5 minutes and done. That night grab the other FF feed bucket and water bucket I prepared night before go to coop very evenly spread feed out in 5 foot long double sided feed trough. everyone has plenty of room to get in there and have a good meal. Dump water in rubber feed pan (yes the same one used to feed in morning) take buckets back in house fill all three for next day replenish ferment bucket 15 minutes done.
I know sounds like they get no looking at. Well that is Sunday while the wife watches her precious football. I go out and just look at the chickens. You might even hear me saying come here baby let daddy take a look at ya.
Told ya I would change up the way I do things again. Had to for winter come summer back to feeding once a day.

PS: I miss all you guys just not enough time in the day to do the choirs and this too. I'm only on page 501 and I read slow. We miss you too, Grandpa!
big_smile.png


Edited by pigeonguy - Today at 10:29 pm
 
aoxa said:
Quote:
After enrolling in the School of Bee, and learning about FF, I started to research fermented foods for my family. I figured that if I can take the time to set up a bucket for the hens, I can set up a mason jar for my family. It's been a fun experiment. It helps that my DH and children eat anything and everything that I throw their way. They are very supportive of this crazy lady's efforts!
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Click to expand...
 
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Quote from Pigeonguy:
Thanks. Forgot to say it's a boy. But still going to be a great kid.
Click to expand...
Now about this post. You tell us all the time moisture is our chickens enemy. Then you post to drill holes in our feeders and let the ferment water drip on the deep litter floor. My feeders don't have holes drilled in them and my 30 chickens clean it up and leave no food or water when done eating. Heck there so clean I don't even have to wash them.

I would also like to address this fat chicken thing and I am pretty sure you agree with this under normal circumstances (not what happened to the narly bunch) If you have a few fat chickens ( in my case any fat chicken) cull them. Don't put them on a fancy smancy diet. It simply means they can not conform to your particular husbandry methods and if they don't thrive under your husbandry methods they don't need to be around. Fat chickens are not healthy chickens. They don't have good egg production. Yep, I agree!
Again this does not pertain to the narly bunch. I fully understand they are alive because you want chicks out of a flock that was considered good under your husbandry methods. Almost sentimental value. I could see myself doing the same thing. They are alive because they earned it...and, yes, who wouldn't want those genetics, so I'm hoping for some eggs and chicks. Show me someone else's 6 yr old chickens in that good of shape and laying well into their 5th and 6th years. Not many.
That's what I'm talkin about.

Back to the feeder what is up with the holes doesn't it get the litter wet. You really have me confused with that one. Some would put too wet of feed (wasn't drained well enough or mixed thick enough) and get the floor saturated under neath the feeder. Then the bad germs come and get the chickens. Even if it is dripping on the bare ground in the coop and not the litter it makes a bad germ spot. Well...seeing as not too many people are taking soup out to the feeder~at least I hope not~ and dumping it in and I'm only feeding once a day, the only liquid that I see going into the litter is about a tablespoon each day. Germs? You mean those good ones from the lactobacillus that we want in the coop anyway? Those germs? I'll take 'em. My birds toss any wet spots in that bedding and mix it with dry and it's absorbed appropriately. Heck, we've been so dry here that I've been emptying their dirty water in my bedding to generate moisture. Some moisture is good, too much, not so good.
big_smile.png

I have heard people on here say my feeds to wet I can't get it to drain so I just give it to them wet. Then they ask if that will hurt? So to my knowledge some are feeding slop and that is ok if there are no holes in the feeder. It is like you always say take what works for you and leave the rest. Just wanted to get that out there to those. It is so wet here right now that if even a drop got on the floor it would be next summer before it dried. I'll see if I can't send some of it your way.
I've just got to say no holes necessary if there is any feed left after feeding that means to much feed. If there is water left after feeding feed is to wet.
My chickens get 20 minutes a day all I can afford to give. In the morning I take the FF feed bucket I prepared the night before dump the table scraps in it from night before go to the coop slam it upside down in a large rubber feed pan. (yes its a free for all if you ain't strong enough to get your share tough crap) Take bucket back in house 5 minutes and done. That night grab the other FF feed bucket and water bucket I prepared night before go to coop very evenly spread feed out in 5 foot long double sided feed trough. everyone has plenty of room to get in there and have a good meal. Dump water in rubber feed pan (yes the same one used to feed in morning) take buckets back in house fill all three for next day replenish ferment bucket 15 minutes done.
I know sounds like they get no looking at. Well that is Sunday while the wife watches her precious football. I go out and just look at the chickens. You might even hear me saying come here baby let daddy take a look at ya.
Told ya I would change up the way I do things again. Had to for winter come summer back to feeding once a day.

PS: I miss all you guys just not enough time in the day to do the choirs and this too. I'm only on page 501 and I read slow. We miss you too, Grandpa!
big_smile.png
 
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