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

[delisha]

APA
American Poultry Association

 

[Beekissed]

On the topic of favorite farmers videos.

Farmers Tribute: So God Made a Farmer

This one made me cry. I so loved Paul Harvey! This is my favorite video on this thread yet.

And all the country folk farmer types said, "Amen."

 

[Beekissed]

We did this for years with cattle, didn't have a name for it though. Divide 1 sq mile into 4 squares. Put pens with water in them smack in the middle with gates leading into each square. When the next square is ready for grazing, catch them when they're all in the watering pen at mid-day. Close access to one quarter, open the next. This makes for very efficient grazing. We went from 350 head of open graze cattle on one section to over 500 when we quartered them up.

Same thing can be applied to chickens. Kinda like Salatins meatie pens, but more space for free ranging.

That's rotational grazing...but mob grazing is called intense rotational grazing~guess it's just more intense.

Packs them into a tighter place for just one day until they have grazed everything down to about 2-4 in., using electric wire, then moving them each evening to the next spot. When you look at the used paddock compared to the fresh one it looks like locusts have been there.

 

[nakstk]

Ok I have been reading tons of different threads on different feeds for chickens. So many people think that there was is the best/only way. No offence to anyone, just saying, I think there is more then one correct way to feed chickens.
I started raising chickens In July o of 2011 I fed my girls the brand of feed that my local feed store carries. That is Albers which is made by Land O' Lakes Purina Feed. When they were little they got crumble, then they made a HUGE mess with that so I switched them to pullets which is what they are on now. They rarely waste it now.
Since before I got my chickens I was reading in the forum everything I could about them. There is always new posts and thoughtd being added most recently this is the thread I have been following and I can see the B&A pics and benefits of FF. Before this I was follow the fodder thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/713334/growing-fodder-for-chickens/420#post_9913881
My chickens dont get a lot of free range time. a few hours a week at most. I live in a semi rural area on a lot only one of my 3 neighbors yards are fenced in and my chickens like to visit the neighbors yards. All of my neighbors Love my chickens and dont mind the visit but there are a lot of dogs and cats in the neighborhood and I don't want preventable attacks on my girls.
Would it be worth my time to grow the fodder and feed the FF? I am planning on starting the FF with in the next week. I am just wondering if there would be any extra added health benefits to growing the fodder?

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I have found the quintessential GoTo BA breeder in the west (some say in the US) to see what I can do about adding some good blood to my flock.
My pullets are miles off from his, http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/UXGRF1WJP7bvijY9g0xq6g923118 but my rooster looks a LOT like his. Seems weird to me. Mine is a hatchery mutt extrordinaire!
I am not going to spend a fortune, as I don't have one! But if I can get some hatching eggs, I would be delighted to replace some of my culls with a few broody-raised beauties from a "proper family"!
The breeder-talk from the OT thread has not fallen on deaf ears.

 

[Beekissed]

Gnarly Bunch Coop Tweak: The way this coop is designed and how I have the roosts positioned, I have found, are not conducive to good feather keeping. I've noticed that all the birds have frayed feathers on the tail...much like the ends of a turkey's wings, from dragging and strutting. This tells me that their tails are hitting the side of the coop wall in the nightly shuffle. Will be redoing roosts tomorrow, weather allowing.

The whole darn bunch are looking svelte and good besides the frayed feathers. Bertha still hasn't picked out her butt feathers..but when she does, they oughta be really fluffy.

I was eyeballing my birds today with an eye for what I had just written down about the BAs and had to admit that I really can't keep Turkey come spring, no matter how much she doesn't eat...she just won't be anything that will produce and keeping her around as a mascot just isn't in the plan. I knew that but I sort of wanted to see if any little, tiny eggs would come out at all...would have been cute but nigh worthless. She's just so tough and scrappy, zippy, and smooth that I was hoping she would fill out on good nutrition and blossom. She won't, though.

ETA: We've been getting lots of rain the past few days and my litter is finally smelling like I wanted...like the forest floor!

Soooo needed that moisture...my litter is not breaking down well enough to my liking.

 

[Beekissed]

Ok I have been reading tons of different threads on different feeds for chickens. So many people think that there was is the best/only way. No offence to anyone, just saying, I think there is more then one correct way to feed chickens.
I started raising chickens In July o of 2011 I fed my girls the brand of feed that my local feed store carries. That is Albers which is made by Land O' Lakes Purina Feed. When they were little they got crumble, then they made a HUGE mess with that so I switched them to pullets which is what they are on now. They rarely waste it now.
Since before I got my chickens I was reading in the forum everything I could about them. There is always new posts and thoughtd being added most recently this is the thread I have been following and I can see the B&A pics and benefits of FF. Before this I was follow the fodder thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/713334/growing-fodder-for-chickens/420#post_9913881
My chickens dont get a lot of free range time. a few hours a week at most. I live in a semi rural area on a lot only one of my 3 neighbors yards are fenced in and my chickens like to visit the neighbors yards. All of my neighbors Love my chickens and dont mind the visit but there are a lot of dogs and cats in the neighborhood and I don't want preventable attacks on my girls.
Would it be worth my time to grow the fodder and feed the FF? I am planning on starting the FF with in the next week. I am just wondering if there would be any extra added health benefits to growing the fodder?

Fodder is just fermented seed that has sprouted. The fermentation is what makes the seed more nutrient available but sprouting a seed to a green sprout can add a little more to the mix. To me, it was too much hassle and fuss when my chooks already free range but it might be something you would find beneficial. It's real easy to get some bad mold growth during the sprouting if one is not careful and it has to be tended to, rinsed, etc.

The FF, on the other hand, is a less fiddly but still equally good source of extra nutrients. The longer it sits in the ferment, the more rich in benefits it becomes.

With sprouting, the longer it sits, the more chance you have of culturing some bad molds.

 

[nakstk]

Yeah from reading those posts people where using Peroxide and Bleach on the seeds before they were starting them. The were having to rinse the 2 to 3 times a day. I was thinking about trying it but the FF seems WAY easier.

 

[aaggjg]

Okay I keeping trying to post recent pictures of Tank but have been having nothing but trouble so now that I am at a real computer I am going to do it!!

Just to refresh your memory here are the very sad pictures of Tank from before ... she had mites, had pecked her behind raw and went into a molt.




CU Neck ........



Sad neck


Sad backside a days after 1st nu-stock treatment


I could tell she was starting to feel better as she was coming out of the coop for breakfast first thing. She had been hanging back and coming out 15 mins after the other birds. She has been challenging other hens to gain back her place in the pecking order and running for food.... and yesterday she just started talking again. She used to be a chatty bird but has been basically silent for the last 6 weeks..... So here we go

Tank today!!! Not a 100% but well on her way!!!
Look at those full glossy neck feather and she is FINALLY starting to get a little red back in her comb!


This was a few days ago and you can see she doesn't have much color in her comb ... so the pinking up is very recent!







No more red irritated skin and look fluff!! Thank you Nu-Stock



PS thanks to everyone especially Bruce for their help and to FF & Nu-Stock!!!

 

[aaggjg]

Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and radishes.
They are almost gone already..sheesh all of that work!

I am so stealing that idea!!!! Thanks!!!