Transitioning to Outdoors

[Rein Quest]

Understood, thanks Ronott. Times on my side and I felt like I needed them out as the weather is changing faster to summer than I hoped.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I'm going to have to look up fermented food. I've been trying to locate a local feed store because I was thinking about buying more of a bulk than bag food from a place like tractor supply.

So far I must not be using the right keywords.

Bulk purchase can be problematic due to the rate at which nutritional value degrades. Optimal nutrition is within six weeks of milling.

 

[Rein Quest]

I hadn't considered that but can't you purchase it raw without being milled?

I know chickens can eat whole kernel corn and some pebbles and they basically mill it themselves. For example.

 

[Srod79]

My birds free range, I do not put out pans of food, inside or outside, they have plenty of pasture. For bad weather I do increase what they are tossed, other than that they go scratch..

This is what I want to do with ours!

 

[Rein Quest]

Bulk purchase can be problematic due to the rate at which nutritional value degrades. Optimal nutrition is within six weeks of milling.

A thought occurs to me after my initial comment. Buying bagged food in the store. I'm probably not guaranteed to have a product milled within 6 weeks either. Am I?

 

[Davery1019]

So we aren’t supposed to lock them in the coop for a couple of days? With our set up, I won’t be able to make them go back in there.

 

[Rein Quest]

So we aren’t supposed to lock them in the coop for a couple of days? With our set up, I won’t be able to make them go back in there.

It sounds like it depends on our situation. Ideally I think you lock them up for 2-7 days. My coop is smaller with an attached small run. And it's getting hot and humid rather quickly. So I became concerned about them over heating.

 

[Rein Quest]

Especially since rain came with the weather shift and my vents are not water shed.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

A thought occurs to me after my initial comment. Buying bagged food in the store. I'm probably not guaranteed to have a product milled within 6 weeks either. Am I?

The mill date is stamped on the bag....it takes some work, but can be done

 

[rosemarythyme]

So we aren’t supposed to lock them in the coop for a couple of days? With our set up, I won’t be able to make them go back in there.

When I first transitioned outside I kept my chicks locked up in the coop for about a week, but our prefab was a little larger with a lot of ventilation, plus it had a built in feeder and waterer. Once I let them out into the run they figured out how to put themselves back inside at night without any extra work from me.