Utah!

[La Casa de Pollo]

so alot of water and a little aplle cider vinegar

Yes, use a couple glugs of ACV and water, then let it sit a few days til it bubbles. When you feed it to them, reserve a scoop or two then just add water, and if it stops bubbling up much after a few days use more ACV. Just make sure it is the raw vinegar with the "mother".
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them

My favorite blog---good info here--
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

 

[rcstanley]

so alot of water and a little aplle cider vinegar

Yep, I like it about as thick as thin oatmeal. I do 3 parts feed and 1 part scratch. I usually guess at how much water and end up adding more water or more feed until I get the thickness I like

 

[RJSorensen]

Just home from the UFPA meet in Farmington, nice birds plus I had the pleasure of meeting up with Sundance & iPick. It would seem that chicken people are just a nice bunch of folks, everyone was helpful and just nice as heck. The DW somehow got hold of one of those auction numbers cards, well you can imagine what happened next. So we brought home a pair of Modern Game Red Browns, or the dear wife did. I found out a lot, learned a lot, but did not buy anything at the sale. I wanted the trio that iPick bought… but lost out to her and daughter. Our best to them with these beautiful birds, and I believe they were top of the class/blue ribbon birds at that.

All I can say is that there are some pretty birds out there. Sundance's birds were beautiful, but I have to admit that I thought they would be so. I just missed her last year at the SLCounty fair, but was able to visit and exchange thoughts on the day. A nice day for bird fanciers, but as noted, not a lot of people there. Though I put most of my day into the trip and time spent there, it was a day well spent, and something I would do again and recommend to those here whom are so inclined. The next show is the third week of March, so consider clearing your calendar for the Friday and or Saturday of that week.

I am still on the search for birds to winter, birds to have in the hand for next spring. You have just got to love chickens. A nice October day in the northern half of the state, hope everyone enjoyed the crisp blue sky, and turning leaves.

Best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[RJSorensen]

Regarding Fermented Feeds… I feed them sometimes. I suppose I am like Lisa, more so in the fall/winter/spring than summer. I suppose I just get too busy or something. Anyway I don't use ACV with the mother, I just let the natural occurring yeast in the air propagate my mix. So you can quick start it with ACV or wait a day or two longer and let it happen on its own. I start out with a measured amount, say two scoops. On the second day I start feeding 3/4ths of the container and then adding back the missing amount. This is what I call a running batch, in as I will just continue to feed and add every day, the yeast in the portion left will get right after the new, so I will do this for a month or so, depending on the outside temp, before I start a new batch over from scratch.

I also presoak scratch in much the same way. Softer grain digests better and you can harvest more of the 'good' nutrients from the very same feed/scratch you have on hand now. When I run into a bunch of 'fines' in my feed, it goes right to FF. No waste this way. I, like many of you try to get as much feed utilization as I can. This is one way to use up feed that other wise would just go to waste. And as a big plus, it is good for them. It takes me about 3 days to get a batch going on the FF, and (ALSO) FF will remove the galvanization from metal feeders, pans and the like. Use stainless steel or plastic to feed FF in. The acid in it (FF) eats the galvanized metal and it will show up in your eggs, just so you are aware of it.

Anyway not really working on my post count or such, but thought this topic needed to be separate from my post above.

Best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[Cynthia12]

Diana, sounds like you are having lots of fun.....a lady called me that you sent my direction, reminded me about this show now I'm wishing I could have planned to go! Jealous! Are you showing other birds than the seramas?

I don't know if it is the unseasonably warm temps but there is a lot of hatching going on still up this direction, very surprising! The hatching egg business is not dead yet

Cynthia, are you hatching right now? I have sworn no eggs will be set until 1/1/16, we will see if I can stick to that....

I am doing the Halloween Hatch A Long..I wasn't, then when it was Sally running it, I just had to. She's a blast, and you know how I love the Hatch A Longs. I got some of Brandi's eggs. Her roo is one from Sundance, a frizzled little blue boy. He's so funny. She has this huge turkey out there, and he chases it often, not trying to mate, but I think he is trying to save his girls from this giant of a thing. I never knew turkeys could get so tall! Long legs, and it is white with black. A girl.
Anyway, I have some EE eggs on the way to go along with this hatch a long too..then, hopefully done.

Brandi has been using this bator that her neighbor let her use, I saw it, wished I could have one like that, was strolling hatching eggs on ebay..lol...and there it was! For 59 bucks, free shipping. Went to the hatch a long and asked if anyone else had used it, that a friend of mine loves it, and some had..says it keeps temps and humidity really good. Hope it gets here before these eggs are ready to hatch, I don't need another reason to hatch more! And I've been doing so well. :/

 

[Cynthia12]

Wow Lisa, love your first blue marans, and I want a splash so bad. Waiting now again, for that guys eggs to hatch. He had power outage during all of that storm business back east, and only had two hatch. He lives in GA. right next door to SC. They got hit pretty hard too. So, I will wait for the next batch, which could be a while, because a lot are molting. :/ Oh well, I'll have some chicks here soon..to sell.
You know I love your SG's!

 

[bitsyhorse]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html?m=1

I don't remember who it was that had a chicken with something on its face. I just came across this article,and it looked like what the chicken had

 

[tfleuter]

How it going? I'm on a chicken health page and they use Scarlex scarlet oil for everything. You can get it at IFA or TSC. I treated a duck we rescued a couple weeks ago with it. Something had bitten a huge chunk out of her leg and it was infected. Birds don't have liquid puss. It's hard and kind of like cheese. We had to soak it in Scarlex many times a day and pick the infection and feathers out if that area and then it started healing right up. Also gave her a couple injections of penicillin that you can buy at feed stores, got her nice and healing and off to a new home.

Anyway, I would keep Scarlex away from her eye but maybe you could soak a q-tip and put it on the area multiple times a day?

Thanks! My hen is doing better as far as the sore healing up. The size has gone down and no longer open or scabbed. I'm keeping an eye on it to make sure the bump goes away. After reading, reading and reading some more online I really haven't seen anything quite like what she had but the good news is that the one bump seems to be healing and no others have turned up anywhere else. I am still concerned that her face is pale and not as red as my other young BR hen. My best guess is she is anemic, possibly from a parasite. Thanks to this site I discovered Valbazen which is supposed to be an excellent wormer. I've ordered some online and once it comes it both girls are getting a dose and follow up dose

 

[tfleuter]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/07/fowl-pox-prevention-treatment.html?m=1

I don't remember who it was that had a chicken with something on its face. I just came across this article,and it looked like what the chicken had

That was me bitsyhorse, thanks for the link. I actually saw that as well but after reviewing pics and symptoms and such I feel pretty confident that it is not fowl pox. Her bump was scabbed over, but just one large bump where the feathers were still growing out of it and her nostrils and mouth were clear of any bumps as well. Eating and drinking well and no weight loss that I have noticed.

I do appreciate everyone's help! I used to work as a vet assistant for a short time and am now a RN so humans, cats and dogs I feel pretty well versed in. Chickens, however, have me stumped! Big learning curve with poultry

 

[rcstanley]

I had fun at the poultry show too. I really liked the creole old English game bantams, although my daughter preferred the modern game as she thought they looked like dinosaurs (I thought they looked like chickens in leotards.). I didn't get to stay long since my five-year-old was having a melt down about having left her shoes at home, so if you heard a child screaming that was us (and sorry about that).