What did you do with your flock today?

[FBMcrazy8]

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Wait, what??? Do you mean eggshells?

Yes. I mean eggshells. You can only give just egg shells over and over again without any other form of calcium before they are no good. Having another source of calcium plus egg shells is fine. But the point of eggshells is to give calcium back to the chickens. Which if you don’t supply another source of calcium the shell will become weak and eventually be shelless. Their bodies can only supply so much calcium before it just won’t. Which in turn means less and less calcium in the shell.

I don’t know if you knew all that but if so I’m sorry for going into so much detail.

 

[PopoMyers]

They don’t like the oyster shells even though I already offer it. I’m asking about the meat feed for my roosters as I don’t really plan on taking them off layer feed. At least until they decide oyster shells isn’t so bad.

Hmmmm, I think chickens are smarter than we give them credit for. I've always left oyster shell out for them. Since switching everyone over from a layer feed to Purina Mixed Flock 18%protein (Homegrown bag), I've noticed them eating the oyster shell, where they really wouldn't when they had layer feed. This was after the babies had turned 18 weeks. No eggshell issues after the pullets' systems had adjusted. I sort of found this feed by accident, and buy 3 bags whenever I go to TSC. It's also costs less than all the other 50# bags. @TropicalBabies, here are some I made.

 

[PopoMyers]

More strong winds today...with warnings of tornados this time around. Another week of no work on the backporch...makes 3 full weeks of good weather they could have worked and did not. Very frustrating but guess we need to grow some patience and wait.which I'm NOT good at

Let all the babies outta the coop and listened to the lil Buff baby Sonny "hoot, hoot" his little crow while Hank tried to remain in the coop and figure out how Sonny has been doin it LOL. All Hank can do is honk quietly!
Meanwhile poor ole bootyhead Joey has 1 lone tail feather remaining. He looks hideous. Bluey keeps pulling Joey's down feathers out then calls the girls over to eat em as a treat! Now is that strange or what?!
How long does it typically take for them to grow their new feathers back in?

Helped my middle daughter with the nursery yesterday cuz she's due first. Extremely sore after just raising my arms and pressing vinyl to the walls - daisies!
Need to figure out a time to help my oldest with her nursery before middle daughter has her baby...they are 3 weeks apart so should be interesting. She wants a very elegant looking nursery!

@kurby22 how's the coops coming along?!
You too @ChicksnMore !!!
Anyone else building coops right now?!
My DH looked at mine and helped fix an area that was comical but i hadn't been able to do anything else since.

Molting can take 2-6 months, start to all feathers back. Poor Joey.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I have an extra colorful little roo growing up. Got some pictures before I gave them their treats.View attachment 3420617View attachment 3420620View attachment 3420622

Oh he's gonna be beautiful!

The winds are absolutely insane here today! Our shingles are everywhere!
It completely ripped the playground set up out of the ground and flipped it across our wrought-iron fencing...of course breaking the fencing and concrete and all.

@kurby22 that is a super nice coop!!a

 

[PopoMyers]

Yes. I mean eggshells. You can only give just egg shells over and over again without any other form of calcium before they are no good. Having another source of calcium plus egg shells is fine. But the point of eggshells is to give calcium back to the chickens. Which if you don’t supply another source of calcium the shell will become weak and eventually be shelless. Their bodies can only supply so much calcium before it just won’t. Which in turn means less and less calcium in the shell.

I don’t know if you knew all that but if so I’m sorry for going into so much detail.

No problem, did not know that. I just add it all to their can of oyster shell when I get a bunch. The eggshells always disappear first.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Hmmmm, I think chickens are smarter than we give them credit for. I've always left oyster shell out for them. Since switching everyone over from a layer feed to Purina Mixed Flock 18%protein (Homegrown bag), I've noticed them eating the oyster shell, where they really wouldn't when they had layer feed. This was after the babies had turned 18 weeks. No eggshell issues after the pullets' systems had adjusted. I sort of found this feed by accident, and buy 3 bags whenever I go to TSC. It's also costs less than all the other 50# bags. @TropicalBabies, here are some I made. View attachment 3420732View attachment 3420735

I’m not saying they wouldn’t figure it out. I’m saying my chickens won’t touch the oyster shells. I have tried. TONS of pages back there was a whole conversation about it. I really think everyone is confused by my posts and what I’m asking. It has nothing to do with calcium for my hens but everything to do with my feed for my cockerels. I just want to leave this all behind and forget I asked. I don’t want to type out my whole story or how I got to where I am.

Good job on the bags!

 

[PopoMyers]

I’m not saying they wouldn’t figure it out. I’m saying my chickens won’t touch the oyster shells. I have tried. TONS of pages back there was a whole conversation about it. I really think everyone is confused by my posts and what I’m asking. It has nothing to do with calcium for my hens but everything to do with my feed for my cockerels. I just want to leave this all behind and forget I asked. I don’t want to type out my whole story or how I got to where I am.

Good job on the bags!

I'm sorry. 18% mixed flock would work for your boys. Not sure how much protein they need. And it has no calcium in it. I know you'll figure it out. Stay safe with all the wind you're getting over there.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I'm sorry. 18% mixed flock would work for your boys. Not sure how much protein they need. And it has no calcium in it. I know you'll figure it out. Stay safe with all the wind you're getting over there.

I was asking if a meat feed would be ok for them. Unfortunately the people I’m going through don’t have an all flock or mixed flock. I can go back to my farm store, where I have been going until recently, but I would like to stay with the new place as they are local and so is the factories that the feed is made. I posted pictures of the options they have and one of them seemed to basically be an All flock but I’m not 100% sure because they still have layer in the title but say that you need oyster shells on the side and a scratch feed. Kinda confusing to me….the people I spoke to said they didn’t have any all flock but when talking to her it didn’t sound like she knew what she was talking about when it came to chickens.

 

[PopoMyers]

I was asking if a meat feed would be ok for them. Unfortunately the people I’m going through don’t have an all flock or mixed flock. I can go back to my farm store, where I have been going until recently, but I would like to stay with the new place as they are local and so is the factories that the feed is made. I posted pictures of the options they have and one of them seemed to basically be an All flock but I’m not 100% sure because they still have layer in the title but say that you need oyster shells on the side and a scratch feed. Kinda confusing to me….the people I spoke to said they didn’t have any all flock but when talking to her it didn’t sound like she knew what she was talking about when it came to chickens.

I went back and read the tag you posted. So it does have 20% protein, and then the tag says it's a layer supplement, and mix 1:1 ratio with quality scratch grains. Just read an article (didn't know how to get the link) on rooster diet. 18% protein is what the article said. Ok, science
/math brains, if you mixed this feed with

At 80% to 20%, I believe you would end up at close to 17.2%. .80 x .20 = .16, and .2 x .06 = .012. .16 + .012 = .172, or 17.2%. I think you can check the analysis on other scratch blends and come up with the right ratio for your boys. So sorry we did not directly answer your post correctly. Hope this is helpful. Yes, I think it would be fine.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I went back and read the tag you posted. So it does have 20% protein, and then the tag says it's a layer supplement, and mix 1:1 ratio with quality scratch grains. Just read an article (didn't know how to get the link) on rooster diet. 18% protein is what the article said. Ok, science
/math brains, if you mixed this feed withView attachment 3420791
At 80% to 20%, I believe you would end up at close to 17.2%. .80 x .20 = .16, and .2 x .06 = .012. .16 + .012 = .172, or 17.2%. I think you can check the analysis on other scratch blends and come up with the right ratio for your boys. So sorry we did not directly answer your post correctly. Hope this is helpful. Yes, I think it would be fine.

It’s ok. I just wasn’t sure I put it right in my original post about it. I think it just got lost the more it went on. I really appreciate you answering . I tried looking to see if a meat feed would work but everything I was seeing was about meat birds or just offing your roosters. Which isn’t what I wanted to do. But if that supplement feed would work good then that is what I will do. I give them all scratch grain anyway so I for sure can easily do this. However….your math brain, made my none math brain hurt . I seriously got confused after the first set of percentages though. But thank you so much!