when to start layer feed?

[CibolaChooks]

Black soldier fly larva is 42 percent protein and about 30 percent fat he reports. This guy uses them to feed his fish in his Acroponics setup. I am almost done building a Duck ponics acroponics pond . I will be getting a colony started soon i hope

http://www.thebiopod.com/

http://catawbacoops.com/soldier-fly-larvae-as-a-cheap-food-source-for-chickens.html

You can also grow duckweed if you have the means to. It grows fast and can be grown year round in a green house. I will be having a grow bed off my duck pond that only grows duckweed. Duckweed is 40% protein and lots of people feed it to there chickens and ducks.

 

[oldrooster]

Actually, our local mill would mix and grind a feed for me to my precise specs, but they can't do it in batches of less than 500 pounds. I don't really have a good way to store it. We can buy the feed store's standard mix, but it doesn't have any animal protein in it, either.

I had an elderly neighbor who did odd jobs to supplement his income and also he raised 2-6 head of cattle to "finish" to sell for freezer beef he had a trash route that he did 1 day a week and he got paid extra for large items and did large 1 time haul offs if someone had to remove a lot of trash at once, and he'd get a used chest deep freeze occasionally to haul off and he put it in his barn and he filled a small chest type with feed he'd dump from his feed sacks and he'd stack the extra sacks on top of the other freezers because he found out rodents couldn't climb up the slick enamel sides.

 

[oldrooster]

I am raising some foster kitties that spill their food while I'm at work and they're locked in a kennel, so the pullets get about a 1/2 cup or so of the left overs, first ingredient on the bag is chicken, 2nd is rice!! I hope this is ok for them, i hate to see it dumped in the garbage at over a dollar a pound, and the girls seem to enjoy it as a teat. I volunteer at a local shelter, and we have a rescue ranch and alot of chickens and re-homed roos that eat the left over dog and cat food that the other animals don't eat. This isn't ideal but it is free and keeps their bellies full of protein to supplement the corn and feed that is donated.We mostly get chickens that have been abandon or cockerels that people don't have the wherewithal to deal with themselves. Roo's aren't allowed in city limits, and everyone is getting BYchicks(straight run duhh)nowadays so they end up at the shelter

So are the roosters treated as other pets subject to sterilization and adoption fees and such as most shelters have as rules or would they let someone with a home for them just take them off there hands or put them in the freezer for food? I ask because I also know some shelters are happy to re-home "farm animals" at little to no cost to farmers who are willing to take any and all animals (unless it is a malnourished or sick animal that needs lots of extra care). Most of the farmers in the 2nd scenario usually have a list of names for some "exotic" farm animals they do not want that are trustworthy animal owners who want miniature donkeys horses or such that a "traditional" farmer may not want or need.

 

[Rhoise]

So are the roosters treated as other pets subject to sterilization and adoption fees and such as most shelters have as rules or would they let someone with a home for them just take them off there hands or put them in the freezer for food? I ask because I also know some shelters are happy to re-home "farm animals" at little to no cost to farmers who are willing to take any and all animals (unless it is a malnourished or sick animal that needs lots of extra care). Most of the farmers in the 2nd scenario usually have a list of names for some "exotic" farm animals they do not want that are trustworthy animal owners who want miniature donkeys horses or such that a "traditional" farmer may not want or need.

Not sure, I'll find out and get back to you. I volunteer with cats and dogs, but they get all kinds of critters!!! Lots of roosters lately!!!

 

[Mother2Hens]

To Missa from MInnesota: I'm not sure if Fred answered your inquiry, but I am guessing that Northern Mitten is Northern Michigan, the mitten-shaped state. The 45th parallel runs across Northern Michigan.

 

[Jeepman]

I get my feed locally @ 20.25 for 100lb bag loaded or if you bring your own container it is 19.75 per 100lb if you use your pickup or trailer to pull under the chute. If they have to load a 100lb container you add a dollar. They also allow me to buy 500lbs at a time for a dollar off each 100lbs. I have a 55gal drum and a really strong two wheel dolly. They have three levels of protein from 18%-21% in the layer. The starter is pre-bagged only.

I also have a friend that owns a bait store. I get all dead minnows from him and he gives me a gallon sized bag of frozen dead minnows a week. They love the minnows and it is loaded with protein.

I also found my chickens love to eat spaghetti and bread. Well the bread outlet store sells the outdated bread @ 25 cents a bag and sells the uncooked dried noodles @ 50 cents a 10lb box of broken noodles. I cook up 50lbs of noodles and freeze them in 1lb bags. I pull 1lb a week and thaw it in the fridge. I feed them that once a week. My birds are spoiled.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

To Missa from MInnesota: I'm not sure if Fred answered your inquiry, but I am guessing that Northern Mitten is Northern Michigan, the mitten-shaped state. The 45th parallel runs across Northern Michigan.

Thanks, M-2-H, I kind of figured it would be Michigan. After I wrote him I took note of his signature line so the Parallel line made sense for Michigan. Didn't know Michigan was mitten-shaped.

Thanks. Was just curious.

 

[hoangduyanh]

thank to this post , love chip



dang ky ma vach

 

[castillofa]

Same here. Fall down and all that'll be left is clothes and hair. Chickens can finish off just about anything, quick like.

;-)

 

[Missa Chickabee]

Same here. Fall down and all that'll be left is clothes and hair. Chickens can finish off just about anything, quick like.

;-)

Would be the good opening scene in a detective movie or TV series...like "Monk", the OCD detective with germ phobia. Having to deal with human demise in a chicken coop. Now that would be funny.

Anyway, I am so convinced my chickens need animal protein.