I had 2 Road Island reds and 2 white hens. My dad got rid of them a week ago because they kept tearing up our garden areas. They were super cool and one of them would let me pick it up hah. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Can anyone suggest nutritional amendments that might help my girls get through molting faster? They're currently eating "layer" feed mixed with "scratch", ~ 50/50. Supplemented with regular vegetable/fruit scraps and oyster shell grit...
we feed the same but also take a mixture of crumble and scratch and let it soak and ferment for a couple days, they realy like it. Just a coffee can per day for the hens and our turkeys.
Hey snoop'! I've heard of the pre-soak method for poultry feed, but have never tried it. The fermentation makes the nutrition easier for the birds to assimilate, correct? You're suggesting this to help with the molting, yes? Do you feed your birds the fermented grain every day?
Ive got 20+ chickens. I feed their poo to my redworms and my worm castings to my plants, my plants give me veggies i feed to my chickens. Cycle of life!
Yep, but they also like wet food more than dry in my experience, like all animals, lube makes food easier to swallow :lol:
I try to squirt their pen and food down on a daily basis with a Water hose, multiple water sources, drip nipples and pans of water. Mine are not free range due to dogs. I feed them via a metal dog feeder, mix oyster shell with crumble. Feed them tons of cereals, breads, grains and fruits, all leftovers of course. I just tossed a rooster in there finally. He had agression probs so was removed for 6 months.
Thanks, poke'. I'm going to give this fermented grain thing a shot to see how it works. I've got some lacto b. serum I could add to the soak water as well... What a "cock"! Had to put his punk ass in detention for awhile, eh?
Yes they like it more and the food is thoroughly digested. So they end up getting more out of it. We leave a little "mother" a bit of the grains starter to give the fermentation a jump start so we dont start from all new every time. My birds go crazy over it, run right past the dry stuff to hog down the good stuff.
Thanks to you as well. I'm going to head out to the shed to get some grain to get this thing started!
Yeah hes a bastard. VH told me I needed to give him a good smack in the head when he tries to go after me. He's generally kind to me because i feed him everday but sometimes he gets weird. So i smacked him the other day when he came a clawin and he went flyin lol Hasnt tried that shit since But i agree with snoop, they love wet food! Mine will fight over wet food when theres a pile o dry 10 inches away!
One more thing, snoop'... Water to grain ratios. I would assume just enough water to cover the grain? I don't want it soupy, right?
It doesnt matter tbh. If youre fermenting it you dont want soup, but if you want a pile gone in a couple minutes, soak it or just wet, theyll get every grain! Those bird brains dont miss a speck :lol: Plus, that grain will soak up more water than you think, like a bowl of cereal
Oh hell, man! I thought he was treating the ladies a little rough! Had no idea he was after you... Some times it takes a little "tough love" to get the point across...
We just get around 3/4 of a coffee can and put in enough water to cover the grain plus 1/2 inch or so. It will puff right up and soak it in, not soupy. Its best to make some every day but have enough to let it sit and work a couple days so have a couple in rotation.
As far as mean roosters you take them away from the girls and they mellow out real quick. They are not so cool without girls to impress.
He tends to go after my first chicken, an old hen who used to be his bully when he was a runt, but shes 1/3rd the size of the smallest hen now and 1/5th the males size. He wouldnt let her eat and if it starts again, hes gone. I butchered his brothers for dinner. But id give him away or build a better cage. I wish i could let them roam, i spend 40-60 bucks a month on feed, which sucks, but we eat the eggs as fast as they lay them, 13-18 a day for 20ish hens, and a few arent mature yet We no doubt spend more on feed than eggs but i cant eat the store bought eggs anymore, they smell like decay when i crack them open, just foul
We bought 4 Americana pullets a year ago, of which one turned out to be a rooster. He made the mistake of attacking the hubby one day, and drew blood. He was re-named "Soup" that day. The second time he attacked the hubby, he lived (died? ) up to his name! Granny