I planted my Kale seeds yesterday to help feed my chickens for when fuel and stores are no more .
Chicken/egg question
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One of my older hens died. She wasn't laying much anymore.
I lost a hen today to knats.
fry them for breakfast
We clip the wings only of the longest feathers so they can't fly, but leave the rest for warmth and being able to flap their wings in the dust bowl to keep themselves happy and lice free. Ours cannot FLY at all but they do get faster on the ground with the help of their wings.
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Cannot believe autocorrect added enjoying to my post. Commies.
I kept the chickens in run today. Gave them some straw to cut the boredom. Will give them weeds too.
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We're giving away 2 of our roosters today, and I'm shooting another rooster who was injured in a fight.
We're still only getting 1 or 2 eggs a week. Hope they start laying soon. Can't afford to keep feeding them without getting a return. Slackers.
I started working on their new run. It'll cover about a half acre in area.
We're still only getting 1 or 2 eggs a week. Hope they start laying soon. Can't afford to keep feeding them without getting a return. Slackers.
I started working on their new run. It'll cover about a half acre in area.
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Throughout the winter we keep a couple tray of seeds sprouting for the chickens.
Last fall I cleared an area that I plan on growing grains and seeds for chicken feed. I've got a large slash pile to burn, maybe tomorrow, then I can disk the area and plant. I think it's a good idea to grow as much feed as possible.
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They say one roosterling per 8-10 hens. Since I had two die, I am down to 14 ladies and 2 roos. Luckily, my roosters are getting older and don't need as much "exercise" these days.
I don't want to buy chicks, but hope one goes broody and hatches a few.
I learned some new things about incubation of shipped eggs. I have had trouble with malpositioning of shipped eggs due to saddle sacs. The last incubation, I lost about 40% of perfectly formed chicks due to malpositioning. Anyway, here is what I learned:
Always let eggs settle. (I knew this one.) If they are older eggs and have large air sacs, let them settle for less time, though.
Incubate with air sac up. If the air sac is detached and moving, do not turn for the first few days to allow things to settle even more.
Incubate in an egg carton if you don't have a turner and turn manually with tipping rather than incubating on the side.
All eggs with unfavorable air sacs should be hatched with air sacs up. (Fat end up)
Always draw a line where the air sacs is in case you have to assist. This is especially important if they have saddle sacs.
Hope this helps someone. I wish I had known this stuff before.
Always let eggs settle. (I knew this one.) If they are older eggs and have large air sacs, let them settle for less time, though.
Incubate with air sac up. If the air sac is detached and moving, do not turn for the first few days to allow things to settle even more.
Incubate in an egg carton if you don't have a turner and turn manually with tipping rather than incubating on the side.
All eggs with unfavorable air sacs should be hatched with air sacs up. (Fat end up)
Always draw a line where the air sacs is in case you have to assist. This is especially important if they have saddle sacs.
Hope this helps someone. I wish I had known this stuff before.
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I'm in the process of clearing an area to plant for making our own chicken feed. I was thinking of planting mostly small grains, but was hoping to get recommendations from other chicken people.
We use a lot of buggy grain we get from people around us and grow out some insects, but I want to try the turnip thing that was posted from Mike Adams recently.
@Danil54grl Were you the one that posted the video of making your own feed back in the fall?
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Not a bad idea. But we need something to harvest in the fall and feed in the winter. I'm fencing in an area of maybe a half acre for the chickens to run in. For the summer time they shouldn't need much, if any feed.
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I still have my flock in the run, but this morning they were going crazy. I walked around, saw nothing. Started again and Leon and I went and sat on a rock with a gun, but still nothing.
I guess it is good at hiding. It took me a while, but I realized to look up because they are cats and can climb. Which means they can jump out of a tree onto my head.
I guess it is good at hiding. It took me a while, but I realized to look up because they are cats and can climb. Which means they can jump out of a tree onto my head.
A few days ago I had two wooden eggs take missing from close to my chicken pen . They are so realistic that I put a mark on them so that we could distinguish them from a real egg . Late yesterday evening my dog found something under a bush about 10 feet from where the wooden eggs disappeared from . By the dog's reaction I presumed it was snake but couldn't see it in the deeming light as darkness was about upon us . Today I found a snake 4 or 5 foot long that had something inside it . It may have been my missing wooden eggs and I hope that thing has hell trying to pass them . It didn't look happy and I left it alone as I could see it had no poison glands behind it's jaw . Actually it looked down right miserable .
That should teach him.
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When I was a kid I'd feed eggs to snakes. When the egg was half way through the snake I'd break it. Simple fun for a country boy.
When my dad was a kid, he drilled a hoke in the coop wall just a hair smaller then the diameter of fake eggs and look for snakes stuck in the hole on there way out. Chop there heads off!
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I've heard of people doing something similar, only they'd drive horseshoe nails at an angle at the edge of the hole.
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Snakes get stuck in my deer netting every summer. I usually don't find them until they are covered in flies.
I’ve posted various videos and such on making your own chicken feed. Dani might have too.
The ingredients I’ve seen and recommend are…
8# Corn
8# Field Peas
6# Wheat
1#Barley or Oats
1oz Salt or mineral salts
Egg Shells
I do feed the hens scratch and sunflower seeds as treats too.
I missed the Mike Adams video on turnips. What did he say or can you point me to which video?
Turnips have the minimal amount of everything to sustain chickens.
Ok, I can't remember who posted what sometimes. It was you.
I think it was the Mike Adams interview with the woman from the seed company, but I'll check and see if I can find it. It was just a short mention, not much detail.
I trim the roosters spurs from time to time . We have a white leg horn that git himself locked up for hitting the wife in the knee on day . The Bahamas are good natured .
My rooster is very gentle . It was raised and pampered by my Grandson's to be bride " in about 10 days " . She learned I was looking for a rooster and brought it to me tucked under her arm . I believe it to be a " Rhode Island White " .
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We're getting 1 to 2 eggs a day now, but we have an egg eater. I'll set up a camera and try to find who the culprit is.
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I picked up some oats, wheat, barley and buckwheat seeds to plant for chicken feed. I'll try and get it planted today.
The Kale that I planted for chicken feed is up and It will need to be thinned in a few more days . Also there is a voluntary weed that has spread over my open areas around my alamo that I have no idea as to what it is , that grows during the winter . My chickens love it . It is still growing so I feed the chickens some of those weeds daily .
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My chickens are tired of being locked up, but my neighbor on the hill had her cat attacked. It is alive, but lost it's collar and has scratches.
Guess it is still around.
Guess it is still around.
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Felt sorry for the chickens as they were standing in the rain. The have been locked up for a week so I opened the gate. They were so used to being locked in, they didn't bother to come out for about 30 minutes.
Maybe they will get some worms greens.
Maybe they will get some worms greens.
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