Hi all,
I just joined DG. Thank goodness I'm on vacation cause I can't tear myself away from this site. My bumm is getting numb from all the researching here. Soon I will have to break myself away and go do some work on the mulch bins. (Bummer).
(On topic) I have been raising chickens for about four years now and something did come up worth mentioning. I have friends that go volunteer for the "Meals on Wheels" program locally. They supply food for needy people in our area through donations from grocery stores and such. They always have leftover bread and started giving me bunches of baked bread weekly. I gave it to my chickens daily thinking it would help reduce my feed costs. BIG MISTAKE! The girls soon stopped laying.
After removing the bread from their diet they soon started laying again with no ill effects luckily. I'm not sure what happened, but I was more carefull in the future. The girls are an important feature for me. They give me eggs that I sell that pays for their feed. They work the soil and fertilize my garden for me. I have a fenced in garden split (in two) adjacent to the coop. One year they have access to half the garden. After my fall crop is done I move them to (that) half of the garden and let the previous half rest. In the spring I add lime and till the rested portion.
It takes about three or four months after planting the new garden before I start seeing weeds. As you already know, chickens will let nothing grow in their yard and after a year there is no weed seeds left behind. They are also great mousers. Mice stand no chance....LoL... BTW don't give them tomatoes for the last month in the fall. Tomato seeds go right through them and will start growing very aggressively.
That's all for now. Thanks for having me.
JB
Does anyone know of any treats for chickens?
Welcome JB! So Happy to see you here! Thank You for your input on "gardening" with Chickens,too! Now I will just have to try out that rotation system you have going on, that sounds like a real winner to me!
I know just where Elizabeth town is! I used to pass right by it on my way back and forth from Georgia to Fayetteville.
lol, well the first egg my rock layed, the shell wasn't hard enough so it broke in half and was rubbery. The 3 month old leghorn picked it up, ran with it, then ate it. THATS canibilism.
Oh yes Fire, they will gobble up any broken eggs. They love the shells as well. A form of calcium for them in excess of their feed. I'm not sure about cannibalism (the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of its own kind. ) I had one hen die from an egg getting logded in her. The others just kind of looked at her with concern but never touched her. (Too bad she died, she layed the largest eggs of all. Maybe that's why it got stuck in her.)
Eufaula, I'm in Elizabeth City N.C. That's just a half hour south of chesapeake Va. Lots of people get them mixed up. I think my aunt still thinks I live in Elizabethtown LoL. I too will be going by there in a couple of days on my way to Dad's house in Florida.
You can also throw stuff from your mulch bins in their pen. They will scratch it into the surface for you. They will also eat any seeds that are left in it.
JB
huh, i dont know. They never seem to eat them anymore. Which is good :D.... i think
wut about for food? not snacks
fire_shy your rubbery egg story reminded me of the time I was picking up eggs and a hen was broody and wouldn't get off the nest. So I was carefully reaching underneath her as she drew herself upward and she laid an egg right in my hand! It was very warm, wet and sticky!
saanansandy, Now that's fresh out of the chute! LOL
lol!
I have some americauna pullets. Their favorites in order are: meal worms, canned cat food, mashed potatoes, grits, bananas and any kind of greens. When they were little I fed them fried egg yolk- a recommendation straight from the husbandry book I have. They ate it (and pretty much everything I give them, but I wouldn't say it was their favorite) and the idea is that it nutritious and the same thing they ate before they hatched. Have fun!
My chickens go MAD over canned corn. They also enjoy spaghetti and fruit, but not like they dig corn.
corn on the cob goes over like candy.
I know what you mean, we have a small U-pick corn patch and when the season is over and there's any left-over ears (over ripe or immature) we husk them, feed the husks to the cows and the ears to the chickens they all think they've died and gone to heaven. We feed the left-over stalks that we didn't sell for Halloween decoration to the cows. Boy howdy you'ld think you were feeding them candy. We even feed the chickens the cobs that we had eaten and they are picked clean.
LOL my husband leaves so much corn on his cob, that the chicks and ducks are more than happy to see those left overs coming:)
Hurray for hubby!! LOL
Hi! i'm new to the chicken world, &two of my chicks have got diarrhea and all of them refuse to try new foods, like seeds and more organic pellets. they also protest and chirp loudly when i hold them. What should i do?
How old are your chicks, bluejelly?
check the temp of their water...
they are about 10 days-2 weeks old. How warm is the water supposed to be? it's kinda luke warm. my friend just got chicks as well and they LOVE to be held.
They actually need cool water. Not ice water, but cool--or they may not drink as much as they should. Don't let the brooder light shine on it.
Other people will be more helpful--but I think cornmeal may help with the diarrhea. If the are on medicated starter I wouldn't worry about cocci and I wouldn't push greens of any kind til the diarrhea clears up. Handle each one separately--maybe take it where it won't hear the others peeping. And just stroke it til it settles down. They usually don't like being picked up at first. What kind are they?
also hold them near the heat lamp to see if they chirp less.
now, when you say diarrhea, do you mean runny poo or pasty butt???
yes cornmeal is good for pasty butt, also clean carefully with a warm damp cloth.
my kids like to hold two or three at a time in their lap...
have fun with your chicks!
I mean runny poo. sometimes pasty butt, but i clean that as soon as i can. the chicks seemed to really like the cornmeal.
Two of the chicks are aracaunas and one is a Black australorp.
Oh, and can chickens fly? because my chicks are only 3-7 oz and they can jump over a 18in.
Some breeds can fly as adults, especially bantams--but most of the heavy standard breeds can't. But when they are chicks they are a lot lighter and many can clear a few feet til they get too heavy. My little 10 day old flew right out of her 18 inch deep brooder this weekend. It was straight up and out--she is a beauty!
This message was edited May 12, 2008 7:36 PM
This message was edited May 12, 2008 7:37 PM
We have had young chickens fly over a six foot fence at times. We now have a seven foot fence and the top foot or so is loose and floppy so they can't get a toe hold on it. This usually stops them from getting out.
My black Orpington absolutely loves buckwheat as a treat. She doesn't mind if it's raw or toasted. Limit the amount of sunflower seeds - they are high in fat. She also loves English spinach.
my chickens are different 3 red 2 black 1 tan one of the blacks has a crown and feathers on its feet and one of the red ones is a rooster all of them are 1 1/2 months old expet one thats turning 4 months
Pretty pullet you have there, Rauchicks.
Welcome to Dave's. If you have questions ask and most people here will be able to help you with them.
GG
Thanks granny_goody
these are my others after before
blue jelly it seems like your having problems the same as me
Where did you get them, Rauchicks? The one in the picture almost looks like a Buckeye----or maybe a red sex-linked?
i got it as a egg and hatched in a encubator she was my first one
u can call me haley
i found out that my pullets love bread and cheese puffs
mine love anything cheese.
mine love everything you give them except orange rinds.
GG
i have a question do u give chickens baths or brush them
for any one who knows
p.s. i'm new to chickens i don't know much about them expet how to feed water
not me, i like the skin on my arms and legs.
No, you don't bathe nor brush them normally. The only reason you would bathe them is if they get "pasty-butt", and that happens only rarely.
GG
Thanks granny_ goody my uncle most have tried to trick me