Chicken updates anyone?

[MindyLee]

I love the blk & gold mix. And the shed.

I love all chickens!

 

[kaycee]

i just got a pick-up box load of ear corn. the chickens won't eat the corn i shelled for them so i assume i will have to crack the kernels. what do you use to crack the corn?

 

[jacks'thunder]

We use a grinder or a very cool, antique, belt driven mix feed maker. I know, hardly any one has one of these but it so neat to watch it work. The guys take it to shows and use it for demonstrations, and I get the corn all beautifully cracked!

If you don't have a feed grinder maybe you can mix it in with other feed and they will eat it whole....? From experience mine will not eat it whole unless it's on the cob and only give once in a while as a treat.

I use cracked corn all season long mixed with my feed to make it stretch a little farther. One time I bought a bag from TSC ( first few months owning chicks) and OMG I did not hear the end of it for weeks! I didn't know I could use the cattle's corn for chicks! LOL!

Good luck!! And remember you can always crack it by hand if you have too!

 

[Debby - LB]

for some reason the last bag of cracked corn we bought the chickens aren't eating it? it's weird, this has never happened before.

 

[MindyLee]

My birds eat pheasant scratch.

Also get blk oil sunflower seeds

Critter blocks

And of course layer mask.

Oh

And bread.

But the pheasant cratch I get at work and they love that stuff. Its great feed!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I would think a coffee grinder would crack corn if you don't need large amounts at one time. My mother used to grind wheat for the new chicks using an antique coffee grinder. It was cranked by hand but the new ones are electric and very powerful.

 

[Shari]

Something I have noticed... if I tried to feed my Chickens and Turkeys... just plain old bagged corn. They won't touch it.

But if I feed them certified organic Non GMO corn... they eat it like candy.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We went on a little trip and had a neighbor check eggs while we were away. I thought her little girl would be charmed to gather eggs. NOT. She was horrified to think of eating them because they had babies inside.

I guess she remembers that we hatched some. Hard to explain the facts of life to a 2 year old--- No rooster here.

I left the feeder full and two water sources. But I didn't want to leave the eggs ungathered. Horses and chickens could be self sufficient for a few days if it weren't for the eggs.

The chickens were sure happy to get out and scavange today! And I think they missed me.

Dog, chickens, horses--we are all in our places again. Home is where the heart is.

 

[Debby - LB]

my update is I found my oldest Rooster dead this week. I sure hate that he was so pretty and his hens are a little lost still. I have to get all these young Roosters slaughtered and in the freezer.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm sorry you lost your rooster. I was given 2 last week and lost one the first day (he just vanished) then yesterday I came home to find the other one had flown over the coop fence and my roti pup (14months +-) has had a fine old time playing with him. I thought sure he was dead but he showed a few signs of life so I put him by himself in a large dog kennel with a dog house and waited to see if he would last the night. He has no open wounds (dog is actually pretty careful with her teeth) but he has bruises and contusions and has lost a great deal of feathers including all but 2 short, tail feathers. He used to look so proud but now he is pretty bedraggled. Still it does look like he will survive and we are now calling him Lucky.

 

[Debby - LB]

that's a shame I'm sorry you lost one too, sounds like you got home just in time I hope he makes it!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Thanks, it looked pretty positive yesterday. He was up eating and drinking, but he is much subdued. One of the reasons we were given him was because he is a noisy guy. He would crow pretty steadily from first light until dark, which some people dislike - I happen to like the sound. I have heard no crowing from him since his near death experience. I suppose once he can go back in with the girls he might start up again. Right now he is feeling vulnerable and doesn't want to attract attention to himself I expect.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks, it looked pretty positive yesterday. He was up eating and drinking, but he is much subdued. One of the reasons we were given him was because he is a noisy guy. He would crow pretty steadily from first light until dark, which some people dislike - I happen to like the sound. I have heard no crowing from him since his near death experience. I suppose once he can go back in with the girls he might start up again. Right now he is feeling vulnerable and doesn't want to attract attention to himself I expect.

Chickens are pretty fragile. He must have a strong will to have survived. Hope he makes it.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Well, it looks promising. Lucky was talking to me this morning when I gave him fresh water and more food. He still hasn't come out of the dog house into the pen part but he is moving around in the house his eyes are clear and he holds himself alert/proud again. I told my husband the first night, if he survives the night he has a chance and if he lives he is one tough bird. Every day that passes I think his prognosis looks better. He will be getting his wings clipped before he goes back with the hens, I had forgotten that young roosters are pretty light weight and can fly quite well until they put on more pounds. Clipped wings will keep him where he belongs after he is healed up. I feel bad for not assuring that he couldn't fly before this happened since I know my dog likes to chase things and a flapping squawking chicken would be too much to resist

. Now I have an injured rooster and a dog that will always need to be watched carefully.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

You only clip one wing. There is a very good diagram and instructions for clipping at

http://poultrykeeper.com/ search: how to clip a wing

We just went through this with my nephews barred rocks and black beauty. They were really flying high! Our barreds do not fly up like that, thank goodness. We did the minimal clip on the girls and that will probably be enough for them. Your rooster may need more.

Hope he stays Lucky!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Interesting site, thanks for sharing it Marsha. I have had chickens of and on for many years and grew up with chickens as well so I just do what my mother did when it comes to wing clipping.

She would clip the primary (and sometimes secondary) flight feathers on both wings every spring so I do too. I can't say whether it is really necessary to do both wings (it seems reasonable that just doing one would work) but it sure does keep the birds grounded. Poor Lucky has already lost his glorious tail and now I am making plans to chop the ends off his wing feathers too. Good thing his tail will grow back (I hope) so he won't feel so embarrassed.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Interesting site, thanks for sharing it Marsha. I have had chickens of and on for many years and grew up with chickens as well so I just do what my mother did when it comes to wing clipping.

She would clip the primary (and sometimes secondary) flight feathers on both wings every spring so I do too. I can't say whether it is really necessary to do both wings (it seems reasonable that just doing one would work) but it sure does keep the birds grounded. Poor Lucky has already lost his glorious tail and now I am making plans to chop the ends off his wing feathers too. Good thing his tail will grow back (I hope) so he won't feel so embarrassed.

If both wings are clipped it makes the bird more stable to fly. If only one wing is clipped, he is lop sided and cannot get airborne.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

True, its been my experience tho that once their wings are clipped they can't lift off well enough to fly. Never had one fly after I clipped the wings but clipping one would be quicker for sure.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I want to mention the chick that our hen hatched. We had no idea what the rooster/hens were and this chick was the funniest looking bird. Striped like a chipmunk and no tail. The last few weeks she has turned into a beauty. She is colored rather like a robin. Very gentle. We had a successful hatch of three chicks from the fertile eggs. One was eaten by a snake, one turned out to be a black cockerel. He was just gorgeous. He went to a home where the folks want to teach their children to show chickens; they named him Ninja.

So, we still have Stripey, but we may change her name to Robin. I need to get a photo of her in case anyone recognizes her breed. We thought it might be modern game at first, but aren't sure now.

 

[kaycee]

went "online" and found a hand cranked grinder from of all places walmart. ordered one and have ground a couple of shelled ears of corn. it took a couple of meals but now they slick it up. that should lessen the feed bill.

now i need to find some one to butcher a few roosters(i cannot kill them and neither can significant other!). they are just tooo pretty-if you can apply that to a male!!!!