[KimS]

we have 6 chickens currently need some more because some are getting quite old and dont lay - but we will still keep our old girls and our 5 yo rooster

koz

Our girls are 5 and 6 years old and still laying almost every day. What do you consider old? Some of their eggs are bigger than extra large eggs that we get from our corn feeding farmer (we only have 3 chickens currently and have to top up our egg supply).

We're getting more too in a couple of weeks.

I had read that post which was why I knew you fed your chickens "alternative "feed but I am a bit confused as to what else you feed them other than fish ?

koz

Scraps from the table. I keep a big bucket in the kitchen, they get all the carrot peelings, apple cores... pretty much anything you would throw into the compost.

I while ago I had left some rice soaking too long and it smelled 'yuck'. I put it in the compost pile... then when I came back later, the chickens and the dogs were eating it... YUCK. I waited for someone to get sick but no one seemed worse for the wear at all.

I should've known better though... all the animals seem to love the compost pile.

In the summer I don't worry to much about feeding them if they've got lots of free range time... we put them away every night or on days that we notice the hawks are doing a lot of hunting out back (probably when they have babies).

In the winter I top up their food with some cooked rice... but not too much because it really is just 'filler'.

Try throwing a whole fish out and see what they do. Does your dh clean up the gizzards when they're not eaten? If he leaves them, I bet they will be gone the next day.

We have not cleaned out the chicken pen in 6 years. We don't have to, the chicken ensure there is nothing left. Even the corn we threw out there... it stays for about a year but by the next year they've got it pecked right down to dust... probably from getting the bugs that try to take up residence in them. (When there's snow, the girls pretty much stay in their 'chick condo'. We leave the door open but they don't seem to like going out in the snow.)

Not laying but free ranging is a little confusing. Maybe they are laying but they're hiding the eggs on you.

They love raisins!!

Hmmmm... melon rind... everything really.

What not to feed: tomato greens and potatoes. Actually they'd have to be starving to eat the tomato greens anyway. One of the few bugs that chickens won't eat is a tomato horn worm. That may be because it's full of tomato greens, which are toxic for chickens.

Gee... kind of brings up the gluten in dairy issue again doesn't it.... chicken are smart enough to avoid eating something that eats something toxic to chickens... but humans just aren't quite there yet.

One day I'm going to try raw, grassfed dairy... just to see...

[kozz]

Hi Kim

Originally Posted by KimS

Our girls are 5 and 6 years old and still laying almost every day. What do you consider old? Some of their eggs are bigger than extra large eggs that we get from our corn feeding farmer (we only have 3 chickens currently and have to top up our egg supply).

commercially in australia any chook (chicken ) over 2 is consdiered too old ! one of ours is an ex battery hen and last winter she layed most days !

here chooks stop laying during the summer due to the heat but usually start again about april ........ but this year no start yet ......... we have looked everywhere and cant see that they could be laying outside and there are no bits of eggs to make us suspect snakes or goannas are eating the eggs (usually if this happens there is some evidence and anyway it seems snakes and goannas have gone into winter hibernation ) we tried leaving them in but still no eggs

we also lock our chooks in everynight in their fortified chookery because we have lots of foxes and especially now is fox breeding season

our eggs are small because our chooks are smallish - apart form the Isa brown we have 2 pekin bantams and 2 cross bred part bantams ....... when we get some new chooks we are thinking of getting some purebreds probably Australorps

Scraps from the table. I keep a big bucket in the kitchen, they get all the carrot peelings, apple cores... pretty much anything you would throw into the compost.

I while ago I had left some rice soaking too long and it smelled 'yuck'. I put it in the compost pile... then when I came back later, the chickens and the dogs were eating it... YUCK. I waited for someone to get sick but no one seemed worse for the wear at all.

I should've known better though... all the animals seem to love the compost pile.

In the summer I don't worry to much about feeding them if they've got lots of free range time... we put them away every night or on days that we notice the hawks are doing a lot of hunting out back (probably when they have babies).

In the winter I top up their food with some cooked rice... but not too much because it really is just 'filler'.

we do also give them any table scraps its just that we dont have many LOL there is only hubby and I and we dont leave much LOLOL

outside leaves from cabbage etc are claimed by the goats - usually as soon as dh goes down to the veggie patch to pick the vegs for dinner there is a goat stampede and lots of loud bleating until he gives them something ! mmmm maybe the chooks have to learn to be louder LOLOLOL

although overall the chooks dont miss out because we do give them the excess goats milk usually arround a litre a day ......... and they do seem to prefer it a bit sour as keft overs after we have finished ! we also have a chook kefir culture going ande they get kefir twice a week

the chooks also love a pick on the goat poo and it is said to be very good for them and helps prevent coccidiosis ......

Try throwing a whole fish out and see what they do. Does your dh clean up the gizzards when they're not eaten? If he leaves them, I bet they will be gone the next day.

they seem to be dumb chooks ! he does leave the gizzards for days and used to even give them the fish heads but eventually has to pick them up due to the smell ! years ago our chooks used to pick at the heads and eat the gizzards but not this lot ! I guess I answered myself there maybe when we get some new chooks they will appreciate the fish ! btw we also have 2 dumb muscovy ducks who wont touch fish

We have not cleaned out the chicken pen in 6 years. We don't have to, the chicken ensure there is nothing left. Even the corn we threw out there... it stays for about a year but by the next year they've got it pecked right down to dust... probably from getting the bugs that try to take up residence in them. (When there's snow, the girls pretty much stay in their 'chick condo'. We leave the door open but they don't seem to like going out in the snow.)

our chooks pen is like a desert moonscape LOL in relation to the bugs the permaculture people suggested we should breed maggots as chook food !!!

we have to clean the chookpen out regularly and put in limesand because we have a big problem with stickfast fleas ........ I would think with your cold climate you wouldnt have such problems ?

snow is just incomprehensible to us LOLOLOL dont know how you or the chooks survive !!!!

What not to feed: tomato greens and potatoes. Actually they'd have to be starving to eat the tomato greens anyway. One of the few bugs that chickens won't eat is a tomato horn worm. That may be because it's full of tomato greens, which are toxic for chickens.

Gee... kind of brings up the gluten in dairy issue again doesn't it.... chicken are smart enough to avoid eating something that eats something toxic to chickens... but humans just aren't quite there yet.

by tomato greens I guess you mean the plants and leaves ? we certainy dont feed them to anyone and dont even put them in the compost ........ they are suppoosed to be good to make bug spray but we have never tried it ........ the wormfarm has the monopoly on potato peelings ! we keep hoping to breed enough worms to feed some to the chooks but its a long way off yet !

I agree that chooks know what to eat and what not to eat ! someone asked on the permaculture board if anyone knew of a chook ever being poisoned by eating something toxic and no one could think of a single incidence

One day I'm going to try raw, grassfed dairy... just to see...

<sigh> yes I too would like to try it ........ feeding our goats gf is an even bigger headache ........

thanks
koz

[KimS]

Yes, in Canada an egg layer lasts two years and then is done also.

Ooooh, we want to get a pair of muscovies for mosquito control and a pair of pekins (both girls?) for eggs.

When the machine was here to do the driveway, we were going to have the guy dig us a quick pond... but the machine was gone so fast that we didnt get a chance to ask.

So, now we're humming and hawing about getting the ducklings. Maybe we'll get them before the pond anyway as I've heard that a baby duck will drown itself because it won't get out of the water if left on it's own and will succumb to fatigue.

Our chickens look like Red Stars. So, they're not great big girls but not small either.

Sometimes we don't have enough table scraps either (not often but it does happen). I do, sometimes, pick up stuff for them at the grocery store where the 'old' stuff is put at a highly discounted price. Usually pretty much anything they have... cabbage, oranges, apples, squash, bananas (they love those too) etc.

Yes, I think you may have a batch of dumb chickens. Sorry about that. The next lot should take care of the fish innards for you.

Knock on wood, I haven't had any type of flea, tick, or whatever issue yet. I'm ready with the info. to get some diatomaceous earth out in their pen though. Our summers do get quite hot and humid. Southern Ontario is known for getting both extremes of weather. That's what makes it fun to live here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

The goat poo is interesting. I've never heard that but was just thinking, the other day... that most animals, if left on their own, will eat a certain amount of poo. And now there's that 'coffee replacer' that is supposed to be some kind of animal poo (meercat?). (Although they probably feed the animals wheat. )

Now that the warm weather is coming out and the baby is wandering around outside without a bottom on (some days ). I've noticed that the dogs just kind of sit around and wait for him to 'go'. TMI - I know... but life with am almost two year old means removal of all clothing in lovely weather. lol

Shrug. At least it's gluten free.

[kozz]

Hi Kim

we have a big pond 6.5m x 10.5m holding 40000 litres ........ we put it in 2 years ago so we had extra water for fire fighting - we suffer with bushfires in summer because we live near a military training area and they just dont care and often drop live bombs into tinder dry bush when the temp is over 40C

the pond just cried out for ducks swimmng on it and we are still thinking of putting marron or yabbies (both types of freshwater crayfish ) in it ...... maybe even some fish ..........

ducks are definatly ok without a pond as long as they have a big container they can get into and especially keep their beak area wet ......... and duck eggs are yummie ....... bigger and richer than chook eggs

getting stale or left over veggies from a shop is not an option for us because what we feed our chooks needs to be pesticide residue free or the eggs make me sick .......

they do get plentiful year round grazing as we irrigate about 2000 sq m of rhodes grass, kikuya and couch grass which gives the goats green pick in summer and also helps reduce the fire risk arroud the house and also means my wheelchair doesnt get bogged in the dry sand in winter we plant pasture in the goat padocks and the chooks have access to them

there are of course also lots of bugs and spiders arround with our warm climate

mmmm I am starting to think maybe these chooks have plenty to eat without me worrying ......... but they always come running at afternoon feeding time and seem hungry

the last 2 days I tried them on a little bit of copra meal and although they didnt seem keen they did eat some so it could be a possibilty to give them a little feed .......we feed the goats copra as a part substitute for grain as it is gf and not sprayed with pesticides, high in protein and relatively low in carbs

with our infertile mineral deficient soil and the flea problems we need to give the chooks daily minerals (dolomite, copper , and seaweed extract )and sulphur .......... sulphur works well for external parasites and combined with limesand keep the fleas reasonably in check ....... I have heard about diatomaceous earth but it is very expensive here - limesand is cheap as it is mined here from the coastal sand dunes which are 90% lime

LOLOL at the dogs and the babypoo !!! our dog also likes his daily poo both chook and goat ......... he has learned with the goats that if he nuzzles them in the right spot they will provide him with a fresh serving !!!!

koz

[KimS]

What is copra meal? I bet they do get plenty to eat outside but like to feel special. I come running for treats too... even though I'm well-fed.

Well, our order is in for the summer!

20 chickens
2 pekins
2 muscovies

I'm finally going to be able to feed my family organic, non-grain-fed chickens this fall!

Oh, we picked up another freezer the other day too ($60 used - a new one runs around $300)... so we've got a place to store them.

Now I have to start researching abbatoirs.

[KimS]

I'm just reading up again about health and safety and the like for poultry and thought I'd list a couple of the places I like here so that I can come back and re-read them later - and share them with others who might want some details re: raising poultry.

http://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/res.../waterfowl.htm
http://birdflubook.com/a.php?id=75&t=p

[KimS]

Well, we got 20 chicks for eggs/meat, 2 plymouth barred rocks for pets for dd and 4 ducklings (2 pekin; 2 muscovy) for eggs and insect control.

So far they have survived the first 48 hours. I consider that something in and of itself.

The only thing I can't get from my grassfeeding organic farmer is chicken... So, here I go trying to make my own gluten free chicken. Granted, we've been doing our own eggs for years with the chickens we've already got... but when you only have 3, they become pets and you can't bring yourself to eat them. It will be interesting to see how we do.

[KimS]

Hey Kozz,

When you check in I thought I'd let you know, there's a good discussion about feeding animals here:

Feeding animals a home cooked diet.

I was offered a baby goat yesterday. Tempting but I've got enough animals on my plate right now... so to speak.

[kozz]

thanks for the link Kim great forum

[daisy1112]

"What not to feed: tomato greens and potatoes. Actually they'd have to be starving to eat the tomato greens anyway. One of the few bugs that chickens won't eat is a tomato horn worm. That may be because it's full of tomato greens, which are toxic for chickens."

Maybe my chickens are stupid, but they LOVE to eat tomato horn worms, and they don't appear to have any toxic effect on them either.