I'm concerned that she might have something which would make me not want to send her to the freezer and, if she does, what should I be doing to the coop before I bring in a new flock.
Any ideas on what it might be and how to keep it from happening in the future? Thanks in advance for any help.
You need to be a member of AZ Herb Forum to add comments!
Replies
We apologize for this last bag of feed that you got, I don't know exactly why it doesn't have as many peas in it or why it is finer than the previous bags. We do make our feed in very small batches in comparison to commercial feed companies, so there will be slight differences from bag to bag. Also, since our feed is a mash, you see all the little differences where as a pelleted feed you never see it. With that said, it should be similar from bag to bag. I am guessing your bag must be the end of a batch or something like that, somehow got more fines than usual. If there is anything we can do to help or resolve this let us know. We are willing to ship you a new bag if you would like. I would just need to get your address.
It was nice to hear directly from the farmer. The "end of batch" certainly makes sense as I know how the bottom of my oats bag looks when I'm nearing the end of those 50 lbs.
Bored birds are also more likely to become egg eaters. Do they range in your yard, or are they penned? If penned, is there plenty of space? Any "toys" such as food they have to work to obtain? Whole carrots or other hard vegies or fruits to peck at? You can suspend romaine or apples or other favourites so that they have to jump, and can only get a small bite at a time. If they have plenty to occupy them they are unlikely to waste their time eating eggs because they are bored.
It is also possible to build a rollaway nest that removes the egg from their reach. I've seen plans, but would have to google to find them. You can also purchase them commercially.
Bleach is a fairly poor disinfectant for outdoor surfaces. First, it rapidly loses it effectiveness in the presence of organic matter. There are a number of better choices for disinfecting large outdoor surfaces. A common disinfectant found in many feed stores is Novalsan. Another highly recommended one is Oxine AH. You can use it on and around the birds so long as you do not activate it. If you activate it, wear a mask and remove birds from the area. I honestly do not know anyone who uses it activiated, and I knw many folks who use it. Unfortunately I do not know of any local sources; I have ordered it from Revival Animal Health. Cost is about $25 per gallon. Another highly recommended disinfectant is Virkon S. Not sure of a local source, although there may be one. It comes in either a powder or tablet that dissolves in water. I'm told it is the best by a friend whose knowledge, research & opinions I trust.
Right about now I feel that I could really use the Advanced Chicken Class that Rachel was going to have. Hopefully she'll be able to offer it in the near future.
I also feed the Magill Ranch organic feed and my chickens and chicks are doing great on it.
I personally like that it's corn/soy free.
I agree that you shouldn't mix in the oyster shell. Mine only eat a little bit. A small dish in the run is all they need.
My current bag that I just opened appears different from the previous ones. I noticed fewer peas and they're much smaller in size. The consistency is also a lot more powdery. I haven't yet tried calling Magill Ranch to ask about it. Is yours like mine or have you noticed a change?
I don't know anyone personally that owns chickens to ask questions. I'm so glad to have this group for help.
Thanks to all!
I noticed the change too and I was glad. My chickens wouldn't eat the whole peas and I was getting ready to contact Magill Ranch about it. I was tired of grinding up the peas myself and adding them back in. I did contact them once about an unrelated matter through email and they got right back to me.
As far as the missing fluffy feathers go, this can be caused by feather mites: if there is an infestation you will see gray clumps stuck to the base of feathers in the vent area, looks almost like fuzzy droppings stuck to them (google will give you unappetizing specific images). I doubt this is the problem, some birds seem to just lose these feathers, especially in the heat and especially barred rocks from what I've seen. I think the only issue you're dealing with is the egg-eating. It's a good idea to clean your coop top to bottom at least once a year anyway though, so you may as well do it. If you are using bleach, make sure your chickens aren't anywhere around until everything is completely dry.
The advanced class will be offered, likely later this fall, the October one got switched to the regular class because there was a double-booking for the last regular class...
The coop will get a good scrub down and sterilization after they're gone. It will have plenty of time to dry before I put any new ones in.
Looking forward to your advanced class. Maybe I'll retake the beginner's one with you for a refresher.
Thanks a lot for your help.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next