grownut, thanks for your answer. I haven't been putting any oystershell out for them, just thought that since they have access to gravel, being free range that it wouldn't be necessary. I always keep it in front of them in the chicken house in winter. And I will see what I can get for layer crumbles.
Donna
Finay got some eggs here!
Oyster shell is not grit. Grit is for grinding their food in their croups. Oyster shell is needed for calcium for strong egg shells.
How do you get them to eat the oyster shell. I throw it out with their food and the skip over it.
grownut the highest protein I could find for them here was 18%. They get crumbles (never would eat pellets!), assorted veggies and spaghetti (which they all adore!). They also get to go out of their yard once a day for nearly 2 hours while I watch over them. They've got a knack of heading straight towards danger (like the Malamute) everytime. I mix the oyster shell in with the crumbles. I can't tell if they're eating it or just tossing it.
MollyD
I believe they'll eat it if needed. I mix mine with their grit.
They have 16% and 20% here. Most only feed the 16%. I have given mine calcium repeatedly and they won't take it. But I think they get lots of bugs which equates to calcium and protein in my mind. Couldn't say why, other than latent memories of nutrition book reading (not about bugs, lol.)
Well yesterday we got our very first chicken egg and collected the second goose egg.
Below is a picture of them with a duck egg. They go from left to right: chicken egg, duck egg, goose egg. Had another duck egg this morning.
I'll be checking the coop this afternoon cause the chicken and goose eggs were laid yesterday in the afternoon. I had checked first thing in the morning and they weren't there then.
Looks like we're on our way now ^_^
MollyD
that is great Molly, I am getting 3 eggs a day right now. One is small the other 2 are medium eggs. i know who the small one and one of the medium brown eggs are from just have not seen who is doing the other one just yet.
I'm lucky in that the size and colors are different enough to tell the duck and goose eggs. I won't be able to tell the hen eggs as to who laid them cause they all lay brown (or brownish) eggs. I can't wait for the others to jump on the bandwagon!!! I was waving an egg under the nose of one of the hens showing her what her job is LOL
We do need a few more as there is just enough eggs for one meal right now.
MollyD
LOL that is exactly what I do to. I show them the egg and say see this!!!!!!!!! THIS IS what you are suppose to be doing.
LOL! Does it get through to them?
Not yet, they just look at me like, you go right ahead you know where that comes from and how big it it.
LOL
Is that what it takes -- threats? Maybe my girls are looking at the golf ball laying in their nesting box and wondering to themselves how in the heck I expect them to produce one of those! ha!
I think so.
Wow...yay for you, Moy (we're leaving the LL's out of words on this thread, right?) heehee.
Those are some very INTERESTING colored eggs! They look like a delicacy you'd find in Asia :)
You've been hit by the Chicken Fairy, now...so it's only begin. Let us know when you make those brownies...I can SMELL them, now! Makes me want to sing!!!
~music
_O_ left the L's out! I don't know why it did that but it was when my computer was acting up on me LOL
I got another duck egg this morning and a chicken egg around noon. No goose egg today. That's okay cause the one we have looks like it would make a great omelet all by itself! Must take Gretel all of two or three days to make one of those eggs!
LL I did consider sitting with the hens and reading chicken recipes to them out of a cookbook but didn't want to scare them so much they wouldn't lay!
MollyD
hmmmm... I do like chicken and dumplings!
LOL me too! I made Impossible Chicken pie with Bisquick last night using one of our roos. Yum!
MollyD
hey now recipe to follow right???????
I second what l2g2 says!
I am going to have the Progresso version of Chicken and rice soup tonight. Just a pamper me night, a bit of Calgon in a lot of hot water, then comfort food and watch LMN then it is bed for me.
Here's a link to the receipe
http://www.bettycrocker.com/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?recipeId=34582
and a similar one:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?recipeId=35936
they've also got one for a pot pie I want to try at
http://www.bettycrocker.com/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?recipeId=35321
MollyD
Thanks Molly, will make one of them or all of them next week. i bet the kids will love it.
My big 'kid' (Paul LOL) loves dishes like this. Tonight it's stuffed green peppers which he loves and I hate. I'll just eat the filling cause I don't like cooked green peppers.
MollyD
Congrats to all on your eggs. My "girls" have been laying a little over a week now, today they are 24 weeks old, RIR. Just wished I would have gotten a RIR rooster when I got them as chicks...ordered pullets and no mistake, they are all pullets! lol. Will not be able to use the incubator till I get a roo in there.
I'm with Molly. Love green peppers raw but hate 'em cooked. Bleuch...
Hi Lostsoul! You're not lost here - too many chicken lovers to keep you company. You definitely don't need a roo for an incubator. You just need to order some hatching eggs from somebody on eggbid or Backyardchicken.com! Join the club!
CMoxon...thanks for the warm welcome...I appreciate that!
Already on BYC, Backyard Poultry, YUKU and now here. Trying to spread it around...lol
Waiting to try out incubator but getting a little late in the year, suppose I really should be patient and try in the spring... don't wanna but probably should not tempt fate!
I REALLY want/covet some of those blue or blue/splash Rocks or Orpingtons...sigh.
LOL, me with 102 eggs in the 'bator now, and living in zone 5a, I say to heck with the winter!
OMG I am going to tell you just like the chicken fairy says
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SMACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
102 eggs are you insane.
whispers here==========love ya and YES you are.
No she isn't. Just a little exhuberant. I personally have shown great restraint and only have 80 going now. Of course there are the 18 speckled Sussex and 3 Black Sumatra still to come. But that is still less than 102. Just.
By the way, is Dusty still looking for a Sumatra? Cause I can't possibly keep them even if they do hatch.......
OMG you are just as insane but there is a difference where you are. Not as cold right?
No, not as cold at all--Just horribly wet and foggy and muddy--the Central Valley was actually a huge seasonal inland lake--and will be again if the levees fail.
LOLOL
I can see I am not going to have a problem blending in here!
Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Exuberant indeed!!! Vaguely insane, sometimes. :-)
Of course, one can never expect 100% fertility and hatch, so it'll be way less than 102, which is made up for in part by the eggs that I just bought from dearest Silkiechick. :-)
CMoxon...silly question but here goes anyway. You will keep us posted on your incubator antics?
Lostsoul - check out the "We're all hatching in a Brinsea Submarine" thread. We have this silly game going for several hatches now where we have assigned everybody titles and I am presently Commander Moxon. Commander Jordan is also on board the submarine because she is hatching buff silkies. We will post pictures there and report progress. You are most welcome to join. We have silly titles including some sort of military titles and some secret agent titles and stuff like that. It's all in good fun. If anybody misbehaves, we make them do coffee-ups or tea-ups (lifting arm to drink coffee or tea) instead of push ups. They could also do wine-ups or beer-ups. And we provide virtual jelly donuts. We are all very silly. Dusty is a real life Colonel in the air force so we call her General Dusty and she reigns supreme.
You are hereby assigned as Private Lostsoul. You can get upgrades in titles by doing funny or silly things. :-)
Come on over!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/910817/
I got a call from Ideal today that they had Buckeyes available next week (I think it was). I had put myself on the list for some next spring. Thought the woman was out of her ever lovin mind for even suggesting chicks here this time of year but I guess she has a lot of company! LOL I'm waiting to see how things go with these gals this winter before I add anymore!!
Been letting them free range for a couple of hours a day. Today was the longest since they got out at 11 am and I didn't put them back till 3pm. Each time I suffer a mild heart attack when they all vanish into the woods. No peace till they all get back and I count heads to make sure they're all there. Don't know if I can stand it with more chickens!!
MollyD
Molly, mine go out everyday and have been for months... and I still suffer the same "stop breathing and count" each night.. and God forbid, should I come home just after dusk and they put themselves to bed.. agh... I have to go in and turn on the red light and count.. which is hard because even with enough room, they still stack on each other.. one will be missing and I have to put my hand under the bunch to find her.. lol
I keep waiting to calm and not worry so much.. I don't know that I ever will.
OMG that was what that phone number was on my caller ID. Glad I missed that call. No I do not want any chicks this winter.