tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post8849398108601814765..comments2024-03-29T21:11:37.724+10:00Comments on down to earth: Reducing the cost of chicken feedUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-85059500619323639862018-07-25T07:49:08.374+10:002018-07-25T07:49:08.374+10:00In the Pacific Islands the flesh of mature coconut...In the Pacific Islands the flesh of mature coconuts is grated to feed the chickens....for those of you with coconuts in the garden.Stellamarinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10551588961821325742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-51047177755901914232016-09-17T06:42:29.735+10:002016-09-17T06:42:29.735+10:00Thank you for the information. I live in Melbourne...Thank you for the information. I live in Melbourne, Australia. We have had chickens for several years now and usually have an overabundance of eggs. You're right about feeding whole eggs to the chooks...mine have developed a habit of pecking into the ones in the nest!!! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-56501961628209106952012-10-22T16:51:47.837+10:002012-10-22T16:51:47.837+10:00Marsha, I mean sugar syrup. It isn't a product...Marsha, I mean sugar syrup. It isn't a product. You make ordinary sugar syrup by adding equal amounts of water to sugar eg 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water or 5 cups sugar + 5 cups water. Mix in a saucepan over heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. That is sugar syrup.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-79428653714231304832012-10-22T12:32:39.987+10:002012-10-22T12:32:39.987+10:00Thank you for all the great information. I am rais...Thank you for all the great information. I am raising my first chickens. I have a question about the recipe. What is sugar syrup? Do you mean corn syrup? I would be very hesitant about giving that to my chickens.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12332912159071815713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-26646141668268598812012-10-10T08:23:41.095+10:002012-10-10T08:23:41.095+10:00Has anyone heard of sprinkling a little bit of cay...Has anyone heard of sprinkling a little bit of cayenne pepper in the chicken food to make them have a better laying production, especially when they molt?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-84021675309567254392012-02-19T01:38:28.207+10:002012-02-19T01:38:28.207+10:00I heard a good viewers tip on Gardening Australia ...I heard a good viewers tip on Gardening Australia re eggshells. Leaving white eggshell halves in the vege garden is supposed to deter cabbage white butterfly - they think the white eggshells are competition.pimpernellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01914748238939134579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-91277498074051853502012-02-18T16:23:06.861+10:002012-02-18T16:23:06.861+10:00I use the eggshells in my garden. I save them in a...I use the eggshells in my garden. I save them in an icecream container and when it is full, crush them up with the potato masher and sprinkle them in the veggie garden. Good source of calcium and the worms love them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-3849607715600891612012-02-17T21:54:17.148+10:002012-02-17T21:54:17.148+10:00Great Post!. Thanks :)Great Post!. Thanks :)Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00237535505835764126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-33162585577551667302012-02-17T02:49:14.360+10:002012-02-17T02:49:14.360+10:00Stupidly it is technically illegal to feed kitchen...Stupidly it is technically illegal to feed kitchen scraps to hens in the UK according to Defra rules. <br /><br />Love the idea about the damp logs, will incorporate that into my plans this summer.Shropshire Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14745029192059650813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-31766269990722704732012-02-16T23:12:51.374+10:002012-02-16T23:12:51.374+10:00this was a great read! We have been trying to live...this was a great read! We have been trying to live more frugally for about a year now, and athough we have had some successes we have also had many failures, chickens being one of them. The problem was we are on a semi-rural property, and the area is very well known for stick-fast-flea and other types of fleas. As soon as the warm weather hits, you cannot avoid it, the chooks become totally infested with fleas...no matter what you do. You have to buy certain flea-treatments that dont work first time (you have to re-treat them) and so you end up spending alot of money on treatments. And the natural alternatives dont work. Since we have dogs, it also means they get fleas, and then you must spend money on treating them too, and those who have dogs would know, treating three dogs, three times every summer for fleas, is expensive! It ended up costing us more to keep the chooks than to just buy eggs and we had to give them away. a bit sad as we really enjoyed them, but, that was the price to pay for living in our area. and dont even get me started on the stable flies. ugh. We are moving so hopefully we can do chickens again one day if we move away from the area!Terrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14474386909268521532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-16422803366436184832012-02-16T08:16:11.498+10:002012-02-16T08:16:11.498+10:00Just saw you on The Morning Show and I immediately...Just saw you on The Morning Show and I immediately searched for your blog online! Thanks for such excellent tips and ideas - we are moving to a farm soon and I will need to learn a lot that's for sure!allylou77noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20969166443665144122012-02-15T07:07:56.271+10:002012-02-15T07:07:56.271+10:00Thanks for another excellent post, Rhonda. The id...Thanks for another excellent post, Rhonda. The idea about the logs is a good one, and now I know about raspberry cordial too.Lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01156180100389224114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20084347950395320712012-02-15T07:00:02.587+10:002012-02-15T07:00:02.587+10:00We're feeding all organic food to our chickens...We're feeding all organic food to our chickens, and of course this only comes in mash form! We noticed that the chickens were billing out a lot of food--so there was a *lot* of waste! I bit the bullet and began wetting the mash with organic kefir, apple cider vinegar, and water, and feeding *that* as the main ration. It's unbelievable how much less waste there is now. In fact, we're spending, I think, *less* on food now than we were when we fed pellets--even though the organic food demands a premium price!<br /><br />The next stage will be to make our own food; after that, since we have the space, we'll start growing our own. One book I'd strongly recommend is Harvey Ussery's new one: The Small Scale Poultry Flock. Full of great information!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-7735242043688791062012-02-14T19:21:02.735+10:002012-02-14T19:21:02.735+10:00Hi Rhonda
I forgot to mention in my last comment ...Hi Rhonda<br /><br />I forgot to mention in my last comment that it isn't a good idea to feed them cat food too regularly because too much protein can be cause health problems in a chicken. <br /><br />Once a week is probably more than enough and it should be good quality stuff as the cheap stuff is far too highly processed to be good for them. <br /><br /><br />I have five chickens and they get about 40g each a week mixed in with their pellets/mash, plus everyday mixed grain and corn, maize stems, sunflower seeds, a small palmful of peanuts, and veggies. Very occassionally bread, some rice or chopped up pasta.Steelhttp://steelkitten.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-18392173739899806602012-02-14T19:03:45.929+10:002012-02-14T19:03:45.929+10:00I'm a bit mean in respect of food for my chick...I'm a bit mean in respect of food for my chicks...they get their standard layers pellets/mash in the morning only, greenery and other veggies in the afternoon and their grain ration just before bed.<br /><br />I find my chooks eat the good stuff and treat food in preference to the high protein food if I put it in too early and it puts them off the lay.<br /><br />In the winter I buy good quality high protein (>35%) beef or lamb cat food (not the cheapy supermarket stuff which only has 4% 'meat derivatives') and give them that once a week as a treat. However if it snows heavily, they get some of that every morning heated up and mixed in with their pellets to give them something hot in their tummies. It rarely snows badly for more than a few day and it seems to give them a bit of a pep in their step.Steelhttp://steelkitten.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-60105534997255564732012-02-14T16:52:13.145+10:002012-02-14T16:52:13.145+10:00In the winter when there is little or no wild gree...In the winter when there is little or no wild green food around I sprout wheat and grow carrot, parsnip and swede(rutabaga) tops to feed the chickens- they love them and they're free!<br />If you didn't do it as a child, cut the top off the carrot when preparing and stand in a shallow saucer of water somewhere light; the leaves will grow.<br /><br />And thanks for the raspberry tip (Chicken and human!) I'd never heard of that before.Hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05388175819512214533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-33853154200013398912012-02-14T14:38:35.347+10:002012-02-14T14:38:35.347+10:00Hi Rhonda, some great ideas in this post. Good po...Hi Rhonda, some great ideas in this post. Good point about growing extra for the chickens, I always put in a few silverbeet and lettuce plants for chicken treats! We don't feed our chicks "crumble" as it contains antibiotics, which I don't think are necessary. We feed the chicks on the same milled grain that we feed to our cattle. As long as its finely milled, they have no trouble with it. After a few weeks they can try some mixed grain and lots of greens. Cheers, Liz (eight acres)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12874273438983052621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-64736041399633651612012-02-14T10:16:24.434+10:002012-02-14T10:16:24.434+10:00I enjoyed your post so much & Had to laugh abo...I enjoyed your post so much & Had to laugh about the way that our girls 'enriched" their diet this winter. <br /><br />DH is an avid deer hunter. He always works up his own meats. I always give him grief about leaving the skeletons laying around because I am a vegetarian & it grieves me to see it. <br /><br />He always says that he leaved them around his building for the dogs to "party" on & he is right about that. <br /><br />But, this year I learned a lesson - I discovered that the chickens were eating as much meat off of the bones as the dogs were -And- to top that off I walked up one day & noticed something right up inside the ribs & it was going to town plucking that nice juicy meat up in there that the others had missed. <br /><br />I stooped to ask it it was good & the most beautiful Cooper's Hawk about rolled over backwards getting out of his "bone prison" that we both almost fell over each other! LOL It was very funny.<br /><br />I guess that is why there are "compromises" in each marriage & lessons for all of us.webbswayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11500925658471825693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-87257356315800403952012-02-14T09:44:25.059+10:002012-02-14T09:44:25.059+10:00Rasberrie Cordial - well i never!! I wish i had kn...Rasberrie Cordial - well i never!! I wish i had known that before. Thanks for all the tips - thats great!<br />MxoMichelle Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241990318989501093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-48385927049654366652012-02-14T09:02:17.204+10:002012-02-14T09:02:17.204+10:00We had one of those lulls between the older hens&#...We had one of those lulls between the older hens' decreased production and the younger hens not yet producing. A lull that required buying eggs, though we held out as long as we could. <br /><br />A wonderful, informative article. I love the log/branch tip you shared - must try that.W-S Wanderingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06242784517253760863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-52347508745891927702012-02-14T08:47:03.368+10:002012-02-14T08:47:03.368+10:00We are in the process of getting chooks and your p...We are in the process of getting chooks and your post has valuable information that I did not find in any books I have researched. Thanks Rhonda - I just love your blogLiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02657009842675748131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-58607041595334152162012-02-14T07:27:59.433+10:002012-02-14T07:27:59.433+10:00I love your posts! We feed our chickens normal fee...I love your posts! We feed our chickens normal feed but also like you we give them lots of scraps, they especially like stale bread soaked in milk. We tend to get have extra from our milk goats from time to time.The Artsy Oils Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11688570598426005973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-1840558900190652502012-02-14T06:52:52.113+10:002012-02-14T06:52:52.113+10:00Hi Rhonda
The Raspberry cordial trick works for c...Hi Rhonda<br /><br />The Raspberry cordial trick works for children too. Mum always gave us raspberry cordial if we had diarrhea but it had to be the 'Anchor' brand for some reason. I think it was because it contained 'Cochineal' and not just artificial red colouring. Cochineal is made from a scale insect found living on cactus in Mexico.chezhttp://monarch--place.blogspot.com.au/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-48531058053014828082012-02-14T06:51:57.284+10:002012-02-14T06:51:57.284+10:00Thanks for all the tips! I sometimes give my chick...Thanks for all the tips! I sometimes give my chickens treats, but I haven't made as much of a point to do it as I should. This time of year (winter in the US) I have a lot of empty spots in my vegetable garden. If I had been thinking, I would have grown some extra greens and root vegetables specifically for the chickens! You've inspired me to do so in the future!Piedmont Home Vegetable Gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00157750926387381874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-58068709794125812452012-02-14T06:39:50.090+10:002012-02-14T06:39:50.090+10:00Good work, Becky. Gathering food from workplaces o...Good work, Becky. Gathering food from workplaces or friends will help keep your costs down.<br /><br />Hi Jaime, I dry out the shells and grind them up, then add it to their porridge or milk and bread. I don't like the idea of the chooks recognising shells as food. It gives them ideas they shouldn't have.<br /><br />Great idea on the pickled eggs, Renee. Can you share your recipe? I'd be interested in trying that when we have an excess.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.com