Eggs

[muddstopper]

There are no local mills around here. We have a tractor supply and a local family feed store that has been around since before I have been here. They sell a lot of southern states products, but they aint a southern states store. I am debateing just turning my birds out and hopeing they come back to the coop at night. I am not to worried about foxes or coyotes, but the neighbors have dogs and we have hawks and eagles flying over all the time. I also have pics of a possum sneaking around, but I can take care of him. I have neighbors with birds that run loose and the dogs dont seem to be bothering them so maybe I wont have to piss any neighbors off when I start shooting dogs.

 

[esshup]

6 eggs today out of 24 birds. I stopped at the local mom & pop feed mill and bought a sack of layer mix that they grind themselves. As soon as I dumped out the TSC grower feed (outside of the chicken pen) and filled the feeder with the new layer mix the birds were shoving each other out of the way to eat it. I also put in a 7,000 lumen LED white shop light inside the coop, set for 14 hours of "daylight". We will see what that does to the amount of eggs laid.

 

[sean donato]

There are no local mills around here. We have a tractor supply and a local family feed store that has been around since before I have been here. They sell a lot of southern states products, but they aint a southern states store. I am debateing just turning my birds out and hopeing they come back to the coop at night. I am not to worried about foxes or coyotes, but the neighbors have dogs and we have hawks and eagles flying over all the time. I also have pics of a possum sneaking around, but I can take care of him. I have neighbors with birds that run loose and the dogs dont seem to be bothering them so maybe I wont have to piss any neighbors off when I start shooting dogs.

Ours have free run when we're home. Haven't had any issues with the local wild life winged or footed. The girls put themselves to bed right before nightfall. I just walk out and flip the switch for their door.

 

[Bill G]

Nope, just a picture of a fat bird. Never washed or showed a chicken. I did have some roosters judged once as I was thinking about doing a few shows. Judge worked for the state and did the NPIP inspections and judgeing at poultry shows.

We showed for years. The neighbor shows birds all over the USA. I think it is excessive but some say that about my saws.

 

[Bill G]

I dont think just looking at protein levels is all there is to it. Many different kinds of protein and sources. Just saying protein is missing all the other nutrients that may or may not be missing. Feed mills dont say what kind of protein they are sourceing from and two kinds of feed can have the exact protein levels and completely different nutrient levels. I have seen the tags on feed being sold in 2018 and comparing to the tags of today and there are differences in levels of some materials, but the protein levels have remain the same.

That is the reason to buy open bag feed. You control the ingredients and the protein level.

 

[Bill G]

Just ask them if it's a local mill. Can't think of any of the mills around here that won't tell you exactly what goes into any of their feeds.

I hope so they are mixing it.

 

[sean donato]

I hope so they are mixing it.

Some places are funny about that. We used to have a Purina mills local to us. Good luck, getting any actual information, other then what they have listed on the product label.

 

[Bill G]

Some places are funny about that. We used to have a Purina mills local to us. Good luck, getting any actual information, other then what they have listed on the product label.

Well then that is not an "open bag" mill. What I am talking about is a mill that will grind and mix to your specifications. Most bag it in open top old feed bags but some have hand sewing machines to close the bag. Think of an open feed bag with feed in it. You tell them what you want and they grind and mix it. There are no labels. For years I would get 1000lbs of nursery feed and the bags were from horse feed, cattle pellets, heck dog food. If you have a way to handle them you can also have them put it in plastic drums.

 

[derwoodii]

my / our mob of 10 chooks are mixture isas browns and other breed with one rooster hes a busy bloke. We have one on eggs atm due to hatch this week. pretty blessed with paddock acres and foxes under control I found a dump of chip mulch and bags of horse poop make a chicken bug worm scatching delight.

so plenty of eggs we give them away more often

 

[sean donato]

Well then that is not an "open bag" mill. What I am talking about is a mill that will grind and mix to your specifications. Most bag it in open top old feed bags but some have hand sewing machines to close the bag. Think of an open feed bag with feed in it. You tell them what you want and they grind and mix it. There are no labels. For years I would get 1000lbs of nursery feed and the bags were from horse feed, cattle pellets, heck dog food. If you have a way to handle them you can also have them put it in plastic drums.

I see what you mean now, thats called Custom feeds here. Either hersheys, or triple m will make whatever you want so long as it hits their minimum order requirements. I wouldn't be able to do that unless I went in with a bunch of people. Don't know what I'd do with a couple thousand pounds of feed.

 

[esshup]

Our local mom n pop open bag mill has their own mix of layer feed, etc., etc. I can get custom blended deer feed, 300# minimum but they really prefer 500# minimum.

 

[esshup]

The egg test concluded with no tangible results. Maybe the test wasn't run long enough. The day after I switched the feed and started with the LED light on 14 hours/day they dropped 11 eggs from 24 birds. The following day there were 7 eggs. There is one white chicken that lays white shelled eggs. She drops one every 3 days.

 

[Bill G]

Our local mom n pop open bag mill has their own mix of layer feed, etc., etc. I can get custom blended deer feed, 300# minimum but they really prefer 500# minimum.

I believe 500lbs is about the minimum here now. The mill I used for years is no longer staffed. They are still in business and grind feed but you have to call ahead and have them grind it. They will bag it and leave it on the dock for you to pick up. They have a different location that does not grind and they staff full time. They still grind a lot of custom feed and deliver but the old mill is a typical mill that is dirty and does not appeal to today's retail environment.

 

[esshup]

I believe 500lbs is about the minimum here now. The mill I used for years is no longer staffed. They are still in business and grind feed but you have to call ahead and have them grind it. They will bag it and leave it on the dock for you to pick up. They have a different location that does not grind and they staff full time. They still grind a lot of custom feed and deliver but the old mill is a typical mill that is dirty and does not appeal to today's retail environment.

This feed mill first opened it's doors in 1948. It's had 3 owners in that time.

 

[Bill G]

This feed mill first opened it's doors in 1948. It's had 3 owners in that time.

Those are getting tough to find. I hope yours stays in business. What has killed most here is the loss of independent hog farmers. As everyone when to 14 day pigs they went to large deliveries. Just trying to find a good 2 ton grinder mixer for your own is near impossible.

 

[esshup]

Those are getting tough to find. I hope yours stays in business. What has killed most here is the loss of independent hog farmers. As everyone when to 14 day pigs they went to large deliveries. Just trying to find a good 2 ton grinder mixer for your own is near impossible.

I don't have a grinder, but I think I have a mixer that I bought at an auction. May be a 1 ton unit. I'll have to take a picture of it. All I was looking for was a hopper to hold feed so I could get it delivered in bulk. I'll take a picture tomorrow if the rain lets up. I have an old farmer that is supposed to visit in May, but if someone else knows what it is sooner than that I'd appreciate it. I bought it at an auction for way less than what it'd scrap out at.

 

[derwoodii]

the new chicks are hatching peep peep

 

[muddstopper]

The new test has started. Turned out the birds this morning. Stupid thing didnt want outside. couldnt run them out the door. A hand full of feed cured that. Today 9 hens and a rooster, hopefully I dont lose any and hopefully they will go back in the coop tonite. Anyways, I have done all I can think off to get them to laying, if this dont work they are headed for freezer camp.

On a sad note, my sisters barn burnt down the other night. Loss 3 horses, and a beef cow they just bought. Also lost all her chickens, some of her tractor implements, tack for the horses. Melted the glass out of horse trailer and and the seat off the tractor, these where parked outside. Cause of fire was a new china brooder that short circuited. First time being used.

 

[Bill G]

I don't have a grinder, but I think I have a mixer that I bought at an auction. May be a 1 ton unit. I'll have to take a picture of it. All I was looking for was a hopper to hold feed so I could get it delivered in bulk. I'll take a picture tomorrow if the rain lets up. I have an old farmer that is supposed to visit in May, but if someone else knows what it is sooner than that I'd appreciate it. I bought it at an auction for way less than what it'd scrap out at.

If you have the area to park it the best think for storage is a 165 bu gravity wagon. They will be all over your area. You can pull it to the mill and get the feed or have them deliver. The best is to park it inside but if not then build a roof over it. You can also use conduit and build bows over the top and put a tarp over it. Then you can get as much feed ground the way you want it. It is simple to get feed out. For those who might not know what a 165 bu gravity wagon is this is one.

 

[Bill G]

You can also get a mini bulk bin but then you have to have it delivered.