Chicken question

[tncattle]

We're still without cattle for now but I'll be back in soon enough Lord willing. Anyway, we've just got 6 nice RIR laying hens and they are good girls and all lay their egg a day when not molting.

When I spray out their coupe of chicken litter, it all falls beneath the coupe in a big watery mess for a while until the ground absorbs it. No matter what I do the chickens always go over and start drinking the chicken littler infested water! They always have fresh water!

The coupe is built up off the ground and has a chicken wire bottom for the poop to fall through or get sprayed through. It doesn't seem to bother them at all. My concern is their egg production after they drink that chicken littler infested water.

IS it bad for them?

 

[dun]

Probably not all that bad for them. But what they eat and drink is what goes into the eggs they lay. Maynot be noticable but the idea kind of turns me green.

 

[Isomade]

Probably not all that bad for them. But what they eat and drink is what goes into the eggs they lay. Maynot be noticable but the idea kind of turns me green.

If you had any idea how many poop eating chicken laid eggs you have eaten you would stay green. :mrgreen:

 

[tncattle]

Well, the good news is they eat good feed, bugs, grass and whatever we throw out there. They also roam free in the backyard. They are fat and healthy. Oh well, the eggs are great so I guess i'll keep eating them

 

[Bigfoot]

I think the flavor it adds is why I like country eggs.

 

[cow pollinater]

They have to have at least a small amount of it for their guts to work properly.

 

[gonzo]

I have 21 they are constantly cleaning the pasture , you know it's a chicken thing. :roll:

 

[TexasBred]

I think the flavor it adds is why I like country eggs.

Ever wonder what that little white spot is on the yoke?? :lol:

 

[I luv herfrds]

A rooster being a rooster TB. ;-)

 

[3waycross]

I have 21 they are constantly cleaning the pasture , you know it's a chicken thing. :roll:

Guess that's why they say that "The only thing lower than a chicken is someone who would eat one".

 

[andybob]

Our commercial flocks are in wheeled housing, we wash the slatted part every Wednesday, then tow them on Thursday once the water has soaked away, they do still re-visit the previuos site for a scratch around.

 

[chippie]

Our chickens are genuine free range. They are not confined in any way and have the run of the place. Sometimes I don't want to know what they eat. I feed a whole oat dry grain mix to the horses. When the horses are near the barn, they will always have a following of chickens waiting for one to poop.

andybob, can you post a picture of your chicken housing? I have thought about something like that to raise broilers in the Spring. Thank you.

 

[andybob]

I will take some pictures of both our layer and broiler housing, the layers are wheeled, the broilers on skids for weekly moving, we put a two strand hot wire around when cattle or sheep are in the same field to prevent damage to the huts.

 

[chippie]

thanks! looking forward to seeing them.

 

[andybob]

Outdoor broiler hut

Inside broiler huts prior to opening.

Chicks brooded in field hut

Group of field broiler huts.

Layer hut

Inside of field hut end of layer boxes, handle for conveyer on right

Battery operated lights and timer.

Row of laying huts.

 

[cow pollinater]

very cool. I did the same thing for awhile but on a MUCH smaller scale.
Interesting that you use black broilers... Over here you almost can't sell a black broiler to a white person. They want white feathers. Mexicans will buy them for a premium but won't touch a white bird.

 

[chippie]

I can't see the pics

 

[andybob]

CP, the commercial broiler producers use white hybrids for the mainstream production. The naked necks are raised for the top of the market their unique flavour being the selling point, for which an obscene premium is paid. We have won awards for the broilers, pork and native beef in taste competitions.
Chippie, I posted the pictures in the Ranchers.net album and linked them here, they shoiuld be visible to all subscribers.

 

[chippie]

I think that the website is having problems. The pics show as broken links.

 

[andybob]

I think that the website is having problems. The pics show as broken links.

They are showing up here Chippie, try the Ranchers' link; http://ranchers.net/photopost/