Chickens cow manure
- Thread starter Chevy
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DCA farm
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They defiantly do a good job of it I usually keep a large amount of hens running loose at my place I think I'm down to 25 or so right now but will be buying once feed stores start carrying chicks againChevy said:
Cows meets chickens....
How many ya'll use chickens to spread out your cow manure?
DCA farm
Well-known member
Redgully
Well-known member
Chevy said:
Cows meets chickens....
How many ya'll use chickens to spread out your cow manure?
How do you go with dung beetles?
I didn't think I'd like chickens as much as I do. I'm a vegetarian and I don't eat eggs but they are cool to watch. We have a raccoon keeps getting our chickens.... got 3 of my favorite chickens yesterday. Paula (Paula Dean), Church, (churchs chicken) and sunny (sunny sideup) lol I swear we always two steps forward and 5 back. 
I wanted to cried I loved them silly birds. 
I wanted to cried I loved them silly birds. Redgully said:Chevy said:
Cows meets chickens....
How many ya'll use chickens to spread out your cow manure?
How do you go with dung beetles?
Tell me more... do you buy dung beetles to roll it in a ball
Than what the eat it?!
stop laughing I'm seriously this time!I have a cow names doodlebug. Well really Doodle bug passed and we renamed one doodlebug. Shsh don't tell our children. We lost a few this year and just couldn't bare to tell them another one passed.
wbvs58
Well-known member
If I was a bit younger I think I would have done free range eggs with the hens housed in a mobile coup of a night and just move it around to fertilise the paddocks with them free ranging during the day.
Ken
Ken
DCA farm
Well-known member
Chevy said:
Barred rocks and Rhode Island reds
Redgully
Well-known member
Chevy said:Redgully said:Chevy said:
Cows meets chickens....
How many ya'll use chickens to spread out your cow manure?
How do you go with dung beetles?
Tell me more... do you buy dung beetles to roll it in a ball
Than what the eat it?!
I have a cow names doodlebug. Well really Doodle bug passed and we renamed one doodlebug. Shsh don't tell our children. We lost a few this year and just couldn't bare to tell them another one passed.
We have good populations of dung beetles here but foxes try to dig them out. Was just wondering if the chooks eat the beetles before they can burrow into the ground.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Chevy said:
Not sure that's the right picture.
This picture is a silver sebright, not a barred rock.
Nesikep
Well-known member
We have a couple hens, but it would be too much hassle to have them in the cow pastures
farmerjan
Well-known member
I ran 150 free range layers for a couple of years. Had a couple of old camper trailers, we gutted, and put linoleum down on the entire floor, and build some roosts and hung a couple of sets of metal nest boxes for laying, feeders and water inside. Could move them around "behind the cows". They did a good job of breaking up the cow patties. I'd let them out about 10 in the morning, 2/3 would have laid by then usually, and they got locked up at night. But then the "friendly neighborhood eagle" decided that chicken was a gourmet food on his list. Tried everything to discourage him, but he was something several of those transplanted A$$ holes watched daily; so permanent removal was not an option. Neighbor would watch him (it) carry off a hen everyday. Dropped several in their yard over the year it took it to get 122 hens. I tried keeping them in til late afternoons, and sitting out there and babysitting them for several afternoons.... One time the eagle had one on the ground eating it and acted like it was going to attack me when I tried to scare it off. Should've shot it then...... so that fall I gave them up. Food co-op that I was selling eggs to had decided that they didn't need so many eggs when all the backyard people had eggs to sell in the spring and summer, and I got stuck with about 50 dozen a few times that I donated to the Salvation army shelter.... so when the eagle did that, I just didn't bother to replace them. Co-op got all upset and I told them that you can't put a cork in it to stop the eggs in the spring, after they had begged me to provide more during the fall and winter.....
Now I just raise some purebreds for show, and my own eggs, and get cornish rock x from a poultry house that are too small when they ship birds.....I can feed them for very little for 4-8 weeks, no initial investment in the chicks, all the hard work is done (heat, brooders etc.) and they do a pretty good job of running around eating grass and bugs etc., and then just sell them or put them in the freezer. Works good for the farmer so he doesn't have to kill them and I get free "half grown" birds. Once they get out of the confinement houses, and the crowding, most go on and put weight on pretty fast. They are much sought after at the poultry "flea markets" that we have a few times a year here. Don't make much on them, but I have all the chicken I want to eat, give some to friends, and they taste better because they have been out on the grass etc, doing what chickens do. Don't run them behind the cows now, but hope to be able to move them to another place where they will be able to go out some. Even though they are thought to be stupid, they do seem to adapt to being out pretty well.
Now I just raise some purebreds for show, and my own eggs, and get cornish rock x from a poultry house that are too small when they ship birds.....I can feed them for very little for 4-8 weeks, no initial investment in the chicks, all the hard work is done (heat, brooders etc.) and they do a pretty good job of running around eating grass and bugs etc., and then just sell them or put them in the freezer. Works good for the farmer so he doesn't have to kill them and I get free "half grown" birds. Once they get out of the confinement houses, and the crowding, most go on and put weight on pretty fast. They are much sought after at the poultry "flea markets" that we have a few times a year here. Don't make much on them, but I have all the chicken I want to eat, give some to friends, and they taste better because they have been out on the grass etc, doing what chickens do. Don't run them behind the cows now, but hope to be able to move them to another place where they will be able to go out some. Even though they are thought to be stupid, they do seem to adapt to being out pretty well.
