We went on a great adventure today! I've been searching for a couple weeks now, trying to find a great deal on some hens so we can get some help with our bug and weed overload. We prefer not to spray chemicals because we have lots of helper bugs like butterflies, ladybugs and dragonflies. Well I guess the bugs have been telling their friends because summer brought a huge influx of all kinds of bugs. Our chickens kept the bad bugs gone so nicely and they kept the weeds down. We really miss the fresh eggs every morning too. Store-bought eggs just don't compare!
Seriously though, Look at these weeds on the other side of the driveway! Most are 3 ft tall or higher! We were able to mow half our pasture but there are too many thick woody weeds on the other half and we don't want to break our mower especially since we're borrowing it lol!
We are also looking for some hungry goats to help with the overgrowth too!
I finally found a deal I couldn't pass up yesterday and today we went to pick up the cutest chicks! We got 10 Jersey Giant pullets for $15!! Amazing deal!!
They are already 3 weeks old and it's so hot here that a heat lamp is just not even needed.
We got them set-up in a brooding bin inside for now.
If they were newly hatched they'd need a heat source to provide a warm spot of 95-100 degrees until 1 week old. Each week the temp can be reduced by 5 degrees. Here it's been in the mid upper 80s-90s.
We're going to be building them a nice chicken tractor so they can stay safe but still get fresh forage everyday. We'll be doing a video for that.
This is where we will be starting to move them around.
Look at these big girls! 3-4 weeks old and they are easily twice the size of our last chicks. Jersey giants are a big breed and they lay brown eggs. I don't know yet if the black ones will be blue as they get older but I hope they keep the mottling. So pretty!
We don't ferment our feed but for young chicks we do moisten it to help them swallow it easier. Our last batch of chicks kept getting choked on the dry feed so, we started wetting it just enough so it wasn't like trying to gobble up a mouthful of bone dry crackers! I've choked on a cracker before and it wasn't pleasant at all. We keep our feeds dry right up until we put it into the pen.
The best supplement we've learned about that helps keep the chicks healthy is Apple Cider Vinegar. I add a cap full of apple cider vinegar (organic with 'mother' so it has the vitamins and minerals) to about a cup of chick starter then add water just until the feed is moist but not dripping.
We bought a non-medicated chick starter by Purina. There are lots of good non-medicated options and this brand just happened to be what our local feed store had in stock today.
The metal bowl I tried didn't work well because they wouldn't stay out of it so I cut a 1.5in strip out of a 2 liter bottle, then used duck tape to attach a pencil to it to keep it from rolling. It worked OK, I mean they still got into the food but it stayed in the bottle if they scratched it.
It's easy to clean and I can see through it which is really helpful and keeps a bottle out of the landfill. Any chance I can reuse something I'll do it.
So far we are loving these little fluffballs. They're so calm and seem to like attention, which is great since we have 3 kids!
The bottle is a 2 liter size and they are taller than it! I can't wait to see how big these girls get.
All photos are my actual photos I took tonight with my handy dandy .... Phone. I don't have a fancy camera but I have a great phone. I've seen a lot of people put this disclaimer or notice so I figured I would do it too. I know, I know... peer pressure lol. I made a dorky collage too just to prove it's my stuff :)
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