Feeding Chickens

Rocky the rooster and some of his girls

1. We feed our chickens Barley, Oats, Sorghum (Milo), Wheat, Corn and Black Sunflower seeds. Black Sunflowers are the husk as well as the kernel still intact. All these grains are fed whole, never cracked. Cracked grains will oxidise quickly and go rancid. They should be used immediately. Wherever possible we soak the grain overnight in Whey from our cheese making and allow it to sprout just a little. This increase the bio availability of nutrients.

2. The mix is different every day so that they get variety, also there is an overall difference in the mix between seasons i.e. in cool weather, they eat more grain and particularly like warming grains like Corn. In Winter they receive more Corn and Black Sunflower seeds. In warm seasons, they eat less grain overall and we feed out less of the warming and oil rich grains.

Grain Mix

3. Whatever the season, and at each feeding, we emphasise grains that are lower in Omega 6 oils e.g. Corn and Black Sunflower are high in Omega 6 oils.

4. By mixing the other grains which are low in Omega 6 oils, they get a variety of nutrients and less Omega 6. The problem with too many Omega 6's is that they are pro inflammatory in the body. This is a good and natural process, but the traditional Western diet includes too many of these polyunsaturated oils/fats already. We tend to have the ratio of Omega 6 and Omega 3 out of balance.

Grains stored separately

5. The majority of their food is green grass and all that is above, in and below the grass e.g. insects, gravel and other seeds and plants.

6. This provides an array of vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and minerals plus is an excellent source of the very important Omega 3 oils/fats.

7. The chickens are not fed until very late in the afternoon so their crops are full and they can digest this overnight.

8. Oyster shell grit is available at all times to help provide some Calcium and other minerals.

Oyster Shell Grit

9. We keep heritage breeds as opposed to the new hybrids. Hybrids, such as ISA Browns, HyLines and so on, may be the elite athletes of the egg laying world, but to do so they require a high protein diet which really necessitates processed layer pellets. In addition, as a consequence of this breeding for lots of large eggs, they burn out earlier. They are purely designed for egg production and are small with little flesh covering making them difficult to use as a dual purpose bird.

Dedicated (recycled) Feed Shed

10. The older purebreds may not lay as many eggs per year, though they come pretty close, but they continue to lay for more years and if kept active and healthy, tend to have less problems with laying.

11. A lot of these pure breeds can be dual purpose and so, if inclined, you can eat the roosters or even the older hens. We allow all our hens to retire and stay on as a reward for their many years of egg laying and entertainment. 

Comfrey Bed for the Chickens

This was a simple little job. Some compost, an old fence post, chicken netting and a few bits of Comfrey.

The netting will stop the chickens scratching out the plants but as they grow the girls and boys will have access to fresh Comfrey leaves.

Storing Feed Grain, Ferdies, Cattle

Just before Christmas we collected various grains for the chickens. We were running a bit low and with the holiday break coming up we thought we had better cover ourselves in case the supplier (Wadwells) was closed for a longer than normal period.

Wadwells are an excellent supplier. Not only are they the lowest price on pure grains but your order is packed on the spot from the silos ensuring a fresh high quality product.

The chooks have gone off wheat for the moment and normally that would be the largest portion but this time Barley and Sorghum (Milo) take a more prominent position. Last time we took some cracked Lupins but nobody was interested. This time we picked up just a couple of kilos to see if we could wean the new babies onto this excellent feed.

All the bins containing the last remnants of the previous purchase had to be emptied into smaller containers and the larger feed bins washed out and left to dry in the sun. This minimises the risk of weevils. We try to keep 4-8 weeks supply at all times just in case there is an interruption in supply.

 

 

The Indian Runner ducks (Ferdies) continue to grow. They are a very nervous breed and it doesn't take much to put them into a panic.

We let our cattle into the Nuttery every now and then depending on the amount of feed. Unlike the Orchard it can have sections isolated to keep the cattle from damaging or eating some of the more flavoursome varieties. It seems that Avocado and Mango are favourites.

Feeling sorry for them I opened the gate before all the fences were up. And it is uncanny how rather than leap at the succulent green grasses they immediately try to pull off the Mangos. They just can't help themselves.

Poultry Food, Carrots and other

Lets start with the weather. 10 degrees C this morning and then the day heated up to a comfortable 27. I'm sure the cool nights and mornings affect seedling growth.

The routine in the mornings is to go out and put a little Lucerne out for the cattle. Martinique, (whinging) Warren and Hector. The dogs love going for a run and line up at the gate out to the top paddock. Once the gate is opened they charge out running back and forth across the paddock smelling all the nights activity.

Nikki, Lisa and Bill

Martinique , Hector and Warren

The cattle look glossy and healthy despite the dry conditions and little green feed but we don't skimp on the Lucerne. Better they stay happy and healthy. No one has to pay their way at HHF. We share the property and our good fortune with everyone.

We've been saving our Carrot tops in a plate with some water and when the tops have started to shoot plant them out. It is a very easy way to propagate. 

Today we also did a little seed saving. A stand of Coriander has dried well. Some will be kept for seed but as there is so much we will keep the bulk for cooking.

Coriander perfect for harvesting

Some Rocket has also set good seed.

Gradually the different varieties of Garlic are maturing and being harvested, dried and stored. In the past it would start shooting before the next lot was ready leaving us with a barren period and reliant on shop bought produce. Thanks to the suggestions from another blogger (who I can't recall and would like to have paid attribution) this year we are freezing part of the harvest as whole cloves to ensure all year round availability.

The bag at the back of the tray contains the larger cloves set aside for planting next March.

Between the two of us we managed to lift the wind fallen Dragon fruit upright. Temporarily supported by the cloths line post. Some steel posts have been hammered into the ground to provide permanent support. Two steel pickets brace the wooden post it grows on from different angles and are screwed on with bugle head screws. Bugle head screws are incredibly strong we use them in post and rail fencing. There is a backup brace of four steel pickets strapped to the upright with fencing wire. Belt and braces approach. Should last forever.

The damage from falling over seems minimal and we have heaped cow manure and silage mulch around the plant to help it send down more stabilising roots.

Chicken Feed

Normally our chicks get Wheat, a little Corn and some Black Sunflower seeds as a nightly meal. Usually soaked in whey from the weekly cheese making. This is purchased from Wadwells near Raymond Terrace who fill your recycled feed bags to order. Occasionally the Norco at Dungog will have a mixed grain on special and we get a some bags as it always contains a few diverse grains.

Recently to expand the variety of feed when getting the wheat etc from Wadwells we also bought some Milo (Sorghum) and cracked Lupins. The Lupins so as to increase the protein levels for egg laying. Well they liked the Milo but completely ignored the Lupins.

The next experiment was to buy an organic mash at great expense. A little picking but mostly ignored. Tried mixing it with whey. No change. Tried milk. No change.

Bought a bag of layer pellets. Almost completely ignored.

Tried keeping them locked up until midday to make them eat the layer pellets and scratch the mulch silage and manure. They stand at one end of the coop waiting to be let out. "can we come out now? can we come out now? Can we come out now?"

As soon as they are let out they rush off to the nearest patch of green grass and madly peck away.

Fussy buggers are our chooks.

Our new routine each morning is to mow a strip or two of green grass from around the house garden beds and spread the fresh green clippings in the pen. And the result is at least they stop pressing themselves against the cage and racking their tin mugs against the mesh.

The bedding is now getting scratched and we have scratched trying to change their feed.

Fencing, Chicken Food, Culturing Butter

As usual there was the morning run to check the different herds for any births and top up food where necessary - all well. Yesterday's Havarti soaked in 20% saline solution for 3 1/2 hours and then went on to cheese matting do drain.

We have a local women who works from home cutting hair (very cheaply). A quick telephone call, a time agreed and the job done efficiently while catching up on any local goings on and status of mutual friends.

The Asparagus received a dose of Seasol Plus this morning. As it is a seaside plant why not a bit of seaweed extract. The feeding should ensure better root growth and enhance the spears when the shoot.

In the chicken food we are focusing on grains such as Wheat, Sorghum, Barley and Lupins which are lower in polyunsaturated Omega 6. Always having the chooks free ranging on grass not dirt. Better for the chooks and produces better eggs which are lower in Omega 6.

Added some culture to the cream from the milk collected the other day. In this cool weather it takes 12 - 20 hours to reach the right flavour.

The bulk of the day was spent over the river fencing. Having pulled out the old steel post fence we went around and dug the holes with the Post Hole Borer. The ground was soft and occasionally we hit heavy clay. Some of the holes will need to finished off by hand as the borer couldn't penetrate all the way even with one of us swinging off the end of a steel bar. The bar is used to keep a good distance from any rotating parts. Next week we'll put up the string line and stand as many of the recycled plastic posts as we can and then dig out any remaining holes by hand. With heavy clay it'll take about an hour for each of those.

Warm Weather, Rain, Magpie, Bread Making, Casual Work, Asparagus Weed, Bicycles and Buying Chicken Food

Warm Weather and more water from sky

Regular rainfall at this time of year is welcome as it boosts the growth of the young vegetable seedlings. However, the downside are the lawns and weeds jump out of the ground with more and more time becoming devoted to mowing and weeding. The main reason for mowing is to get a clear view of the snakes before they get under foot. No more venturing out without the appropriate footwear and long pants.

The local public swimming pool is in full swing with Learn to Swim classes and swimming squad training morning and afternoon, interspersed with children cooling off after school and individuals with their own exercise regimes like ourselves. Fortunately, there is a monthly day by day programme on the whiteboard allowing us to insert ourselves in between classes and visiting schools. The water temperature is higher and more comfortable although there is something to be said for the cooler temperatures of a month ago encouraging more vigorous activity as well as cooling down the limbs.

Magpie

Bathing the Magpie

The young magpie has settled down but not without some downside. The cats are still trying to kill it meaning, only one species is allowed in the house at a time; although the 20 year old cat looked completely surprised when the magpie splashed down beside him and cuddled up. There is also the issue of what goes in must come out - in a different form! There seems to be this tube starting at the top in which we add various goodies such as moistened cat and dog food, mince, greenery and worms. These additions move down the tube by gravity and drop out in a more liquid form like little oysters with a dark centre surrounded by a white milky substance. Unless wiped up immediately, they dry into difficult to remove solids. These appear at random down the back of chairs, down open doors, down the back of your clean top and in various other inaccessible areas. Miggie, as she is called, has also discovered play. This involves everything on the kitchen benches being carried to another location. The dried chillies, garlic, notes, pencils etc relocate at random. More interesting was the water filled platter being used to rehydrate rice paper which became a bird bath after the first sheet was removed.

She is just over 4 weeks old, hopefully soon self feeding and flying skills will evolve and more time will be spent outside. Not that it isn’t cute but it is wearing after a time. We will miss her when she decides to leave us.

Bread Making

Bread and Machinery

Many people write wonderfully about the joy and relaxation that bread making brings; the kneading and tactility as the dough changes texture is inspiring. Neither of us has that thought! Bread must be made. It is better made than bought. This way the ingredients can be controlled. Usually this task is required to be performed two or more times each week.

Our approach uses a bread machine as the labour saving device to allow other tasks to be paralleled. Over time a manual setting has been developed to suite the style of bread we make. Our problem is that our flour is stone ground not long before we use it. Just enough is ground for one or two loaves and/or some fresh pasta. We have an old stone grinder driven by an electric motor that was passed on from the previous owners. It needed some refurbishment and it doesn’t grind really fine flour but it works well enough. Good quality Bio-Dynamic whole wheat grains which we buy in bulk and store in a vacuum is our preferred ingredient. Of late we have been using milk instead of water in the dough. This seems to provide a better result. In addition a little extra liquid is added to give a much sloppier dough which gives us a better rising and texture.

Today also involved cinnamon bread or simply the standard loaf with three spoons of powdered cinnamon and a third of a cup of sultanas. A nice little treat at breakfast, particularly with our homemade cultured butter.

Casual work

Some years ago we both decided that fulltime work was detracting from our desired lifestyle. With the mortgage within relatively easy reach of final payment it seemed a good time to move to casual work. It was surprising to me how easy it was to find work locally which would only occupy 2-3 days each week. The pay rates were not as high as city work, but then travel was greatly reduced as were the costs associated with it. The work environment was also more conducive and the hours more flexible.

With a last big effort we not only paid off the last of the mortgage but also put aside enough to live off for a several months should there be a downturn in demand for labour. This additional free time opened up the opportunity to do more things for ourselves and to also revisit our cost structure and prune any waste.

Waste did not involve good food or good wine. We don’t indulge in all the goodies associated with a large cash flow such as new 4WDs or large TVs in every room or any toys to be thrown away after a few uses. There is nothing we cannot afford, the issue is do we really need it to provide a brief pleasure before that pleasure dulls and we are looking for the next big thing.

Once established in our area a reputation for honesty, work ethic and loyalty resulted in more offers of work than we could accept. In a small community the recommendation of other locals is a gold pass.

Asparagus Weed

Invasive Weed Sample

It didn't take long to uncover the cause of the problem with the Mary Washingtons ie why they were late to shoot. What appeared to be an innocuous ground cover which easily pulled away turns out to be a very nasty weed. This nameless invader has an extensive matted root system  going down 200 mm below the surface smothering everything. Over a couple of days we managed to remove a substantial quantity but not without some damage to the asparagus roots. Then every day or two we go over the entire bed with a small hand fork plucking out any shoots that were missed or any green leaves that pop above the surface. The hope is that with long term diligence and preventing any remaining roots from gaining access to the sun, it will eventually fail to thrive. An additional job but better than having to start the bed again.

Bicycles

Recycled Bicycle

Our first two bikes were second hand picked up at an auction sale - $2.50 each! A couple of working spares were added from friends and relatives’ rejects. Since then, we have accumulated spare brakes, tyres, rims, tubes and accessories which have proved very handy. Every year the local council conducts a bulky goods pickup. This is an ideal time to grab a few discarded bikes, strip off any reusable components and place the remainder out for recycling.

The council very cleverly ensures the announced pickup date is a couple of weeks before the actual pickup. This ensures that people such as us can rummage through the goodies on display and select any reusable pieces before the big truck takes them away. We mustn't be the only ones with a sharp eye for reuse as over a period of days large quantities of discards disappear overnight. Wisely the council reduces its work load by about 75%.

Buying Chicken Food

Feed Bins

Buying bulk supplies of grain for the chickens provides significant cost savings. Careful storage of grain is critical as in warmer weather weevils can decimate the storage bin in a short time. Non-organic grain is usually treated to protect it against weevils but Organic and Bio-Dynamic grain requires mechanical protection.

We store our grain in 200 litre plastic drums with screw top lids. These can be cheaply purchased from food importers who repackage products such as olives and capers. They are happy to sell the empty drums for a few dollars to all comers.

Once the drum is cleaned and dried, it is filled with grain until about 250-300 mm from the top. A piece of aluminium foil is placed in the drum and a small candle sits upright on the foil. Light the candle then curl the foil over so that the flame is below the turned foil. This stops the heat from melting the plastic lid. Ensure the screw top lid has its rubber seal intact and screw the lid on tightly. The candle will eventually extinguish leaving a slight vacuum and carbon dioxide. This is an environment which is not conducive to weevils. In the warmer months we relight the candle every month or so to ensure conditions for weevils don’t improve.

Over the years we have tracked down a number of organic or Bio-Dynamic grain farmers who store their grain on farm when the market is depressed and sell when the market is more attractive. They are happy to sell any quantity for cash and the price is very competitive compared to normal retail. These buying trips involve a long day. An early start followed by a long drive to grain country, filling bags from the silo and then weighed down with a slow return trip. This is a good job done with a solid trailer.

If morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are packed, this can be a pleasant sightseeing country trip. The country hospitality is always there so don’t be surprised to be offered a cup of tea and spread of homemade goodies.