I leave my eggs on the counter, the longest was 10 days. When I wash, I use hot water to keep the bacteria out . What I normally do is wipe off the egg right before cracking it open.
I proudly blogged about how I was doing the all-natural chicken-in-winter thing after they made it through a cold spell. Then we had a nasty horizontal rain and hard freeze. One dead chicken later, I realized just how critical it was to keep the chickens "dry enough" and draft-free . Now I am...
I finally got around to testing out my super-cheap WalMart Economy Bird Seed. I recently realized that if it would grow in a garden it would sprout in a jar, so....
I successfully sprouted my birdseed and the chickens, though weirded out, ate every last seedling.
When the freezes stop I will...
You all inspired me. WalMart had Economy Wild Bird Seed on sale so I got a bag. I will be planting milo, millet, and wheat.
I already know my Black Oil Sunflower Seed is fertile since a wild bird stole some chicken treat and "planted" it in the middle of my yard with some natural fertilizer.
It looks like wild birds have given me a head start on the sunflower by stealing my Black Oil Sunflower Seed. One is growing by the driveway under a power line.
I was considering milo, but not millet. My birds dislike millet for some reason.
I have 3 acres to work with. The land is being reclaimed from a badly eroded woodlot. The current run is under a nice brushy stand of trees which gives them reasonably good protection from winged predators and the hot sun.
The open patch adjacent to their run looks like I could till and sow...
My flock has a 1/4 acre run that they have stripped down to pine needles and mulch. I need a better plan for next year.
What can I plant that my chickens will eat? Something that requires almost no effort, regrows quickly, and tolerates flooding/drought. (I'm in Houston).
Suggestions?