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Essentially, I have no chickens but have friends with chickens. What are the thoughts about my way of bringing contributions to the table, so to speak, by buying chicken feed to store? Other feed to store? Is there a certain way to do it? How long can the stuff last? All those good little details......
If you mean like stockpiling chicken feed, I would recommend against it. It has a short shelf life. It doesn't like humidity, and it attracts pests. If it gets even a little bit moldy it has to be thrown out.
Of course, chickens can eat almost anything that humans can, so from that perspective you can offer them whatever food you have that is expiring next. Or the food can be expired. Chickens don't care.
Chickens need 14% protein feed to be good layers, and that is at the bottom of the scale, most people feed 16% or higher. Rice is under 3% protein. Chickens love rice but it's just calories and filler. Corn is better at 8% protein, but it's still only half what the chickens need to be good layers. If the chickens are able to free range they will find their own protein by eating bugs and worms, but in a coop situation that isn't possible.
Edited to add, there are other ways homesteaders can get protein into chickens. For example, we frequently have a lot of leftover whey from making cheese. The chickens love it, and will drink it over water. They also love old milk. I don't know much protein is in whey, but it's more than what water has.
Last edited by terracore; 05-31-2022 at 07:49 PM..
You'd probably be better off buying bedding for the floor than feed. Replacing worn nesting boxes, feeder or watering pans is helpful. Offering to clean out the bedding is helpful. It's not hard or messy, it's just time consuming.
why waste valuable storage space with stuff for other people? store what YOU need to live on.
Three reasons. First of all, I am pretty well stocked with what I need........but I could do it better. Secondly, there is plenty of room on this 10 acre ranch. Third, one should establish good relationships with their neighbors, near and far.
After all, if worse comes to worse, inviting others to come to ranch means, additionally.......more eyes and gun holders on the perimeter.
Three reasons. First of all, I am pretty well stocked with what I need........but I could do it better. Secondly, there is plenty of room on this 10 acre ranch. Third, one should establish good relationships with their neighbors, near and far.
After all, if worse comes to worse, inviting others to come to ranch means, additionally.......more eyes and gun holders on the perimeter.
as long as those eyes and guns arent turned inwards.
as long as those eyes and guns arent turned inwards.
Why, for that kind of situation, I trust my liberal more than my conservative friends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SimplySagacious
The best things to barter are skills. Do you have any skills that they don't have, or that you could develop?
Use your brain.
Useful skills make you a valuable person to keep around.
I wanted to use this in another thread in this forum, but I guess i will work here, too.
In the early days of the ranch, one night one of my girlfriends, a horsewoman out on the plains, called out in distress because her well had a major leak at 2 am. She eventually got it repaired but that did get me thinking to have books and not depend on the Net for so many answers. Hence, I often raid half price books for "technical manuals".......and did buy the materials for pipe repair.
On this note, the ranch house is constructed, in philosophy, as a Tier IIa safe house (a private residence adopted to Tier II) where Tier III is an unpowered supply bunker and a Tier I is a powered command facility. Long story short of it, a Tier II doesn't have everything but it has enough stuff so you can make do for a time.
And.....I will leave it there.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 06-01-2022 at 09:53 AM..
Ten acres is a lot of perimeter and we all need sleep.
On a similar note, sooner or later, our shoes will wear out. I am wondering if I should strike up a better than just the business relationship I've had with my cobbler for the past generation.
I believe in utilizing family businesses in cash, in support, in being in good character (ie, don't be a cheating jerk) for when it comes time for allies, who are you going to turn to, who is going to have your back.
As I may have said, what do you bring to the table (there's that bartering again)?
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