Finally Got My Chicks

[jaideeguy]

After searching and asking all over Chiang Mai for years [delayed by the bird flu scare], I finally found the connection for egg laying chickens and received 20 Rhode Island Red crossed with [what he called] 'redhorn'.

I googled 'redhorn' chickens and couldn't find them....maybe he means 'brown leg horns'??

anyway, they arrived jammed 10 to a box but seem healthy and strong after the 8+hr journey from BKK. Seller says they are 16-18 weeks old and will start laying in a month.

Now, i'm wondering [thinking ahead] about crossing them with a local breed to toughen them up and bring back some of the 'broodiness' that have been bred out of them. I have a choice so far of the local Thai variety and a neighbor has some bantam roosters.

naturally, I want to maintain as much of the high egg production qualities of the 'factory chickens' and may search harder to find a 'factory rooster'.

Any other backyard chicken farmers out there??

Any ideas or suggestions????

[IsaanAussie]

After searching and asking all over Chiang Mai for years [delayed by the bird flu scare], I finally found the connection for egg laying chickens and received 20 Rhode Island Red crossed with [what he called] 'redhorn'.

I googled 'redhorn' chickens and couldn't find them....maybe he means 'brown leg horns'??

anyway, they arrived jammed 10 to a box but seem healthy and strong after the 8+hr journey from BKK. Seller says they are 16-18 weeks old and will start laying in a month.

Now, i'm wondering [thinking ahead] about crossing them with a local breed to toughen them up and bring back some of the 'broodiness' that have been bred out of them. I have a choice so far of the local Thai variety and a neighbor has some bantam roosters.

naturally, I want to maintain as much of the high egg production qualities of the 'factory chickens' and may search harder to find a 'factory rooster'.

Any other backyard chicken farmers out there??

Any ideas or suggestions????

I have acquired 30 odd good looking "brown short leg" chickens from a fellow member of this site. I have exact same sort of issues. I have my eye on a Kelloggs Cornflakes rooster that is always busy in the family yard. My birds should start laying in the next few weeks. My intention is to establish a laying flock of 300 birds. Building a chicken palace shortly. Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. Trials start soon.

Good luck

[jaideeguy]

With short legs, it sounds like your's may have some bantam blood in them...what's the mature size of them?? the smaller they are, the smaller the egg.

After dealing the first day with my new Rhode Island Red crosses, I'm quite pleased with their temprement and have read that that that breed is quite hardy and able to free range, as I want them to...so I may try to keep the breed as pure as possible and look for a RIR cock to service my hens.

anyone in CM know of any RIR cocks???

"Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. "...........manure for animal food?? maybe you mean compost?? or is that a secret Issan recipe?

[ozzydom]

With short legs, it sounds like your's may have some bantam blood in them...what's the mature size of them?? the smaller they are, the smaller the egg.

After dealing the first day with my new Rhode Island Red crosses, I'm quite pleased with their temprement and have read that that that breed is quite hardy and able to free range, as I want them to...so I may try to keep the breed as pure as possible and look for a RIR cock to service my hens.

anyone in CM know of any RIR cocks???

"Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. "...........manure for animal food?? maybe you mean compost?? or is that a secret Issan recipe?

Chicken sexing is not an exact science and 90-95 % is regarded as good so a few cockerels end up going to the layer farms where they are culled as soon as they are noticed.

If there is a layer farm in your locality , I am sure they will find you one .

[kikoman]

With short legs, it sounds like your's may have some bantam blood in them...what's the mature size of them?? the smaller they are, the smaller the egg.

After dealing the first day with my new Rhode Island Red crosses, I'm quite pleased with their temprement and have read that that that breed is quite hardy and able to free range, as I want them to...so I may try to keep the breed as pure as possible and look for a RIR cock to service my hens.

anyone in CM know of any RIR cocks???

"Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. "...........manure for animal food?? maybe you mean compost?? or is that a secret Issan recipe?

How is your chicken farm doing Re: egg production. I am interested in buying some chicks or hens as you did. What was the price per bird from Bangkok and shipping from Bangkok an interested in starting a flock for my own home egg production.

Thank you in advance

Cheers:

[RedBullHorn]

With short legs, it sounds like your's may have some bantam blood in them...what's the mature size of them?? the smaller they are, the smaller the egg.

After dealing the first day with my new Rhode Island Red crosses, I'm quite pleased with their temprement and have read that that that breed is quite hardy and able to free range, as I want them to...so I may try to keep the breed as pure as possible and look for a RIR cock to service my hens.

anyone in CM know of any RIR cocks???

"Big motive is the manure which will go into animal feed. "...........manure for animal food?? maybe you mean compost?? or is that a secret Issan recipe?

IA...you're creating animal feed out of chicken manure !?!!...let me in on the secret pleassssse ~

Edited July 23, 2010 by RedBullHorn

[IsaanAussie]

The chicken manure is used in pig feed in concert with sweet potato vine, cassava meal and salt to produce a fermented material. This is joined with a basal feed of the normal rice bran, corn and soy and fish meal in various formulations. About 30% of the ensiled feed is used. I looked at this as a way of reducing cost as the materials could be grown easily.

I grew the potatoes and cassava as a test but discovered that the sun dried chicken manure should come from chickens raised for meat not from layers that I have.

Isaanaussie

[RedBullHorn]

...so is there chicken manure in the commercial feed we use ?

[IsaanAussie]

...so is there chicken manure in the commercial feed we use ?

I have no idea.

[RedBullHorn]

you're meaning to say that you're adding chicken manure with other ingredients to produce feed for pigs !?!!!

[IsaanAussie]

you're meaning to say that you're adding chicken manure with other ingredients to produce feed for pigs !?!!!

Am I doing it at the moment? No. Is it being done? Yes.

[bobby57]

I've been trying to get layers for 3 years with no success!! Can you please tell me the details for the supplier in BKK which you used??

[ETC]

you're meaning to say that you're adding chicken manure with other ingredients to produce feed for pigs !?!!!

Am I doing it at the moment? No. Is it being done? Yes.

IA

I would be interested in how that works out for you, as I have some plans in that area myself. I'm not planning

on raising hogs, but the high nitrogen fertilizer can have many uses. Finding ways to make cheaper feed is

always high on my Gain Knowledge List, as it directly effects the bottom line.

Jim

[IsaanAussie]

you're meaning to say that you're adding chicken manure with other ingredients to produce feed for pigs !?!!!

Am I doing it at the moment? No. Is it being done? Yes.

IA

I would be interested in how that works out for you, as I have some plans in that area myself. I'm not planning

on raising hogs, but the high nitrogen fertilizer can have many uses. Finding ways to make cheaper feed is

always high on my Gain Knowledge List, as it directly effects the bottom line.

Jim

Jim,

I probably still have the data somewhere but basically the chicken manure is used to produce silage. I am making compost, lots of compost by combining pig manure and chopped rice straw. Pretty easy and quick as the C::N ratio is about right when the proportions produce a dryish well blended mix. Its great stuff and plantings in it jump out of the ground, I also use it as worm bedding and am about to start growing mushrooms in it. In ther later stages of composting I often get flushes of mushrooms just from spawn in the straw and the soil. Note, I wouldnt eat the ones that grow at the moment.

Isaanaussie

[ETC]

you're meaning to say that you're adding chicken manure with other ingredients to produce feed for pigs !?!!!

Am I doing it at the moment? No. Is it being done? Yes.

IA

I would be interested in how that works out for you, as I have some plans in that area myself. I'm not planning

on raising hogs, but the high nitrogen fertilizer can have many uses. Finding ways to make cheaper feed is

always high on my Gain Knowledge List, as it directly effects the bottom line.

Jim

Jim,

I probably still have the data somewhere but basically the chicken manure is used to produce silage. I am making compost, lots of compost by combining pig manure and chopped rice straw. Pretty easy and quick as the C::N ratio is about right when the proportions produce a dryish well blended mix. Its great stuff and plantings in it jump out of the ground, I also use it as worm bedding and am about to start growing mushrooms in it. In ther later stages of composting I often get flushes of mushrooms just from spawn in the straw and the soil. Note, I wouldnt eat the ones that grow at the moment.

Isaanaussie

Isanaussie

May I ask the ratio of pig manure to chopped rice straw?

Thanks!

Jim (etc)