Feed changes and additions

I read a pinterest post about fermenting chicken feed in mason jars.  It looked easy, so I thought I would try it.  It has worked so well, I am very happy I tried it because it really is SO EASY.  Fermented chicken feed has been rumored to increase egg production, and I can say I used it for a week, and got 6 eggs 5 out of 7 days, and 5 the other two.  I took a week off, because I wanted to see if that made a difference and because the feed was freezing before they could eat it all.  That week I only got 6 eggs one day, which may have been leftover benefits from the week prior. The other days I got 4 or 5.  So, Scientifically I can't prove it, but I believe Fermented feed does increase egg production.  The chickens seem to enjoy it, and I can add warm water to make it a warm breakfast for them in the morning. 

The main reason I like it is because I feel like I'm increasing my food by just adding water.  I start with a half full jar of food, and end up with a full jar of eatable food that looks and smells better than the dry feed.  So, here is how I do it:
In a quart size mason jar, (I have used spaghetti and leftover jars without problem,)  fill half way with dry chicken feed.  Add filtered water to the top and kind of poke it down with the handle of a spoon.  It should be fairly easy to get the water to the bottom.  You want all the feed wet.  It looks like a lot of water, but I have found that more water is better than less.  After 3 days, your jars should be full with the feed fluffy and still moist.  You can see all the components of the feed that absorbed the water, corn, wheat, oats, and there's still calcium in there.  I use Organic Layer, which I like better because I can actually see what's in it as opposed to the grower feed I was using that had everything ground way down.  I feed half the jar in the morning and the other half at lunch when I change their water. 

I have also started raising mealworms for extra treats for the hens.  It's actually been pretty interesting seeing the lifecycle of a mealworm.  I have just had them for a month and already have seen three stages of development.  I am supposed to wait three generations before I start harvesting them for feed, but I think I am going to just get another package of 100 to speed things up a little.  They are really easy, and I have to believe if I am feeding them organic fruit and food scrapes (along with the organic substrate) they will be organic mealworms?  Maybe that's not so important.  

Egg Count for January.

The 31 days of January are over, which means spring is so much closer.  It also means my first full month of collecting eggs is over!  My awesome chickens gave me 142 eggs over the month! That's an average of 4.5 a day.  There were 4 days where I got 6 eggs, that's 100% (I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT MULTIPLE D'S IN MATH! I'm so good at this now!)

We have also just finished the worst winter month I can remember.  We got SO MUCH SNOW. The temperatures were never above freezing.  But those chickens, they were awesome.  Laying the eggs,  eating all the time, staying alive. 

Coconut did get frostbite on her comb, but a couple days in the basement with some ointment and she's all healed up.  Well, not completely healed but good enough to be back with her friends.  She did not like being in that carrier.  And the basement started smelling like a fair.  It wasn't cool.