Welcome to The Hearty Hen House
Hobby Farming at its finest!
I often read comments from people indicating some confusion in understanding the difference between chicken grit and oyster shell. Oyster shell and grit are two different products that accomplish two different things, and they are NOT interchangeable. Let’s take a look at the two products and their purposes.
It seems like there is a pecking order or hierarchy in all walks of life and it has existed in history for all time. There is a hierarchy in family units, towns, countries, cultures, and religious organizations. There are people who make good leaders, who love a challenge and aren’t afraid of failure. They are willing to take on the responsibility for protecting others and helping to provide direction for life improvements. Those at the top of the human pecking order are generally elected or appointed because of previous good works and integrity. However, history has shown us the there have been successors who achieved their ranking position on the battlefields. It appears that social groups need pecking orders.
First let me clarify that I am not a veterinarian. I do know from having animals that there are occasions when you can not get a hold of your vet and you need to make decisions regarding your animals based on knowledge, experience, and even the internet. I have a really good vet, but he’s entitled to time off every now and then. It seems like nights, weekends, and holidays are prime times for animals to get ill or injured. This is why it is important to educate yourself, talk with your vet ahead of time, and seek out reputable sources on the internet before you need to treat your animal. Be prepared! I recently read on an animal Facebook group about a person looking for help with a sick dog, and holy cow, the suggestions for possible treatments ran the gamut. There was one suggestion to give the dog nighttime Tylenol, that made me cringe. Sometimes we think that if it’s ok for people, it’s ok for animals. And that is just not true!
The big question for the day is, “can I feed my chickens dairy products?” I believe this information applies to ducks as well.
Whenever I go out to feed and visit with my ducks, there is one that inevitably gives me this cute little head-cocked, sly look. I wonder what’s going through her mind as she stares at me. Is she wondering if I have more treats than what I’m sharing, or does she suspect me of being a wolf in people’s clothing? She doesn’t seem to be afraid, just watching. Sizing me up. Taking it all in. This silly little duck got me wondering about the senses that a duck uses to navigate in their world…so I did some research.
My little farm does not look like it belongs on the cover of a country magazine. My chicken coop is not all fancied up and my barn needs painting. My husband will tell you that I have way more animals than I need, they don’t all have names and they aren’t necessarily the prettiest. Heck, there are even some critters that come just for breakfast before moving on. Keeping animals is not necessarily cheap, although it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and it’s hard work. Things breakdown, there are weeds to contend with, and animals die. So, if farming sounds so gloomy, why do I have animals and what have I learned from them?
My mom tells the story of when I was a toddler, we went to the park. There, of course, was a lake at the park with lots of ducks. I had a bag of popcorn which I was evidently sitting on the bench thoroughly enjoying. My mom suggested that I share some of my popcorn with the hungry ducks and my response was, “No! I no like ducks!”
I really enjoy spring. It signals not only the end of cold weather and snow, but also new life. It’s the time of year when we see animals come out of hibernation, bees and butterflies make their appearance once again and all sorts of baby farm animals take to the stage! There is not much that is cuter than a baby anything with their pure innocence and clumsy antics. Spring is also the time for planting and realizing new growth on our perennial plants. I always get excited when I see new shoots on my rose bushes. There are so many varieties, colors and smells of roses and they are a plant with many benefits, even for our chickens and other farm animals.
I don’t really know too much about sunflower seeds other than discarded seed hulls generally littered the ground under the stands at baseball games and birds really seemed to like them. They were not a favorite of mine. I enjoyed sucking the salt off of the seed, but breaking into the hull for such a tiny reward didn’t seem worthwhile to me. Just recently I discovered that all sunflower seeds are not created equally. Some have thicker hulls, less oil, different nutritional benefits. Others are a really great source of nutrients for a variety of farm animals. The familiar black seed that is found in wild bird seed is the Black Oil Sunflower Seed, often referred to as B.O.S.S., a very adept acronym for a powerhouse food. No wonder birds love them! They seem to know instinctually the treasures that Mother Nature has supplied for them. Who would have guessed that a common bird feed would also be good for horses, goats, chickens and even rabbits!
Are you thinking about adding some ducks to your flock or hobby farm? There are a couple of really important things that are good to know if you plan to take the plunge and try your hand at raising ducks. One has to do with water and the other has to do with Niacin.
