- Jun 5, 2014
- 33
- 6
- 89
Hi, new to the site and this thread.
I was happy to find a thread devoted to both homesteading and utility heritage chickens. I'm raising light Brahmas with the intention of taking the flock here back to the huge size roots of the 19th century. We're in New York, so the large size and extensive feathering make these birds perfect. Especially considering the position of our home - lots of wind and snow from the North-West in the winter which is where the valley runs below our home, open field facing that. Only windbreak is an old apple tree stand of 6 heirloom trees...not much, basically. I've bred chickens in the past on a farm in NC, years ago. Just for fun. Today's breeding is more serious, as I am working to feed a family of 7 and instill country values in my children. They grew up in Buffalo until 2012, their dad is a city boy, I am a country girl...after a decade of urban living, it was time to get back to MY roots. Only exception is we stayed in NY.
My idea is that by breeding the largest and heaviest feathered, eventually I will reach the 'giants'. It might take my lifetime, but this isn't for show. It's to create the best meat and egg bird for my tiny homestead. We only have around an acre, renting with an option to buy at anytime. Our little flock forages and I supplement with all of our food scraps along with oats and a small amount of cracked corn mixed in for a treat. They're not laying yet, but I save all of our egg shells to make my own calcium supplement.
Everything I do for the chickens is old fashioned. My great-grandparents raised me and I have a passion for everything from the early 20th century and late 19th century in the way of know-how. If it can be done by hand, I try to find out how!
Oh, I read about the run-off pond idea. That's exactly what my little goldfish/duck pond is from. There's a pipe that runs from the drain tiles by our basement to an area out back. Another natural runoff from the mountain side meets it. The area stayed marshy and was gross! This spring I dug out a little pond and the pipe drains clear, freezing water comparable to spring water. There's a few minnows in it and a couple of frogs call it home. If you have a little runoff, you can do this, too. The water drains from the mountain continuously, but if yours goes dry, just put a pond pump in during the dry times. You'll really appreciate the wildlife. We've had many more birds this year and the frogs and fish have cut down on the mosquito population that would have come from the marsh!
I was happy to find a thread devoted to both homesteading and utility heritage chickens. I'm raising light Brahmas with the intention of taking the flock here back to the huge size roots of the 19th century. We're in New York, so the large size and extensive feathering make these birds perfect. Especially considering the position of our home - lots of wind and snow from the North-West in the winter which is where the valley runs below our home, open field facing that. Only windbreak is an old apple tree stand of 6 heirloom trees...not much, basically. I've bred chickens in the past on a farm in NC, years ago. Just for fun. Today's breeding is more serious, as I am working to feed a family of 7 and instill country values in my children. They grew up in Buffalo until 2012, their dad is a city boy, I am a country girl...after a decade of urban living, it was time to get back to MY roots. Only exception is we stayed in NY.
My idea is that by breeding the largest and heaviest feathered, eventually I will reach the 'giants'. It might take my lifetime, but this isn't for show. It's to create the best meat and egg bird for my tiny homestead. We only have around an acre, renting with an option to buy at anytime. Our little flock forages and I supplement with all of our food scraps along with oats and a small amount of cracked corn mixed in for a treat. They're not laying yet, but I save all of our egg shells to make my own calcium supplement.
Everything I do for the chickens is old fashioned. My great-grandparents raised me and I have a passion for everything from the early 20th century and late 19th century in the way of know-how. If it can be done by hand, I try to find out how!
Oh, I read about the run-off pond idea. That's exactly what my little goldfish/duck pond is from. There's a pipe that runs from the drain tiles by our basement to an area out back. Another natural runoff from the mountain side meets it. The area stayed marshy and was gross! This spring I dug out a little pond and the pipe drains clear, freezing water comparable to spring water. There's a few minnows in it and a couple of frogs call it home. If you have a little runoff, you can do this, too. The water drains from the mountain continuously, but if yours goes dry, just put a pond pump in during the dry times. You'll really appreciate the wildlife. We've had many more birds this year and the frogs and fish have cut down on the mosquito population that would have come from the marsh!
