The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mlowen]

I live in a residential area. Zoning requires "fenced." Haven't gotten the hardware nor the hens, yet, but when I do I'm going to have the biggest run possible. Bee suggested the electrified poultry fencing. I could use that (almost around my entire yard--it's so small) when I'm at home, just in case our hawks or neighbors notice them. I totally agree real free range would be best & if ever I have a "range" for them...they'll be free.

 

[aoxa]

Tractors make me depressed. Thinking of those poor chickens trapped inside. I understand why people use them, and it is better than having then squished inside a building with no light and sun, and they are only chickens after all, but, it still makes me a bit sad..guess I am a softie.Just my personal girl feelings.

Where did that come from?

I'd love tractors for breeding season. However, that is just too much $ and time.

Thankfully breeding season starts when we don't really have grass anyway. We don't see nice green grass until late April. By then everyone is turned loose.

I think tractors are fine as long as they are not crammed in there. It would seem better to me than a barren pen.

 

[delisha]

The posting on how to make a tractor. Containment is sometimes necessary, and I do understand the need for tractors. I just do not like the idea of 50 little birds stuffed inside to reduce movement and feed out to butcher size. Understanding and emotionally accepting it is two different things. I accept it as my own personal weakness.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I built an A frame tractor to put my little chicks in, when they are old enough to begin having time outside and love it. I plan to use it for breeding too. It isnt anything fancy but it works and it didnt cost alot

Side note. I live on acreage and my birds roam sun up to sun down.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Wow! I just found this thread... and at 77 pages in 4 days! Holy Smokes! I hope I can keep up.

I'm all for natural raising. However, my current situation does not allow for free ranging. There is nothing here for them to range. Sage brush in the summer, but I cut those off and toss them in their yards! They love them! I also get truckloads of horse manure mixed with oat straw delivered by a local rancher here and I put it in their yards for them to dig through.

I sprout grains, grow a little fodder, and ferment other grains. I quit buying lay pellets about a month or so ago so I'm working to keep them as healthy as I can. I want to try growing my own grains here come spring and put in a garden so I have left over veggies, get some mealworms going and perhaps even some dubia roaches (I've read that they cannot fly out of their enclosure) otherwise.... no way!

I use yogurt a LOT and I have to remember to refill the oyster shell dispensers more often. I need to put oyster shell in the ferment buckets too because I have some young boys that grow fast at a certain stage in their young lives and they need the calcium.

I'm planning to get some "mosquito fish" next spring and keep them in a big water tank. Hopefully I'll be able to keep them alive though next winter and also hopefully they will reproduce quickly so I can feed them out as a protein source. I'm hoping too, that the mosquitoes will be drawn to this water source and not my birds. I think they are attracted to light so I may figure out some way to hang a light over the water in the tank. I know they need blood in order to lay the eggs, so hopefully, they will suck on the wild life around here. There are plenty of birds around and horses and cows. I wish they would stay out of my barn!

 

[aoxa]

The posting on how to make a tractor. Containment is sometimes necessary, and I do understand the need for tractors. I just do not like the idea of 50 little birds stuffed inside to reduce movement and feed out to butcher size. Understanding and emotionally accepting it is two different things. I accept it as my own personal weakness.

I missed that.

See it now.

50 birds in a little tractor would be too many birds for such a small space.

You are what you eat. The healthier the meaties LIVE, the healthier their meat will be once processed.

I can see my silkies loving a tractor though. I would never confine a bird that does well free ranging.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Make sure to follow BYC rules though. Don't want to have yet another thread shut down.

Hello everyone....I had been reading the road less traveled thread and just got to the end and the thread was closed. I was sorry to hear that, I learned so much but I'm very glad to see everyone here...
Have only had chickens a very short time and have much to learn....enjoying this thread also

I live in a residential area. Zoning requires "fenced." Haven't gotten the hardware nor the hens, yet, but when I do I'm going to have the biggest run possible. Bee suggested the electrified poultry fencing. I could use that (almost around my entire yard--it's so small) when I'm at home, just in case our hawks or neighbors notice them. I totally agree real free range would be best & if ever I have a "range" for them...they'll be free.

I LOVE my electric netting (from Premier). Even though I have 12 acres total here, and about 4 of them available to the chickens (all fenced), I still use the electronet. There are enough neighbors close by and opportunities for dogs to come for a visit. At some point I'll change how I'm using the electrnet but for now it is really a godsend!

Wow! I just found this thread... and at 77 pages in 4 days! Holy Smokes! I hope I can keep up.

I'm all for natural raising. However, my current situation does not allow for free ranging. There is nothing here for them to range. Sage brush in the summer, but I cut those off and toss them in their yards! They love them! I also get truckloads of horse manure mixed with oat straw delivered by a local rancher here and I put it in their yards for them to dig through.

I sprout grains, grow a little fodder, and ferment other grains. I quit buying lay pellets about a month or so ago so I'm working to keep them as healthy as I can. I want to try growing my own grains here come spring and put in a garden so I have left over veggies, get some mealworms going and perhaps even some dubia roaches (I've read that they cannot fly out of their enclosure) otherwise.... no way!

I use yogurt a LOT and I have to remember to refill the oyster shell dispensers more often. I need to put oyster shell in the ferment buckets too because I have some young boys that grow fast at a certain stage in their young lives and they need the calcium.

I'm planning to get some "mosquito fish" next spring and keep them in a big water tank. Hopefully I'll be able to keep them alive though next winter and also hopefully they will reproduce quickly so I can feed them out as a protein source. I'm hoping too, that the mosquitoes will be drawn to this water source and not my birds. I think they are attracted to light so I may figure out some way to hang a light over the water in the tank. I know they need blood in order to lay the eggs, so hopefully, they will suck on the wild life around here. There are plenty of birds around and horses and cows. I wish they would stay out of my barn!

I love reading about all the stuff you're doing! I think that there are lots of ways to be able to compensate for not being able to free-range and it looks like you've found some good ones! I especially like the idea of the fish for an animal protein. I'm always looking for creative ways to get more animal protein in their diet.

 

[delisha]

Wow! I just found this thread... and at 77 pages in 4 days! Holy Smokes! I hope I can keep up.

I'm all for natural raising. However, my current situation does not allow for free ranging. There is nothing here for them to range. Sage brush in the summer, but I cut those off and toss them in their yards! They love them! I also get truckloads of horse manure mixed with oat straw delivered by a local rancher here and I put it in their yards for them to dig through.

I sprout grains, grow a little fodder, and ferment other grains. I quit buying lay pellets about a month or so ago so I'm working to keep them as healthy as I can. I want to try growing my own grains here come spring and put in a garden so I have left over veggies, get some mealworms going and perhaps even some dubia roaches (I've read that they cannot fly out of their enclosure) otherwise.... no way!

I use yogurt a LOT and I have to remember to refill the oyster shell dispensers more often. I need to put oyster shell in the ferment buckets too because I have some young boys that grow fast at a certain stage in their young lives and they need the calcium.

I'm planning to get some "mosquito fish" next spring and keep them in a big water tank. Hopefully I'll be able to keep them alive though next winter and also hopefully they will reproduce quickly so I can feed them out as a protein source. I'm hoping too, that the mosquitoes will be drawn to this water source and not my birds. I think they are attracted to light so I may figure out some way to hang a light over the water in the tank. I know they need blood in order to lay the eggs, so hopefully, they will suck on the wild life around here. There are plenty of birds around and horses and cows. I wish they would stay out of my barn!

How wonderful and inventive. Tell us more about mosquito fish

 

[Bulldogma]

Hello everyone....I had been reading the road less traveled thread and just got to the end and the thread was closed. I was sorry to hear that, I learned so much but I'm very glad to see everyone here...
Have only had chickens a very short time and have much to learn....enjoying this thread also

Glad to have you here!

Tractors make me depressed. Thinking of those poor chickens trapped inside. I understand why people use them, and it is better than having then squished inside a building with no light and sun, and they are only chickens after all, but, it still makes me a bit sad..guess I am a softie.Just my personal girl feelings.

If we build a tractor out of the 2 left over cattle panels, it will be 8' x 10' and house no more than 6 birds (that will get to free range for at least half a day each day). I'm going to rotate my flocks so each breeding group had free range time. I just want to keep my Swedish Flower Hens pure as I hope to sell their hatching eggs (and hatch some ourselves).

 

[aoxa]

Glad to have you here!


If we build a tractor out of the 2 left over cattle panels, it will be 8' x 10' and house no more than 6 birds (that will get to free range for at least half a day each day). I'm going to rotate my flocks so each breeding group had free range time. I just want to keep my Swedish Flower Hens pure as I hope to sell their hatching eggs (and hatch some ourselves).

BDM,

I am curious how the sweedish flower hens have such a wide variety of appearances, but are purebred. How do you know they are pure? Not saying yours are not. Just curious Another person is doing something very similar to the SFH and they are calling them Aloha Chickens.

Breeds in the S.O.P have a strict definition, but SFH do not it seems.

They sure are beautiful!