Any Chance of getting an area Specifically for Organic Q's

[weaveagarden]

I garden organically, but am just learning about how to do Chickens Organically and Sustainably. Would there be a chance of opening another 'area to go' to talk exclusively about the issues that concern those of us who are trying to achieve this type of life.

So often a topic is taken over by those who simply don't understand why we would want to do anything other than using chemicals and non bio-diverse feeds.

Thanks for considering all mighty BYC Powers that Be.

 

[kstaven]

You will find lots of organic discussion on the sufficient self forum. Many threads concerning animals, chickens and organic feeding.

 

[weaveagarden]

I will check it out. But I still think that Backyard Poultry screams for a Sustainable Poultry area. It is destined to happen.... Simply a matter of When will it be done.

 

[weaveagarden]

OK.... I did a cursory search and look/see. It doesn't seem to have much on chicken raising in there. I will find it useful for many other self-sufficiency topics... But this is the Chicken Forum There really should be some area for the number of people who are trying to achieve clean and healthy eggs and/meat. Granted, not everyone cares about that. But I bet a good percentage of your membership does. With the increased interest in Backyard food raising, comes an interest in changing the status quo as far as how that food gets to the table.

There are issues to keeping a flock healthy without the use of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides. It feels a little bit lonely sometimes when you have a problem, you know there is a solution, but all you get is a lot of ranting by those who feel that the only way is to soak everything including your crop (or in this case flock) down with a chemical to eradicate a problem.

And there are some who don't see the value of heritage breeds as anything other than pets. But there are issues that make hybrids not the ideal answer for everyone

Just as you have a safe environment to discuss Meat Poultry without PETA links, you really need a safe environment to get natural solutions to the many aspects of poultry life without weeding through tons of not usable information that includes chemical and other 'dirty' solutions.

Please give it a little bit of thought, and perhaps ask the membership whether they think it might be of benefit. Thanks for your time and consideration.

 

[DuckLady]

Great thoughts!
You can go ahead and start a thread in the meat birds section. Or even do a personal page with info.

On the Sufficient Self forum you can do the same.

 

[dancingbear]

I'd like to see this, too. If you post in "Meat Birds" about organic or sustainable anything, you just get trampled by people who don't understand it. You have sift through pages of unhelpful comments to find one or two things that might apply. Even just trying to compare notes with people who have similar interests can be very frustrating.

I'd like to see a poll posted in a couple of different areas of the forum, as many people wouldn't see it over here in this area. This is the first time in ages I've looked over here, I and wouldn't have been aware of this post at all, if Weaveagarden hadn't mentioned it, over in Meat Birds.

ETA: What Sufficient Self forum? I don't have any idea where that is, I didn't see it in the index.

 

[Beekissed]

Dancingbear, you will find a link to SS forum at the bottom of your page. You will like the easy comradery over there and all the helpful folks.

Weaveagarden, all you have to do on the SS forum is start a thread regarding your all natural or organic ideas and you will receive many ideas and be able to advise folks on your methods. You won't get lost in the shuffle over there and, any time you want to revive the subject, you just reshuffle it to the top. Its true we don't have as many members as BYC but we probably have more folks who are into organic or all natural animal husbandry. Try it out and see!

 

[Gwen]

I agree that it would be a great addition. I mostly lurk and have for years. There are only a few sections that I read alot (daily) and participate in. One on organic and sustainability would be one I would frequent.

I don't believe it belongs only in meat birds as I don't plan to really raise meat birds and would never visit that section.

I am definitely planning on raising my chickies organically (the baby chicks have been started on organic feed) and besides keeping a flock in a main coop that can free range, I also am in the planning for a chicken run around my vegie garden and a tractor in that area to move along the rows. It goes without saying my entire yard (orchard, vegies, and ornamentals) is organic.

I can forsee a section on organic practices in chicken raising would save members a lot of costly mistakes if they can gain from other experiences and also get ideas on how to use the chickens (and ducks & geese) to add to the sustainability of your entire yard.

In fact, as time goes on and I move away from participating in the 'beginner' sections of the forum, I can see that an 'organic' section would be the one I frequented and participated in the most often.

 

[NancyP]

There is a link at the bottom of this page for the self sufficient forum. I would also like to see something more specific for sustainable bird raising. Seems anytime dual purpose birds are brought up they are sideswiped by those supporting buying the fast growing meaties every year or those that are horrified when the processing of buff orps or other like breeds is brought up.
Nancy

 

[weaveagarden]

I appreciate the advice, and I am without a doubt going to explore and have fun there also.

But, when I searched by the word Chicken on the Sustainable Self site, I got a lot of stuff that had nothing to do with chicken raising to weed through.... Not much help at the fingertips.

But you know, I don't have the energy to stand up for something very often. It just seems to me that Organic/Natural methods of poulty raising deserves a place of it's own and rightly belongs on the BYC. So this is where I decided to place my dusty and cob-webby soap box. Hope nobody is too upset. I think it is a "No Duh" idea.