chickens 100 years ago

[MissPrissy]

It was nearly 100 years ago that my house was built. The man who lived here and built the house soon after built a commercial poultry barn and began raising 500 chickens at a time, both for meat and for eggs. From what they all tell me around here he grew a lot of corn which went in as animal feed as well as he has his own store so I imagine he could have freighted in his own grains. I met a very nice elderly gentleman who helped to plow the corn fields when he was a 10 yr old boy. He has great memories of my house and the people who lived here.

Now, how they did it 150 - 200 yrs ago is another tail. The chickens got a few grains of corn but they had to scrounge and forage for most of their dinner.

My great grandmoher raised chickens for all of her life. I remember collecting the eggs. I also remember her mean old rooster. I don't remember feeding them.

 

[dreamgirl]

I'm with Rufus--I have a friend with horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, llamas, pigs and chickens. She feeds mostly scratch with a little layer feed in the winter, but she swears they get all the grain and protien they need from "cleaning up" after the other animals, as much of the grain doesn't get digested and there are always bugs around. Her chickens all look plump and healthy, but we got our chicks in the same batch and mine were laying about 6 weeks before hers. In the olden days the chickens all free ranged and were mostly short in this world. People who could afford feed gave it and had better production. Unless you have a huge flock, making your own isn't economical.

 

[chickenwoods]

My dad makes fun of me because of all the things i do for my chickens..

, He tells me when he was a kid (1920's or so) his job was to scrape the kernals of the cob for the chickens.that was all they fed theyre chickens.they lived down in the river bottom and the chickens had nice green grass and fields of wheat,and stuff like that. They didnt now any other way .they didnt know theyre chickens were unhealthy..lol
some times i think the natural way may be better...i dunno

He tell me they didnt loose very many chickens..and the chickens usually pulled theyre own weight in eggs.

He says thats the way all his kin folk down in the bottom did it.

 

[gessieviolet]

Reading these post is triggering old memories of by gone days!
My Mother's father ran a large commericial hatchery in the mid-forties to mid fifities; as well as growing out broilers. I well remember my Mother's going through the print bags that his feed came in selecting prints suitable for shirts for the boys and dresses for the girls. Wore many a feed bag shirts to the old 2 room school I attended as a child.

Our yard chickens were indeed free ranged; and every Saturday afternoon it was my job to chase down one of the roosters to be prepared for Sunday's lunch--I bear the scar to this day where my Mother allowed me for some unknown reason once to hold the head of the rooster to stretch it's neck so she could use the axe--missed the chicken and almost severed my finger!!! Did I get taken to the Doctor, or hospital, heavens no!! I remember not even realizing anything had happened until I saw the water when she plunged my hand into it, then a clean piece of my one of my sister's cloth diapers was ripped off and soaked in KEREOSENE and my hand was wrapped in it; We caught that chicken again and had our usual sunday meal the next day!! My finger healed without incident and almost 60 years later I smile and think "gee! what a life!!" I was so niave that I was in my 30's before I realized all those underpriviledged kids the government was trying so hard to save (and I felt so sorry for!) were me and siblings!!