Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Beekissed]

After seeing Nifty's poll on years of flock management, it seems there are enough old timers here to compile some good, old-fashioned and time-honored tricks of the trade....anyone care to share their philosophy on chickens and all things pertaining?

Now then, I'd like to ask folks to be respectful of one another when the methods of husbandry aren't the same....naturally this is going to happen.

THREAD WARNING: The old-timers are just that, nothing more and nothing less. Their speech may be to the point, sassy, and no-nonsense~this does not mean they meant to offend you or each other. This is just how old farmers talk.

If you are very sensitive and offend easily, it may be time to turn your car around and head back to where the couches are soft and the music is soft and dreamy....this is where the rubber meets the road and only the strong survive.


****A suggestion has been made by a newbie that we all place our relative years of chicken husbandry next to our location on our profile....I think this is a good idea and will sort the wheat from the tares, so to speak. Get yer years up there and show yer ages in doing so....we won't laugh...much. ********

 

[Fred's Hens]

One of my first flocks, circa 1959

 

[ladyride]

already subscribed to this thread should be interesting.

 

[Kassaundra]

Since I'm squarely in the <2 years section of that poll, I will be interested in this topic too.

 

[al6517]

Good topic Bee.............. I did see that poll, I think I read like only just a small percentage were old timers as far as how long they have owned flocks. The rest were all very new to chickens, so yeah this a good topic, do you think they will even listen to us Bee LOL. Kinda like your kid's hunching down in the front seat when you drop them off at school in a muddy 4X4 pick-up truck.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

40 + years here and I know nothin'




The older I get, the less I know.

 

[ladyride]

Quote:
MLB you know lot's besides having a huge heart . So glad to see some of the real old timers weighing in

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bee, you're gonna us in all in trouble!!! We "massage" most everything we say on here, being sensitive in this new era and all. LOL. If we talked straight like we did back in the day, you're gonna get us all in trouble.

 

[Tres Amigas]

As a second year newbie, I respectfully request that you "OTs" lay it on! Many on this forum sincerely want to learn the old, time-tested ways and tricks of the trade...where else are we gonna get that information? Perhaps a good start would be for each of our OTs to make a list of maybe 5 points that they feel every chicken owner would benefit from knowing. Those that are on this forum for the purely social, etc. aspect can skip the advice and go right to the pictures on some other thread. I think it would be a shame to withhold valuable information and experience from those who would appreciate it in an effort to somehow not offend or put off those that know it all and don't need it.
That said...LAY IT ON ME, BABY!!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Al, I'll put it like my mama always told me~They can take it or they can leave it!

Most of the chicken related books providing information these days are not written by generational chicken farmers, thus the information seems to be slanted towards the USDA approved method of husbandry.

Well...before the USDuh started manipulating the farming community as a whole, ordinary folks were learning by trial and error just what really works in the back yard and the back forty.

This thread should be an interesting collection of hard-won knowledge, passed down wisdom and just downright, basic, how-to-keep-your-chickens-alive-and-producing information that could and should help circumvent confusion, myths, and bad advice garnered by the newer generation.

Now, this doesn't mean the oldsters are still not learning and sifting new information for the worth therein...anyone raising animals are on a continuous learning curve if they wish to be successful. I'm just saying that their learning curve is a little steeper and quicker with all the years of momentum behind it.