Demand that the hatchery you order your chicks from this year:

[hallerlake]

Or consider this option: if you really care about the living conditions and diet of the breeding stock, then buy from a serious hobby and show breeder. Then you can speak to the person who buys the food, feeds the birds, checks the health daily, and collects the eggs.

You can ask about diet and get detailed answers. You can ask about housing. You can ask about treatment and living conditions. The person you are asking will know the answers because they are the person who is doing it all.

Gotta say, though. It is not nearly as convenient.

This is what I've done. BYC has been a Godsend for that. I searched for the breeds I wanted, found out who had them, and sent emails until I found people who would sell me eggs or chicks. I understand people just starting out might not want to do it that way. It's is more expensive as well as less convenient, but in the long run, I think it's a better way to go.

 

[hallerlake]

Inaction.

Mr Resolution, and I am not being a smart mouth, it's plain that you are more learned than I, specially when discussing chickens and proper diet.

I would not term it as inaction or uncaring. Year after year I ordered my chicks, by and large the postman delivered them right on time. Order 50 get 52, order 25 get 26, order 100 get 105, while in the brooder I sometimes lost 1 or 2, but never a mysterious illness that swept the brooder clean. Straight run was always close to 50/50. So year after year I continue to order. I get my chicks and they perform much as I expect.

I am not a rare breed keeper, I like the good old barred rock, rhode islands, white rocks, stuff like that.

What it boils down to, is I feel today that I got what I paid for. My opinion may differ from yours, and i realise now after reading some of your information, that their are illnesses that manifest themselves in ways an unknowing person would never notice.

This year, first time ever, I am hatching my own chicks. I purchased 30 RIR eggs, from a bloodline that in my opinion is superior. However the dilema I face is that the keeper of those RIRs will never win an award in animal husbandry. Believes and repeats all the old wives tales. If incubator temp is kept 101* to 101.5* you will hatch all male chicks, 99* to 100* female chicks. he couldn't answer the obvious question of why he has so many cockerals, but his barefooted self believed it. Hold a chick by the belly squeeze the poop out if it's yellow it's a hen, if it's black it's a cockeral. On and on, so what do you do, use the devil you know or the devil you don't know?

If he has superior birds, he's doing something right. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If he has good birds, I would buy from him whatever he says.

 

[Totalcolour]

We got our first birds as "Fence Testers", to check if our new electric fence would keep out the foxes who ate our geese. I got addicted to chickens (they were a mixed bag of Buff Orps and Ameraucanas).

Since then, the ONLY commercial stock we buy are Cornish X for meaties. I'm trying right now to see if I can breed my own meaties from some Cornish stock I have, crossed with my Ams. All my others are from breeders.

All my birds (ducks and geese too) are on pasture ALL year. They get supplemental feed in winter, and when pasture is short. Supplemental feed consists of commercial product, scratch grains and homemade food.

Today, in Olympia WA, the weather is horrible; snow and ice, the birds have not ventured outside the coop (we NEVER close the door). I made some oatmeal, scrambled eggs, brown rice, green beans and other assorted goodies, and trudged through the snow to feed my chickies.

I'm not one of these "greenies, or peta" people; I just want my chickens to have the best, because I eat and sell their eggs, and I eat my chickens. They MUST have the best because I only want the best to go into my own body.

My coop is not heated; only the strong survive. We have not had ONE cold related death this year, we have had only ONE bird die from an undetermined illness (spent hundreds in vet bills and necropsies) to make sure that it wasn't an illness that could infect other birds or us.

Some people (including hubby) think I go a bit far. But, really, if we care about what we are putting into our bodies, we should consider what we are putting into THEIR bodies.

There are enough breeders out there (myself, if anyone wants any chicks from me this spring) that there is not much need for hatchery birds. I am planning on adding a new breed this year, and am getting eggs from another BYC'er in my area.

I can't think of ANY family I know, that doesn't make a lot of waste in the kitchen. Since having chickens, my trash has been reduced by over 1/2 - the leftovers that we don't eat, go to the birds, and they love it.

I know many people don't have the space to have completely free running birds, but good management practices can make for healthy flocks.

Just my two cents . . .

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:

WE get organic here for $40 a 50lb bag, $55 for the soy free organic when you can find it. I read about $12 to $14 prices and wish I were happily ignorant of knowing the difference sometimes.
I try to buy everything I eat organic as I find I am a bit sensitive to the newer pesticides, it has become a more significant part of my budget.
Over on the hatching of grocery store eggs, aren't there some replies about malformed chicks due to deficient food? We got one chick that is in runt shape with non developed feather patches. What else would cause that?

Too bad you don't live closer to me! The local farm supplier sells Modesto Milling all-organic feed and charges only $23 (I think, might be $26) for a 50-pound bag. We use an all natural feed that we get from this same farm supplier, but it's not all organic. We are "more-ganic" here... that's a term I made up, meaning "more organic than not." I use natural feed and natural practices whenever possible. This spring, we are planting flax and chia for cover crops for the chooks to eat, and we are planting our own sunflower seeds, quinoa, amaranth, turnips, and non-GMO soybeans to help supplement their feed, in addition to all the goodies they get from free-ranging and will help offset some of our feed costs. And yes, they get lots of animal protein, too. Worms and bugs and kitchen scraps and leftovers, etc. They are healthy & happy.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Resolution I thank you for all the information you typed out.

I got a lot out of it and read some of it out loud to my family. Thanks again.

 

[buckabucka]

Resolution I thank you for all the information you typed out.

I got a lot out of it and read some of it out loud to my family. Thanks again.

I also read some out loud, even though my family objected!

 

[Resolution]

It's heartening to read about so many people hatching their own stock. I'm fond of the freedom rangers for breeding your own- you'll need a Saipan or two and a Cornish Game - nevermind that's another topic. Another day - a thread about selective breeding for broilers.

Spangled wrote to me looking for reference to the new family of soys that have just been approved for use in livestock feed as of 2012.

GMO soy has been fed livestock since 2008. A new form of soy that produces its own insecticide- not just grow through insecticide was developed in 2004. It required more testing and was accepted for use in livestock feed only after 2012, when prerequisite studies had been carried out. I think it's called Plenish - not entirely certain- but I think that who has the advertisements out that have been a source of contention amongst some animal nutritionists. The sale of the soy is that it produces healthier oil but what isn't covered is some of the "protection" attributes of a whole new family of soys including this one- which is the first to get its debut.