Where did you and do you get your chickens ? What natural remedies do you use ?

I have bought chicks that have come from Murray McMurray, and most recently from Cackle. The only reason I ever buy hatchery chicks is to bring in new blood of specific breeds. I started my first flock (not counting the flocks that I kept 20+ years ago) with chicks hatched in a home made incubator, from eggs donated by a local BYC member, and a few EE that were shipped to small feed store from MMc. By far, the greatest number of my chicks have been hatched from my own flock.

Natural remedies: Early exposure to my soil and chicken feces during the 2 week window of opportunity after hatch. Inviting wild turkeys to come through my yard. Allowing free range opportunities. IMO, chickens will self medicate if they have the opportunity. For example: my flock LOVES to eat rhubarb leaves in the fall. Now, we all know that rhubarb leaves are supposed to be poisonous. But, it is my belief that there are anti-helminthic properties in the leaves. Garlic and ginger are also noted for being anti-helminthic. I'm sure there are plenty of other plants growing in a diversified landscape that provide natural medical benefit. And I give my flock fermented feed. And that feed is fresh. If a bag of feed does not have a recent mill date, I simply refuse to buy it. I also put my flock on vitamins prior to collecting hatching eggs to ensure that those eggs are packed with the best nutrition to ensure a chick that has the best start in life. And finally: culling. It's been said that 10% of a flock carry 90% of the disease. By removing weak flock members, you are removing the disease vectors, as well as breeding forward to produce a strong flock with strong immunity to local pathogens, and a flock that is well suited for your local environment.
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom