Homesteaders...do you feed your flock "the old way or combine old and new"?

[Floppy Pheasant]

I'm interested in knowing the "off the grid" populace and what you feed,how you house.....anything would be invaluable.

 

[Boonie Stomper]

I'm sure my flock is old way except in winter, and then is a combo, unless you have a different idea of what defines those "ways" than I do.

Whenever possible my flock:
Eats insects and other small pests;
Eats weeds, wild seeds, and grass;
Turns my mulch and dethatches lawn;
Provides free organic fertilizer;
Provides a good supply of eggs to eat;
Recycles many meal leftovers, produce scraps and meat trimmings.
Bought feed is there when needed.

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

Thanks Boonie....we do the same here,it's nice to know someone does everything we do...thank you soooo much!

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

Same here except I do throw the laying pellets good when it's hatching season.... But otherwise my chickens get to be chickens. They love the scrap produce from the garden. Working towards a full fledged permaculture design in the future.....

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

Matthew...I'm like you,I just let my chickens be chickens...I have to give my chickens oyster shells too (they eat my stucco on my garage if I dont)...lol

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

Yes! I have my oyster shell in a dish for free choice. And I toss a handful of grit around just in case so they can pick that up naturally. I do finely crush all my used egg shells and put that in with the oyster shell or sprinkle around the base of my plants for slug and bug repellent.....

 

[Floppy Pheasant]

What?? I never knew oyster shells were bug repellents!! Japanese beetles are always in our grape leaves and garden.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Not sure what "off the grid" means, but I would like info on raising chickens (12 to be exact) in the suburban backyard (not acreage) that would be more natural than buying a bag of feed and that's it to keeping chickens. Any tips, books, websites, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Folly's place]

In a suburban backyard, you need those bags of chicken feed!
If you lived in the jungles of SE Asia, and owned jungle fowl who free ranged and survived there, that's what's 'natural'.
In a Maryland backyard, with modern laying hens, it's about a balanced diet from the feed store, with recent mill dates, and anything the birds can scrounge in your yard, as treats.
Mary

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks for the reply. But there must be some secrets out there. I've learned about fermenting their feed, sprouting, growing fodder. There must be more hidden gems out there!