Sometimes I think we take the "proper" ways to care for chickens out of control. Now, I do almost everything by the book because I love my chickens, and I want them to be healthy and cared for! However, in the past I never researched, and loved my chickens the same, but broke all the rules of chicken raising. They were extremely healthy, happy chickens and laid eggs all year round. Here was their story:
This was over ten years ago.
Baby chicks: heat lamps? Brooder box? Chick grit with treats? NOPE. I went to the feed store and came home with four baby chicks as a teenager. Two bantams and two Easter eggers. I do remember having them on chick feed, but as for heat lamps, never owned one. My chicks were happy little guys and never distressed cheeped or got sick or anything. They stayed in a small patio room and ate their feed and bugs and plants and I never gave them grit. They flourished into healthy, shiny, friendly chickens.
Feed: As an uneducated teenager, I remembered how my chickens preferred scratch over they crumbles, and thought, "why am I feeding them this unappetizing food when they so enjoy whole grains?!" So never again did I buy actual chicken feed. I would dump about a bucket full of scratch grains on the ground (for my four chickens, way overkill) and they would happily eat! I never gave them oyster shell, and their eggs were never brittle. In fact, I had a 90% hatch rate from the eggs I incubated from them! They were in a small patio yard without much grass since they destroyed it, but seemed to be happy.
Rooster/hen ratio: I had two bantam roosters and two hens. The hens never showed feather loss, weight loss, or any signs of stress. The roosters were always friendly with me. Little man was my favorite. Everyone got along wonderfully.
Shelter: nope! They had awning to go under when it rained, but just perched on planters at night. Never had a predator come after them. They lived like this for two years until I had to sell them when we moved across the state.
I gave them all sorts of bad things like candy and cakes and pasta and guess what??? They lived, flourished, and were happy pets!!
I just thought it was amusing and wanted to share my story of all the no-nos I committed and still managed to keep my chickens healthy. Now, my flock of twelve gets the best feed, protection and care I can give them because I constantly research to an obsessed level, and they are just as happy!
This was over ten years ago.
Baby chicks: heat lamps? Brooder box? Chick grit with treats? NOPE. I went to the feed store and came home with four baby chicks as a teenager. Two bantams and two Easter eggers. I do remember having them on chick feed, but as for heat lamps, never owned one. My chicks were happy little guys and never distressed cheeped or got sick or anything. They stayed in a small patio room and ate their feed and bugs and plants and I never gave them grit. They flourished into healthy, shiny, friendly chickens.
Feed: As an uneducated teenager, I remembered how my chickens preferred scratch over they crumbles, and thought, "why am I feeding them this unappetizing food when they so enjoy whole grains?!" So never again did I buy actual chicken feed. I would dump about a bucket full of scratch grains on the ground (for my four chickens, way overkill) and they would happily eat! I never gave them oyster shell, and their eggs were never brittle. In fact, I had a 90% hatch rate from the eggs I incubated from them! They were in a small patio yard without much grass since they destroyed it, but seemed to be happy.
Rooster/hen ratio: I had two bantam roosters and two hens. The hens never showed feather loss, weight loss, or any signs of stress. The roosters were always friendly with me. Little man was my favorite. Everyone got along wonderfully.
Shelter: nope! They had awning to go under when it rained, but just perched on planters at night. Never had a predator come after them. They lived like this for two years until I had to sell them when we moved across the state.
I gave them all sorts of bad things like candy and cakes and pasta and guess what??? They lived, flourished, and were happy pets!!
I just thought it was amusing and wanted to share my story of all the no-nos I committed and still managed to keep my chickens healthy. Now, my flock of twelve gets the best feed, protection and care I can give them because I constantly research to an obsessed level, and they are just as happy!
