So I was on a quest to start out with chickens nearly 8 years ago. I grew up on various farms from horses to cattle to sheep. Had a great understanding of those animals but I had never been around chickens other than folks I worked for. So I started doing my research and came across the breeds I wanted. Originally the plan was for Barred Rocks and Buff Orps. Kept researching and found this forum. Now, I wanted to do everything right. Healthy birds for meat and eggs and a good life for the birds. There was info overload…and the arguments. You should only do this and not that. And I tell you, I nearly said forget it. This is going to cost too much and be too labor intensive to make it a go. But I kept on. Then life happened. I suffered a spinal injury and was told I would never work again. Well, it took 5 years but I made it back into the workforce and we got somewhat back to normal financially. Then a neighbor down the road said take these birds for free…then a son in law did the same…. So I came back to this site to gain information that I had forgotten. What a difference a few years makes…Below are some of the things that I have noticed. Not saying any are right or wrong, but the pendulum has swung.
It’s so funny to read that DE is not the be all cure all. When I first decided to get into chickens, DE was considered to be a miracle. I never quite understood how it would work internally (I mean, being dry then subjecting it to a wet environment of a gut) seemed counterproductive. That said, I had used it in the past on other livestock and dusting horse barns. It does seem to work on fly larva. Now folks are meh on the stuff.
ACV was pretty much the same. Great stuff that cures anything that ails you. Then I come back all these years later and meh. I personally use ACV in my own body for replenishment. I do not give it to my layers but did to pullets and cockerels that I just got that were less than ideal. I do think there are certain benefits to ACV.
Fodder was another must! If you didn’t feed fodder then you were just neglecting your birds’ health. Now, meh.
Fermented Feeds were once again a must. It would meet all the heath needs and if you didn’t do it then you just didn’t love your birds. Now, there is a growing group that questions how well FF works.
And back in the day if you fed any kind of straight up chicken feed from a store that you didn’t mix yourself from all natural ingredients, no soy, GMO free, etc, then you were just murdering your birds. Flat out killing them. Now, when I read folks using Purina Flock Raiser and it is accepted widely…well, this ain’t what everyone said 5 years ago.
So go out and do your research…but just be aware that research and opinions can get intertwined. Raise your birds the best you can, enjoy them, and be happy.
It’s so funny to read that DE is not the be all cure all. When I first decided to get into chickens, DE was considered to be a miracle. I never quite understood how it would work internally (I mean, being dry then subjecting it to a wet environment of a gut) seemed counterproductive. That said, I had used it in the past on other livestock and dusting horse barns. It does seem to work on fly larva. Now folks are meh on the stuff.
ACV was pretty much the same. Great stuff that cures anything that ails you. Then I come back all these years later and meh. I personally use ACV in my own body for replenishment. I do not give it to my layers but did to pullets and cockerels that I just got that were less than ideal. I do think there are certain benefits to ACV.
Fodder was another must! If you didn’t feed fodder then you were just neglecting your birds’ health. Now, meh.
Fermented Feeds were once again a must. It would meet all the heath needs and if you didn’t do it then you just didn’t love your birds. Now, there is a growing group that questions how well FF works.
And back in the day if you fed any kind of straight up chicken feed from a store that you didn’t mix yourself from all natural ingredients, no soy, GMO free, etc, then you were just murdering your birds. Flat out killing them. Now, when I read folks using Purina Flock Raiser and it is accepted widely…well, this ain’t what everyone said 5 years ago.
So go out and do your research…but just be aware that research and opinions can get intertwined. Raise your birds the best you can, enjoy them, and be happy.
