Old Fashioned, Common Sense Chicken Keeping.

[Rysktal]

I just love this post.

I'm just hitting the end of my first year of having chickens and wow, I'm constantly learning and discovering my chicken boundaries.

They are not pets, that creates stress I do not need.

@BantyChooks long post really resonated with me!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Chickens here are chickens.

I feed, water, keep clean, and watch for illness or injury.

The sick or failing are culled.

The hens that are aged go in the freezer.

I have runs and coops. To many hawks to let the birds out much. I don't want to raise them to feed predators. I raise them to feed us.

Old fashioned?

 

[GC-Raptor]

(Good thing, because it looks like we once again taking the chicken plunge next spring when we stop traveling so much

It will be nice to see you here more often. I always read your comments/advice.

the new flock will only be 8 birds.

I've had my own flock for 29 months. My first were 6 Golden Comets. 5 survived to lay. Lost 2 earlier this year. Left with 2 layers, and a hen who retired at 24 months.
I had to cut 2 customers.
Bought 7 Barred Rocks Chicks 15 days ago to Please my pleading customers and for my pleasure. A Pic of them yesterday. .GC

 

[centrarchid]

Combination of free-range kept and penned with some representing both extremes. Many truely roost under stars even during dead of winter. The more confined, the more I rely on complete diets that I still manipulate. Some of the free-range birds are fed no feeds, they get their own eats. Very seldom are medications used.

The flock is totally closed, no imports, as all replacement birds are generated on site from my stock. Hen incubation and rearing used for about half of birds produced each year. About 80% of each years hatch is consumed or otherwise consumed from flock. No offspring kept from birds younger than 2 years of age.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

I’d have to say I’m somewhere in the middle. We built our own coop, free range when possible (dad doesn’t love it when they do since they tear up his gardens,) I built them a new 120ish square foot pen to roam in by myself, so we put them in there for the day. It has food and water and some stumps to play on. They forage and dustbath in there a lot) I don’t dress them up, don’t have chicken diapers or tu-tus, they don’t get special cooked salmon, they get table scraps, their normal food and occasionally some cracked corn or hen scratch thrown on the ground. When we had a sick chick, I came to BYC for help, but didn’t rush her off to the poultry vet, I cried a bit when she died (she was really special to me) but got over it after a few days. Dropped our four cockerels off at a farm, no tears, but they won’t be killed so that’s good. Their coop isn’t anything fancy, it’s got a perch, two nest boxes and pine shavings. It’s not a big and fancy mansion coop, but it’s not a bitty pre-fab either. No electricity or built in security system. Liftable roof for super easy access and a chicken door. Their run is secure, we keep their food and water in there, along with a few stumps to hop on, that’s all. They live a good life, I pick them up daily, pet them a bit, they certainly aren’t lap-chickens, they almost never hop onto me (sometimes for treats) they don’t really like being held, they only tolerate it. We have 5 pullets in total, nothing too fancy, just three bantam sized barnyard mixes, a Jersey Giant and a barred rock. No rooster, but they are VERY alert and aware of the noises and things around them. They would fight off an animal, they’ve got my dog afraid of them, I’ve witnessed one of my bantams attacking a robin that landed beside her. They’ll chase squirrels up trees and birds out of the yard. We keep them for eggs, only one is laying (they are only 18 and 20 weeks old) but we won’t eat them. Not sure what will happen when they get older, whether we’ll keep until death, cull or give away, it’s still a long ways off. Anyways we definitely aren’t the people who spoil their chickens and spend thousands on them, we definitely aren’t too old fashioned. If you want to hear about spoiled chickens, read this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...hickens/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1c00c391d55a

I like this thread idea!

 

[Morrigan]

This as been a really fascinating and highly educational thread.

My own journey has been full of mistakes. I was raised in the suburbs and spent most of my adult life living and working in the city. Zero, and I mean zero, livestock experience.

My husband and I got tired of the rat race and decided to move to the country, live closer to nature and be as self-sufficient -- and old-fashioned -- as possible. I still remember pouring over "Henderson chicken chart" and selecting Buff Orpington's and Speckled Sussex as the breeds we wanted. They were "dual purpose" who would go broody and our goal was to raise them for meat and eggs. We ordered a straight run, figuring we'd pick the best rooster out of a bunch of choices.

First thing that happened was that the order got messed up and we wound up with 100% hens -- 16 of them -- which I guess is better then the other way around. So we took in some random EE cockerel from a guy we met in a gardening store. No quarantine or anything. He turned out to be a great rooster with poor genetics. 5 years later, I'm finally getting around to replacing that rooster. I got too attached.

Second, we discovered that our big fenced yard was far from predator proof. Two weasel and one dog attack later, or flock had been whittled down and any thought of free ranging was out of the question. Scratch the old-fashioned notion of a free-range farm. We discovered electric fencing.

Third, we learned not to count your chickens before they are hatched, particular when broody is left in the general coop population. 15 eggs under two broody hens yielded 5 chicks. Broody quarters were then built and an incubator purchased.

Fourth, we learned there isn't much meat on a "dual purpose" cockerel. We learned what a cornish cross was and where to order them. Scratch the old-fashioned notion of a true dual purpose bird and totally self-sufficient meat raising. I'm still a bit bummed about that.

Fifth, I learned that culling when needed is far more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I didn't name my chickens, save for one designated pet. But, they acquired knick names anyhow. I have always gritted my teeth and culled the extra cockerels, and sick hens, but taking out the old ones . .. that has so far proven beyond me. If I really want to keep us in eggs, I need to get over that. A freakish bobcat attack last year "solved" my problem of too many older hens -- it also took out my best broody and several young layers.

Over the years, I've also learned about sprouting fodder, fermenting feed, and keeping forage available in their yard. I've never gone totally crazy with table scraps, but they usually get something each day, particularly when our garden is plentiful.

Secret confession -- sometimes I envy those with 3 or 4 pet chickens, a darling coop on green grass, and no worries about rooster replacement, culling the extras, and checking my electric fence. It might be nice to enjoy chickens just as pets. But then, I realize, I've not bought any chicken meat and maybe only 4 or 5 dozen eggs in the last 4 years. I also realize how awesome it is to watch a broody lead her chicks out of the coop and teach them how to look for bugs, and which plants to eat. Nature is both beautiful and hard.

After 5 years of chicken raising, I'm still looking to do it better. Aggressive culling for health and keeping the flock productive and more manageable is the next big leap I need to make. The information here has helped stiffen my spine.

 

[aart]

(Good thing, because it looks like we once again taking the chicken plunge next spring when we stop traveling so much)

WooHoo!!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I absolutely love reading all of this. Very useful stuff, and very interesting to see the different viewpoints. Beekissed's post about holistic health is the most common sense thing I've read in a long time. I am a chicken noob, but here are my thoughts:

I have my chicks outside. Have since about day 3 (I didn't have the coop finished due to a tropical disease - long story). I have no older chickens to help them along, but I figure that they are meant to live outside. That's what they do. Seems common sense to me. Why have 'em indoors if they are just going to make a mess? I used Blooie's and Beekissed's DIY MHP for them - seemed more "natural" than heating lamps and the resulting 24/7 heat and light. How is that healthy? How is that normal?

Where I live, there are restrictions on the number of chickens I can have - a total of 8. I can only have hens, but that suits me fine because I am a busy gal, I am not made of money, and my flock getting larger without my consent is not acceptable. I have 4 pullets. That's it. I don't think I will have a problem with chicken math. I didn't get chickens because they are cute (though they are really, really cute). I got them because I wanted eggs from organically raised chickens who are treated humanely. And by humanely, I don't mean they are treated like humans. I want them to be treated like the chickens they are.

I can't free range them all the time. It isn't practical, nor would it be safe for them. They are in a run until I come home in the afternoon. Then they are free to roam. My coop is kinda cute, but that's because I am into design and color. You should see the rest of my house - color everywhere! It looks a bit like an artist's loft. My run is as large as I could make it, and I filled it with natural litter - leaves, grass clippings, etc.

That being said, I do think of them more as pets than otherwise. I am vegetarian (not vegan, obviously). I am Buddhist, and I respect all life. That includes chickens. I do not kill any animals unless they may cause significant harm to me or mine. I will not cull, but that's why I want only four laying hens. No roos. No unexpected chicks. No need to cull due to overcrowding. However, I don't want them to get sick. I will treat them if the illness/injury is treatable because that is what I believe would be most compassionate. If the illness/injury is not treatable, I also will do what is most compassionate. Maybe that makes me one of those froo-froo-backyard-chicken-pet-types, but so be it. I gotta be me, right? No judgment for those who cull and/or eat their chickens. That is a personal choice, and it also makes sense to me for those who provide for themselves and their families. It is indeed a more cost-effective and healthy way to put meat on the table.

The advice and info on BYC can be overwhelming, and I have learned that it is sometimes better to keep my opinions/questions to myself. But I enjoyed reading every post on this thread so far, and it got me in a sort of philosophical frame of mind. Really awesome, thought-provoking posts.

Thanks for the food-for-thought! I will continue to watch this for more insight.

 

[Shadrach]

There are lots of advocates of chicken keeping in the old fashioned way it seems. I’ve read lots of posts that I generally agree with. But, ‘the old fashioned way’ was, and probably still is, restricted to those who are fortunate enough to have the space to free range.
There is an old Catalan man who lives in the local village here. Years ago he had a smallholding but financial pressures meant he had to sell most of his land and now he is surrounded by new build housing and a main road runs a couple of metres away form his property. His house is the old style Catalan farm house and his yard is full of bits of old farming equipment and, a few chickens.
Naturally as I’ve passed by I look at his chickens and one day he was in the yard and we got talking.
I asked him about how he kept his chickens and he replied ‘I don’t keep them, they just live here’.
There isn’t a coop, the chickens sleep in various places around the yard. Sometimes feeds them. He doesn’t know exactly how many there are. Every now and then a hen goes missing and three weeks later she’s wandering around the yard with a line of chicks behind her.

If I posted that this is how I kept chickens many would call this neglect and not care. Would they be right?

Back yard chicken keeping as Fields Mountain Farm points out is a craze. There is a lot of money being made out of this craze. Chickens that used to be cheap easy to keep livestock have become pets. There are lots of posts on this forum which could easily be roughly reworded to ‘My chicken won’t be my pet, how can I force it to behave the way I want it to.’

I’ve yet to read on any forum a reply that says well actually chickens don’t really make good pets. They’re expensive to house, expensive if veterinary care is needed, if you can find a vet that will treat them. They need feeding. They need regular cleaning out. They need special chemicals to combat the pests they are prone to because of the way we keep them. They don’t like being picked up and cuddled and the males can be outright dangerous.
The old fashioned way of keeping chickens; right or wrong, isn’t suitable for the current craze.

Whether one agrees with keeping chickens as pets or not, the more responsible chicken pet keepers probably take better care of their chickens than those who use the old fashioned way.

 

[Melky]

Well I am one of those new trends in backyard chickens because I want to grow my own food. It’s healthier for me and it just tastes better. We are what people term as foodies searching for great fresh organic cooking. Don’t report a single negative thought regarding owners of chickens. My food I serve is fresh and scrumptious. Despite the titles just want to live better and healthier. I’m still frugal. My chickens are on organic non-GMO feed, chicken scraps, my gardens, and dried mealworms for occasional treats for added protein. In the kitchen or gardens I’m first for food, then chickens, and lastly the compost bin. Always looking to do it better more cost effectively. I’m considering making my own chicken food if I can do it economically. Still debating should they have corn or soy in their diet. Debating on building my own coop and yes I want it to look attractive as well as match my house. Nothing wrong with that. I use predator lights and my dog for predator protection and still want to increase predator protection after reading everyone else’s posts. I let the girls out during the day when home otherwise in coop. I have max of six here with no roos. I have no need for roos just want fresh eggs. This year made my own compost tea for free natural organic fertilizer. May do again we will see. I don’t have sick protocol because we have had no illness and don’t want any. Most days you guys scare the heck out of me with predator stories, illnesses, and congenital deformities. I have learned a lot and enjoy the posts. This has helped me have a healthy small flock to feed my family. I am more in to canning now to preserve my harvest. I can’t grow enough food to feed my family so we buy from a CSA and green bean delivery for healthy farm fresh food. I also hit my local farmers markets. I am currently doing free farm tours in my area to learn more about growing and serving farm to table food. I love all the different breeds of chickens but because I’m limited, I only buy the best layers who consume the least to produce large eggs. I plan to own them till they pass and hopefully from old age. I am holding off on purchasing last two chics till production drops to get more. This plan will change if not enough eggs. It is so hard to pass up chic sails right now and just get my max but common sense says wait to increase numbers when not enough eggs for us. I’m assuming those that have large flocks sell their eggs or eat their own chickens. I’m almost ready to give up meat but still eat it. I like vegetables and eggs more and I don’t have to kill anything. That said my husband and I discussed raising a few chickens for meat and he is not the culling type. I share my canned items as gifts with friends and family. I think that is often better than a store bought gift. I am now gardening for me and my flock for health and safety. I want safe plants around them cuz they are going to eat off them no matter what. That said I was going to have a brief post and look how long this is. Good for you if you read all these posts. I did. Happy Reading!