We are new to keeping chickens. I did work on a small farm for about 2 years where I learned some things. My grandfather also has kept chickens for as long as I can remember. The way he does it and the way my employer did it were completely different. They way that I do things now is somewhere in between, I guess. I am just wanting to hear about how a few other people do things to get ideas and learn from. I will outline the methods my employer used, the way my grandfather does things, and the way we've been doing things. I'd like to get a quick outline from you in a similar format (plus any other information you feel is pertinent), and would prefer to hear things different from what I already know. Be sure and let me know what predators you have lurking about, what your climate is like, and what your area is like (wooded, pasture, etc.).
Previous employer (small "organic" farm - not certified):
flock size -
around 60, about 10% roosters
breed(s) -
many, Russian Orloffs, Mottled Javas, Silkies, Delawares, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, various other bantams, dual purpose, ornamentals & layers (also Guineas)
coop & run -
large, walk in with 6 separated "stalls" with dirt floors covered by shavings, each stall having two roost perches about 6' long with metal dropping tray underneath, each stall with 3 nesting boxes which were filled with straw, all stalls with their own pop door leading to separate enclosed areas, but the enclosed areas were usually opened up to connect to one large run, half grassy, half dust bathing area, fan on inside coop during day if warm weather (Guineas were free range)
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
open pasture land with lots of fencing/small buildings/a few ponds with some woods on back of property
predators -
foxes (though coop/run were very fox proof they were on the property) and snakes (would get in stalls eating mice/eggs)
feed -
organic layers pellets always available, various organic supplements, organic cayenne pepper added to feed, scratch in the morning, scraps in the evening, free choice organic oyster shell, fed whole eggs back to them, plus any bugs they might find (not many in their run) apple cider vinegar in water
hatching -
isolated desired parents for about 3 weeks in spring, collected hen's eggs and put them under a good broody silkie (or the hen, if broody), put chicks under light for first week or so (hot here year round except winter) then put them back in with mother hen or sometimes skipped the light and let mother sit on them, waited until pullets to introduce to rest of flock
pest control -
some kind of organic bug spray that she also used in the gardens, frequently replacing shavings in the stalls, for mice they flooded them out once a year by sticking a garden hose in their holes and when they came out killed them with a mallet
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
straw in nesting boxes changed about twice weekly, shavings on floor of stalls changed weekly, metal dropping trays under roosts cleaned every about 3 times weekly, entire coop cleared of animals and bedding and sprayed down with a hose weekly. lots of scrubbing involved! she kept an immaculately clean coop (for being a coop, you know). also raked the run weekly, and mowed it about every other week (except winter). cleans feeders/waterers daily.
medication -
she used verm-x twice yearly I think, and might have wormed once a year with something like ivermectin, but not sure, I never handled that part. Do remember she didn't like to even give antibiotics (used as last resort) because we had to pitch the eggs. isolated sick birds in crates which she would keep on her porch or in her house, depending on severity of illness/wounds and weather. no bird vet here
flock health -
overall seemed really good. only 1 or 2 adult chickens died while I worked there (2 years) and 1 was from old age. Of course some chicks were lost
culling -
culled 4-5 birds a year for the table, used the metal cones to do it, put body in nearly boiling water for a few minutes (maybe less) before going in the plucker, did all this outside in open air.
Grandfather:
flock size -
around 60 to begin with, now around 10. 3 roosters
breed(s) -
Dominiquers, Rhode Island Reds & mixes of the two
coop & run -
none. free range day and night, though I have seen him put up a tarp during winter when it was rainy, and he will set up a jimmy rigged run for chicks. They can get under a trailer, or even inside various old buildings on the property.
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
some open pasture surrounded closely by woods
predators -
foxes, snakes, wild dogs, coyotes, hawks, cougars and he says he has seen small bears, this is why his flock started as around over a year ago and is now around 10. he says he'll just hatch a bunch more next year.
feed -
I am not even sure that he feeds them other than scraps and scratch. If so, it'd be the cheapo stuff from the feed store, probably layers crumbles.
hatching -
incubator, then quarantine for an undetermined period of time in a run
pest control -
none
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
none, doesn't even have waterers to clean as they drink from wherever rain water is collected.
medication -
doesn't worm them that I know of, if a chicken gets sick and it seems like she can't recover without meds, he kills it.
flock health -
those that are surviving seem very hardy. otherwise not sure, they are almost wild so you can hardly get your hands on them to look at them.
culling -
culls only when bird is very sick/seriously injured, keeps for eggs only.
How we have been doing things (still getting settled into things, open to change & suggestions are welcome!):
flock size -
5 hens
breed(s) -
Rhode Island Reds
coop & run -
coop is about 1' off ground on 4x4 legs, measures about 5'x4' and has a sloping roof from height of about 3.5' to 2' on the back side. This coop was already on this property but in poor shape. We added a door, fixed the hatch used to access nesting boxes in back, and replaced some chicken wire on it. It has a metal roof without anything under the roof (you can see the metal roof from inside, which leaves spaces where wind/rain can get in) and there were no nesting boxes. We have been using cardboard boxes as nesting boxes, we just place them on the floor of the coop away from the roost and fill it with dry straw (for now). There was also no roost, so we used a sturdy piece of dry bamboo we had on hand and put that up, so there is a 5' roost. The floor is chicken wire supported by beams. the girls free range during the day so no run. They usually hang out under the pole barn
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
some open pasture surrounded closely by woods
predators -
foxes, snakes, wild dogs, coyotes, hawks, and I have heard cougar calls but never never wood line and never seen them.
feed -
highest percent protein (22% I think) layers pellets, about 4 cups daily. I try to let the feeder get empty some days, to encourage foraging. They are great little foragers. Also feed them scraps, and I am always sure to give them their egg shells back (never whole egg though, unless cooked, don't want to encourage egg eating, which we had a real problem with on the farm where I worked). They lay hard eggs. I sprinkle cayenne pepper on their scraps before feeding to them, and sometimes give them home made yogurt.
hatching -
haven't hatched yet, have only been keeping just over 1 month now. Thinking about adding one rooster before next year and hatching as early in year as possible. I want to try hatching naturally, included keeping the mother and chicks in the same coop with other chickens, if she is a good enough mother to protect her chicks. Would love to hear from someone who has done this successfully. I do not want to feed the chicks medicated feed, either.
pest control -
DE in nesting box/around coop once monthly and dust birds with a little DE monthly.
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
any droppings that haven't dropped through the chicken wire floor are raked out twice a month. then once a month I replace the nest box with a new cardboard box (the old one is never very dirty) and put new straw in it, and spray any stubborn dropping through the wire floor, spray the walls inside. When dry, I sometimes rake the droppings out from under the coop and add to compost. clean feeders/waterers once weekly, some waterers I clean more frequently. I do put white vinegar in their water.
medication -
haven't wormed yet, husband would rather use natural "preventatives" than worm preemptively. So right now we're feeding cayenne pepper at least weekly and I was going to use verm-x soon, but I am thinking of using ivermectin or something once, maybe twice a year (during molts) and verm-x/cayenne pepper in between. Feedback appreciated on this as well. If sick, I would use epsom salt doses, ACV, yogurt, etc. depending on illness. Also would use antibiotics if necessary.
flock health -
great, though unsure about worming
culling -
will cull old, out of lay birds for table. I think that the most humane method I have found is cutting the jugular to drain most blood out, then breaking the neck. For a bird that isn't for the table, I would just dislocate the neck. I can't stand seeing a bird jump around after cutting a head off though, so I definitely don't want to do that. Also would like opinions on humane/gentle methods of harvesting.
Again, I am open to suggestions on our methods and would especially appreciate hearing from those who have had a small flock for a long time and try to manage them naturally. In particular, I am interested to hear from people who keep chickens near or in wooded areas. We have a 4 acre piece of land that is completely wooded, and will hopefully be moving there soon after my husband finishes school. When we move there, most of the land will still be wooded and we would like to keep it that way. So any tips on free ranging chickens in/close around woods would be great.
Previous employer (small "organic" farm - not certified):
flock size -
around 60, about 10% roosters
breed(s) -
many, Russian Orloffs, Mottled Javas, Silkies, Delawares, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, various other bantams, dual purpose, ornamentals & layers (also Guineas)
coop & run -
large, walk in with 6 separated "stalls" with dirt floors covered by shavings, each stall having two roost perches about 6' long with metal dropping tray underneath, each stall with 3 nesting boxes which were filled with straw, all stalls with their own pop door leading to separate enclosed areas, but the enclosed areas were usually opened up to connect to one large run, half grassy, half dust bathing area, fan on inside coop during day if warm weather (Guineas were free range)
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
open pasture land with lots of fencing/small buildings/a few ponds with some woods on back of property
predators -
foxes (though coop/run were very fox proof they were on the property) and snakes (would get in stalls eating mice/eggs)
feed -
organic layers pellets always available, various organic supplements, organic cayenne pepper added to feed, scratch in the morning, scraps in the evening, free choice organic oyster shell, fed whole eggs back to them, plus any bugs they might find (not many in their run) apple cider vinegar in water
hatching -
isolated desired parents for about 3 weeks in spring, collected hen's eggs and put them under a good broody silkie (or the hen, if broody), put chicks under light for first week or so (hot here year round except winter) then put them back in with mother hen or sometimes skipped the light and let mother sit on them, waited until pullets to introduce to rest of flock
pest control -
some kind of organic bug spray that she also used in the gardens, frequently replacing shavings in the stalls, for mice they flooded them out once a year by sticking a garden hose in their holes and when they came out killed them with a mallet
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
straw in nesting boxes changed about twice weekly, shavings on floor of stalls changed weekly, metal dropping trays under roosts cleaned every about 3 times weekly, entire coop cleared of animals and bedding and sprayed down with a hose weekly. lots of scrubbing involved! she kept an immaculately clean coop (for being a coop, you know). also raked the run weekly, and mowed it about every other week (except winter). cleans feeders/waterers daily.
medication -
she used verm-x twice yearly I think, and might have wormed once a year with something like ivermectin, but not sure, I never handled that part. Do remember she didn't like to even give antibiotics (used as last resort) because we had to pitch the eggs. isolated sick birds in crates which she would keep on her porch or in her house, depending on severity of illness/wounds and weather. no bird vet here
flock health -
overall seemed really good. only 1 or 2 adult chickens died while I worked there (2 years) and 1 was from old age. Of course some chicks were lost
culling -
culled 4-5 birds a year for the table, used the metal cones to do it, put body in nearly boiling water for a few minutes (maybe less) before going in the plucker, did all this outside in open air.
Grandfather:
flock size -
around 60 to begin with, now around 10. 3 roosters
breed(s) -
Dominiquers, Rhode Island Reds & mixes of the two
coop & run -
none. free range day and night, though I have seen him put up a tarp during winter when it was rainy, and he will set up a jimmy rigged run for chicks. They can get under a trailer, or even inside various old buildings on the property.
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
some open pasture surrounded closely by woods
predators -
foxes, snakes, wild dogs, coyotes, hawks, cougars and he says he has seen small bears, this is why his flock started as around over a year ago and is now around 10. he says he'll just hatch a bunch more next year.
feed -
I am not even sure that he feeds them other than scraps and scratch. If so, it'd be the cheapo stuff from the feed store, probably layers crumbles.
hatching -
incubator, then quarantine for an undetermined period of time in a run
pest control -
none
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
none, doesn't even have waterers to clean as they drink from wherever rain water is collected.
medication -
doesn't worm them that I know of, if a chicken gets sick and it seems like she can't recover without meds, he kills it.
flock health -
those that are surviving seem very hardy. otherwise not sure, they are almost wild so you can hardly get your hands on them to look at them.
culling -
culls only when bird is very sick/seriously injured, keeps for eggs only.
How we have been doing things (still getting settled into things, open to change & suggestions are welcome!):
flock size -
5 hens
breed(s) -
Rhode Island Reds
coop & run -
coop is about 1' off ground on 4x4 legs, measures about 5'x4' and has a sloping roof from height of about 3.5' to 2' on the back side. This coop was already on this property but in poor shape. We added a door, fixed the hatch used to access nesting boxes in back, and replaced some chicken wire on it. It has a metal roof without anything under the roof (you can see the metal roof from inside, which leaves spaces where wind/rain can get in) and there were no nesting boxes. We have been using cardboard boxes as nesting boxes, we just place them on the floor of the coop away from the roost and fill it with dry straw (for now). There was also no roost, so we used a sturdy piece of dry bamboo we had on hand and put that up, so there is a 5' roost. The floor is chicken wire supported by beams. the girls free range during the day so no run. They usually hang out under the pole barn
climate -
warm almost year round, hardly a frost in winter. Sometimes long periods of rainy/mucky weather. almost never snow, and if snow, not enough to leave a blanket on ground.
terrain -
some open pasture surrounded closely by woods
predators -
foxes, snakes, wild dogs, coyotes, hawks, and I have heard cougar calls but never never wood line and never seen them.
feed -
highest percent protein (22% I think) layers pellets, about 4 cups daily. I try to let the feeder get empty some days, to encourage foraging. They are great little foragers. Also feed them scraps, and I am always sure to give them their egg shells back (never whole egg though, unless cooked, don't want to encourage egg eating, which we had a real problem with on the farm where I worked). They lay hard eggs. I sprinkle cayenne pepper on their scraps before feeding to them, and sometimes give them home made yogurt.
hatching -
haven't hatched yet, have only been keeping just over 1 month now. Thinking about adding one rooster before next year and hatching as early in year as possible. I want to try hatching naturally, included keeping the mother and chicks in the same coop with other chickens, if she is a good enough mother to protect her chicks. Would love to hear from someone who has done this successfully. I do not want to feed the chicks medicated feed, either.
pest control -
DE in nesting box/around coop once monthly and dust birds with a little DE monthly.
cleaning/maintenance of coop & run -
any droppings that haven't dropped through the chicken wire floor are raked out twice a month. then once a month I replace the nest box with a new cardboard box (the old one is never very dirty) and put new straw in it, and spray any stubborn dropping through the wire floor, spray the walls inside. When dry, I sometimes rake the droppings out from under the coop and add to compost. clean feeders/waterers once weekly, some waterers I clean more frequently. I do put white vinegar in their water.
medication -
haven't wormed yet, husband would rather use natural "preventatives" than worm preemptively. So right now we're feeding cayenne pepper at least weekly and I was going to use verm-x soon, but I am thinking of using ivermectin or something once, maybe twice a year (during molts) and verm-x/cayenne pepper in between. Feedback appreciated on this as well. If sick, I would use epsom salt doses, ACV, yogurt, etc. depending on illness. Also would use antibiotics if necessary.
flock health -
great, though unsure about worming
culling -
will cull old, out of lay birds for table. I think that the most humane method I have found is cutting the jugular to drain most blood out, then breaking the neck. For a bird that isn't for the table, I would just dislocate the neck. I can't stand seeing a bird jump around after cutting a head off though, so I definitely don't want to do that. Also would like opinions on humane/gentle methods of harvesting.
Again, I am open to suggestions on our methods and would especially appreciate hearing from those who have had a small flock for a long time and try to manage them naturally. In particular, I am interested to hear from people who keep chickens near or in wooded areas. We have a 4 acre piece of land that is completely wooded, and will hopefully be moving there soon after my husband finishes school. When we move there, most of the land will still be wooded and we would like to keep it that way. So any tips on free ranging chickens in/close around woods would be great.
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