The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[RedRidge]

Since this is the "natural" forum, I thought I'd share...
Muccle, my live incubator, hatched Buff O chicks on Monday.
I so love good momma hens...

 

[4Hgirl]

Another question about meat scraps- my husband kills a couple deer each year and we eat mainly venison as our red meat staple. Much healthier than beef and so much cheaper than organic grass fed beef. So can we request the processor save some organs from the deer for our chickens? If yes what organs are ok? How would I package and store it?
As far as fish goes we haven't given them fish organs, are they ok too? We just give the slivers of meat that gets trimmed off. What is ok and what is not?

 

[4Hgirl]

Sorry duplicate

 

[4Hgirl]

Sorry duplicate

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: Any raw chicken meat and/or bones we have go to the maremma (they LOVE raw chicken, especially necks)... and cooked bones go to the BSF.
Poor chickens never stand a chance... but they do benefit from what the BSF get.

 

[aoxa]

Another question about meat scraps- my husband kills a couple deer each year and we eat mainly venison as our red meat staple. Much healthier than beef and so much cheaper than organic grass fed beef. So can we request the processor save some organs from the deer for our chickens? If yes what organs are ok? How would I package and store it?
As far as fish goes we haven't given them fish organs, are they ok too? We just give the slivers of meat that gets trimmed off. What is ok and what is not?

Can we have someone clear up which internal organs should absolutely NOT be fed to the chickens?

I'm guessing intestines are one..

 

[RedRidge]

Another question about meat scraps- my husband kills a couple deer each year and we eat mainly venison as our red meat staple. Much healthier than beef and so much cheaper than organic grass fed beef. So can we request the processor save some organs from the deer for our chickens? If yes what organs are ok? How would I package and store it?
As far as fish goes we haven't given them fish organs, are they ok too? We just give the slivers of meat that gets trimmed off. What is ok and what is not?

We have a "pecking order" around here for anything edible... humans first, then guardians, then BSF (which indirectly feeds the chickens).
The thing about organ meat is that you simply need to make sure you know what you are looking at. If it's a good liver, it's invaluable... if it's bad, throw it out - it all depends on the health of the animal. This is true for deer, cattle, sheep, chickens - all the animals we eat.
So... with good livers I make pate... I prefer to can, but freezing is safer for pate since it's so dense. This makes good use of the organ meat and the fat back and/or other fat from the animal.
I do the same with hearts... they are wonderful... kidneys sometimes (they have to be very healthy kidneys for me to save them).
Your local butcher or slaughter house should be able to help you identify "good healthy organ meat" from not so healthy organ meat.
Nothing goes to waste around here... nothing... And some slaughter houses specialize in certain types of animals. My local slaughter house does mostly cattle, pigs and sheep. When I used a different slaughter house for a pig a few months ago and was specific about wanting the veil also, the guy I spoke to had no idea what the veil was. When the owner called me back he said... too much work, if you want it you'll have to come and get it yourself. Thus the reason processing our own is our preference, but depending on the time of year that is not real possible (too hot, not enough room to hang, etc).
Hope that helps

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I think most of us on here use wood ash instead of DE in the dust bath. I'm guessing that photo that had the wheat bran wasn't for dusting but they just got in it?

Anyhow... any fine dirt with a little wood ash mixed in to help prevent lice/mites. If there is a good natural dust hole around with fine dirt that's good for the dirt part. I use peat moss w/wood ash to make a dust bath indoors in a large flat pan; in the summer, there's an area that I add peat moss and ash to as well.



Quote:

Another question about meat scraps- my husband kills a couple deer each year and we eat mainly venison as our red meat staple. Much healthier than beef and so much cheaper than organic grass fed beef. So can we request the processor save some organs from the deer for our chickens? If yes what organs are ok? How would I package and store it?
As far as fish goes we haven't given them fish organs, are they ok too? We just give the slivers of meat that gets trimmed off. What is ok and what is not?

We do venison as well - prefer it to beef as long as we get enough for the year. You can give them the choice of what they would eat from your scraps.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I think most of us on here use wood ash instead of DE in the dust bath. I'm guessing that photo that had the wheat bran wasn't for dusting but they just got in it?

Anyhow... any fine dirt with a little wood ash mixed in to help prevent lice/mites. If there is a good natural dust hole around with fine dirt that's good for the dirt part. I use peat moss w/wood ash to make a dust bath indoors in a large flat pan; in the summer, there's an area that I add peat moss and ash to as well.
I have been doing this as well. Every week or so I dump some peat moss in one of their outside dusting areas & the girls spend hours their bathing. I haven't added any wood ash in awhile. I'm low but will probably add some next time. I do put wood ash in the nesting boxes tho. But my son started having bonfires again so I can use the ash from there now since I haven't had an indoor fire in a couple weeks since it has been so warm. Tho that might change this weekend. Wx man says temps will be in the 30s this weekend

 

[aoxa]

I think most of us on here use wood ash instead of DE in the dust bath. I'm guessing that photo that had the wheat bran wasn't for dusting but they just got in it?

Anyhow... any fine dirt with a little wood ash mixed in to help prevent lice/mites. If there is a good natural dust hole around with fine dirt that's good for the dirt part. I use peat moss w/wood ash to make a dust bath indoors in a large flat pan; in the summer, there's an area that I add peat moss and ash to as well.



Quote:
We do venison as well - prefer it to beef as long as we get enough for the year. You can give them the choice of what they would eat from your scraps.

I made a mix of top soil, wood ash and chicken poop (oh wait the chickens added that last part)...