The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!
- Thread starter Bulldogma
- Start date
Ok, so my multiquote thing got lost..... so...
as per feeding: I get my whole grains at the local agway that and tractor supply are all that I have avaialable in my area. they have a good selection, although they don't have field peas all year. Right now I'm not sweating it too much because mine are on forage more than 12 hours. In another month or so I'll start having to be "more persnickity" as well. I mix it in 200lb lots and then ferment whole. For the chicks I take the fermented grains, and whizz them in my nutribullet with garlic/oregano/kelp meal. Of course I only have 25 chicks, so that's easy. but you could get your grains crushed and that would solve the problem. Someone over on the FF feeds thread a long time back did a pretty good side by side study and found that their broilers converted their feed more efficiently if it was ground and fermented rather than just fermented. I use one part each oats, barley, scratch, field peas, with a half part of flaxseed. it's 17% protien unfermented. But I have gamebirds and turkeys. People with just chickens could probably at least half the field peas which would make it a lot cheaper. Field peas are expensive. So's flaxseed but a single bag lasts me more than six months. I've also been very impressed with harvey ussery in both his articles and his book. He's a good resource. Very no nonsense!
Loanwizard: I'm so sorry to hear about your current difficulties! We will pray for you and carla as you go through this. I have every confidence you will make it through this!
As far as the "organic vs local farm" I'm in the camp of I want to know the farmer as well. I don't care if it's organic, but I do want to know where/how it was raised and by whom. My parents have bought half a grain and pasture raised cow from friends for more than ten years now. However if you do your research (the cornecopia institute is a good resource) the organic label CAN be helpful. I still don't have my own eggs
so I found out which local "cage free" brand treats their birds the best and I buy those. and if it's labelled 100% organic it cannot contain GMO's, so that's still useful. It's all about knowing which labels they can fudge. I do the best I can, and try not to obsess too much. Someday I will have a cow and we will have our own milk and every year have a pasture and milk raised calf to butcher.... which will be a relief to me let me tell you.
I have a community nest box, two levels each 12x14x30. When I still HAD laying hens they liked it fine. but mine is hung on the outside of the henhouse, and acess is through a small round hole into each level. so it's VERY dark and private. Maybe you could rig your cabinet nestbox up the same way?? Hang a piece of plywood on hinges so it covers the whole front with a round 10 or 12 inch hole at each end?? I love the repurpose of the cabinet by the way!
as per feeding: I get my whole grains at the local agway that and tractor supply are all that I have avaialable in my area. they have a good selection, although they don't have field peas all year. Right now I'm not sweating it too much because mine are on forage more than 12 hours. In another month or so I'll start having to be "more persnickity" as well. I mix it in 200lb lots and then ferment whole. For the chicks I take the fermented grains, and whizz them in my nutribullet with garlic/oregano/kelp meal. Of course I only have 25 chicks, so that's easy. but you could get your grains crushed and that would solve the problem. Someone over on the FF feeds thread a long time back did a pretty good side by side study and found that their broilers converted their feed more efficiently if it was ground and fermented rather than just fermented. I use one part each oats, barley, scratch, field peas, with a half part of flaxseed. it's 17% protien unfermented. But I have gamebirds and turkeys. People with just chickens could probably at least half the field peas which would make it a lot cheaper. Field peas are expensive. So's flaxseed but a single bag lasts me more than six months. I've also been very impressed with harvey ussery in both his articles and his book. He's a good resource. Very no nonsense!
Loanwizard: I'm so sorry to hear about your current difficulties! We will pray for you and carla as you go through this. I have every confidence you will make it through this!
As far as the "organic vs local farm" I'm in the camp of I want to know the farmer as well. I don't care if it's organic, but I do want to know where/how it was raised and by whom. My parents have bought half a grain and pasture raised cow from friends for more than ten years now. However if you do your research (the cornecopia institute is a good resource) the organic label CAN be helpful. I still don't have my own eggs
I have a community nest box, two levels each 12x14x30. When I still HAD laying hens they liked it fine. but mine is hung on the outside of the henhouse, and acess is through a small round hole into each level. so it's VERY dark and private. Maybe you could rig your cabinet nestbox up the same way?? Hang a piece of plywood on hinges so it covers the whole front with a round 10 or 12 inch hole at each end?? I love the repurpose of the cabinet by the way!
What about flock block? They have that? Is that something worth looking into?
For the record, my very young chicks all pick out the whole grains in the FF before the actual starter.
I wish someone could tell me exactly how much of each ingredient to use (with what I have available).
Quote: They have mineral blocks..yes. I use one over the winter. It has minerals and vitamins. I am sure you can find them at any place you can buy horse/chicken/goat/ supplies. it is good for all the animals. I use is specifically for activities and to make them work. It does attract mice, but I like that too since it helps the chickens find fresh meat. It teaches young birds to hunt in the winter.
New pictures 
Aoxa: your birds are so beautiful! I don't normally at all like barred rocks but yours are amazing.
Delisha: I'm going forth and buying a mineral block before winter! is it a specific kind you order or just the basic kind you would get for larger livestock?
And because a picture is worth a thousand words: This is what the entrance to my community nests look like.
there's a 36" long space behind each of those holes with dried grass hay for bedding. I also keep a couple plastic easter eggs filled with gravel and taped shut in each nest.
Delisha: I'm going forth and buying a mineral block before winter! is it a specific kind you order or just the basic kind you would get for larger livestock?
And because a picture is worth a thousand words: This is what the entrance to my community nests look like.
there's a 36" long space behind each of those holes with dried grass hay for bedding. I also keep a couple plastic easter eggs filled with gravel and taped shut in each nest.
Last edited:
Aoxa: your birds are so beautiful! I don't normally at all like barred rocks but yours are amazing.
Delisha: I'm going forth and buying a mineral block before winter! is it a specific kind you order or just the basic kind you would get for larger livestock?
And because a picture is worth a thousand words: This is what the entrance to my community nests look like.
there's a 36" long space behind each of those holes with dried grass hay for bedding. I also keep a couple plastic easter eggs filled with gravel and taped shut in each nest.
Thank you Bluemouse.
The crispness to the barring makes everything so much prettier.
Love your nesting boxes!
Quote: They have mineral blocks..yes. I use one over the winter. It has minerals and vitamins. I am sure you can find them at any place you can buy horse/chicken/goat/ supplies. it is good for all the animals. I use is specifically for activities and to make them work. It does attract mice, but I like that too since it helps the chickens find fresh meat. It teaches young birds to hunt in the winter.
I love your nesting houses as well. I could easily turn the shelves the boxes are on into thisAoxa: your birds are so beautiful! I don't normally at all like barred rocks but yours are amazing.
Delisha: I'm going forth and buying a mineral block before winter! is it a specific kind you order or just the basic kind you would get for larger livestock?
And because a picture is worth a thousand words: This is what the entrance to my community nests look like.
there's a 36" long space behind each of those holes with dried grass hay for bedding. I also keep a couple plastic easter eggs filled with gravel and taped shut in each nest.
I love the pictures. Phoenix is stunning. But what are these? They look blue......and I love the lacing.
They are Silver Pencilled Plymouth Rocks.
Here is what they will look like full grown. This is their father.
The girls will look like:
This. But they already have their colour in. The boys take longer in pencilled breeds. Same as Partridge in that regard.
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