The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Quote: I have never fed scratch grains in 35 years. I do not know your set up or your goals as a chicken person. Some feed scratch grains exclusively. If you plan to have chickens for two laying seasons and butcher them out and replace, they will be OK I think. I am not positive. I do know scratch grains is not for birds that you plan to have for 3-6 years.

Instead of scratch grins, try a head of cabbage and a pumpkin one a month. Toss in some cucumbers, beets and a few heads of garlic the next month. Those things are better, will keep them busy and entertained and best yet if you grow them..much cheaper. I do not know what a bag of scratch costs..so perhaps the later statement is not true.

 

[aoxa]

scratch has little value to the birds. If you have planted grazing and solder flies or feed meat proteins for the birds on top of grazing areas, you can get away with feeding scratch. They love scratch and it is like giving a kid candy. Not good for them, but, fun to give for their pleasure.

I think the article is saying you can't feed table scraps exclusively. That the chickens need a balanced diet.

Scratch has value to any FF bucket though. It helps drain. So much draining...

I feed quite a bit of scratch in the summer. Much less in the winter.

Why would it be bad for them though Del? It's Barley, Oats, Wheat and sometimes Corn here. I also add BOSS to my scratch and ferment it separately. I use this as a lawn mower. I bring grain up further and further and they keep the lawn at a good length. It has low protein value, but I wouldn't think it would be 'bad' for them. All of these grains are in the feed anyway.

It helps me cut my feed costs down as well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

That's what I was thinking....if scratch is just the same grains we use to make our own feed, it doesn't seem like an issue to me. Just need to be sure there's some meat protein available or otherwise, keep the protein up to level.

 

[aoxa]

That's what I was thinking....if scratch is just the same grains we use to make our own feed, it doesn't seem like an issue to me. Just need to be sure there's some meat protein available or otherwise, keep the protein up to level.

Yep

Oh and a hawk killed one of my juvenile birds two days ago. He didn't get away with it though. I chased him off and processed the bird and fed back to the chickens. It was too small to bother doing much with. Maybe a pound.

The chickens loved it of course.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote:

there are plenty of other breeds that are broody, if not AS broody. LOL my buff orp girl has been broody 4 times this year, several dorking and cochin girls at least twice this year. AND these other breeds are much more capable of being "normal" chickens, rather than fluffy muppetts. LOL

I raise a few mille fleur d'Uccles each year specifically for broodies... they are broody all the time and make great moms...

 

[aoxa]

I raise a few mille fleur d'Uccles each year specifically for broodies... they are broody all the time and make great moms...

I have heard this. Plus they are stinking adorable. Who couldn't love them?

I have a little D'Uccle cross. She has a crest, but has the Mille Fleur pattern and size. Such a pretty girl. I also have a male. Boy are they tiny!

 

[nicole63021]

On the topic of protein in feed, what is everyone's prefered? DH and I are vegetarians, but suffer no dilusions with our animals. That said, we did elect to do an organic, certified GMO free feed, that is also vegetarian (no corn or soy either). They eat lots of bugs, and really love flax seeds and the like, but I do wonder about the protein. We already raise feeder insects for some of our lizards, and always have frozen rodents here for all the snakes we keep, along with the dogs food and treats (all grain free, partly raw), so I just wonder what is best for the chickens. Have given them venison and liver cat food before, and they stole some of my dogs freeze dried liver treats last week, lol. So let's hear everyones thoughts on protein scorces!

 

[delisha]

Quote: I would not feed my kids candy as a diet. it is not good for them....Is candy bad? No. As a diet...yes.
I would not feed scratch as a diet, it is not good for them....is scratch bad? No. As a diet....yes.


If you read most scratch bags it states not to be used for more than 10% of a chickens diet. That leaves 90% of a chickens diet to cover. That should tell most people that scratch as a diet is not good for them, that you are missing 90% of what a chicken needs.



I hope this clarifies

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

On the topic of protein in feed, what is everyone's prefered?  DH and I are vegetarians, but suffer no dilusions with our animals.  That said, we did elect to do an organic, certified GMO free feed, that is also vegetarian (no corn or soy either).  They eat lots of bugs, and really love flax seeds and the like, but I do wonder about the protein.  We already raise feeder insects for some of our lizards, and always have frozen rodents here for all the snakes we keep, along with the dogs food and treats (all grain free, partly raw), so I just wonder what is best for the chickens.  Have given them venison and liver cat food before, and they stole some of my dogs freeze dried liver treats last week, lol.  So let's hear everyones thoughts on protein scorces!

Good question. I have the opportunity to get some raw beef offal for the birds (heart, liver, kidneys), so am trying to figure out if that's a valid option, and if so how best to feed it. So far my feed has been "vegetarian" ... I'd like to up their protein and move away from corn and soy without increasing the cost of the feed.

 

[armorfirelady]

B

On the topic of protein in feed, what is everyone's prefered?  DH and I are vegetarians, but suffer no dilusions with our animals.  That said, we did elect to do an organic, certified GMO free feed, that is also vegetarian (no corn or soy either).  They eat lots of bugs, and really love flax seeds and the like, but I do wonder about the protein.  We already raise feeder insects for some of our lizards, and always have frozen rodents here for all the snakes we keep, along with the dogs food and treats (all grain free, partly raw), so I just wonder what is best for the chickens.  Have given them venison and liver cat food before, and they stole some of my dogs freeze dried liver treats last week, lol.  So let's hear everyones thoughts on protein scorces!

Besides bugs they get on their own I give my hens mackerel ,ground beef, turkey, chicken, liver, chicken hearts and livers.......they get any meat we eat. Cooked or raw. They esp like chicken wings and turkey carcasses. Plus they gets eggs fed back as well.