Hi,
I'm new to raising chickens and BYC. We are starting our flock this spring. I have a million questions, and hope to work my way through this thread gathering answers. That said, I hope you don't mind one round of newbie questions. Right now, I'm concerned with raising chicks naturally. Is it wise to forgo vaccinations? Is it possible to get chicks from hatcheries without them? Same question for medicated feed. I want to be as natural as possible since our hens will be producing food for us, but I absolutely don't want to create suffering for any animal and a miserable experience for us. Vaccinated or not, are there certain breeds that are particularly hearty/disease-resistant? We're looking for birds that are good foragers but also able to tolerate confinement in the run/coop (we have severe predator activity). Grateful for any guidance you can give.
- vaccinations: IMO, the risks w/o them are less than the risks
of them; some go with minimal vax, others go with whatever the vet says; it's up to the owner/breeder, just like with dogs; the owner/breeder is responsible to themselves and their animals for the decisions they make on behalf of those animals.
- hatchery chicks: IDK if you can get them from hatcheries w/o vax; even if the chicks themselves aren't the parents probably were, so...
- medicated feed: same answer as for vax; depends on what is important to you (natural vs. fighting nature); sometimes "Mother Nature" is cruel, some say it's better to just roll with the flow and go natural b/c chickens are natural creatures.
- particularly hearty/disease-resistant breeds: yes, but IDK what they are; I would go more heritage breed b/c they're generally bred and grown with a
survival of the fittest attitude (the ones that get sick are culled for the good of the flock and of the breed, etc).
- forage and confinement tolerant: I have very similar criteria (adding good layer before tolerating confinement). Here are the five breeds that scored best in my analysis of over 90 breeds (not all of them by any means, but a large portion of those available): 1. Wyandotte (perfect score), 2. Dominique, 3. Welsummer, 4. Plymouth Rock, 5. Dorking (the other five in my top ten were 6. Java, 7. Buckeye, 8. Cochin, 9. Sussex, 10. Orpington).
My criteria were these: 1. Forage/Free range, 2. good layer, 3. self-reliant (protect self, well aware, needs little from ppl), 4. tolerates confinement well, 5. friendly, 6. not aggressive, 7. not flighty (not skittish and doesn't fly well). I assigned each criterion a point value; number 1 got 10 points and each criterion subsequently received one less point than the criterion before it. (#7 received 3 pts).
In choosing a breed (or breeds) for your chickens, figure out what one or two traits you must have, then figure out one or two traits you really want, then maybe add one or two traits you definitely do not want. Then talk to several breeders (like on BYC) and maybe talk to some ppl in a thread that's devoted to those breeds. You should be able to narrow it down to a reasonable list of breeds that you can get some of fairly easily.
I, personally, prefer barnyard mixes and then I want to have one heritage breed or one breed that I keep a roo and hen of around for purebred chicks, hatching eggs, etc to sell. =)
All the best to you, Hon!!!
