The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Hello! I am watching this thread and probably won't be contributing much. Enjoying reading.

I would love to see some of you do a list of the things that are the most helpful for beginning chicken keepers who want to get started doing things in a natural way. I know the thread covers many of these but I think it would be great to see some of those things listed again.

Hello!
That would probably be a great idea and a good way to help new folks get some of the things we've covered in the past. Would also be a good conversation starter on some of the topics that would be brought up.

I'm at work right now and can't take much time, but....

Could we do a list of our top 5-10 things each of us have learned that have helped us raise healthy chickens in a natural way? That might be a good starting point

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I am researching feeds. Lots to consider and lots of opinions.

I want organic, non gmo food. No corn, no soy, no canola.

Input?

 

[lalaland]

I am researching feeds. Lots to consider and lots of opinions.

I want organic, non gmo food. No corn, no soy, no canola.

Input?

good luck! I've given up on that because its harder than you might think to get that! I might be able to find some to ship in, but...I'm trading off and getting fresher stuff, not organic, with corn which of course has gmo, and soy!! from a local mill.

Not my ideal thing. If I had a bigger flock, I could buy the ingredients and mix/grind my own, but I usually have around 15-20 in a flock and thats not enough to buy in bulk.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I found a store here that sells Coyote Creek Farms organic feed. I've not heard anything about that one.

I wanted to get my feed from Scratch and Peck but it is pricey. I can get on drop ship from Azure, but I don't know what shipping will be with them yet. You can only order large size bags from them too, and only once per month. I won't have that many birds so not sure I need huge bags of feed sitting around. I'd rather do smaller and fresher. I'm also unsure just how much feed I will go through in a month right now.

 

[lalaland]

booster the rooster's days are limited!

hope I'm doing the right thing. THis morning, saw Booster haul tiny Angelina (blind in one eye, crippled wing, etc) around by her comb while she was screeching - he left her comb bleeding. Not much later he chased one of the sulmtalers, who have been pretty much hanging out on the roosts and not venturing outside even in this warm weather, and pulled some feathers from her neck. She's pretty near naked on the neck.

thats it!. I hauled him out to the little vacant coop, tossed him in, shoveled a path there and got him food and water.

I was amazed at how the rest of the flock settled down - much quieter. Course some of the commotion was Buster chasing Booster, but...

I was hanging on to him because he was absolutely fabulous at watching the skies and giving alerts. But, he never ever treated the hens, never shared food, never danced for them, flogs my boots or pecks at them once a week....and with spring coming and his hormones raging, well, thats enough of that!

Buster, on the other hand, has it all except for sky watching. Buster dances, treats, doesn't eat til the hens are done, breaks up hen squabbles,.....and has never ever attacked me.

Now, I know I should just turn him into stew. He's almost a year old, and kind of a game bird body, not a lot of meat on him..

Half thinking I should find out which welsummer isn't laying and give him a buddy. but what would the purpose be?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I am researching feeds. Lots to consider and lots of opinions.

I want organic, non gmo food. No corn, no soy, no canola.

Input?

Do you have a feed mill nearby?

I originally started by having the feed mill make it for me the way I wanted it. I told them what I did and didn't want in it, protein level, calcium for all-flock and they did the formulating. Now I just buy the components and make my own.

I can make mine very basic as I do feed other things and they get to range in warmer months.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Lala....I'm feeling the same way about several of my birds right now. And they're not roosters!

I keep hoping that the warmer temps will make a difference when they can run free. My little gray girl is so terrified of some of the mean ones that she jumps on my lap if I'm outside to get away.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Do you have a feed mill nearby?

I originally started by having the feed mill make it for me the way I wanted it. I told them what I did and didn't want in it, protein level, calcium for all-flock and they did the formulating. Now I just buy the components and make my own.

I can make mine very basic as I do feed other things and they get to range in warmer months.

There is a grain mill here in town, but I don't know if they would mix food for me. I would think if they did the cost would be quite high. I guess I will call. Not sure what to have put in it. I do know the protein levels though.

 

[RedRidge]

I am researching feeds. Lots to consider and lots of opinions.

I want organic, non gmo food. No corn, no soy, no canola.

Input?

I am all non-gmo and no soy. I no longer pay attention to the word "organic" because I have discovered the requirements do not mean much (as in... most of it really isn't). Non-gmo grains that you know the source of is a much safer and healthier way to go imo.
I have no problem with corn because we "KNOW" ours is non-gmo.

The other thing I would highly recommend you add to your list is "animal protein".
Poultry need animal protein! Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise.
Most commercial feeds use soybean meal as their source of high protein - UGH!
Not only is it bad for poultry, but it's not "animal protein".
In organic feeds fish meal is a common animal protein ingredient... but note... if all the animal protein a laying needed came from fish meal then you would get fishy eggs. So... fish meal is great for "some" of your animal protein, but other animal protein is needed also.
You might consider raising BSF, meal worms, and/or grinding raw liver - the first two are free... so that's handy.

 

[Leahs Mom]

When I connected w/the feed mill I told them what I didn't want in it and let them do the formulating. The one catch - I had to get a minimum of 300 lbs. I had to find someone to share it with me. I did want Fertrel Nutribalancer in it rather than a different mineral mix. The mineral mix was the only thing that had a very small amount of soy oil in it but the amount if very small.

Redridge has a very helpful spreadsheet she has been willing to share to help folks when mixing their own.