The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Great! Yes, we have a few around here that do honor system too. I'm part of a milk share currently that also sell many other items and we just go in and put our money in the jar and list what we took. Great grass-fed butter, A2 milk (raw), pastured pork and chicken, eggs, etc.

I haven't really wanted to purchase their eggs and chicken, however, because I stay soy-free as much as possible and I know they still feed their flock soy containing feed. I have talked to them about it, however, and it sounds like they will consider soy-free on their next meat birds. If they do I'd be more likely to purchase from them.

Are you familiar with the Weston A. Price foundation?

 

[vpatt]

Yes I am and some of the sites I research refer to the Foundation. Sorry I edited while you were replying I guess. Lol

 

[vpatt]

Great!  Yes, we have a few around here that do honor system too.  I'm part of a milk share currently that also sell many other items and we just go in and put our money in the jar and list what we took.  Great grass-fed butter, A2 milk (raw), pastured pork and chicken, eggs, etc.

I haven't really wanted to purchase their eggs and chicken, however, because I stay soy-free as much as possible and I know they still feed their flock soy containing feed.  I have talked to them about it, however, and it sounds like they will consider soy-free on their next meat birds.  If they do I'd be more likely to purchase from them.

Are you familiar with the Weston A. Price foundation? 

I am dairy free except for grassfed ghee and butter. I would try raw if it was available here.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yeah...I just won't use any "milk" or dairy products that have been pasteurized with the exception of yogurt from time to time. But I found a yogurt mfgr. that uses vat pasteurization (lower temperature for longer time) which doesn't denature the proteins and doesn't break the calcium bonds like "ultra pasteurization" (extremely high temp. short time) does. It still isn't "A2" but much better in every other way than the normal manufacturers.

We are really blessed to have 2 different sources of raw. I even started making my own cheese but haven't made any aged cheeses in awhile as we moved in w/my elderly dad almost 3 years ago (!) to keep him from having to leave his home. Motivation is low I guess because I could do it. Just haven't for awhile.

Anyhow...got a little carried away.

 

[ronott1]

Where are you able to find the feet? I admit I haven't looked very hard, but I haven't seen any just for sale. I assumed that if I was going to get them I was going to have to ask one of the local butchers to save them for me.

Look for an Asian or Hispanic market. They will usually carry them.

 

[RuzichFamily]

Everybody thinks I am crazy to feed a turkey carcass to chickens.  Even more unbelievable is to feed them a chicken carcass!  I like to tell everybody I give them turkey just to see their reaction.  My girls sure ate good today.  I only gave them one-third of the carcass/bones and their crops were so full.  Someone had an idea that I should save the drippings in the bottom of the pan for the chickens and I had a great idea - I poured the fat into a cube-shaped Rubbermaid and stuck it in the freezer...turkey fat suet block!

How bout deer carcasses? My chickens love about everything I throw them.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

There is a farm nearby. They have a mill and sell nonGMO and soy free feeds. They raise chickens and sell eggs. They are going to sell chicks, too. They have a small farm shop and sell grassfed meats. They have chicken, turkey, beef, pork, eggs and broth bones and chicken feet. I don't know how long the shop had been there before I found it. You could try Local Harvest and see if there is anything near you. I have been trying to eat healthier and go chemical free....not just in food....trying to help an autoimmune condition. It is helping but is slow......some people have much quicker results.

Oh....the farm shop is on the honor system...isn't that wonderful?

We have Food Relay, also. You can order online and pick up locally.

It is all pricey. I do the best I can moneywise. My own eggs help (when I get them, lol).

If anyone is interested in the eating and living plan pm me and I can give you info. Most of it available for free and I am only passing on free 'stuff' I have researched. No money involved....I am not affiliated in any way.....I just live here in the woods with hubby and chickies and trying to imrove my health. Sorry...didn't plan to say any of that.

I'd be interested in the information. My DH has an autoimmune problem. I have found that when he eats more of our fresh eggs especially if they are raw his condition stops spreading and even starts to go away a bit. He is a long ways from a full recovery but the traditional treatment of steroid shots are not an option for him, making his recovery slow. The docs said the condition would never go away without the shots but he reacted very very badly to the shots.
If the eggs are making a difference, I'm sure there are other things that could too. I just haven't had the time to fully research it.

 

[armorfirelady]

I swear this wacky wx is messing with my hens minds. Edie has decided to molt. After 7 ft of snow then temps in the 60 for a couple days since then I don't think they know what to expect. She looks like a pullet agin without her feathers. Thankfully it seems her new feathers will be coming in quicker than the old girls. So glad I have been giving them meat every day for the last week. They all seem to be in turkey comas but I haven't heard any complaints

And one of the peepers keeps flying out of their winter area. And somehow the dogs haven't noticed her either. Apparently she has luck on her side.

Leahs mom do you store your Brewers yeast in the fridge? I've always kept my yeast for baking in the fridge so figured it would work as well for the Brewers yeast ?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@armorfirelady
I do put mine in the fridge.

It might be worth mentioning here that brewers yeast is "inactivated yeast" which means that it will not produce the gasses needed to raise bread - or that would make you sick to your stomach if you ate it!


I also have a young girl that just started molting. NOTHING LIKE THE HEDGEHOG GIRL. She's retaining the old feathers and, so far, doing it area by area like the "textbook" molt so I don't think she'll have a problem staying in the cold.

The naked girl is beginning to feather nicely and I HATE that she's had to be inside away from the flock for this long. I may be able to reacclimate her beginning next Friday if the weather forecast stays as they've stated. But I"m also concerned about her regaining her place in the flock again. We shall see how it goes.

 

[Amberjem]

morning had a lovely surprise from violet this morning another egg hope everyones week is getting off to a good start