The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

Do you have a large fenced in garden? I'm thinking that my chickens would love the new shoots and I don't have a very large garden. Last growing season I grew squash and patty pans.

Whoops just saw the pics of your garden...wow I could grow a whole buncha stuff there lol! Do you get a lot of animals visiting your garden?

the garden pictured is in a 6 acre field far from the house. The chickens don't even know it exists. Near the house are a few raised beds. Deer netting has to go around it or the chickens get in there and eat everything. Broody's are notorious for bringing their lil ones in our gardens

lots of rabbits, deer, coon etc visit that big garden. 3 plots are about 20 yards wide x 80 yards long. The other is about 20 yards x 20 yards. That one will be potatoes this year

 

[OffGridMAMA]

I only started gardening last summer (tiny) and hope to expand this spring. I learned many valuable lessonsabout how to feed wild birds, gophers and rabbits LOL. I also have found it therapeutic.

Question: your thoughts on the nutritional value of spent grains ?? (from local brewery). We are taking over a weekly pickup.

 

[pigeonguy]

As a Farmer and a natural raiser of chickens.... My personal opinion, not meant to offend, is that I am not going to plant specific herbs for my birds. They are born and raised in the environment that they are. I give ACV when they are chicks.

Ah for shame they share 16% hog feed with, you guessed it.... the hogs

That's how one neighbor does it nothing bought special for them. They just eat with the hogs. He buys about a hundred production reds with there beaks cut from the Amish egg farm they sell 1 and a half year old hens every year for 50 cents to a dollar. Depends on the year, By the end of fall he has very few left because of predators. Does not care though because he can get more in the spring from the Amish and he had eggs all spring summer and fall. He does not even have a chicken coop they are left to as natural as it gets once they get to his place anyways.

I only started gardening last summer (tiny) and hope to expand this spring. I learned many valuable lessonsabout how to feed wild birds, gophers and rabbits LOL. I also have found it therapeutic.

Question: your thoughts on the nutritional value of spent grains ?? (from local brewery). We are taking over a weekly pickup.

Lucky you wish I had free spent grains. One thing you might like to know about them is that they are wet. (that is unless they are drying them for you and is that case all I can say is SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET) Wet things mold supply them with 55 gallon drums or whatever size container it takes to contain the amount of grains you get and have them dump into these keeping it covered with water. If you are picking up weekly that will keep the mold away just like fermenting especially if you pour some UP/ACV in the bottom of each barrel. To dry them after they are home. for longer storage or for sale. You could build some large screen strainers outside in the sun dump the grains on them and let dry. Make sure you cover with a screen top also to keep birds and flies out. In good sun it will only take 1 or 2 days if the layer is kept thin and turner a couple of times. Keep a tarp attached that can be pulled over them easily in case it rains. Lucky Lucky you.
As far as is it good read this tells about protein values.
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAP/FRG/AFRIS/Data/468.HTM

 

[aoxa]

I know everyone wanted me to open Carlton up and look at his organs, but I just can't. Really don't want to, and I'm certain it was from the blood loss. He did have mites too - though not a whole lot, as we dusted him a couple times in a few weeks. He was still getting over that. I think it all was too much.

Also culled that chick. It was acting strange. Drunk almost. I also culled a naked neck not able to acclimate to the cold. I need hardy birds, and she was not handling it well. Her sisters are and did fine over the -40F temps. They still laid eggs, and this one didn't. She also had a touch of sour crop. Either way, not good. Weak link...

It is so much harder to cull a hen. I don't know why.. It just is. I did not process her. There is way too many people over today (in laws, twin nephews and aunt from out West). Would really not enjoy doing that with so many people around. Next time though.

One of my bantams fell in the water bucket today and her toes froze stiff after. She's inside drying off. Thank chicken it's going to warm up soon.

We're putting the breeding pens off until next weekend.

 

[OffGridMAMA]

Thank you for that article Pigeonguy lots of good info. We are using it for calves and the chickens we are getting 2 trash cans full a week / my Dad and brother 2 each as well. We are feeding in conjunction with previous feed, huge savings. The chickens eat like crazy since I started ff and they are looking great despite the super cold temps we've been having. We may consider drying it in the summer, feeding wet for now.

 

[pigeonguy]

Thank you for that article Pigeonguy

lots of good info. We are using it for calves and the chickens we are getting 2 trash cans full a week / my Dad and brother 2 each as well. We are feeding in conjunction with previous feed, huge savings. The chickens eat like crazy since I started ff and they are looking great despite the super cold temps we've been having. We may consider drying it in the summer, feeding wet for now.

Ya spent grains are great they just grow molds and other toxins in warm weather if not handled properly.

 

[delisha]

Tons of great information in that spent grain article. It was a new read for me. I have glossed over it before, but, never reaally spent much time learning about spent grains..thank you for posting the link


Great score on the spent grains ..off grid

Aoxa..good decisions about culling are not always easy on you, but, trust me it is easier on them.

I did not ask about doing an autopsy on Carlton..however doing on one the naked neck might be something to think about.It is cold enough out that you should at least process the birds for the dogs. They will keep for you to make that decision later. Wrap them in a bag and put them in a container.

 

[Mumsy]

Aoxa..good decisions about culling are not always easy on you, but, trust me it is easier on them.

X2
The day culling gets easy is the day I quit raising chickens. If it's easy it means I've turned into a cold hearted 'you know what'. I'm realy sorry for the week your having Aoxa. Truly.

 

[stonykill]

X2
The day culling gets easy is the day I quit raising chickens. If it's easy it means I've turned into a cold hearted 'you know what'. I'm realy sorry for the week your having Aoxa. Truly.

well then call me a cold hearted you know what. Rooster cull days are just another work day for me.







Hens.... not easy but like the one the other day, if something kills her and I can save some of the meat, it gets done. I even processed my Pekin Drake, my wife's pet. Now THAT was hard. But Rooster killing day. It's like hunting but with more birds. It is what it is. I know where my food comes from

 

[Bulldogma]

Loving all this information on spent grains and herbs / heritage seeds. Great stuff here!

Just recently got back from picking up my new Dark Cornish - 4 hens and one very happy roo who has never had his own harem until now - LOL! One hen is SQ and all the others are hatchery birds.


SQ in front - she looks like a molting tanker truck.










Apparently this girl is an escape artist, according to her last owner. She has a great personality - very inquisitive and clearly intelligent (as chickens go). Not the best conformation, but I can't help but like her!


Escape artist on the left and tanker truck on the right. You can definitely see a difference!

These 5 birds have the entire 10' x 10' hoop coop to themselves. They'll stay in quarantine for the next couple weeks, and then they'll go on free range rotation. I have to rotate who gets let out to keep my breeding groups together - LOL. Once I get my new-to-me circa 1970's horse trailer (to be converted to a coop) the bantams will get the original Pollo Club blue coop and run and won't need to free range as much.

All my birds get FF with garlic and oregano added (smells like pizza). The new birds are getting a mixed bowl with both FF and dry until they acclimate. They were all sampling the FF already, though.

Old owner said the DC ladies were all in with a Barred Rock roo... if I get any eggs, I'll debate hatching or waiting until I know the DC roo is the eggie-daddy.