The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Ashdoes]

I have a suggestion for people looking for healthier grains. Get in your car and drive the fields in your neighborhood. Look for the grain. Go find a nice looking farm and ask some questions.TTell them what you .are looking for. If they do not have it, the chances are they know someone who does. Find out who your local 4H Agri organizer is. For sure they are doing projects that are free from drugs and chemicals. Put an add in the local Craigs list, Look for others in your community who are looking for the same thing you are.

That is exactly how I found the people making the organic feed. They have an ad on Craigslist. Since hubby is gone I'm only driving my little car, as I have had a disagreement or two with his SUV. He knows as soon as he gets home he'll be lugging home feed in trash cans.

 

[maryhysong]

Well first off, does natural mean organic? As in GMO free? I want to go organic but the shipping cost for organic feed is very high. I haven't tried the ton route but right now a $30 organic feed bag $20 shipping which is like $1 a pound.

Anyone have a way around this? Like a reasonable internet company?

Through the Arizona thread here on BYC (at least I think that's how I found out) I found a loose co-op of folks that order together every two months from Big Sky. One person has an order form set up through google.docs. You use that to order what you want, then you figure out the cost for it from the price list and send the money to the organizer by paypal. When everyone has paid they forward the group order to the mill and they grind the feed and about 10 days later the truck comes. There is actually a plant nursery that is the drop point and they use their forklift to unload the truck. Then everyone goes and picks up their feed. I just got mine yesterday. This is the first time I've done this, so will have to wait and see how the birds do on it. This is certified organic, the layer mash has no corn, soy or canola and uses fish meal for the protein. The big savings is in the group ordering direct from the mill, so we get wholesale pricing. This feed is costing me about the same as I was paying for conventional feed with the sales tax. (no tax and the freight is figured in already) My local feed store quoted me $30/50pounds for organic feed (plus sales tax). This is actually running about $25 a bag.

In another part of the state is a person that orders a pallet of feed at a time and resells it to others for their cost, because they don't really have enough birds to go through that much feed quick enough.

I'd check on the state thread for your state and start asking around. Surely you will find something somewhere.

 

[Crafty-Duck]

On the subject of Barred rocks.........

I have 3 and have found they are my most outgoing hens!!!! I have more cats then I care to admit

and they are all scared of them!!! they run off all my cats and even scare away squirrels, anyone else find this to be true of the barred rock breed?

 

[aoxa]

I have a suggestion for people looking for healthier grains. Get in your car and drive the fields in your neighborhood. Look for the grain. Go find a nice looking farm and ask some questions.TTell them what you .are looking for. If they do not have it, the chances are they know someone who does. Find out who your local 4H Agri organizer is. For sure they are doing projects that are free from drugs and chemicals. Put an add in the local Craigs list, Look for others in your community who are looking for the same thing you are.

I'm sure glad we have you here while Bee is gone

 

[aoxa]

On the subject of Barred rocks.........

I have 3 and have found they are my most outgoing hens!!!! I have more cats then I care to admit

and they are all scared of them!!! they run off all my cats and even scare away squirrels, anyone else find this to be true of the barred rock breed?

Yep!

I love watching my BRs chase the cats. Lots of my breeds do. However, my BRS seem more fearless.

Wait.. since we are discussing BRs and cats... Here's a video I took in our last location (small neighbourhood). I still let my birds free range, and my neighbours loved them. All except the owner of the old folks home.

 

[lorain's fids]

Bulldogma, I think it's great that you started this thread. The title will help those who are looking for a more natural approach to keeping chickens, I believe, that might never have explored the Road Less Traveled thread. I hope those of us who have been following Bee will share what we've learned with others here who may have questions. Even though I didn't post much, I followed her threads (The Road less Traveled and The Old-Timer's THread) from the beginning. We owe it to Bee to share what we've learned.

I just seen this thread this morning--I like going the natural way of doing things for my family and all my animals. I have been member of BYC for awhile now and I have never been in the road less traveled or old timers thread, probably have been missing out on some great tips for keeping it natural. So it is good that a new thread was started and I'll have to check the old threads out too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank You Bulldogma for the info! I was hoping IF they needed they would use it. But wasn't sure if I should keep them penned and make them eat it because there was nothing else. If they aren't worried about it...neither will I! I will check out the blog. Thanks for the direction...sounds interesting!

Being in Ga too you probably have alot more on the ground and in the ground to offer your birds, those of us further north have to rely more on feed during this time of year since foraging is skimpy now, The Blog is just plain awesome full of valuable info.

 

[lorain's fids]

Just like to know what you all do for your chickens to keep them healthy in a natural way. I have had 5 chickens for a 1 and 1/2 years now. I have been learning as I go. So this is what I do to keep them healthy.....garlic weekly, plain yogurt mixed with cayenne, ACV in their water(I've read that some use it daily and that some use it for a week and then stop for a week)not sure which is better, they eat organic feed, I am looking into organic scratch. Also they don't eat "junk" foods. Everything I give them is good "whole" food. I do think that makes a big difference in keeping an immune system healthy. So far they have been healthy, but they have tested positive for cocci--anything natural to give them for that to keep it under control?

 

[aoxa]

Being in Ga too you probably have alot more on the ground and in the ground to offer your birds, those of us further north have to rely more on feed during this time of year since foraging is skimpy now, The Blog is just plain awesome full of valuable info.

I miss vegetation already lol.

 

[aoxa]

Just like to know what you all do for your chickens to keep them healthy in a natural way. I have had 5 chickens for a 1 and 1/2 years now. I have been learning as I go. So this is what I do to keep them healthy.....garlic weekly, plain yogurt mixed with cayenne, ACV in their water(I've read that some use it daily and that some use it for a week and then stop for a week)not sure which is better, they eat organic feed, I am looking into organic scratch. Also they don't eat "junk" foods. Everything I give them is good "whole" food. I do think that makes a big difference in keeping an immune system healthy. So far they have been healthy, but they have tested positive for cocci--anything natural to give them for that to keep it under control?

Do you free range?

And for Cocci, every bird has a level in their gut of cocci. It's the overgrowth of it you don't want. ACV helps promote a healthy level in their gut. Remember it needs to be Unpasturized, and WITH mother.