The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[OffGridMAMA]

Just wanted to share some pics of my flock enjoying their ff on this cold rainy day in Cali....

 

[Leahs Mom]

One more thing on the Joel Salatin books...

My youngest daughter (age 24 at the time) got a cc of his book, Folks, This Ain't Normal and she and her husband read it. That was the first book she read in which she learned about factory farming and the more regular farm alternative. It launched her into learning more about healthy vs. unhealthy ways to raise animals and the issues around using confinement vs. pasturing animals, etc.

It has totally changed their outlook on the foods they eat and where they buy their meats, etc.

Some of you read one of her blog posts from the newspaper that she works at. Part of the reason she is even doing that is because reading that book started her on that journey to learn more about healthy and local food sources. She also got to write for one of the "local food movement" magazines here for awhile.

Although I'm sure you'll find things in his writings that you don't agree with, there's a lot of good in there. And I think that particular book was a good one to give to someone that's mildly interested as it's an interesting read. You never know what flames it will spark!

And one correction to my former post. I don't have his book: Everything I Want to do is Illegal . I forgot that one...but it sounds like it would be interesting too!

 

[Melabella]

You're welcome! I also don't feed any soy. I'm lucky to have a feed mill with a knowledgeable formulator that makes my feed with/without whatever I want and does the amounts based on the nutrients. My "kiddos" have never had any soy in their feed. My next goal is to try to figure out a way to remove legumes altogether. Right now my feed is using peas. I actually talked to the formulator this morning to have him get to thinking how I can accomplish that. His "wheels are turning" on that one this morning!

I found a local organic grain farmer close to me, but when I looked on their website..i noticed their layer is made with soybeans. I am thinking of going to talk to him. I am feeding Agway's "Hearty Hen", it uses peas as well. I really want to start looking around, and dream of getting a local group together to go in on a pallet of Countryside Organics, but we shall see!

Going to head down, as the NCK blog suggested, and talk to the local 4-H chapter about finding more farmers, I am sure they have info. My dd is in an Equine 4-H club, I want to connect with some poultry clubbers!

MB

 

[pcappy2]

I missed it,,,What did you decide was the problem with the sick chicken?? Was it impacted crop?

 

[Miss Lydia]

LM probably would be a good idea to put something smaller along the bottom of your chain link, when our hens had their first chicks hatch we had the same problem with the welded wire the chicks would go through and the mamas would have a fit trying to get them back inside. we used the plastic hardware cloth and tie wrapped it to the regular fence. works real good.

 

[Leahs Mom]

LM probably would be a good idea to put something smaller along the bottom of your chain link, when our hens had their first chicks hatch we had the same problem with the welded wire the chicks would go through and the mamas would have a fit trying to get them back inside. we used the plastic hardware cloth and tie wrapped it to the regular fence. works real good.

That was exactly what I wanted to get! It's pretty expensive so I was thinking of getting a roll and cutting it in half lengthwise (so if it is 4ft high it would then be 2 ft high, for example) so I could just put it along the bottom part.

Funny thing...every time I go to get it, I see the price again and keep coming home without it!

I guess I just need to go down there, not look at the price, and just pick it up!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa...what is this breed? He's a pretty guy! And I'm wondering...I keep hearing people refer to a tail held in this manner as "squirrel tail". On this guy... is the tail stance good? I sure think it's fancy-pants...and if I were a lady chicken, well...I'm sure he'd catch my eye!

 

[mrsamplias]

Hey Leahs Mom - thank you for that story you sent me for the thing. After not hearing back from the Poultry Cup Drinker people, I went ahead and put it up in that place. I looks great!

Just read it; it looks great! I'm wondering how often you have to refill your bucket? I find that my girls don't drink much at all. Maybe they get enough water from the grass and FF? Just curious....

 

[stonykill]

I think BK had some things to say about this on the GB thread (if I remember right)

i recall it all being negative....all the more reason to read it myself and make up my own mind

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just read it; it looks great! I'm wondering how often you have to refill your bucket? I find that my girls don't drink much at all. Maybe they get enough water from the grass and FF? Just curious....

Not very often! My bucket is 3 gallons. I actually end up re-filling just because it starts to get dusty in there since you have to keep it ajar. All the dust the kiddos stir up scratching around in the litter settles down in there to some degree so I try to change it out and clean out the bucket about 1x/week. It isn't always that often though!

I usually re-fill 1x/week whether it needs it or not. When the weather's hotter I probably do it more often just just to keep it from getting "old" and stagnant.

You could always do those on a smaller bucket... the deli has 2 gallon buckets here where I live too. The main thing is that it be tall enough that the water is above the cups enough to create the pressure to fill the cups. Even something tall and narrow would be fine as long as the plastic is rigid enough to take the cup being screwed in.