The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[off-grid hen]

I agree w/that statement.  I haven't wanted to put antiseptic herbs in the food as a "matter of course".  It seems to me a bit "counter-intuitive" in that it would be like giving antibiotics preventatively....causing the stronger bacteria to grow immune by exposure.

Think I'll keep the oregano, garlic, and whatnot for when they are needed.

I guess it's just a philosophy. For example, I'm not gong to give even natural de wormers unless I find evidence of worms from a fecal sample. Even feeding pumpkins/pumpkin seeds. If the thing is ready in the fall, that's when I feed it. They have access to my thyme plant whenever they want. This year I will plant extra oregano, basil, and cilantro and leave some for the birds to sample the naturally fresh and dried herbs if they want them.

That doesn't stop me from giving them leftover cooked squashes and other table scraps. It adds vitamins and other nutrients especially in the winter.

I just remembered...Someone mentioned broccoli earlier. My birds have never eaten raw broccoli florets. I have pulled up the whole plants after harvesting the heads, and they DEVOUR the leaves off the plants. Some thing with Brussels sprouts. They even eat all the soil particles off the roots and leave me a bare plant skeleton when they are finished. Sometimes they eat carrot peels ground up fine. other times they leave carrots, even cooked ones. Not saying chickens don't eat what isn't good for them, my stupid birds love to pick through the potted annuals for the styrofoam beads in the potting mixes some nurseries use. And don't get me started with foam board insulation. I never knew they could be so good at peeling labels off stuff either.

When I put out peat moss and wood ash for a dust bath, my chickens were eating the peat moss like crazy. I wasn't sure what to make of it, must be some mineral in it they needed. They didn't croak, so I guess it was fine.

Chickens are weird.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Quote: Yep, mine don't eat the raw florets, but LOVE the leaves....and so do I, so it's a fight to see who gets them. This spring the whole garden will be fenced off (I hope)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Definitely agree with the good husbandry and feeding in such a way that strengthens immune systems - and makes their system inhospitable. What you say makes good sense.

I think what Offgrid was saying is that when the plants are available fresh, they free-feed what they perceive they need and is a little hesitant to add the antiseptic herbs every day as a matter of course. Also to use at times of stress as well.

I've been looking for ways to keep some of the herbs growing fresh so they can graze them whenever they want rather than having them in the "everyday feed". Perhaps it's not practical during the winter.

 

[farmerfogg]

Ok, so after reading the post of not feeding layer to everyone in the flock if you have roosters in with the girls, which I ddnt know the roosters shouldnt have layer. So I should switch them back to grower and offer oyster freely? Will the roosters stay out of the oyster? My roos are such lil piggies. Yikes I hope they have no illness issues from eating layer,they are almost a year old, so its been about 4-5 months that they have been on it.

When I first got my flock, I thought I had all hens. I fed them layer crumbles. About six weeks after receiving them, I discovered one was a rooster. They all eat together and roost together. So I've kept him on the layer feed. I took a close look at my feed bag for instructions on feeding the flock. It says that the layer feed can be fed to your laying hens and roosters alike.

 

[loanwizard]

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

 

[lalaland]

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

loanwizard, mine are on hog feed too because I didn't want to feed them the mill's 20% protein, and they told me the hog feed mash had basically the same stuff just lower protein. its only been 6 or so weeks, so too early to see any problems, if there were going to be any,

And

Everyone is outside today for the first time in 10 days! glory be! it hit 0 degrees, thankfully, and I'm home to shoo them out in to the cold white world.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Great post and I agree 100%. Natural herbs are not used just for medicine. They are maintenance to my mind also. Most of the herbs used are not strictly used for prevention either. Many of them are used in addition to feeds for added nutritional values and vitamins. I do not always add them, sometimes I just offer it in a bowl and let them decide what they need or want. I have several varieties of poultry and intake needs are simply different. Offering chard or Oregano or any of the other things is closer to having them available in the wild to pick and choose from. I do grow it for the chickens and ducks. They can take or leave it the rest of the year when they are growing. I pay attention to what they like to choose, what is stripped bare and what I need to plant more of. I do know I can't seem to plant enough cilantro or leaf greens. They just eat the stuff non stop. During good growing seasons, I do not go throught bag feed. It is really nice to know they get what they need in the pasture and woods. I also plant additional foods at the woods edges where the sun touches. I think I need to plant blueberrys for them this year. So many benifits to the ducks and chickens.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: I purchased beets. carrots, turnips, watermelon, cilantro, oregano, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, kale, crimson clover & for my sons friend who loves to garden Big max pumpkin seeds. They say they can get up to 100# !!! He loves to garden and said my hens will reap the benefits of his work since they are not big on veggies. My family is not a big veggie family either so normally I grow what we will eat & what I need for the salsa I can. Plus I share the extras with others. I sure hope the girls like my selection for them lol

 

[stonykill]

the extent I go to for planting for my chickens is patty pan squash. I always buy last years seeds. $2 of seeds (2 packets) provides at least 100 patty pan squash. Most likely more. We eat all we can stand to eat, and the chickens get the rest. Easy peasy. I have enough to do keeping the homestead up, earning a living, taking care of critters etc. Not knocking anyone who plants herbs. Trust me. My sister makes her living with herbs. I'm more of a "pick the wild edibles" kind of guy

 

[delisha]

the extent I go to for planting for my chickens is patty pan squash. I always buy last years seeds. $2 of seeds (2 packets) provides at least 100 patty pan squash. Most likely more. We eat all we can stand to eat, and the chickens get the rest. Easy peasy. I have enough to do keeping the homestead up, earning a living, taking care of critters etc. Not knocking anyone who plants herbs. Trust me. My sister makes her living with herbs. I'm more of a "pick the wild edibles" kind of guy

What are patty pan's?