The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I use 20% flock raiser as my base food and add the wild bird seed mix to it. Everyone is growing like weeds(chicks) and the big kids are getting feathers back nice and quick. I am going to be adding chicken livers to the mix as well to get more animal proteins in them

 

[aoxa]

I use 20% flock raiser as my base food and add the wild bird seed mix to it. Everyone is growing like weeds(chicks) and the big kids are getting feathers back nice and quick. I am going to be adding chicken livers to the mix as well to get more animal proteins in them

I feed wild bird seed as well. They love the millet and BOSS.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm thinking I may be wrong on my protein level...I think it's 17%. Next time I'll bump it up a little! Hopefully he can find some meat meal.

 

[Mumsy]

Here is the tag label of my Game Bird Starter. The chickens really like it. But I think other than for the chicks, it's kinda of over kill which means I'm spending too much.



I'm so happy to see aoxa's babies on moving day! Happiness!

I remember having access to old feed mills twenty years ago but they are long gone in my region now.

Some of my breeding pens have wood floors. I've had to keep rats away. They burrow and nest under them. While I was at Catdance farm, Karen told me they had their first weasel attack in ten years. It took two of her hens in one night in the back pen of her furthest barn. She said the weasel got into the barn using an old rat tunnel. The week of my visit, they had to move fifty birds from that area and pour cement all around the foundation. Norway rats are large and come out of the woods. You can trap and bait and keep them away for a while but they always come back. Weasels eat rats. When rats are gone, weasels look for the next easiest meal. Into chicken coops with ready made highways under ground and under floor boards. Karen's dog alerted to the weasel but it had already killed the birds but couldn't drag their carcasses out of the tunnel.

 

[aoxa]

Here is the tag label of my Game Bird Starter. The chickens really like it. But I think other than for the chicks, it's kinda of over kill which means I'm spending too much.



I'm so happy to see aoxa's babies on moving day! Happiness!

I remember having access to old feed mills twenty years ago but they are long gone in my region now.

Some of my breeding pens have wood floors. I've had to keep rats away. They burrow and nest under them. While I was at Catdance farm, Karen told me they had their first weasel attack in ten years. It took two of her hens in one night in the back pen of her furthest barn. She said the weasel got into the barn using an old rat tunnel. The week of my visit, they had to move fifty birds from that area and pour cement all around the foundation. Norway rats are large and come out of the woods. You can trap and bait and keep them away for a while but they always come back. Weasels eat rats. When rats are gone, weasels look for the next easiest meal. Into chicken coops with ready made highways under ground and under floor boards. Karen's dog alerted to the weasel but it had already killed the birds but couldn't drag their carcasses out of the tunnel.

Weasels.. Terrible killers..

Such a shame

Yes it has been a good day. Minus my anger at the people who have not yet cleaned up the debris. Something 'came up' and they can't until next week.

I wish we could formulate our own feed!

 

[lalaland]

justine, loved the video of the babies in the new barn - and in one of the pics, you can see them stretching their necks trying to figure the place out. And loved the sound, too - been a while since i've heard the peeping. way fun.

 

[lalaland]

about the kerosene day - not much to report. all egg laying ceased that day, but restarted the next day with 8 eggs today. could be a coincidence. I did try to look at poops this afternoon, but didn't see anything noteworthy. thats good I think....

I with you, leahs mom, gonna up my protein on the next go around of feed.

 

[delisha]

Feeds I use

http://www.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/country-feeds-poultry/country-feeds-all-flock/index.jsp

http://bluestemorganics.com/duck_sub.html

http://www.homesteadfeeds.com/Poultry/poultrydeveloper.html

I use very little feeds. I purchase Organic grains and add fresh meat, fruit , and vegetables
I start whole wheat, BOSS, and other last year seeds to tail stage.

I plant spinach, kale, Oregano, white clovers, and other grasses, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers and this year blue berries in the fields
I usually do not feed grains during production of fresh produce. I always have fresh water available. I do feed any birds not free ranging. (show stock in condition pens)

 

[aoxa]

Feeds I use

http://www.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/country-feeds-poultry/country-feeds-all-flock/index.jsp

http://bluestemorganics.com/duck_sub.html

http://www.homesteadfeeds.com/Poultry/poultrydeveloper.html

I use very little feeds. I purchase Organic grains and add fresh meat, fruit , and vegetables
I start whole wheat, BOSS, and other last year seeds to tail stage.

I plant spinach, kale, Oregano, white clovers, and other grasses, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers and this year blue berries in the fields
I usually do not feed grains during production of fresh produce. I always have fresh water available. I do feed any birds not free ranging. (show stock in condition pens)

No grains at all during summer?

 

[delisha]

I have a question, based on something I saw in a another thread. Am I supposed to be bringing my Cochins in and giving them baths for dirty butts? All those feathers, some days there butts are clean and others not. But there are some people that are bringing their chickens in, bathing them and treating them for mites, which they say they do every time they bring them inside. These are outside chickens, pretty, but outside. Should I be more involved?

I have Imported Orpingtons...talk about fluffy butts..I have never bathed them..They have there own bath tub..its called a dirt hole or a pool with ash and dirt in it. I will bath them before a show.

Here is the tag label of my Game Bird Starter. The chickens really like it. But I think other than for the chicks, it's kinda of over kill which means I'm spending too much.



I'm so happy to see aoxa's babies on moving day! Happiness!

I remember having access to old feed mills twenty years ago but they are long gone in my region now.

Some of my breeding pens have wood floors. I've had to keep rats away. They burrow and nest under them. While I was at Catdance farm, Karen told me they had their first weasel attack in ten years. It took two of her hens in one night in the back pen of her furthest barn. She said the weasel got into the barn using an old rat tunnel. The week of my visit, they had to move fifty birds from that area and pour cement all around the foundation. Norway rats are large and come out of the woods. You can trap and bait and keep them away for a while but they always come back. Weasels eat rats. When rats are gone, weasels look for the next easiest meal. Into chicken coops with ready made highways under ground and under floor boards. Karen's dog alerted to the weasel but it had already killed the birds but couldn't drag their carcasses out of the tunnel.

That is a lot of protein

about the kerosene day - not much to report. all egg laying ceased that day, but restarted the next day with 8 eggs today. could be a coincidence. I did try to look at poops this afternoon, but didn't see anything noteworthy. thats good I think....

I with you, leahs mom, gonna up my protein on the next go around of feed.

keep us update lala..