The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[cuppycake]

Hey everyone, I haven't scanned this thread all the way through (but who could blame me with over 1000 pages, haha)

anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can get organic feed in south MI or north OH. Or possibly the raw materials to mix my own feed? Actually the materials would probably be better because then I can buy each ingredient and mix what I want for each species we have (chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits). We don't have a lot of animals so having a custom order made/delivered is prohibitively expensive. I'm also looking for organic hay.

I try to let the critters feed themselves as much as possible. We are building a rabbit tractor/growout pen so the buns can graze safely. The goats obviously do a lot of browsing. My birds free range almost all of the time, plus I'm starting to raise mealworms. Everyone gets kitchen and garden scraps. They don't really need much in the way of grain when the weather is nice.

I'd also be willing to go in on large orders of feed/grain/hay with other people if they wanted to. Thanks.

 

[delisha]

My Ron Fogel HRIR chicks hatched today--9 out of 15 eggs hatched which was pretty good with shipped eggs. They hatched a day late along with my German line New Hampshires, also 9 out of 12 shipped eggs. My black copper marans, only 3 out 18 hatched and they were local, but the breeder had placed some upside down in the carton before I picked them up. I am kind of tired of all the hatching this week, so I will try for pictures tomorrow. Congratulations to Aoxa on the chicks, Delisha on the NPIP, and nice hearing from Mumsy today. Great looking birds Leah'sMom.

Great hatch! I do not think storing eggs upside down or shipping upside down effects so many eggs. I believe it effects them. The purpose to store eggs correctly is to make the air cell on the correct end. As long as you incubate the correct way it should correct a higher percentage. There were probably other issues with the eggs. (old)

Quote: If you want to hatch out some meat bird eggs drop me a pm.

Does anyone have black currants, red choke berry, gooseberry, rasp/blackberries, ground cherry, asparagus, ramps, rhubarb (that actually gets red and grows pretty tall), bridal wreath, honeyberry, or blueberries that they'd like to pass on????

I'd be willing to accept any of these!!!!!

I have some of these you can come dig up

 

[Leahs Mom]

anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can get organic feed in south MI or north OH. Or possibly the raw materials to mix my own feed? Actually the materials would probably be better because then I can buy each ingredient and mix what I want for each species we have (chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits). We don't have a lot of animals so having a custom order made/delivered is prohibitively expensive. I'm also looking for organic hay.

I try to let the critters feed themselves as much as possible. We are building a rabbit tractor/growout pen so the buns can graze safely. The goats obviously do a lot of browsing. My birds free range almost all of the time, plus I'm starting to raise mealworms. Everyone gets kitchen and garden scraps. They don't really need much in the way of grain when the weather is nice.

I'd also be willing to go in on large orders of feed/grain/hay with other people if they wanted to. Thanks.

Sent you a pm!

 

[delisha]

Hey everyone, I haven't scanned this thread all the way through (but who could blame me with over 1000 pages, haha)

anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can get organic feed in south MI or north OH. Or possibly the raw materials to mix my own feed? Actually the materials would probably be better because then I can buy each ingredient and mix what I want for each species we have (chickens, turkeys, goats, rabbits). We don't have a lot of animals so having a custom order made/delivered is prohibitively expensive. I'm also looking for organic hay.

I try to let the critters feed themselves as much as possible. We are building a rabbit tractor/growout pen so the buns can graze safely. The goats obviously do a lot of browsing. My birds free range almost all of the time, plus I'm starting to raise mealworms. Everyone gets kitchen and garden scraps. They don't really need much in the way of grain when the weather is nice.

I'd also be willing to go in on large orders of feed/grain/hay with other people if they wanted to. Thanks.

Give me your city..I will find a place for you

welcome to the thread!

 

[pigeonguy]

My silkies are all grown up and finally in the chicken coop

Are you going to free range. If so chicken wire is ok for a run because they won't be in it anyway. It also does not matter if it is in great shape either unless you expect day time predators other than hawks and they will only come in if not protected at all on top. Just make sure not to let them out to range before at least an hour after if is light out and they should go in a couple hours before sun down.
This brings up a good question. What is the purpose of a pred proof run if you are free ranging? Fenced property line I get but if confined to a run that is not true free range.
My run goes all the way around my coop and the are only kept in there if to small to go out ranging or if it is real bad weather. I also know that if you have breeding pens they need a little run to keep them separated from the other chickens but again I would not understand why it needs to be predator proof if the others are free ranged. The coop on the other hand needs to be Fort Knox. Any way my question is. What is the purpose of a pred proof run if free ranging?

 

[delisha]

Quote:
here is a place to start

http://www.eatwild.com/products/ohio.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...tives-and-the-trend-is-sprouting-here-309933/

you have a ton of amish farmers..go make a visit

 

[lalaland]

mumsy, I'm so glad you posted the pics of your garden and your brooder set up. Just in time as I am planning the demo of half the coop and seeing your brooder on the shelf made me decide not to pull out some of the shelves and use them for that instead. And I love your glass handle.

The tall chicken wire fence -? deer?

BDM, am hoping your daughter gets to come home today.

Justine! chicks sooo tiny and Henry so big so fast!

Cuppycake, I see LM sent you a pm, but you can also find the threads for your state, or for your neighboring state if you are near the border, and ask there - folks local might have info that would be helpful. And welcome!

Just want to add that there ought to be a policy prohibiting those totally gratuitous pics of spring!!!! I have snow on the ground and more snow coming and lordy lordy you'ld think some of you southerners and west coast gals would have a little sensitivity to us greenstarved northerners! Just kidding, right now the flowers in Mumsy's garden and the spring blooming tree stopped me in my tracks. Good boost when you start to lose faith that green will ever happen here.

 

[delisha]

Any way my question is. What is the purpose of a pred proof run if free ranging?

Several reasons

There will be times you can't free range. (high pred season or sightings)
There will be some breeds you do not want to free range when you are gone for the day
There will be birds you want to keep clean for show or conditioning
Protection of young birds before free range age

 

[pigeonguy]

Please help support me with this by posting you want it too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/767918/byc-abbreviations

 

[pigeonguy]

Any way my question is. What is the purpose of a pred proof run if free ranging?

Several reasons

There will be times you can't free range. (high pred season or sightings)
There will be some breeds you do not want to free range when you are gone for the day
There will be birds you want to keep clean for show or conditioning
Protection of young birds before free range age

Around here we have the same predators as most (coons, possums, cotes, fox, hawks) and in the daytime I have never heard of chicken wire not working to stop them. Have had some taken free rang but not in a run made with chicken wire. Most people here have chickens.
If you are blocking holes in the coop I understand heavy wire because like I said it should be fort knox. The only reason I could see a reason for a run to be built out of anything stronger is if the chickens are not put in the coop at night and then I think a person is just asking for trouble.
Do you understand my confusion?