The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mlowen]

I'm a complete book rebel....I'm a truck driver so I download audio books to my phone from the library and listen while I work.....it's like old time radio!

I like reading paper books or electronic. But for driving, I LOVE podcasts! Planet Money, Fresh Air, RadioLab, How Stuff Works, On Being. Like you said...it feels like old time radio--documentaries.

 

[Scott H]

Thank you so much for all of these replies! I never dreamed I would get to talk to so many experienced people. I've learned so much (outside of what I read on the net and in books) already. Our family follows a nutrieint-dense/Weston A Price-type diet and I'm an herbalist, so I'm familiar with a lot of the principles in this thread and related blogs--like fighting bad bugs with good bugs. How fun to learn how to apply these principles to chickens! 

My only chicken experience is with my grandparent's flock--dozens of rescued factory farm chickens that someone gave to them "because they had a farm". They had no coop, so they roosted in trees and laid eggs on the ground or in the hay barn. They were fed some corn once a day, but otherwise they were wild (though one was a house pet). The flock grew and grew despite predation. 

Even though I want to be natural in my chicken raising, I don't trust in nature quite as much as my grandparents did, especially since ALL of the chickens in my neighborhood have been killed by coyotes who tear down coops. We have predators of all types, including bears. After talking to others in the area, it's very clear that our chickens will only be able to free range in our yard and when one of us is outside to supervise--which I hope is often because I want them to eat all the ticks! The rest of the time, they'll live in a coop inside our fence inside a big chain-link cube that will function as the run. I might electrify it too. I'll call it San Quentin. Maybe get some sniper towers. . . My big question right now is whether to get a rooster--trying to balance the need for protecting the flock with the need to protect my two year old who will be sharing the yard with them (supervised of course). 

Our chickens will be pets/egg layers/pest controllers/child educators. Someday I hope to lose my squeamishness about butchering animals so they can breed and we can have a source of healthy meat. But the plan for now is to get 3-6 chicks every year so that we always have some hens in production. We'll probably end up with 12-15 unless we really get a farm going and can put them in the pasture. I'm most interested in Dominiques. I like Andalusians for some reason too. 

Thank you again for all of these great ideas to consider. I absolutely don't mind listening to conflicting opinions. In fact, I love hearing them.

12 to15 will bury you in eggs...LOL...unless your selling, of course. We opted for 3 as they are pets with benefits, have the run of the back yard and we still wanted to have some greenery in our yard....then there is the poo....tried to get my wife to let me get one more and she said "no more poo!" LOL Chickenhill said she would deliver a BLRW to make up for the Silver Laced Wyandotte that has yet to lay an egg. I might have to go into a full pout to get my way...

 

[TeaChick]

12 to15 will bury you in eggs...LOL...unless your selling, of course. We opted for 3 as they are pets with benefits, have the run of the back yard and we still wanted to have some greenery in our yard....then there is the poo....tried to get my wife to let me get one more and she said "no more poo!" LOL Chickenhill said she would deliver a BLRW to make up for the Silver Laced Wyandotte that has yet to lay an egg. I might have to go into a full pout to get my way...

Pouting doesn't work at my house, but chocolate has a lot of pull!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

"unless you're selling..." Sounds like one of those things you do in a secluded place where no one can see

And...my dad is blind and gets books on tape (now on memory stick). I have access to the whole federal blind library list if I want. Just never got around to doing it that way. I like to have something on paper to leave to my kids should the electronic way become obsolete or inaccessible.

But if I was driving you bet I'd take advantage of that!

 

[Scott H]

They're great for trips too!

 

[Leahs Mom]

They're great for trips too!

What...the stuff you're selling or the books on tape?

 

[Scott H]

You're incorrigible.....

 

[Ms Jellybean]

AFL - it's hard to sprout the flax seed as it gets kind-of "jell-like" and often doesn't want to germinate very well.. I'm looking forward to see how your flax does.

Flax considered a mucilaginous seed. They need to be sprouted differently. See here for instructions.

 

[suncatcher]

Does anyone have an all natural remedy for mites? I did read at the start of the thread someone used Neem oil mixed with alcohol. Just want to get some info together on the best remedies. Knowledge is power!

 

[TeaChick]

"unless you're selling..." Sounds like one of those things you do in a secluded place where no one can see

And...my dad is blind and gets books on tape (now on memory stick). I have access to the whole federal blind library list if I want. Just never got around to doing it that way. I like to have something on paper to leave to my kids should the electronic way become obsolete or inaccessible.

But if I was driving you bet I'd take advantage of that!

I want some.