The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[circlehouse]

Welcome to all the new folks!  You're headed into an excellent hobby.  Some thoughts for consideration:  Heating pad brooding, brooding chicks outdoors, deep litter in the coop and in the run, fermented feed.  Happy reading!  

All things on my plan!

 

[circlehouse]

I use bluekote for wounds, and brown sugar to start my chicks, to me being natural means not intervening too much and to cull those who are too sick to recover. I personally don't worm or treat for diseases, I build a healthy flock and do what I need to to maintain it. I actually don't get many birds who are ill anyways. I don't do FF so no knowledge about that.

It must be exciting waiting for your first chicks, what do you have coming?

Thanks for the tips! We are super excited! I am getting 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silver laced wyandottes, 2 araucanas, 1 light brahma, and 1 jersey black giant. An assortment!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks for the tips! We are super excited! I am getting 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silver laced wyandottes, 2 araucanas, 1 light brahma, and 1 jersey black giant. An assortment!

A really nice assortment, you should get some pretty eggs.

 

[circlehouse]

A really nice assortment, you should get some pretty eggs.

Thanks! I'm hopeful!

this is my first time raising chickens, my husband had chickens when he was a kid. I am super excited to share this adventure with my kids. We looked for friendly birds who lay well. So we will see! Hopefully these breeds live up to their reputations!

 

[Leahs Mom]

2 Books I recommend for every beginner:

The Small Scale Poultry Flock - Harvey Ussery

This author also has a website: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Poultry.html If you scroll all the way to the bottom there is a list of excellent articles - many of which are repeated in the book.

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens

This book will give you a very good overview. Disclaimer is that a lot of the info. is from the point of view of a "conventional" flock keeper. This particular edition has added many more "natural" approaches, however. It's a good overview and worth reading.

Another book I recommend with some caution. This is a very good guide to symptoms of poultry illnesses but also gives some good first aid info (for example, how to help a broken leg, etc.)

Chicken Health for Dummies

This book is co-written by the owner of this forum (BYC) and a veterinarian. I have it as a reference on my shelf and even though I'm a "no chemical input" person it is very good. [Just to clarify - I will definitely provide aid to injury, etc. I just don't vaccinate or worm routinely, etc. I believe that good husbandry is PREVENTION, and prefer to go that route rather than remediation ]

 

[ShrekDawg]

2 Books I recommend for every beginner: The Small Scale Poultry Flock - Harvey Ussery This author also has a website: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Poultry.html If you scroll all the way to the bottom there is a list of excellent articles - many of which are repeated in the book.

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens This book will give you a very good overview. Disclaimer is that a lot of the info. is from the point of view of a "conventional" flock keeper. This particular edition has added many more "natural" approaches, however. It's a good overview and worth reading.

Another book I recommend with some caution. This is a very good guide to symptoms of poultry illnesses but also gives some good first aid info (for example, how to help a broken leg, etc.) Chicken Health for Dummies This book is co-written by the owner of this forum (BYC) and a veterinarian. I have it as a reference on my shelf and even though I'm a "no chemical input" person it is very good. [Just to clarify - I will definitely provide aid to injury, etc. I just don't vaccinate or worm routinely, etc. I believe that good husbandry is PREVENTION, and prefer to go that route rather than remediation ]

I have the last 2 along with a few other books but I gotta get the first one

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks for the tips! We are super excited! I am getting 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silver laced wyandottes, 2 araucanas, 1 light brahma, and 1 jersey black giant. An assortment!

Your sound like when I started... 2 BR; 2 EE, 3 RIR (Hatchery Quality All). That was in 2012 and all those birds are still alive except 1. I have 3 of them here and they all lay very well.


Just in case: BR= Barred Rock; EE= Easter Egger (They sold as Araucanas but really EE); 2 RIR (Also not the heritage quality).

I love the variety of color in the eggs!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have a question for y'all:

What particular breeds have you found to be most consistently broody and good at raising chicks?

My only parameters:

NO CRESTED BIRDS
NO FEATHERED FEET
Cold-hardy breed

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You have eliminated my two greatest suggestions, bantam cochins and silkies. I have had individuals go broody from several different breeds but I can't say one breed is more prone to it. I do know birds bred for showing are more prone to it because the breeding focuses more on looks than production so often they don't lay well but go broody a lot. Broody birds seem to come from other broody birds. My first broody of the season was a hatchery barnevelder.

 

[texasmomma]

What particular breeds have you found to be most consistently broody and good at raising chicks?

My only parameters:

NO CRESTED BIRDS
NO FEATHERED FEET
Cold-hardy breed

I haven't been on here for a while, but thought I would jump in and answer.

My bielefelders have turned out to be broody. I have let two of them raise chicks. The first one did a great job. The second has had a little trouble, but is doing fine now. Her sister hangs out next to her and encourages her. Bielfelders are not crested, are not feathered, and are cold hardy. They lay more in the winter than any other time, though we are in Texas, so we don't really have much of a winter. The heat is hard on them.