Topic of the Week - Organic/Natural Chicken Keeping

[Folly's place]

I'm certainly not putting down the organic feed! It's just a matter of cost for me, and that my farm isn't strictly organic, and won't be anytime soon, or ever. Mary

 

[JanetMarie]

I've always fed my poultry organic. I purchase the grain whole, and grind at home, that way I can control what is in the feed and know that it's not just ground up 'organic grain products' that are on some of the certified organic brands.

It's my own homemade recipe, with all real food ingredients and no synthetic vitamin mix. The hens get eggs shells that have been in the vita-mix, which get mixed into the food about every other day, but depends on how much they are laying. Non GMO nutritional food yeast takes care of the niacin requirements of the muscovies and geese, along with other nutrients for everyone.

The same food is given to the chicks, only ground smaller, added sunflower seeds, and no ground egg shells. No problems with any deficiencies. I try to get the chicks out to forage as soon as possible, but if it's a few weeks they're okay.

It's more expensive to feed this way, but I don't sell the eggs, or meat, and I care about what goes in their bodies, and what goes in mine. It is the true cost of what goes into real food with real nutrition.

Everyone also forages with enough grass and weeds, and they all get the extra garden produce.

If a chicken is healthy enough, and has full use of it's legs, it will be able to get rid of mites by bathing in dirt/sand. Sometimes I may have one that has too many mites, (but has been uncommon recently) and I use Neem seed oil diluted by another oil directly on the bird, and that takes care of it provided the bird follows up by dirt bathing.

All works out well.

 

[JanetMarie]

Also, if a bird does need an antibiotic, or wormer, I give it to them.

 

[mockingbird]

I buy an organic chick starter from tractor supply to give the birds a balanced start before they get the hang of free ranging. Brooder raised chicks get it longer than those with a Mama to show them the ropes.

After that I don't purchase organic due to affordability and availability but the flock is on a mostly natural forage diet supplemented by whole grains, seeds, alfalfa, and kitchen/garden scraps. I don't use chemicals in my yard and the "chicken garden" is about 1/2 acre of mixed forage grass, clover, weeds, fruit trees, berry bushes, maple trees, herbs, garden etc. etc. etc. I also use DLM in the run.

I use wood ash in the area under the coop that they dust bathe in and also sprinkle it in the coop when I change out their litter to combat external parasites. So far I have not had to treat for internal parasites but the chickens do get garlic and herbs in their diet.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I vary the feed with bird seed and the store bought. Also as free ranging them, they get to eat what they find.

 

[BYC-user-452147]

I don't buy anything but organic feed, I try to keep everything as organic as possible.

 

[jeria]

Dang hot keys that I don't understand, just erased my post by hitting something.

This topic is well timed for me as I am considering using organic and probably fermented feed. My bag of chick feed will be gone within a week or so with these teenage girl voracious appetites. It's more a matter of how I personally choose to eat.

I am slowly replacing many staples as needed with organic options, most of the fruits and veggies I buy are organic, not all due to availability; I will never be completely organic due to the way I cook and I simply cannot find organic options for lots of ethnic dishes from all over the world. The eggs will primarily be for me, though I may sell a few and give some away as just me and 5 chickens. I will have extra.

 

[black_dove2]

Lady of McCamley
Thank you for you post. I found it very informative.
-Mage

 

[PurpleCArTires]

- Do you feed organic feed (and where do you purchase it)?
Nope, it just costs way too much. We buy our feed from a local mill. Its local, non GMO freshly ground mash. I also feed them kitchen scraps and garden scraps. They also free range all day. We try to feed them as natural as possible and just supplement with "chicken feed". So their diet is mostly whatever they find in the yard (tons of bugs, clover, raspberries, blackberries, etc). We also don't use pesticides or herbicides in our fields so I feel pretty comfortable with them eating wild.

- What do you use to help prevent and treat parasites naturally?
Some DE here and there. If they get bad mites I do use permethrin, but it's rare. They have dust holes throughout the yard. For internal parasites I feed them tons of pumpkin in the fall, and cayenne/garlic/oregano throughout the year. ACV in their water for a few days a month seems to make a huge difference too. I have never seen worms in their poo, so I don't think it's an issue here.

 

[Perris]

this topic didn't get much response first time round in 2017; let's hope for better this time!