The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[pebcrb]

The Small Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery.  http://www.amazon.com/The-Small-Scale-Poultry-Flock-All-Natural/dp/1603582908

Thanks!

 

[Bulldogma]

hello all,
sorry i have not posted i have been very very busy. so i am going to post what the difference is between keeping birds in good conditions and poor conditions. i did this on purpose so i could personally see the results . i took a bunch of birds placed them in factory like settings. these are the conclusions.

While I feel kinda sorry for the ones kept in the factory like settings, I think this is a fascinating experiment! Thank you for sharing!!!

 

[loanwizard]

I feel like a stalker.... Someone actually thought I creeped her and found out her real name.

I knew it, just never had the occasion to use that tidbit.

 

[starlingdaly]

Hi everyone, does anyone have a good natural chicken keeping book they can recommend. Thanks

My favorite so far:
Free Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom

 

[bruceh]

hello all,
sorry i have not posted i have been very very busy. so i am going to post what the difference is between keeping birds in good conditions and poor conditions. i did this on purpose so i could personally see the results . i took a bunch of birds placed them in factory like settings. these are the conclusions.

birds kept in my normal healthy conditions thrived and did very well with minimal losses. in fact i never lost a bird because i did not know what happened. example possum or other pred. attacks.so therefore i know that healthy conditions work very well.
in the normal conditions i use mill feed , a certain formula i use ( fermented ) and the use of apple cider vinegar in the water and cleanliness

factory conditions experiment:

first i over crowded the brooder with about 70 chicks. at 3 weeks i lost a total of 20 chicks.. i never used acv in the water. the feed was junk feed and just wet not fermented the litter changed 1 time.
at 3 weeks they were moved to a shed and i set it up to the standards of a factory free range environment . they had access to the outside by the use of a door and a 5 ft run for 50 birds. i never used acv in the water and junk feed. the birds are fair at best. i have lost 9 more birds. no warning when the birds died. they were just dead.. some went down on the legs and immediately killed. today i went out and found a wry neck bird. first time i ever seen it . i also keep the area just like a factory.never cleaned at all. stinks to high heaven.

the results are obvious. . so it is your choice. i did the study for you all.

just so everyone knows when the group of meat birds are done the layers pullets will be rehabbed to top notch health. this will include all good feed acv. a bath for them. also i will have to spend hours disinfecting that particular coop.all my well kept birds are off the property . thanks to my neighbors for helping with this.

so out of 70 to date i have lost about 30.. sickens me. so call your food industry rep or FDA. i find this very cruel and preventable with 3 simple steps. acv in water, good feed, and most important cleanliness.

thanks for reading,


bruce h.

oh boy have i gotten flack for this post i fully knew the consequences when i posted the findings of this experiment . i did this because i wanted to see first hand on the effects on proper and improper care of birds. i am around a lot of folks everyday who think well they are just birds who cares how they are kept. i knew of broiler houses and the egg laying industry. however 2ND hand. other than you tube ,Internet and someone told to do this sources how many folks really know first hand. yes there are some that do. however the majority do not have this knowledge first hand.
is it offensive to some? yes it is. it is not something i would do on any other basis. folks that know of me on this thread and other threads know of my husbandry practices . this was a test to see first hand knowledge of the effects of poor husbandry. i am sorry those birds died as well. now that i have the answers first hand i can explain to others in a more productive manner.
i am sorry for the offense taken by others . however education comes at a cost. so if i can show the effects to others, others may improve their practices.

for those of you who do not know me. i have helped many folks with their questions. i raise wonderful layers and breed heritage rhode island reds to the s.o.p.

bruce h.

 

[stonykill]

no flack from me Bruce. While I don't know you personally I do know how you care about your birds and how you raise them. Without a doubt you sharing this has helped someone

 

[SallyinIndiana]

no flack from me Bruce. While I don't know you personally I do know how you care about your birds and how you raise them. Without a doubt you sharing this has helped someone

Bruce it helps me. I have never been to a commercial chicken operation. I have often wondered if it working out so well for them, why do small operations take all of the extra steps. Not that I would ever not take good care of my animals. Now the extras just make more sense.
Also you lost somewhere around 30 birds ~ I have to think much larger numbers are lost in the commercial world since their numbers are so much larger. Perhaps the commercial farms should be coming under more scrutiny.

Stony ~ I tossed 5 of the sumatra eggs. 2 had started but stopped maybe day 3 or 4. The other 3 eggs were basically scrambled, I could not even tell the whites from the yolks. The rest look great. I'm hopping they are mainly females that are left. Do you have any hints for identifying which of the sumatra chicks are roos at an early age.

 

[TeriO]

Bruce I think you are a brave and thoughtful soul. Some folks first knee jerk reaction is probably negative. I find it just reinforcing of taking good care of our animals irregardless if they are food or pets. Thank you for taking this project on when I am sure it was troublesome to you. Thank you

 

[aoxa]

Bruce, I knew you'd get some flack for that. While I do not agree with your experiment's necessity, I do not judge you for it. Nor do I think you are a mean or cruel person.

I do believe you have brought to light the consequences of over crowding and poor overall management. At least that much is to gain from this.

 

[CoopChick719]

Originally Posted by Mumsy
- to that point: It would be very interesting to me to hear from everyone who wants to contribute. Please be as specific as you can:

As Preventative:
1. What additives do you feed? (Cayenne, Oregano, Garlic, ACV, Other)

All of these plus Black Oil Sunflower seeds, ground pumpkin, Calendula petals, Greek yogurt, and fresh Kale, Collards, Chinese Cabbage in season from the garden. ACV-with mother a Tablespoon in a gallon of water in each water pan.

2. What form are they in? (Fresh, Dried, Oil, Prepared Tea, etc.)

Alfalfa cubes, Cayenne, Oregano, Garlic, dried. (Fresh peppers, Oregano, Garlic, and Calendula petals in season from the garden). Greek yogurt every other day. Fresh garden produce every day free choice. Raw meat twice a week. Free range all day.

3. How is it given? (Mixed into feed, free-feed in a separate container, etc.)

It is all mixed into the fermented Turkey/Gamebird grower. Every day except for the Greek yogurt which is stirred in every other day. Garden produce offered free every day. Raw meat offered free choice twice or more a week when available.


4. How much is given? (Need to be as detailed as possible. If you put 30 garlic cloves in the feed, how much feed is that (by measure)? How many birds are eating from it?

At this time I am feeding about sixty birds which includes twenty one HRIR, eighteen Silkies, five turkey poults, grow out pens of pullets, and laying flock. I go through three to four gallons of fermented mash a day. Sometimes more. Some show Silkie pens get dry with the supplemental dried herbs mixed in.
I make my ferment much like I cook. I don't measure. I add until it looks right and smells right.

In a three gallon bucket, maybe a gallon and a half of the Grower crumble or pellet. One to two heaping Tablespoons each of Cayenne, Garlic, and dried Oregano. Three or four Alfalfa cubes. One full cup of the yogurt. All the petals from a full Calendula blossom. A hanful of the BOSS, and maybe one whole crushed garlic bulb. Maybe five or six stems of fresh Oregano leaves removed from stems and minced. Depends what I have.

5. How often is this given? (Daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)

Twice daily. 6 am and 5pm. All they can eat in fifteen minutes.


6. Results? How do you believe this has affected your flock? Do you have anything to compare to? Have you raised without using these items? If so, what is your observation of the difference between the two methods?

My entire flock are thriving in good health. Except for a few odd ball causes of death and decline in three birds, there is no evidence of malnutrition or disease. They are in good flesh. Parasite free inside and outside. Active, fertile, good hatch rate. Good tasting meat. Daily eggs from the layers. I know they are parasite free because I do fully detailed necropsy on dead ones and those I butcher for the table. I handle and observe my birds frequently and know when to give more feed or less.

Edited to add: Before this I fed dry All Purpose crumble free choice 24/7. Plain water. I lost birds frequently to every disease and worm and parasite known. I stopped raising chickens for twenty years. My property and barn became clean again. I started new using above recipe.


As Treatment:
1. List the illness or symptoms you treated.

MItes and anemia caused from mites on one cock bird.


2. Specific items used.

NuStock, dusting with wood ash, and my recipe listed above for fermented feed.


3. Answer all the questions above.

4. How long was the duration of the treatment?

Three weeks until fully healthy and new feather growth.


5. What were the results?

That cock fully recovered and went from near death to having 100% fertility with my layers within eight weeks of treatment which I no longer think of as treatment. It is how I raise all of my sixty birds including turkeys. Except for NuStock which is on the shelf. I have not used it in eight months. That was the last time I had a chicken that needed it.


I do not raise feral chickens. I am highly interested in preventing problems long before they need to be addressed. I have been raising my flock on this regime for exactly eight months. I see absolutely no reason to change anything at this time. It is working very well.


Edited to add: It's been a YEAR not eight months since I started feeding this way. (I'm old and forgetful)
As Preventative:

3. How is it given? (Mixed into feed, free-feed in a separate container, etc.)

It is all mixed into the fermented Turkey/Gamebird grower. Every day except for the Greek yogurt which is stirred in every other day. Garden produce offered free every day. Raw meat offered free choice twice or more a week when available.

In a three gallon bucket, maybe a gallon and a half of the Grower crumble or pellet. One to two heaping Tablespoons each of Cayenne, Garlic, and dried Oregano. Three or four Alfalfa cubes. One full cup of the yogurt. All the petals from a full Calendula blossom. A hanful of the BOSS, and maybe one whole crushed garlic bulb. Maybe five or six stems of fresh Oregano leaves removed from stems and minced. Depends what I have.

Mumsy--Do you mix this up daily or can it be made the night before?