Chicken food

[Kelly Phillipson]

Hi, we're getting ready to buy some chicks and am at a loss for what
to give the little guys because I really want to stay away from corn
and grains if possible. Any resources would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

[Trae Dever]

Chicken food for baby chicks. Not adult food.

--
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

[Straight]

Corn and other grains are natural foods for chickens. They're birds, that's
what birds eat. If you've ever seen a mother hen, she scratches and finds
all kinds of small bits of seeds and bugs for her babies, not just grass.

For baby chicks, go to the feed store and get the regular baby chick feed.
It comes medicated or not. It they have been vaccinated, get the plain. If
not, get the medicated. They'll live a whole lot better.

The medicated feed will kill baby ducks. It's not really "medicated", it's
more of a vaccination, it contains spores ( I think they're killed) of a
very common ailment that kills baby chicks.

The alternative is that you can send for the "organic" base, then find a
local source for finely ground "organic" grain, and mix your own. Or grind
your own. McMurray has it I think, and a couple of others. If the chicks
come before the feed, give them corn meal or oatmeal from your kitchen.

Mostly, keep them warm!! 95 the first week, down 5 degrees a week, and room
for them to get away from it. Heat lamp and a hanging thermometer. And
never let the water run out!! Those 2 things are really more critical than
the food.

The other alternative----the best one really, is a mother hen.
The hen can eat chick food----forever if necessary.
The chicks should not be eating layer feed though, it's not quite right for
them.
One 50 lb. bag of baby chick feed will last 25 new chicks the first month.
The second month they will need about 2 bags.
The 3rd month you'll be wondering what you got yourself into.

And chickens are ominvores-----they'll eat just about anything and thrive on
it. They normally eat meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy products.
And anything else they can find. Baby chicks are delicate for the first
couple of weeks or so, but after that you can give them all kinds of
leftovers in addition to their regular food.

Those feed companies spend billions on research to find the perfect formula
for baby chicks to succeed for big commercial production. It contains all
the vitamins and trace minerals they need and things you never even thought
of. So enjoy all their effort and money and use a bagful to give yours a
good solid start too.

Chicks are expensive, and not as easy to raise as it looks. And you feel so
bad when the cute little fuzzy things die. You can tell which ones are
roosters, they are the ones trying to kill themselves in all sorts of
creative ways.

Diane S.

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[Sally John]

My understanding is that medicated feed in North America usually contains
Amprol, a brand name for amprolium, or 1-(4-amino-2-n-
propyl-5-pyrimidinylmethyl)-2-picolinium chloride hydrochloride). This is a
chemical, not spores; it acts, I believe, as a coccidiostat, so inhibits
reproduction of the parasite, (generally a species of Eimeria).
___________________________

Sally

[Trae Dever]

I personally avoided medicated food. I never had more than 30 birds at a
time, and the risks outweighed the benefits.

--

[Brenda Wilson]

  You can call Jacqueline Freeman, 360 687 8384.. Thanks Brenda

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Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

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[Kelly Phillipson]

Thank you everyone!  I didn't want to inflate their omega 6/3 ratio by giving the chicks grains (and the kids and I are sensitive to grains as well, not sure if that would show up later in their meat), but it is definitely a point that I need to keep them alive long enough to even be worried about that.  Going to feed store tomorrow :)
Kelly

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[DebSkinner]

I don't understand not wanting to feed them corn and grains, but to each
their own, I guess.

Purina will send you coupons for their feed. Mention my number and I'll get
another one. ;>

Referring your friends is simple. All they need to do is enter your unique
referral code (listed below) when they enroll in the Purina DifferenceT
Rewards Program at purinamills.com/rewards.

YOUR SECURE UNIQUE REFERRAL CODE: 20110407-66-05911662

On the topic of chicken food - I was recycling an egg carton the other day
and it was for some 'cage free - organic eggs' and the hens had been fed a
vegetarian diet. Poor girls, no bugs in their 'free range'? How sad. ;<

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

[Kelly Phillipson]

Thanks for the coupon code, Deb.  My family suffers from digestive issues; I have to be extraordinarily careful with our diet, it really stinks.  We are off of grains, but still eat chicken and antibiotic free meats that have been fed grains when we have to and order grassfed meats as our main staples.  I'm sure the eggs we are currently eating are grain fed as well - so like my husband said, anything we do will be a million times better than the store-bought brand.  If there were a way to feed the chicks only bugs and grass and to get them to thrive, I would do that in a heartbeat.  Maybe as I grow more chickens I will get more adventurous, but on the first round I want them to live and will take everyone's advice on the starter :)
Kelly

[Straight]

You might consider trying a roast goose.  They do live primarily on grass.

 

That is why they can use them to weed strawberries.  Geese eat the tall thin grass type leaves, not the wide flat strawberry type leaves.  I used to know somebody who did use them, put them in the field when the berries were done and kept them there for the summer.

 

Ducks love grain, but don't need it.  They can live on bugs and greeenery too, and little fish. 

 

Rabbits are another one that lives on greenery, rabbit pellets are mostly ground up greenery.  There's also lamb and goat, both primarily grass eaters.  Some people give them grain, especially in the last months of pregnancy, but not a lot, they get sick on very much.

 

Diane S. 

----- Original Message -----

From: Kelly Phillipson

To: grass-f...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9:02 PM

Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

[Karen]

I have always heard of using geese as weeders, but mine seem to eat EVERYTHING that grows, including the top 3 inches of carrots still in the ground.  They will shred corn stalks (I only let them in after we've picked it all) and of course they love lettuce, spinach and all types of greens.  They even get excited when I throw them pulled weeds.  We currently have 7 geese, 4 different breeds.  We do use our geese to mow the lawn and they do a great job (if you don't mind goose poop on the porch and sidewalk) but I would be hesitant to let them anywhere near plants I want to keep. 

 

Just my experience, and I'm sure others are different or they wouldn't be called "weeder" geese.

 

Karen in MT

 

P.S.  It's a good thing they mow the lawn, because one year they "ate" the lawnmower.  Actually, they tried to but just pulled out springs and wires.  The repair guy kept asking, "Are you SURE this was done by geese?"

[Kelly Phillipson]

Thank you Diane & Karen - I am definitely going to look into the geese!!  Hmmm...my son might be able to eat their eggs too (he vomits with chicken eggs).

[DebSkinner]

You're welcome, Kelly-

 

I have been under the impression that birds needed grains in order to be healthy.  I know the layer pellets I feed my girls is mostly grain of some sort.  I know a lot of red meat animals are fed grains right before slaughter in order to put on some fat.  I'm hoping Troy can give a reference for not needing grains, I could save a few bucks.  ;>

 

I really sympathize with you for the food issues your family has.  A majority of our society seems to be having digestive problems.  Some of us can't eat most of the available food, and others can't assimilate the nutrition and get fat while under nourished.  When we look back at the changes in our food supply over the last couple of generations, it starts to make sense.

 

I suppose you are raising a garden as well?  The girls will love all the worms and bugs and greenery you throw their way.

 

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

---

From: grass-f...@googlegroups.com [mailto:grass-f...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 6:03 PM
To: grass-f...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

[Trae Dever]

I think by Troy, you may be referring to me. Chickens are capable of eating many things. Like most domesticated livestock, they can, and do, eat grains. Commercial food is designed to be inexpensive, while still providing minimum nutritional requirements. For example, laying pellets are designed to give a hen what she needs to lay an egg. They are not designed to create a healthy egg, nor or they designed to create an egg that will hatch. Different food is sold for breeding. I doubt you can buy something less expensive than commercial chicken food. I also don't know exactly what commercial chicken food is made of, but I would not be surprised if grains were part of the formula.

To lower your costs, improve the nutritional value, and improve taste of both your birds and eggs, many people let chickens roam during the day, if they can. The natural diet of chickens consists of plant material, and what lives on the ground. Grains don't typically grow where chickens would naturally be eating, so they are not part of a chicken's diet. Chickens seem to like tender green leaves and short young grasses, which will make up most of their diet. They love bugs and worms, and will eat as many as they can. I've also seen them eat live snakes, head first. And, I've seen them eat each other. The problem with chickens, is they are domesticated animals. Most can not survive on their own. Over hundreds of years, they have been altered to fit man's purposes. It's hard, if not impossible, to raise a large group of chickens without giving them supplemental food. I have read it takes approximately 1 acre to feed two chickens without supplementing food. However, this really depends on the land and other factors. I had 2 survive in 1/4 acre for many years, and they thrived. Most people who let their chickens roam during the day must supplement their chicken's diet with something. The easiest, and usually cheapest, supplement is regular commercial chicken food. Right with commercial chicken food would be whole or cracked corn.

We have had discussions on this list regarding supplementing with corn. I prefer to avoid corn, others prefer to use corn. At some point it really does become splitting hairs. Corn, like all grains, adds omega 6. Humans get more omega 6 than they need, and some believe this is part of the increase in diabetes, and other illnesses. I honestly have no idea if this is true. Grass increases omega 3, which is acknowledged to be be beneficial in both nutrition and taste. So, the more a chicken fills up on corn, the less grass and other beneficial plants they eat. But where exactly is that line between insignificant and detrimental? That's where the arguments start.

Some people choose other food to supplement their chicken's diets. I have heard of seaweed, and worms. Personally I used scraps from my garden, and other food items I would otherwise discard. My birds loved watermelon. I ate what I like best, and they picked clean the rest. I also enjoyed feeding them baby spinach by hand. In addition to being very relaxing for me, the birds became conditioned to not only being with me, but to come close enough to grab. Seaweed wasn't a good option for me. Making a worm bin sounded good, but I never got off of my butt and built it. Buying 100 crickets from the bait store was always fun too. My birds also learned where the cat food was. But my main supplement was commercial chicken food. For more information on other feed, somebody recommended the Chickenfeed web site, and that is an excellent suggestion. http://www.lionsgrip.com/intro.html

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[Kelly Phillipson]

Hi Deb,
You said it really well - each generation seems to be getting more symptoms than those before, at least in my family!  Feels good to break the chain, but I still can't go all day without missing my coffee ;) 
Yes!  We are going to work on our garden soon too!  We have the seeds, but need to make some beds.  Will chickens eat the plants too or should I make them their own separate garden?
Kelly

[Kelly Phillipson]

Thank you Trae, this is very helpful!
Kelly

[Straight]

Statements like that ------so much area will support so many chickens-----really is very dependent on the local climate and vegetation in any given area. 

 

You wouldn't need 2 acres for 2 chickens where I live, but we do have long heavy snow winters which are pretty much a type of desert.  So you have to store food for both people and animals, and covered, secured shelter becomes a big deal.  Grains are a concentrated food that don't take up so much room.

 

Of course, then there was THIS winter!  Like moving south about 3 states, mostly.

 

Diane S.-----SW NYS

[DebSkinner]

Chickens really like small green plants.  Protect your garden.

 

As others have mentioned, they like most fruits and leafy greens.  I've had a lot of fun watching them pick their own grapes off a trellised vine.  One flew up and sat on the vine, but most of them stayed on the ground and jumped for the grapes.  ;>

 

After you harvest it is ok to put the chickens into your garden.  They'll eat weeds, some of the plants you are through with, and leave their own brand of fertilizer behind.

 

I've learned a lot from the magazine version of http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/  as well as lists such as this.

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

From: grass-f...@googlegroups.com [mailto:grass-f...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson

Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 8:58 AM

To: grass-f...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

[Kelly Phillipson]

Great!  I am so excited to get the "girls" outside and on the grass!  I have also been looking up worm gardens on-line and think I'm going to start one.  We went back to a different feed store and now we have 12 all together; a flock :)  Has been such a fun experience so far.  Thank you for the magazine link, can't wait to read it!
Kelly

[Trae Dever]

Kelly:

What types do you have? Be careful about predators. I have no idea what kind of area you live in, which usually determines what type of predators, but chickens are easy targets. Especially in the early morning.

Lowell

[Carole Straughn]

I've sometimes let my chickens into a growing garden the last 15-30 minutes before sundown, when they will go for the bugs first.  They can't do much damage in the short time before they all go in to roost.

Carole

---

From: DebSkinner <deb9...@gmail.com>
To: grass-f...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 3:26 AM
Subject: RE: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

[DebSkinner]

good to know

 

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

[Kelly Phillipson]

Thank you Lowell, I had to ask my husband what wildlife we have here (we just moved) - some cougars, bob cats, not too many wolves, weasles, etc., my chickens will be easy targets definitely.  My husband is in the thought process of building a coop, so we'll make sure that sucker is stable and has a bunch of wire around it.  Do you think it would be OK to let them run around in the yard during the day by themselves or maybe only when I'm out back with them?

[Trae Dever]

Kelly:

Your list of predators is worse than mine. I had to worry about coons, fox, opossum, bobcat, and the occasional hawk. Even with a fenced yard, everything could climb in or jump over. But I never lost a bird during the day, except to dogs. Dogs kill for pleasure, and can kill many at a time. Other than dogs, I never had a loss during the day. All of my nasties came out at night. Chickens usually go to bed early, allowing you to lock them in. They also get up early. My coop allowed them to let themselves out, and most losses were early in the morning, before or at dawn. Hawk losses are during day, but impossible to stop if your birds are let out. Fortunately those losses are usually extremely small. I never lost a chicken to a hawk.

I was in the process of redesigning my coop when I moved, and I now live where chickens are verboten. My design included an automatic door set on a timer. This way I didn't have to let the chickens out before I left for work, around 5:00 AM, when it was still dark. The timer was going to be set for 7:00 AM. Usually my birds were back in for the night between 4 & 5 PM, well before dark, so the timer would close for 5:00. But I never built this. I also used a baby monitor to listen to the coop from inside my house. Noises at night meant a problem. However, the crowing started around 4, and the baby monitor picked up that too. I was toying with the idea of video feed from the coop, and would have probably added that to my design.

A trained dog, or dogs, can be excellent protection. If you have the space, one or two dogs can do a great job. I have also heard of goats protecting chickens. Goats and chickens are a natural fit.

So, to finely get around to answering your question, if you have a fenced inclosure, and your birds don't fly over the fence, they will probably be safe during the day. Without a fence, you may have problems, especially if you are close to woods where predators can hide. If you have chickens that fly, and trees they can reach, that will help. A large nasty rooster can also help, if you don't mind running for your life every now and then.

Lowell

[Jean SB]

Kelly, 

Predators are an important consideration. We raise grass fed meat birds, heritage layer pullets and grass fed eggs. Our main problems are raccoons, mink, and Cooper's hawks.

All our birds are locked up overnight in secure houses - this minimizes losses to raccoons - occasionally they come during the daytime though so we have roosters that call the alarm and challenge the raccoons. We have had plenty of mink attacks (in our case always during the day) and I have won the battle with the last three mink (I use traps - a dead chicken makes excellent bait - especially if it was killed by the mink earlier, I also use sticks and stones and my boots to kill mink). Cooper's hawks are a constant threat to young birds (chicks and young pullets and bantams).

Other potential predators are ravens, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, river otters (ours have never attacked), owls, cougars and black bears (we have 6-7 guard roosters, who alarm and attack the ravens).

Crows are our friends they nest nearby and are extremely intolerant of nest thieves like red-tailed hawks and raccoons and will chase them away. Even rufous hummingbird males will chase away Cooper's hawks so it pays to enncourage a hummingbird or two.

I string bailing twine (orange polypropylene ties from hay bales) and fishing line as overhead protection  in the pullet runs. We tie pieces of old CDs on string from the twine- these twist and flash in the day time and seem to deter the hawks somewhat.

Our flock and meat birds are free ranging - but they always have roosters for protection. 

Our roosters are selected from the year's home hatches: they have to be brave (so you have to observe what they do when a predator threatens - if they run away they go in the pot, if they stand and fight they are kept). Roosters must also have good egg genes (prolificacy and colour); they must be gentle with the hens; they must not attack humans; they must be handsome and lastly they must have a pleasant crow. Some of these traits are hard to combine - valour that makes a brave rooster sometimes is associated with aggression towards the hens and towards humans. You can let the hens do some of this selection - they can tell who is brave, who is handsome and who is gentle.

So if you are within earshot of your birds, roosters are by far your best protection from daytime predators. They have a graduated and differentiated alarm system: a grunt that indicates non-specified aerial threat (e.g. a float plane, helicopter, vulture, seagull or eagle) - the hens usually stop feeding and look up. There is a more urgent alarm when the threat is imminent e.g. a hawk approaching: the hens will run for cover without looking. If the threat is present and continuing they give a loud continuous alarm - they will do this if a hawk is perched or poised to strike or if a raccoon or mink approaches. They have a specific mustelid alarm for mink and otters. Sometimes when there is a new and unknown threat (we recently had an influx of rabbits) they will freak out for a while and then eventually calm down once they realize there is no danger. If you are within earshot you can recognize the different alarms and go out to confront the predator yourself or at least shoo it away.

So lock up your birds at night.

If you let them range on pasture during the day roosters are your best protection - one rooster per 10-15 birds should do the trick.

Jean SB

On Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:12:32 UTC-7, Trae Dever wrote:

Kelly:

Your list of predators is worse than mine. I had to worry about coons, fox, opossum, bobcat, and the occasional hawk. Even with a fenced yard, everything could climb in or jump over. But I never lost a bird during the day, except to dogs. Dogs kill for pleasure, and can kill many at a time. Other than dogs, I never had a loss during the day. All of my nasties came out at night. Chickens usually go to bed early, allowing you to lock them in. They also get up early. My coop allowed them to let themselves out, and most losses were early in the morning, before or at dawn. Hawk losses are during day, but impossible to stop if your birds are let out. Fortunately those losses are usually extremely small. I never lost a chicken to a hawk.

I was in the process of redesigning my coop when I moved, and I now live where chickens are verboten. My design included an automatic door set on a timer. This way I didn't have to let the chickens out before I left for work, around 5:00 AM, when it was still dark. The timer was going to be set for 7:00 AM. Usually my birds were back in for the night between 4 & 5 PM, well before dark, so the timer would close for 5:00. But I never built this. I also used a baby monitor to listen to the coop from inside my house. Noises at night meant a problem. However, the crowing started around 4, and the baby monitor picked up that too. I was toying with the idea of video feed from the coop, and would have probably added that to my design.

A trained dog, or dogs, can be excellent protection. If you have the space, one or two dogs can do a great job. I have also heard of goats protecting chickens. Goats and chickens are a natural fit.

So, to finely get around to answering your question, if you have a fenced inclosure, and your birds don't fly over the fence, they will probably be safe during the day. Without a fence, you may have problems, especially if you are close to woods where predators can hide. If you have chickens that fly, and trees they can reach, that will help. A large nasty rooster can also help, if you don't mind running for your life every now and then.

Lowell


On 4/25/2012 4:46 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Thank you Lowell, I had to ask my husband what wildlife we have here (we just moved) - some cougars, bob cats, not too many wolves, weasles, etc., my chickens will be easy targets definitely.  My husband is in the thought process of building a coop, so we'll make sure that sucker is stable and has a bunch of wire around it.  Do you think it would be OK to let them run around in the yard during the day by themselves or maybe only when I'm out back with them?

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Trae Dever <tr...@dever.us> wrote:

Kelly:

What types do you have? Be careful about predators. I have no idea what kind of area you live in, which usually determines what type of predators, but chickens are easy targets. Especially in the early morning.

Lowell

On 4/23/2012 3:15 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Great!  I am so excited to get the "girls" outside and on the grass!  I have also been looking up worm gardens on-line and think I'm going to start one.  We went back to a different feed store and now we have 12 all together; a flock :)  Has been such a fun experience so far.  Thank you for the magazine link, can't wait to read it!
Kelly

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:26 AM, DebSkinner <deb9...@gmail.com> wrote:

Chickens really like small green plants.  Protect your garden.

 

As others have mentioned, they like most fruits and leafy greens.  I've had a lot of fun watching them pick their own grapes off a trellised vine.  One flew up and sat on the vine, but most of them stayed on the ground and jumped for the grapes.  ;>

 

After you harvest it is ok to put the chickens into your garden.  They'll eat weeds, some of the plants you are through with, and leave their own brand of fertilizer behind.

 

I've learned a lot from the magazine version of http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/  as well as lists such as this.

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

---

From: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com [mailto:grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson

Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 8:58 AM

To: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

Hi Deb,
You said it really well - each generation seems to be getting more symptoms than those before, at least in my family!  Feels good to break the chain, but I still can't go all day without missing my coffee ;) 
Yes!  We are going to work on our garden soon too!  We have the seeds, but need to make some beds.  Will chickens eat the plants too or should I make them their own separate garden?
Kelly

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-- 
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

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-- 
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

On Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:12:32 UTC-7, Trae Dever wrote:

Kelly:

Your list of predators is worse than mine. I had to worry about coons, fox, opossum, bobcat, and the occasional hawk. Even with a fenced yard, everything could climb in or jump over. But I never lost a bird during the day, except to dogs. Dogs kill for pleasure, and can kill many at a time. Other than dogs, I never had a loss during the day. All of my nasties came out at night. Chickens usually go to bed early, allowing you to lock them in. They also get up early. My coop allowed them to let themselves out, and most losses were early in the morning, before or at dawn. Hawk losses are during day, but impossible to stop if your birds are let out. Fortunately those losses are usually extremely small. I never lost a chicken to a hawk.

I was in the process of redesigning my coop when I moved, and I now live where chickens are verboten. My design included an automatic door set on a timer. This way I didn't have to let the chickens out before I left for work, around 5:00 AM, when it was still dark. The timer was going to be set for 7:00 AM. Usually my birds were back in for the night between 4 & 5 PM, well before dark, so the timer would close for 5:00. But I never built this. I also used a baby monitor to listen to the coop from inside my house. Noises at night meant a problem. However, the crowing started around 4, and the baby monitor picked up that too. I was toying with the idea of video feed from the coop, and would have probably added that to my design.

A trained dog, or dogs, can be excellent protection. If you have the space, one or two dogs can do a great job. I have also heard of goats protecting chickens. Goats and chickens are a natural fit.

So, to finely get around to answering your question, if you have a fenced inclosure, and your birds don't fly over the fence, they will probably be safe during the day. Without a fence, you may have problems, especially if you are close to woods where predators can hide. If you have chickens that fly, and trees they can reach, that will help. A large nasty rooster can also help, if you don't mind running for your life every now and then.

Lowell


On 4/25/2012 4:46 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Thank you Lowell, I had to ask my husband what wildlife we have here (we just moved) - some cougars, bob cats, not too many wolves, weasles, etc., my chickens will be easy targets definitely.  My husband is in the thought process of building a coop, so we'll make sure that sucker is stable and has a bunch of wire around it.  Do you think it would be OK to let them run around in the yard during the day by themselves or maybe only when I'm out back with them?

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Trae Dever <tr...@dever.us> wrote:

Kelly:

What types do you have? Be careful about predators. I have no idea what kind of area you live in, which usually determines what type of predators, but chickens are easy targets. Especially in the early morning.

Lowell

On 4/23/2012 3:15 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Great!  I am so excited to get the "girls" outside and on the grass!  I have also been looking up worm gardens on-line and think I'm going to start one.  We went back to a different feed store and now we have 12 all together; a flock :)  Has been such a fun experience so far.  Thank you for the magazine link, can't wait to read it!
Kelly

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:26 AM, DebSkinner <deb9...@gmail.com> wrote:

Chickens really like small green plants.  Protect your garden.

 

As others have mentioned, they like most fruits and leafy greens.  I've had a lot of fun watching them pick their own grapes off a trellised vine.  One flew up and sat on the vine, but most of them stayed on the ground and jumped for the grapes.  ;>

 

After you harvest it is ok to put the chickens into your garden.  They'll eat weeds, some of the plants you are through with, and leave their own brand of fertilizer behind.

 

I've learned a lot from the magazine version of http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/  as well as lists such as this.

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

---

From: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com [mailto:grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson

Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 8:58 AM

To: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

Hi Deb,
You said it really well - each generation seems to be getting more symptoms than those before, at least in my family!  Feels good to break the chain, but I still can't go all day without missing my coffee ;) 
Yes!  We are going to work on our garden soon too!  We have the seeds, but need to make some beds.  Will chickens eat the plants too or should I make them their own separate garden?
Kelly

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-- 
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

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-- 
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

On Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:12:32 UTC-7, Trae Dever wrote:

Kelly:

Your list of predators is worse than mine. I had to worry about coons, fox, opossum, bobcat, and the occasional hawk. Even with a fenced yard, everything could climb in or jump over. But I never lost a bird during the day, except to dogs. Dogs kill for pleasure, and can kill many at a time. Other than dogs, I never had a loss during the day. All of my nasties came out at night. Chickens usually go to bed early, allowing you to lock them in. They also get up early. My coop allowed them to let themselves out, and most losses were early in the morning, before or at dawn. Hawk losses are during day, but impossible to stop if your birds are let out. Fortunately those losses are usually extremely small. I never lost a chicken to a hawk.

I was in the process of redesigning my coop when I moved, and I now live where chickens are verboten. My design included an automatic door set on a timer. This way I didn't have to let the chickens out before I left for work, around 5:00 AM, when it was still dark. The timer was going to be set for 7:00 AM. Usually my birds were back in for the night between 4 & 5 PM, well before dark, so the timer would close for 5:00. But I never built this. I also used a baby monitor to listen to the coop from inside my house. Noises at night meant a problem. However, the crowing started around 4, and the baby monitor picked up that too. I was toying with the idea of video feed from the coop, and would have probably added that to my design.

A trained dog, or dogs, can be excellent protection. If you have the space, one or two dogs can do a great job. I have also heard of goats protecting chickens. Goats and chickens are a natural fit.

So, to finely get around to answering your question, if you have a fenced inclosure, and your birds don't fly over the fence, they will probably be safe during the day. Without a fence, you may have problems, especially if you are close to woods where predators can hide. If you have chickens that fly, and trees they can reach, that will help. A large nasty rooster can also help, if you don't mind running for your life every now and then.

Lowell


On 4/25/2012 4:46 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Thank you Lowell, I had to ask my husband what wildlife we have here (we just moved) - some cougars, bob cats, not too many wolves, weasles, etc., my chickens will be easy targets definitely.  My husband is in the thought process of building a coop, so we'll make sure that sucker is stable and has a bunch of wire around it.  Do you think it would be OK to let them run around in the yard during the day by themselves or maybe only when I'm out back with them?

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Trae Dever <tr...@dever.us> wrote:

Kelly:

What types do you have? Be careful about predators. I have no idea what kind of area you live in, which usually determines what type of predators, but chickens are easy targets. Especially in the early morning.

Lowell

On 4/23/2012 3:15 PM, Kelly Phillipson wrote:

Great!  I am so excited to get the "girls" outside and on the grass!  I have also been looking up worm gardens on-line and think I'm going to start one.  We went back to a different feed store and now we have 12 all together; a flock :)  Has been such a fun experience so far.  Thank you for the magazine link, can't wait to read it!
Kelly

On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 2:26 AM, DebSkinner <deb9...@gmail.com> wrote:

Chickens really like small green plants.  Protect your garden.

 

As others have mentioned, they like most fruits and leafy greens.  I've had a lot of fun watching them pick their own grapes off a trellised vine.  One flew up and sat on the vine, but most of them stayed on the ground and jumped for the grapes.  ;>

 

After you harvest it is ok to put the chickens into your garden.  They'll eat weeds, some of the plants you are through with, and leave their own brand of fertilizer behind.

 

I've learned a lot from the magazine version of http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/  as well as lists such as this.

Deb

If *I* ran the world, we'd all face different challenges. ;>

 

---

From: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com [mailto:grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson

Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 8:58 AM

To: grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Chicken food

Hi Deb,
You said it really well - each generation seems to be getting more symptoms than those before, at least in my family!  Feels good to break the chain, but I still can't go all day without missing my coffee ;) 
Yes!  We are going to work on our garden soon too!  We have the seeds, but need to make some beds.  Will chickens eat the plants too or should I make them their own separate garden?
Kelly

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-- 
Sincerely,
Lowell (Trae) E. Dever III
(985) 718-0879 ofc.
(985) 960-3399 cell
(866) 872-4033 fax

--
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[Kelly Phillipson]

Lowell, your coop sounds amazing!  Wait until I tell my husband he needs to put a timer on ours ;)  I never even thought about hawks, we have them here too. The dog next door is going to go nuts - he already wants to attack my children, but our neighbors thankfully increased their fencing.  We were thinking about getting a dog in the future, but maybe we should speed up that process while our chickens are still chicks so the dog gets used to them?  Or maybe get a puppy so s/he grows up with the chickens?  Oh, forgot to tell you - our varieties are:  Millie Fleur (2), Buff (2), Golden sexed pullets (I think; we have 8 of them). 

Hmmm...I wanted to get a Vizsla for the kids but it's not looking like such a good idea now, unless we want a lot of chicken dinner.  Goats definitely in the future when I get my farm, or maybe in a couple years, we might have enough room :)

About roosters - we have two toddlers so initially we were thinking of just cooking any roosters.  But what if we kept a rooster (if we have one) in the enclose chicken-wire area of the coop - so they could signal predators but not roam in the yard?  Seems a bit unfair to the rooster to have all the hens roaming about but the rooster enclosed.  What do you think?

Also, on the food issue:  I am approximating one of the recipes everyone linked on-line for now and am goign to pick up some Scratch & Peck at the store on Sun.  They have a soy-free and corn-free formula or just a soy-free, I will be fine with either (and they are made from all organic/sustainable farms).  I have also ordered a worm composting kit with 2,000 worms too and am still researching making a nice worm garden for the girls!

Kelly

[Kelly Phillipson]

Jean,

I was just talking to my husband about doing some meat birds!  Haven't researched them enough yet; when do you put yours out to pasture?  And do you supplement your chickens at all with feed?

I think we do have hawks here too.

That is a great idea withe the CDs as a deterent from above predators.

I love how you are selecting your roosters.  This is such fun!  I just asked Lowell this, but I will ask you too - what about the rooster & kid issue?  Any thoughts? 

Thank you for all your knowledge!
Kelly

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[Trae Dever]

Kelly:

My coop sounded amazing, but remember it was never actually built. It
might not have been so easy, or feasible to build. Dogs killed more of
my birds than all other predators combined. The fence did a great job
keeping dogs out, but the chickens didn't do a good job staying inside
the fence. I was told a solid fence, one the chickens could not see
through, would work better. Chickens are not likely to jump over a fence
if they can't see what's hiding on the other side.

I personally liked the idea of using dogs for protection. My wife has a
standard poodle. Do not get a standard poodle. I went outside one
evening, and he was sitting, watching an opossum eat from the feeders.
Certain breeds are known for their protection abilities, and from what I
hear, they do best when raised with what they will protect. The best
protection dogs are not usually good pets.

Goats and chickens go well together because goats keep the grass cut
low, which is what chickens like. Just make sure they can't get into the
chicken feed. They will eat all of your feed, and probably the feeder too.

As for roosters, look into what roosters might work best. Some are known
to be aggressive towards animals, but not humans. Barred Rocks are
usually good choices, especially if you get a nice big one. But any
rooster can have that "kill anything" trait. I had a Jersey Giant that
attacked everything. He was a large Jersey Giant too. Once he attacked a
full grown German Shepard, and drove him out of the yard. He also
attacked my father many times while he was working in the garden. On one
occasion my father was defending himself with a pitch fork, and he had
to retreat to avoid killing the bird. He just kept attacking. While the
rooster was great for protection, we had to get rid of him because we
were afraid he would attack a child. Jersey Giants are known for being a
docile breed. I don't think the pen idea would work well. A smart
predator would know he was no threat.

Well, back to work for me. Bills to pay, and my parents were too
inconsiderate to leave me independently wealthy. Chickens are more fun
than insurance and payroll.

Lowell

[Kelly Phillipson]

Oh No!  That story about your father and the pitchfork has left me in tears!  So we will need to get a puppy in the near future and a goat for father's day (hah; my husband will love that!!).  And save the roosters until the kiddos are a little older. 

My husband & friend are just working on the coop right now; he found an easy-construction one on Mother Earth's website.  It looks like it's going to be easy to get in there and clean too; can't believe how dirty these little girls can get!  Well, we were very impressed with the timer idea, anyway :) 

Kelly

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