Comments for SUSTAINABLE CHICKEN http://www.sustainablechicken.com expanding local feed options for backyard chickens Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:47:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Where does chicken feed come from? by laurence http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/03/01/where-does-chicken-feed-come-from/comment-page-1/#comment-8548 laurence Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:33:10 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=19#comment-8548 Thanks - this is an important item in my book, Did you finally locate a source for chicken feed. I'd be really interested to find out. L. Thanks - this is an important item in my book,
Did you finally locate a source for chicken feed.
I’d be really interested to find out.
L.

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by Mark Biaggi http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-8480 Mark Biaggi Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:20:06 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-8480 Great website - too much of America has lost so much knowledge in a few generations. I live in a rural isolated area north of you, plenty of acreage for chickens. Have been working with chickens since 1990 started with the "Big guys" Foster Farms, Tyson, Cargil. Small reason i am passionate about pasture raised poultry. Have had as many as 250 layers and 500 broilers on pasture. Economics on pasture egg production are tough but preditors make it almost impossible except for home production. We are down to home production currently and I use hoop house chicken tractors as the bobcat population has exploded, they cleaned out layer flock this past year. Chickens get to choose what they eat. Feeder each of crumbles, whole wheat, barley, oats, oyster shell, kelp, grit. Constantly move to new pasture even if dry. All kitchen scraps (feed meat - chickens are not vegetarians. But don't feed them chicken even if they will eat it, excess vegetables from local grocery store (reduces their garbage bill), and access to cow pies (fly larva). Grit (hen's teeth) is such a key to feed utilization, especially when using whole grains, vegetables, etc. Never pack water, use a float system with gravity feed. Have clean water. For extra protien if you have earwigs leave old board in grass at least a week or more before the next move. Turn over boards when chickens are in area they will clean up. Pay attention to what the chickens eat, it changes as the season, their age, the egg production etc changes and feed accordingly. If you are confined then use deep bedding, just because chicken manure is high in nitrogen they place should not stink of ammonia. Utilize roots in confined areas, but on pasture they will adjust to sleeping on the ground. Biggest thing is foundation, start them correctly in the brooder and they will be a good flock. Just like a house if they have a poor foundation it will crumble. A good brooder requires not antibiotics, does not smell and mortality should be 1-2% max. Lots of luck and hope all works out. Great website - too much of America has lost so much knowledge in a few generations.

I live in a rural isolated area north of you, plenty of acreage for chickens. Have been working with chickens since 1990 started with the “Big guys” Foster Farms, Tyson, Cargil. Small reason i am passionate about pasture raised poultry.

Have had as many as 250 layers and 500 broilers on pasture. Economics on pasture egg production are tough but preditors make it almost impossible except for home production. We are down to home production currently and I use hoop house chicken tractors as the bobcat population has exploded, they cleaned out layer flock this past year.

Chickens get to choose what they eat. Feeder each of crumbles, whole wheat, barley, oats, oyster shell, kelp, grit. Constantly move to new pasture even if dry.
All kitchen scraps (feed meat - chickens are not vegetarians. But don’t feed them chicken even if they will eat it, excess vegetables from local grocery store (reduces their garbage bill), and access to cow pies (fly larva). Grit (hen’s teeth) is such a key to feed utilization, especially when using whole grains, vegetables, etc.

Never pack water, use a float system with gravity feed. Have clean water.

For extra protien if you have earwigs leave old board in grass at least a week or more before the next move. Turn over boards when chickens are in area they will clean up.

Pay attention to what the chickens eat, it changes as the season, their age, the egg production etc changes and feed accordingly.

If you are confined then use deep bedding, just because chicken manure is high in nitrogen they place should not stink of ammonia. Utilize roots in confined areas, but on pasture they will adjust to sleeping on the ground.

Biggest thing is foundation, start them correctly in the brooder and they will be a good flock. Just like a house if they have a poor foundation it will crumble. A good brooder requires not antibiotics, does not smell and mortality should be 1-2% max.

Lots of luck and hope all works out.

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by leslie citroen http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-7784 leslie citroen Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:42:01 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-7784 ...our website is www.millvalleychickens.com …our website is http://www.millvalleychickens.com

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by leslie citroen http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-7783 leslie citroen Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:41:05 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-7783 Hello. I found your website and love it.... we are selling backyard baby chicks and pullets in Mill valley. I found that we were spending so much of our time explaining to customers how to raise chickens, that we started offering ibtroductory classes to backyard chickens,. i was wondering if you could link our website to your website? and vice versa. Thanks Leslie leslie184@gmail.com Hello.
I found your website and love it…. we are selling backyard baby chicks and pullets in Mill valley. I found that we were spending so much of our time explaining to customers how to raise chickens, that we started offering ibtroductory classes to backyard chickens,.

i was wondering if you could link our website to your website? and vice versa.

Thanks
Leslie
leslie184@gmail.com

]]> Comment on More sustainable choices are not always obvious by Julius http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/05/03/more-sustainable-choices-are-not-always-obvious/comment-page-1/#comment-3387 Julius Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:37:04 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=219#comment-3387 using the corn example there are also different choices for irrigation. Sprinklers would use more water and more energy than say a drip irrigation system. Most large scale farms that I have seen use sprinklers because of the ease of use but for the back yard garden drip irrigation works wonders. using the corn example there are also different choices for irrigation. Sprinklers would use more water and more energy than say a drip irrigation system. Most large scale farms that I have seen use sprinklers because of the ease of use but for the back yard garden drip irrigation works wonders.

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by christopherpeck http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-3342 christopherpeck Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:48:31 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-3342 Meant to say "all the roots and some DIRT attached ..." Oy, moving fast ... Meant to say “all the roots and some DIRT attached …” Oy, moving fast …

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by christopherpeck http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-3341 christopherpeck Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:47:46 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-3341 Hello Jan- Doesn't sound like you're a newbie! Thanks for sharing this information, much appreciated. I've noticed that when I pull a whole weed or clump of grass that has all the roots and some attached (instead of just trimming greens) that the chickens go for the soil first. It seems like they're going after worms, little rocks and perhaps the soil too. Where are you located? What do you use for a coop? Do you use a chicken tractor when you let them into the garden, or do they go there strictly during off seasons? Thanks! Christopher Hello Jan-
Doesn’t sound like you’re a newbie! Thanks for sharing this information, much appreciated. I’ve noticed that when I pull a whole weed or clump of grass that has all the roots and some attached (instead of just trimming greens) that the chickens go for the soil first. It seems like they’re going after worms, little rocks and perhaps the soil too.
Where are you located? What do you use for a coop? Do you use a chicken tractor when you let them into the garden, or do they go there strictly during off seasons?
Thanks!
Christopher

]]> Comment on Interview Questions for Sustainable Chicken Enthusiasts by Jan http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/02/04/11/comment-page-1/#comment-3340 Jan Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:06:20 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=11#comment-3340 Hi. I'm new to chickens, I'm brooding my first chicks now in a stock tank in my living room. Daily, I sprinkle some good garden dirt onto their shavings and add a clump of grass I weeded from the yard. I believe there are lots of good minerals, microbes and such plus natural chicken behavior flourishes with the dirt and grass. They're getting chicken starter as their primary feed, plus a small dish of home cultured yogurt or raw milk daily, a sprinkling of kelp, a few drops of raw apple cider vinegar in their water, any ant that strolls across my kitchen counter goes right to the chicks plus they get some of the smaller worms from my vermicomposting. They haven't shown much interest in tender greens so far but they're not even a week old. As they mature, I'll treat them much as I do my duck flock. Free range my rural yard and edges of my woods during the day, then into their secure house at night. Bagged feed is still the staple food with as much as I can grow for them (working to build good mixed pasture in a couple mini orchards) plus they'll have access to my compost pile. In winter, I supplement occasionally with worms from the vermicompost bins, plus daily give them a variety of sprouts (mung bean, wheat, etc) and shoots (sunflower, buckwheat, etc) I grow on the windowsills. I'll plant extra goodies in summer to share with the chicks and ducks (chicks like a lot more variety) such as small patches of corn to dry, oats, flax, etc. No where near enough to be their primary feed, rather these are a super healthful supplements that I hope to grow more of each year. They'll also be let into portions of the veggie garden between plantings or pre/post growing season. Hi. I’m new to chickens, I’m brooding my first chicks now in a stock tank in my living room. Daily, I sprinkle some good garden dirt onto their shavings and add a clump of grass I weeded from the yard. I believe there are lots of good minerals, microbes and such plus natural chicken behavior flourishes with the dirt and grass. They’re getting chicken starter as their primary feed, plus a small dish of home cultured yogurt or raw milk daily, a sprinkling of kelp, a few drops of raw apple cider vinegar in their water, any ant that strolls across my kitchen counter goes right to the chicks plus they get some of the smaller worms from my vermicomposting. They haven’t shown much interest in tender greens so far but they’re not even a week old.

As they mature, I’ll treat them much as I do my duck flock. Free range my rural yard and edges of my woods during the day, then into their secure house at night. Bagged feed is still the staple food with as much as I can grow for them (working to build good mixed pasture in a couple mini orchards) plus they’ll have access to my compost pile. In winter, I supplement occasionally with worms from the vermicompost bins, plus daily give them a variety of sprouts (mung bean, wheat, etc) and shoots (sunflower, buckwheat, etc) I grow on the windowsills. I’ll plant extra goodies in summer to share with the chicks and ducks (chicks like a lot more variety) such as small patches of corn to dry, oats, flax, etc. No where near enough to be their primary feed, rather these are a super healthful supplements that I hope to grow more of each year. They’ll also be let into portions of the veggie garden between plantings or pre/post growing season.

]]> Comment on Grow sustainable chicken protein from table scraps by Dilyara http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/05/04/grow-sustainable-chicken-protein-from-table-scraps/comment-page-1/#comment-1963 Dilyara Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:20:42 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=246#comment-1963 Thank you for sharing the info! I also appreciate your research on local chicken feed. We just ran out of feed and we will be driving to Rivertown Feed for some(what) local goodness. Will you share how the BioPod experiment turned out once you have results? Thank you for sharing the info!

I also appreciate your research on local chicken feed. We just ran out of feed and we will be driving to Rivertown Feed for some(what) local goodness.

Will you share how the BioPod experiment turned out once you have results?

]]> Comment on Robert Plamondon on free range chickens by DL http://www.sustainablechicken.com/2009/05/01/robert-plamondon-on-free-range-chickens/comment-page-1/#comment-1849 DL Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:43:50 +0000 http://www.sustainablechicken.com/?p=107#comment-1849 I was told that chickens will eat kudzu, which is abundant here in the South and grows a foot a day. I'm told that kudzu is 14% protein. I was told that chickens will eat kudzu, which is abundant here in the South and grows a foot a day. I’m told that kudzu is 14% protein.

]]>