Plant Something for Your Chickens When Planting Your Garden

April 17, 2013 by Mamma 4 Comments

Plant Something for Your Chickens When Planting Your Garden

A question I have pondered a lot is whether or not I can grow my own chicken food. I have heard both those that said I could, and those that said it was not a good idea. I find it hard to believe that feeding your chickens off the land is either not possible or not advisable. But more importantly than that I have come to believe that growing your own chicken food is not only safe but is much better for your chickens.

I can draw on a lot of experiences for this thought, first off, I asked myself, what did farmers do before commercial chicken feed was widely available? Second of all, I look at all of the animals we keep, and a common theme repeats itself. Those animals that are on as close to their natural diet as possible do better. I think that statement right there is so important I could almost repeat it twice, for emphasis. My dog does better on dog food that is not commercially made, or a dog food that is minimally processed. We all know that feed lot cattle are not as good a quality meat as grass fed, and who has not seen the difference between a free range egg and one that comes from the store and was commercial raised?

It all leads me to one conclusion, the closer to nature we can bring our chickens and all of our animals the healthier they will be. While it seems pretty obvious, why are there still some who thing commercial foods are necessary?

It is all a Lack of Education

In my mind it all comes down to a lack of education. Some say that commercial food is better because it contains all the nutrients in balance your chickens need to lay properly. While commercial foods can be a good supplement I believe that they nutrients we can grow for our chickens are much better for them. Provided we all do the necessary research, can do an even better job of keeping our chickens healthy.

So Where to Go From Here

If you are like me, you probably have fed your chickens a few things from your garden, in the belief that it is good for them, but what if you want to go one step farther?

This year, I am planting a specific amount of my garden just for my chickens. And while my garden is not big enough to feed them all year long, I do believe I can supplement their diet for part of the year, which is not only better for them, but will save me money.

What Would Chickens Eat?

What would chickens eat in the wild if we did not feed them a pelleted food that did not even closely resemble what they would eat if they could? Green plants, wild seeds, animal foods such as worms and insects. Not so hard at all…. All stuff we can get easily for our chickens. And provided we offer them a wide range of foods they will wisely balance out their own diets.

What to Plant

So then comes the question of what to plant in your garden for your chickens? That depends largely on whether you plan to grow all of your own food, or if you plan to only supplement. This year I am only going to supplement. Not only can I not hope to feed them all year long, but I have neither the time nor the space to grow everything they will need. I will however grow several of the things that they can eat, which I hope will save us on feed bills as well as produce much healthier chickens.

Grains

Corn – Most gardens have corn in them so this is an easy one, just add a few extra ears of corn to your garden this year. You can feed it fresh or you can let it dry on the stalk and then store it through the winter if you want. You can grind the corn, or feed it whole and make sure to give your chicken access to grit to aid them in digesting it. (Warning: Not all experts agree on whether it is safe to feed chicken whole dried corn.)

Legumes, wheat, rye, oats, and barley are all common crops that can be grown for your chickens. While I won’t be doing any of these this year, with the exception of legumes, I wanted to add them for other that might wish to consider them.

I will be planting sunflowers, the chickens love these and they are rich in nutrients such as omega 3s. You can toss the entire flower into your chickens. These are so easy to grow and harvest, making them an easy choice. Other seeds you might consider if you have access to them are millet and sorghum.

Greens

We like to give our chickens plenty of greens during the year, not just grass, but also lettuce, spinach, and kale. These are so cheap to grow, I always plant lots of them, not only do I give them the plants as they are growing, but I toss the plants going to seed to the chickens too, they don’t mind the bitter taste.

In addition to greens, you can give your chickens the tops of the carrots, beets, turnips, and what is left over from the broccoli plants at the end of the season. Chickens also love a wide range of herbs, Something I did not know until this year, so I will be adding to the herbs I grow. Basil, Parsley, rosemary, fennel, thyme, lavender, Marjoram, catnip, mint, and cilantro are just some of the herbs that are good for your chickens.

Assorted Other Things to Toss to your Chickens

Chickens also love tomatoes, something I learned last year, when one of my chickens and 4 of my ducks broke out of their pen and broke into my garden. I caught them chasing tomatoes all over the garden in what was so obviously part fun and part feeding frenzy. Cucumbers are also on their list of favorite vegetables, as are carrots and beans. And of course chickens love fruit and berries best of all. (Hint: they will destroy a strawberry patch in a quick hurry) You can also plant a few nasturtiums for your chickens most of them love the tender greens and flowers from these plants.

If you are like me and your ability to let your chicken’s free range is limited, then offering them choice tidbits from the garden can help them to stay healthy. I don’t spray any of my garden with anything that is toxic, so more often than not, they also get a few insects and worms along the way.

Do You plant anything for your chickens? Is there anything special they love? Share with us in the comments!

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry, Gardening, Homesteading Tagged With: feeding chickens, Growing your own chicken food, what to plant for chickens

4 Elements of a Good Predator Proof Chicken or Turkey Coop

November 19, 2012 by Mamma Leave a Comment

With a warm start to our late fall/winter I worry about the possibility of predators getting to my chickens. Hungry predators getting ready for the long winter are on the prowl looking for food and if my chickens are not secure it is just as likely as not that they could be on the menu.

Losing chickens or for that matter ducks and turkeys, to predators of all kinds (that includes dogs who find your coop an easy meal) is common and it is heartbreaking. It only takes one break in to lose all of your flock to a hungry predator, then you will find yourself starting all over again.

Whether you are building your chicken coop for the first time or want to make sure it is predator proof, there are several things you need to look at. It can help to know what type of predators you might have in the area, if you live in a rural area it can help to talk with neighbors, to see if they have had any troubles and what type of animals have been skulking around their birds.

Creating a barrier

It could be tempting it use chicken wire to fence in your chickens, it makes sense, but if you have had a lot of large dogs roaming around in your area, chicken wire is not very likely to keep them out, at least not on its own. There are several animals that can make short work of your fence, such as big dogs, raccoons, coyotes and foxes. You can still use chicken wire but be sure to use some sort of barrier to keep animals from tearing at the wire.

We used old metal roofing around the outside of the coop, it provide a barrier above ground as well as one below ground. Hardware cloth is more expensive than chicken wire but lasts longer and provides a much sturdier barrier to keep predators out.

Watch out for Burrowing Animals

Don’t forget that a lot of rodents and dogs will dig under your fence, so having a 12” barrier all the way around your coop is essential to keep diggers out. You can use a variety of materials for this, metal roofing, hardware cloth, and concrete all work equally well to keep animals from digging under the fences of your chicken coop.

Opt for a secure chicken coop with a solid floor

One mistake that a lot of people make is buying or building chicken coops that have open access and no way to secure birds at night. Most predators will try to attack your coop at night, so having a secure coop that cannot be entered is just one more layer of protection for your birds. Doors should close, even the hatches that are meant for just birds to go through (you would be surprised what can squeeze through there when they are hungry enough). Windows should have a way to be covered or secured, and your coop should have some sort of foundation that cannot be dug into.

Even better have your coop off the ground, this eliminates any chances of rodents being able to reach your birds. Nesting boxes and roosts will let your chickens get away from predators, so provide plenty of them.

One thing that bird owners do not often think about is how vulnerable their chickens are from above, especially if you have young birds. Hawks are a threat just about anywhere, so if you have a hawk problem you will want to cover your coop. For this instance chicken wire will work, it does not have to be sturdy it only needs to keep the hawks out of your coop. Some people have used brightly colored streamers and shiny aluminum strips to scare hawks away, but the best protection is going to be a barrier that hawks cannot get through.

With the right precautions the chicken coop you build can be secure enough to let you and your birds sleep well at night. If you need help with plans to build a secure chicken coop this site has some wonderful resources. Not only do they sell a book on how to build a chicken coop but they also have several free ebooks and a set of forums to help you on your way to a safe and healthy place for your chickens.

There are also several books on Amazon if you prefer a Kindle eBook or paper book

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry, Homesteading Tagged With: building a safe chicken coop, how to build a chicken coop, predator proof your chicken coop

Caring For Turkeys

November 18, 2012 by Mamma 3 Comments

This year we decided that aside from our chickens and ducks we would try to raise some turkeys for our holiday table. Turkeys are not any harder to raise than chickens are and although they do require some special considerations it can be well worth your time to raise a few turkeys and enjoy the pure pleasure and satisfaction of eating a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving.

There is more than one reason to raise turkeys, not only can raising your own turkeys give you a source of healthy meat for your holiday table but they can be a good side line business for those with the space to do so. Even a couple of turkeys can pay for themselves by providing a small income as well as extra meat for your family. Fresh, healthy, none factory raised turkey commands a premium price, so if you can find a buyer for it, you can pick your price. You can also raise turkeys and sell the poults, which can sell for $10 in some places.

The Basics About Turkeys

Before you rush out and buy your turkeys there are a few things that you need to know about them, that will enhance your ability to take care of them.

There are a few differences between wild turkeys and their domestic cousins, while in some area you can keep wild turkeys; they can fly so you will have to provide them with a covered run. Domestic turkeys cannot fly so a secure area to keep them safe from predators is all that you need.
Domestic turkey is available in a few different breeds and colors but is most commonly white. They are also bigger than the wild turkey, since they are bred for meat. Domestic turkeys have up to 2 to 4 times the breast meat that wild turkeys have. Heritage turkeys are smaller, take longer to raise, but many people prefer their meat, and you can raise them yourself if you would like.

Getting Started With Your Baby Turkeys

Your first step after deciding to get turkeys is to decide what your overall plans are and what type of turkeys you want. For some getting turkeys is only about getting a few turkeys to raise for meat like we have done this year, I have considered getting a couple of turkeys to raise my own turkeys, but the white turkeys we have are not a good option for that, so If I decide to do that it will not be until next year.

*The breed of turkey you choose will have a lot to do with what they are best suited for. Be sure to take the time to research your breeds carefully and choose the breed that will best suit your needs.

If you plan to raise turkeys or want to keep them as pets, there are many wonderful breeds to choose from. Heritage breed turkeys are you best choice for this, as the white turkeys that are offered for slaughter tend to make poor layers and parents. There are several heritage turkey breeds that are fun to raise and can even offer a considerable profit is done properly. The Narragansett, Buff and Slate are good all-around birds that provide meat, eggs and are great for pest control around your farm.

If instead you only want to raise a few turkeys for the freezer the more commonly available white turkey is fast growing, hardy and makes a great meat bird.

Caring for your Poults

The most critical time for your Turkeys is their first few weeks, they need meticulous care and careful monitoring to ensure the disease, the cold or predators do not take a toll on your flock. Poults like any other bird you raise need the proper heat, food and water, bedding and a draft free place to grow.

Heat

Turkey care in the first few critical weeks is much the same as caring for chicks; they need warmth and lots of it. You should keep their brooder at 95 – 100 degrees for the first week then drop it by 5 degrees each week until they have all of their adult feathers. Many people fuss over this requirement a lot, worried that there will too much or not enough heat, but in reality it is a lot easier than most think.

Simple put a heat lamp in with your poults but be sure to give them enough room to decide whether they want to be under the heat lamp or want to move away from it. Provided there is enough heat they will regulate their warmth on their own. If you see the Poults huddling together under the light, then they are not warm enough and you will need to provide them with more warmth, lower the heat lamp or add some alternative heat.

Turkeys should be spread out and moving around comfortable if they are warm enough. If you find your poults spread out and as far against the walls of the enclosure as possible trying to get away from the heat lamp then they are too warm. Using a thermometer is a good idea, to monitor how far up to move the light when it is time, but do not rely on it, for your turkeys comfort, let them be your ultimate guide.

Once your Young turkeys have feathers be sure to keep a light on them at night just in case. This will ensure that they will not get cold, they may not need the light but let them decide. As above always make sure that they have enough room to move away from the heat if it is too much.

Enclosure

It will not do any good to keep your poults warm with a heat lamp if you do not have a warm, draft free enclosure for them. A good thick layer of bedding is essential, to ensure that the cold does not emanate from the floor beneath them. Pine wood shavings are a good bedding and are widely available and inexpensive. You should put up a draft shield around your enclosure to ensure that your poults always stay warm, drafts can kill your baby turkeys! You may need to change bedding frequently, to keep it dry and clean, turkeys, even babies tend to be pretty messy. Finally make sure that where you raise your turkeys is not where Chicken have been, if you must raise them in the same place be sure to disinfect it thoroughly before putting your poults in there. Chickens carry diseases that can kill turkeys especially young ones.

If you do not have an enclosure, a kiddy swimming pool make a good place to raise turkey poults, or you can fashion a area with cardboard boxes that will keep the draft off of them and keep them warm.

Food and Water

Water should always be lukewarm, never give them cold water, because it can kill them. When you first bring poults home add a vitamin and electrolyte solution, most feed stores carry them. This can help them to get over the shock of transport and get them off to a good start.

Turkeys feed requirements are a bit different than chickens, this does not mean you cannot use the grower that that is sold in the feed store, but it is important to make sure that the feed you give your poults containers 28% protein for the first 6-8 weeks. After than you can switch them to a diet of 18% protein.

Like chickens, turkeys will need grit, so be sure to offer them chick grit when they are about 3 weeks old by sprinkling it in with their food. As your poults grow you can offer them greens from your garden, they love them and they are good for them. It is also a great way to make friends with your birds too especially if you are not planning to slaughter them.

If you plan to let your hens lay it is also important that they have access to grit and calcium, to help with egg production.

As Your Turkeys Grow

It is important to keep in mind that turkeys are very social animals, they love to be around people and can become very friendly if you take the time to make them so. In fact a friendly turkey is just as likely to following you around like a dog if you give them half a chance. Keep healthy treats on hand, this is the best way to tame your turkeys and ensure they will not wander.

Some of the heritage turkeys can fly and will even roost in trees, if that is a problem for you, keep in mind you will want to have a covered enclosure for them. Turkeys are susceptible to the cold; make sure that you have a warm, dry secure place for them during bad weather.

The diseases that turkeys are susceptible to is a much bigger topic than the scope of this article and for another day, at this point, keep in mind that turkeys are susceptible to many diseases, so disease prevention is critical. Keeping them is a separate enclosure from other birds is important and good hygiene is a must, if you keep your birds in a healthy environment you are likely to have little or no trouble with them. The same can be said for parasites and other pests. Of course making sure that your turkey coop is predator proof goes without saying. There are many animals including dogs that would love to make a meal out of your turkeys.

If you Plan to Butcher Your Turkeys

If you plan to use your turkeys for meat, you will want to keep them on a food that is meant for that purpose. Feed stores all have grower, finisher foods that are meant to offer the proper amount of protein for your turkeys to bring them to full growth.

It is important to note that the type of bird you buy will dictate when it is time to butcher. If you purchase the white turkeys in the late spring – early summer they will need to grow for 16 – 20 weeks, which makes them perfect for butchering right before Thanksgiving. Heritage turkeys need 6 – 8 months so plan accordingly. Also Heritage turkeys are smaller, 10 to 12 pounds on average. A white turkey can easily reach 20 to 25 pounds and be too big for the roaster if you are not careful so keep a watch on them, if they are growing fast you may have to adjust when you butcher.

The butchering process is a post for another blog, let’s just suffice to say that Turkeys are butchered the same way chickens are, and there are plenty of blogs that cover the process for both types of birds that I am not going to repeat it here. Butchering is something that can easily be done at home, we do ours and even our 12 year old helps, but you can also take your birds to have them processed off your homestead if you do not feel like you want to do it yourself. You will still be getting hormone, antibiotic free turkey that will be fresh and the best turkey you have ever eaten for thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry, Homesteading Tagged With: bringing baby turkeys home, caring for baby turkeys, caring for turkey poults, raising turkeys

What to do for Chickens in Extreme Heat

July 1, 2012 by Mamma 3 Comments

We are not the only ones that suffer from the heat outdoors, with temperatures soaring into the 100s throughout much of the US many of us are watching as our animals struggle with the heat as well. We can keep our dogs and cats outside but when you have a large flock of birds that is not an option and yet the temperatures that our nation has seen this week can have a serious affect on your flock if you are not prepared.

I have never had to deal with heat and chickens before this week, when I had chickens before I lived in the Pacific Northwest, where the temperatures rarely got over 90 and breaking 100 was even more rare. Here when the temperature hit 102 I began to be very concerned about the possibility that my chickens might need to some help with the heat.

Having never had to deal with the heat before, I did not give much thought to where our chicken coop is, it gets little shade through the hottest parts of the day, and the only real shade it gets come from a couple of bushes and that is only down by the fence. As I watched my chickens panting, I decided that I needed to do some research to see whether they were in any real danger and if so what I could do about it.

Here is what I found

There are 3 keys to making sure that your chickens will survive the heat

Temperature/air flow
Providing Shade
Keeping your chickens Hydrated

Temperature and Air Flow – keeping the temperature of your chicken coop as low as you can is essential. In our case it meant covering the windows that do not open up to block out the sun(may replace these windows next year with opening windows and put some sort of awning on them.)

We also opened the door of the coop to provide as much air flow as possible. If the temperature stays too high we will install a fan to pull the air from one open through the other to further increase the air flow.

One person reported that they put frozen water bottles buried down in their bedding to reduce the ground temperature, and another thing we did was to spray down the roof of the chicken coop several times to keep the temperature in the coop down.

Providing shade – Providing Shade can not only help to keep the temperature of the chicken coop down, but it will offer the chickens someplace to get out of the hot sun. While there is nothing we can do in terms of trees in the short term we could provide shade for them in the way of putting up a tarp. This particular measure was much appreciated by our chickens as it was not long before they were all hiding under the tarp to get out of the sun.

There are a number of ways to provide temporary shade, from taking tree and bush branches and putting them over the top of your coop, to building them a lean to. Simply use whatever items you happen to have on hand to provide them with a small amount of shade.

Hydration – Dehydration is the biggest danger to any animal and making sure that your chickens stay hydrated will also make sure that their body temperature does not go too high. Make sure that your chickens have water at all times, this means checking their water several times a day, not just the one or two times you might otherwise do.

I read that some people were putting ice cubes in their waterer, but my husband came up with an even better Idea, instead of ice cubes we put the frozen bottles of water in their waterer. These are reusable and two or three of these in a 5 gallon waterer will help to keep your chicken’s body temp down. Keep in mind you will need to add water more often though.

Another idea was to give your chickens watermelon, this makes a lot of sense to me, since watermelon is the one thing I crave more than anything else on a hot day. We had some watermelon which we gave to the chickens and they could not eat it fast enough.

Finally if all else fails and your chickens look overheated you can hose down the yard and spray the chickens. They do not much appreciate it, but if it keeps them from getting overheated and dying then they will get over the shock of it pretty fast. Our chicken were quick to take up residence under the tarp after a quick hose down the day it reached 102 and looked much more comfortable once it was done.

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry Tagged With: careing for chickens, chickens, Heat

Taking Care of your New Baby Chicks

October 20, 2011 by Mamma 1 Comment

Getting Ready

Day One

If you have just come home from the feed store with a box full of baby chicks you may not know how to take care of them and while most hatcheries may give you lots of information about your chicks if you need more information then I hope this helps.

Getting ready for your chicks before they arrive is very important, your chicks will likely be stressed regardless of where you got them from and bringing them into a warm place that is already set up for them can really help to ease the stress. You will need to provide a few things for them, such as bedding, food, water, heat and a way to keep drafts off of them.

Bedding : should be something like wood shavings, rice hulls or ground cobs, you should never use cedar which is toxic and sawdust is far too small and you may find the chicks eating it. Good clean pine shaving are a good choice, in a pinch you can also use straw.

Food and Water: while this may seem like a no brainer it is important to make sure you get the right feed and water containers for chicks and you need to make sure that it is available to them at all times. Chick starter should be used, and for the first day or two make sure you spread some on paper towels or newspaper to make sure they are finding it, when you see them eating out of the feeder then you can stop doing this. Most authorities recommend 2 feet of space for each 25 chicks when buying feeders.

Make sure to buy feeders that the baby chicks can reach; many of them have a lip that is higher than your tiny chicks can get to. Special chick feeders are the best choice for new chicks. Many people put a water booster in for their chicks for the first couple of days, while it is not necessary it can be a good way to help them get past the stress of their move.

Heat: Heat is one of the most important parts of your chick set up, baby chicks needs 90 – 95 degrees for the first week. You can slowly move the heat source up each week until they have all of their feathers and no longer need it many more. Most people use a 250 watt red infrared bulb for this purpose. Chicks seem to be most comfortable with the red light rather than a white one.

Many new chick owners worry themselves to death that they cannot get the temperature exactly at 95 degrees, but chicks are very good at regulating themselves, if it is a bit warmer under the bulb than 95 they will find the spot they are most comfortable with. If your chicks are huddled together they are too cold and if they are spread out way away from the light then it is likely too warm. If you keep the bulb at a distance of 18 inches when you first start then you will find that this works best.

Chickens need light even when they are not using a heat bulb, you will want to install a small night light for at night and a regular 75 watt bulb for the day if it is dark in their enclosure.

Avoiding a Draft: It is very important that your chicks are not subject to a draft, this can occur when a door is open or if they place they are being house is drafty. The easy way to fix this is to put them in some sort of smaller enclosure, not only will this prevent them from getting a draft, but it will also keep their area warmer. Be sure however to give them enough room to all move away from the heat source too as well so they do not get too hot. You can use a kiddie swimming pool for this purpose or you can use cardboard to make them a circle. You want to give them about 1/2 square foot per bird when you choose the size of their enclosure.

When Your Chicks Arrive

Once you are ready for your birds, then you will have a few things you need to do when they arrive. It is important to make sure they are all in good condition and that they know where the water and food are. The best way to do this is to dip their beaks in the water and sprinkle their food on the paper under their heat source. Put your food and water containers around the light far enough away to give them room under the light but close enough that they can find it.

Day One

Watch your chicks carefully at this point to make sure they are eating and drinking, keep dipping their beaks if you think it is necessary and sprinkle their food for a couple of days to make sure they are getting the hang of it. This is especially important if your chicks were shipped to you and had a bit of a hard trip. Be sure to check them every hour or two for the first day to make sure they are getting food and water.

Another important thing to watch for when you get your chicks home is that their rear ends are not pasting up, where the feces sticks to their hind ends, blocking the vent hole. It is very important to make sure you clean this off, I have found that a warm wash cloth works best, try to avoid picking it off, because their skin is very delicate and this can cause them more trouble.

When your chicks hit 4 weeks of age there is more you will need to do to get their new home ready for them. But we will cover this in another post later. We are getting ready to deal with this stage soon and will let you know how it goes and give you some tips on taking care of your new birds.

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry, Old Fashioned Living Tagged With: caring for chicks, new chick care, new chicks

Why chickens Quit Laying

November 8, 2010 by prairiemaid Leave a Comment

When chickens quit laying, it can be frustrating to families and farmers counting on the eggs for food and income. There are a number of different factors that influence laying hens and can disrupt their production or even cause it to cease for a period of time. These variables include:

Shorter day length
Molting
Broodiness
Age
Nutritional deficiencies
Stress

As the days shorten in the summer and fall, egg production typically drops off accordingly. Hens respond to the amount of sunlight to which they are exposed each day. Instead of the 16 hours of light they receive by the end of June, in late December light is confined to a mere eight hours a day. As the days decrease, so does egg production.

Provide additional artificial light to the hens to bring their total lighted hours closer to 14 hours per day, using a low-watt light bulb in their henhouse and a timer to keep the hours consistent. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Husbandry Tagged With: chickens, eggs