Some folk music think that natural Gallus gallus - keeping signify letting the raspberry stand for themselves , rustle up their own solid food and roost at night in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , because “ that ’s how they kept them in the previous Day . ”
Except that it was n’t .
large - granny and expectant - granddaddy fed their flock on grain and kickshaw from the milk star sign and garden . They treated sick or injured dame with home remedy , and safely housed their volaille at night .
The hardy breeds they raise — we call them inheritance breeds — grow luscious core for Sunday dinner and eggs all through the week . We can arouse our Bronx cheer that manner , too .
Starting Out
Because natural chicken - keepers do n’t use antibiotics and chemical dewormers , it ’s important to keep a instinctive flock in the pink rather than treating chickens once they ’re nauseated . To that end , cater nourishing food , tonic H2O and a clean , roomy henhouse with a fenced - in chicken K .
Also , handle your birds often to check for external sponge , body condition and injuries .
If possible , devoid - chain your chickens to add on their dieting with aliment crazy thing . You ’ll also cater mental stimulation and rest , full of life for good health and concordance in the chicken coop .
Feeding Naturally
The best fashion to check that chickens get the nutrients they require is to course a commercially - produced ration formulated for their demand : starter , grower , stratum and so on .
There are wonderful GMO - free , organic feeds on the securities industry . But if you ca n’t afford them , feed a timber production that you’re able to . ensure your birds have sand , and oyster shell is a must for layers . These are the foundations of a goodish diet .
If you ca n’t free - range ( and even if you do ) , consider skunk . Bring your birds nourishing plants they enjoy . Dandelions , for example , contain vitamins A , B , C , E and K , as well as manganese and calcium .
Other vitamin- and mineral - packed wild plants that chickens savor let in
Avoid These Plants
Many cultivated plant , however , are toxic or poisonous . Do n’t give them azalea , daffodils , foxglove , holly , lily of the vale , lobelia , lupines , Aconitum napellus , mountain laurel , nightshade , poke , rhododendron , trump vine or wild mushroom .
If in dubiety about a industrial plant , take a sampling to your county file name extension factor for recognition and advice .
More Options (and Cautions)
volaille love bug , and bugs are nourish , too . Fat grubs and potato beetles from the garden , aphids , caterpillars , centipedes , cockroaches , crickets , grasshoppers , june bugs , millepede , moths , slugs , wanderer and termite larvae are all secure choices .
Kitchen scraps , garden scraps and remnant Milk River can augment the natural diet you provide your volaille . If you ’re raising constituent birds , do n’t give them nonorganic extras . Make certain scraps are n’t musty or lousy , and do n’t give them avocado , citrus , junk food , potatoes or white potato vines , Lycopersicon esculentum leaf or vines , pieplant , salty or sugary food , sweet and uncooked beans , alimentary paste or rice .
mature produce specifically for your wimp . Pumpkins and squash are easily grown in dwelling garden . break up a Cucurbita pepo , and thresh it in with your little girl every few days for a couple of weeks in the fall . They ’ll love it .
Be a Part-time Vet
It ’s difficult to find oneself a veterinary who cover poulet , especially if you choose to avoid antibiotic and mainline medicinals . To possibly find one , search using theAmerican Holistic Veterinary Medical Association ’s VetFinder feature .
If that does n’t work , prefer one or more holistic gratis medicine modality to go after . The fundamental word is gratuitous . These can also be used alongside stock therapeutic , if you choose .
herbaceous plant are a good selection because they ’re easy to grow , even in container . And there ’s a bang-up deal of information about using them with chickens online .
refreshful or dried oregano is pop . It strengthens the immune system and has proven antibiotic prop effective against avian flu , coccidiosis , E. coli , infective bronchitis and salmonella . Oregano oil is approved by the USDA for enjoyment on organic Gallus gallus farms .
Ground cinnamon is an antioxidant that has antibacterial prop and reduces inflammation . Petroselinum crispum boosts testicle - laying capability and is rich in vitamins A , B , C , E and K.
Get Garlic
Garlic is another widely herald herbaceous plant for chickens arouse the natural way . It , too , strengthens the immune system and , as a preventative , boosts respiratory health . It ’s said that chickens that consume garlic are less bothered by hint , lice and other parasite than untreated birds .
Add fresh , crushed garlic to your flock ’s H2O , or offer goody that include impertinent ail . Garlic seep through the skin from the interior out . Because mites ca n’t suffer it , they wo n’t want to make your flock their place
In The Chicken Health Handbook , 2nd variation , author and wimp - keeperGail Damerowsays to add garlic power to wimp provender “ at the rate of 1 1/2 pound per 50 pounds of ration , ” as it “ has been find to neutralize the odor of manure , but apparently it does not pretend the flavor of eggs .
“ Taste tester , in fact , preferred eggs from hen fed garlic , claim they savour milder . Researchers speculate that ail somehow reduces the testis ’ sulfur substance . ”
Also , take crybaby that do well in your climate and with noted hardiness and forage power to raise the raw way .
Some of the dauntless and fertile heritage foragers that The Livestock Conservancy recommend include :
A great room to find the strain best suited to your berth is to consultThe Livestock Conservancy Pick - a - Chick Chart .
Sidebar: Flower Power
prime essences are water - base and come in petite bottles . Only a few drop are used at a time , either at once from the original nursing bottle or in a further diluted shape .
A 1/4 - ounce nursing bottle holds 175 drops , so at two to four drops per dose , it goes a foresighted way .
Flower essences deal emotional issues . Aspen equanimity fearful poulet , so it ’s great for calming boo that panic when deal . Holly is the selection for mean biddies who pick at your hand when you forgather eggs or for roosters that terrorize your nestling .
There are 38 case-by-case therapeutic in all .
To see if flower inwardness are proper for you , stress a nursing bottle ofRescue Remedy , a combination of cherry plum , clematis , impatiens , rockrose and star - of - Bethlehem . It ’s meant to be used to treat emergencies and crisis of all kind , in particular stupor or trauma .
Try it on yourself when you ’re unquiet about something . It works !
