Fast-5 Diet and Lifestyle: Re: [fast5] Heather - chickens

That is very similar to how we worked for a long time! We had one big
mobile "run". I suspect we'll go back to that. Chickens are
wonderful for compost and garbage, just like the article says!

What happened over the years was that the "new" chickens didn't
get along with the old ones, and we ended up with too many,
and sooner or later they were "loose". This turned out to be
a great thing for the yard ... they de-bugged it nicely. However,
they also attracted predators. So I suspect we have some
carpentry in our future. It's hard to make a good, big, run
that is also really portable.

So thanks for the reminders ... I should probably sign off
on this topic though, since it's not really on-topic! Except maybe
for the topic of using IF on chickens, which is why I thought
about it in the first place. Intermittent fasting works well
on livestock too ... ruminants do it naturally, gorging and
then sitting around chewing cud for a long time.

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 5:34 AM, Ellen Ussery <ellen.ussery@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> It IS amazing how different the eggs are when raised at home under the
> conditions you mention. That is how we started..and they were great eggs.
> Now we do more and they are even better. I think it has to do with them not
> being confined cages indoors. Just having freedom of movement, sunlight
> fresh air and not being crowded is a huge improvement.
>
> Heather, you might want to take a look at this. Good for both the chickens
> and the garden...and easy.
>
> http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Composter+Chickens.html
>
> Ellen
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 2:45 AM, Heather Twist <HeatherTwist@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Thanks! We've done both. The eggs are mostly what
>> we like. They are amazing. But we got the chickens
>> originally for 1) A garbage/weed disposal and 2) Bug control.
>>
>> At the moment though, the chickens have become food ... not
>> for us, but for a local predator (probably a bobcat). Keeping
>> animals really opens your eyes to the reality of the food
>> cycle on planet Earth.
>>
>> We have done a couple of batches of "meat chickens" which
>> is a common thing in this area. What interests me in this
>> is that while I didn't do very much "special" (they were raised
>> in a very small area, 6x8, on straw with some weeds tossed
>> in for greens) they turned out very different from what
>> you buy in the store. My plan was to raise them on real
>> grass, but the breed just doesn't work that way. Which makes
>> me wonder a lot about what you buy in the store.
>>
>> A similar issue exists with eggs. Our chickens aren't anything
>> special ... but the eggs are not anything at all like what
>> you buy. Doesn't matter what breed either, and they DO get
>> commercial food daily (along with leftovers and weeds and
>> all our spare spiders/fleas etc.)
>>
>> When I was growing up, my Grandma used to say "Chickens
>> in America are unhappy. They lay sad eggs". Something I
>> chalked up to "weird immigrant Grandma". But these days
>> I think she was correct, though I still don't know why.
>>
>> If you have the opportunity to keep a couple of hens though,
>> I'd totally recommend it. They will improve your soil, handle
>> your leftovers, keep you entertained, AND give you some
>> awesome eggs. And they are easy to give away if you
>> don't want them (unlike, say, a dog). You can keep hens
>> in the city in a lot of places these days. Roosters, not so
>> much ... but I really don't recommend them for a lot of
>> reasons (including the fact they will terrorize your children).
>>
>> On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:28 PM, Karen <laurvick@charter.net> wrote:
>> > Great info, Heather!
>> >
>> > Do you have chickens to eat or just for their eggs?
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: fast5@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fast5@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
>> > Heather Twist
>> > Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 7:10 PM
>> > To: fast5@yahoogroups.com
>> > Subject: Re: [fast5] (Cassie) (strength training)
>> >
>> > Which is a great example of genes vs. diet! Anyway, the
>> > experience convinced me that "muscle bulk" isn't much use
>> > in and of itself. "Muscle strength" though, is a good goal.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------
>> >
>> > Yahoo! Groups Links
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Heather Twist
>> http://eatingoffthefoodgrid.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
>