The Working Chicken!!

[shadetech]

I recently (2 weeks ago) got my first herd of baby chicks. First in over 30 years. A mix of Welsumers and EE's with a half a dozen Dark Cornish thrown in. They will all be working chickens in one form or another. Eggs or breeders for the most part, but am looking forward to putting them to work in the garden as well as helping to compost.



I was wondering which breed(s) would be best at "composting" and working wood chips from the local arborists in the area that are clearing lines and roadsides? I would assume some breeds are better at this than others? Good excuse to increase the herd. :bun



I understand there may be certain risks to letting the chickens work unknown vegetation, as far as toxicity of some woods or weeds, but think it would be an excellent way to add tilth to my soil and fertility. The chips would age from now till the composter herd "comes of age." Maybe the use of tractors or a specified run for the working of the chips?



Chickens were always to become a part of the overall plan here. They are integral with the garden and I am looking forward to them helping me till and keep bugs and weeds down. Also another link in food security for the family in these times of growing need and dwindling resources. The meat and eggs will be a welcome addition to the "pantry" and the additional labor in gardening and composting will be appreciated by this old back of mine.



Something to think about. I know we all have tree services around our areas and this is a resource that usually goes to waste in a lot of areas. Let me know what you think. I don't post much, but do very much appreciate the wisdom on this site and have learned much.



henry

 

[Beekissed]

Most of your old timey heritage breeds are good for that but~and this may surprise you~the hungriest birds are the ones that scratch and forage the most. I currently have a flock of 50 CX that are working and foraging better than any flock I've ever had...bar none. I guess they are driven harder to do so by their excess appetites but they are the most active foragers I've ever seen. I feed them once a day now on fermented mixed grains and some of them would rather continue to forage than to come to the feeder!

Of course, there would come a time when they would get too big and cumbersome to forage as well but then you could put them in the freezer. They also produce more output than most birds due to their sheer level of intake. You don't have to think about long term productivity, so they can eat just about anything as long as it isn't free choice. They are a disposable forager, so to speak, for temporary work....sort of like a bunch of migrant workers, I guess.

If you are looking to just build a good flock of DP layers, my favorite breeds to recommend are BAs, WRs. NHs, RIR, & Leghorns. Hardy, productive, won't eat you out of house and home and have longevity of lay.

 

[Denim Deb]

When I read your title, I was expecting to see a bunch of chickens hooked up to a plow or something.

 

[Cindlady2]

Plow Chickens!

Remember, MOST of the time you are not going to want chicken "help" in the garden so plan on a fence. They like seeds, tender young plants and will "sample" tomatoes, cabbage, melons and anything else that looks tasty to them. I let mine in for a while when I'm working in there to get bugs but chase them out if they start on the plants. I do let them "clean up" after harvest and all winter until planting time.

Hummm the Cochins are pretty big 6 birds and a small 2 blade plow?

 

[2dream]

Bee is right. Hungry chickens make the best foragers. I have small cornish bantams. I turn them out each morning to free range and each afternoon they get a small amount of scratch grains mixed with laying pellets inside their pen. The hens are not so much interested in the food I provide but the rooster always comes running calling his flock. It makes it easier for me to shut them in for the night. For several months they stayed in the back yard where there are tons of leaves on the ground and ate like kings and queens plus did the work I intended them to do. Scratched around in all those leaves. Apparently now most of the bugs are gone so they wonder all over the place. You will need a fence to keep them in the place you want worked.

 

[FarmerChick]

my first herd of baby chicks.henry

herd just caught my eye. chickens are of course a flock.

but herding chickens is hard

fencing in the garden and letting them forage is a good idea. hungry chickens find food that is for sure.

 

[shadetech]

my first herd of baby chicks.henry

herd just caught my eye. chickens are of course a flock.

but herding chickens is hard

fencing in the garden and letting them forage is a good idea. hungry chickens find food that is for sure.

They are like Bison, you can herd them anywhere they want to go.

Thanks all I was just curious as to the breeds most of you would use for this purpose and find out if I was just crazier than usual over thinking things. Bee I Love following your meat birds, but am looking for the more sustainable flock. They are looking very tasty though.

reposted from BYC( The chickens will be contained in the garden to the areas that require their labor, by use of tractor or fencing. The composting will also be in a contained area so as not to spread it out over the entire yard. I (unfortunately) have a touch over a half acre and many hungry critters that would Love a good chicken dinner. I will have them in fence at all times.



My garden is a permanent path method, kind of like raised bed, but without any frame, just mounded dirt and paths to walk on between beds. All beds are 42" wide with somewhat varying lengths. This makes it rather easy to make a run that will "adjust" to length and be a 42 - 48" wide by 48" high tunnel with a small movable coop outside the bed. The tunnels will be panels about 10' long and easily moved also. This should allow me to put the chickens where I want them when needed for tilling and taking care of the vegetation after harvest. I understand that chicken and chaos are synonymous terms.



The regular composting will probably be in a 8 X 10 section of the run that they are allowed into when it needs turning or their "deposits" for enrichment.



The chips are delivered by truck by grateful "tree experts" as a convenient place to get rid of them, especially after the land fill closes at 3:00 pm. I was just thinking they would be an excellent source of carbon and attract bugs and worms while breaking down into wonderful humus for growing more and better "stuff."



After all this......the main concern was what chickens would do the work the best? The clean legged chickens will obviously scratch better in the chips. Would Games or Asil or Shamos be better at this than the Heavy breeds?)



henry

P.S. how does one design a chicken collar to hook up to the plow anyway. "20 Cornish team" like Borax

 

[nmred]

My garden is a permanent path method, kind of like raised bed, but without any frame, just mounded dirt and paths to walk on between beds. All beds are 42" wide with somewhat varying lengths. This makes it rather easy to make a run that will "adjust" to length and be a 42 - 48" wide by 48" high tunnel with a small movable coop outside the bed. The tunnels will be panels about 10' long and easily moved also. This should allow me to put the chickens where I want them when needed for tilling and taking care of the vegetation after harvest. I understand that chicken and chaos are synonymous terms.

You'll need to put sides at least part of the way up on that tunnel, or your mounded beds will be scattered all over the paths! Trust me on this!!! I have raised beds with sides, and those girls will empty them! Sounds like a good idea otherwise.

I don't really think that one breed is better than another for what you want to do, so just get the breeds you like the best.