I've bought pastured eggs from a local farmer for the past year. This spring we are going to build a chicken house and raise a small flock of chickens. There are many chicken coop plans to pick,
this is the one we are using.
Why raise chickens?
Chickens are easy to raise and fun to have around. They help keep the weeds down and keep the grass short and lush. They eat bugs. They give natural fetilizer. I would rather go collect eggs from my own chickens than buy the so called organic or free-range eggs from the store. I do get wonderful eggs for my local farmer - I still want to raise my own so I know what they eat and how they live.
From
Local Harvest; Grass-fed/pastured hens are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than those their less fortunate cousins, factory hens.
Eggs - Surprise source of vitamin D Pastured hens' diets are naturally complemented with bugs, earthworms, and other such critters that give their eggs a huge nutritious oomph. Although not necessarilly organic, pastured hens are usually much healthier and happier than their space-restricted and antibiotic-pumped industrial cousins.
Pasturing is the traditional method of raising egg-laying hens and other poultry. It is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.
Pastured eggs also have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol than eggs obtained from factory farms.
Pastured poultry has two points of vulnerability: predators and weather. Every producer has experienced losses from these and combats them in various ways. Some producers have guard animals who live with or near the flock. Dogs can be bonded to the birds and protect them from foxes and coyotes. Some folks use geese to dissuade aerial predators. Tight shelters help.
We are building a chicken coop for our hens. It's a way to provide protection from pedators and the extreme upper midwest weather. This is the
chicken coop designs we are building.
I say the Hen House because we won't have any roosters. We don't want baby chickens so hens are good for the eggs we want.
With the chicken coop plan I learned 6 must have things I needed before even thinking about building a coop.
How to easily extend my coop into a free-range style enclosure so my hens can roam more and be protected.
How to pick the right breed of chicken for my climate, space and egg production.
The 8 foods that can be potentially harmful if you give them to chickens.
Learn what to do if your chickens get sick, the 2 most common health problems and how to cure them.
And so much more about raising our backyard chickens.
I'll keep you updated on our little flock of hens.
Chicken Coop Plans I'm using.
Do you have backyard chickens? If so please share your experiences with them, good and not so good. I don't think there are many not so good things about raising chickens.
Why raise chickens?
Chickens are easy to raise and fun to have around. They help keep the weeds down and keep the grass short and lush. They eat bugs. They give natural fetilizer. I would rather go collect eggs from my own chickens than buy the so called organic or free-range eggs from the store. I do get wonderful eggs for my local farmer - I still want to raise my own so I know what they eat and how they live.
From Local Harvest;
Grass-fed/pastured hens are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than those their less fortunate cousins, factory hens.
Eggs - Surprise source of vitamin D
Pastured hens' diets are naturally complemented with bugs, earthworms, and other such critters that give their eggs a huge nutritious oomph. Although not necessarilly organic, pastured hens are usually much healthier and happier than their space-restricted and antibiotic-pumped industrial cousins.
Pasturing is the traditional method of raising egg-laying hens and other poultry. It is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.
Pastured eggs also have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol than eggs obtained from factory farms.
Pastured poultry has two points of vulnerability: predators and weather. Every producer has experienced losses from these and combats them in various ways. Some producers have guard animals who live with or near the flock. Dogs can be bonded to the birds and protect them from foxes and coyotes. Some folks use geese to dissuade aerial predators. Tight shelters help.
We are building a chicken coop for our hens. It's a way to provide protection from pedators and the extreme upper midwest weather. This is the chicken coop designs we are building.
How to easily extend my coop into a free-range style enclosure so my hens can roam more and be protected.
How to pick the right breed of chicken for my climate, space and egg production.
The 8 foods that can be potentially harmful if you give them to chickens.
Learn what to do if your chickens get sick, the 2 most common health problems and how to cure them.
And so much more about raising our backyard chickens.
I'll keep you updated on our little flock of hens.
Chicken Coop Plans I'm using.
Do you have backyard chickens? If so please share your experiences with them, good and not so good. I don't think there are many not so good things about raising chickens.