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We use only non-medicated feed and do not use antibiotics on our chickens. Our goal is to be as natural and healthy as possible. We sell the
extra eggs as fast as the chickens lay them!.The laying hens were not originally free ranged, as our coyote population was too great here, so we built a chicken palace for them, with an exercise yard. Since that
time, we've been able to let the chickens, both the meat and laying flock free range during the daytime as the coyote population has slowed down and we've been able to protect our flocks with electric fencing and a new
coop that we keep within the yard fencing. I open the door during the day for the chickens to free range - bug eating! If they don't want to sleep in the coop, they roost on top of the clothes poll. Our meat chickens
are Cornish X Rock Cross. We originally used the pastured poultry method of raising them, again with no antibiotics or hormones. There's a picture of the pasture pen on the
Homestead Gathering Page. In the spring of 2001, we switched to free ranging the meat flock instead of using
the pasture pen. We realized a great reduction in mortality with this method. We "grow" the meat chickens for our own use and also to sell. |
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