We love to keep a diverse flock at SCH: Bantams, Americanas, Longhorn, and Isa Browns. We keep these separated into two flocks, keeping the larger chickens and small bantams in different areas. We do not free range our chickens due to our predators, including: Coyotes, fox, eagles, and hawks. We do have farm dogs who are very territorial against Birds of Prey…but they cannot be fully trusted with chickens either. In a 8x8 stationary coop we keep 6 med-large laying hens with one rooster. The other is a 4x4 semi-movable coop with a detachable 6x8 run. It houses 5 bantam hens and 1 bantam rooster.
Inside the stationary coop we use deep bedding that is changed as needed(more often in summer). It has two windows for air flow. On one side it has a 8x12 run on the other side a 8x8 run. We also sow a cover plot next to the 8x8 run and have a movable tunnel that allows the chicken access to fresh greens grown just for them. During mowing season we always dump a bag of fresh cuttings in one of the runs for the chickens. They love scratching through it searching for bugs.
The 4x4 coop is moved every 3-4 weeks except in winter when we switch to deep mulch bedding for it. We also add fresh yard cuttings and use the chicken tunnel to allow more foraging opportunities.
There are two small plots with over-crops planted for the chickens. Garden scraps are always offered to them throughout the year. We use organic chicken pellets, organic scratch grains, and mealworms to help give the chickens a well rounded diet. We have never used any antibiotics for chickens. For parasite control we use, raw apple cider vinegar and little cayenne pepper flakes.
With heavy laying hens we always have a surplus of eggs. Any eggs we sale are always laid that week or we don’t sell them. Just by selling a dozen or two eggs a week helps pay for what we consume. With eggs we are not trying to be profitable, just break even on what we spend on feed.
Quail is an excellent protein source. Easier to process than chickens and we enjoy their eggs boiled more so than boiled chicken eggs. The quail tractor is easy to move and holds 10 quail each tractor. Quail tractors allows for fresh scratch/feeding areas to supplement their feed and fertilizes the yard.
