Subscribe To This Site

Back to Basics Chickens

The breed of chickens that a Back to Basics Homestead owner selects for his flock depends upon the purpose for which the birds are intended. Eggs or Meat.

The egg laying breeds of birds have ancestries that trace them to the Mediterranean Class of birds as classified by the American Standard of Perfection. They have been genetically selected for high egg productivity, but usually have small bodies that make them undesirable as meat producers. The small bodies benefit these breeds because very few nutrients are wasted for producing great body mass. Instead, they direct more of their dietary nutrients into the egg production.

The egg producing breeds are further divided into birds that produce white shelled eggs or brown shelled eggs. The best white shell egg breeds are descended from the Leghorn breed with several different feather color patterns to select from. The best brown shell egg production breeds are developed from Rhode Island Red stock. Regardless of which shell color breed selected, there are many modern varieties from which to choose.The meat-type breeds of birds are not really breeds at all. Instead, they are hybrid varieties or combinations of many different breeds. The combinations of breeds are selected to produce a variety (strain) with meat characteristics that the producer desires most.

Some breeds grow faster and larger while others emphasis traits like larger breast meat yield, more efficient feed conversion, or more disease resistance. The strains are named after the breeding companies that genetically develop them, like Arbor Acres, Ross, Peterson and Hubbard, to name a few. The weakness of these varieties is that they do not lay as many eggs per hen as the egg laying breeds discussed above.

These strains are used by broiler producing companies that commercially produce broilers sold in supermarkets.Personally at Back to Basics Homestead I mix my flock. Now I do not know the size of your family, so it will hard to tell you how many to get.

Figure it this way what do you purchase at the grocery store every week, then just figure what you’ll need to raise to meet your needs. Keep in mind a good layer will produce 300 eggs per year. Also keep in mind you can sell your extra’s to neighbors, friends and family. At back to basics we sell all our extras.

How to Build Your Chicken Coop!

Chickens need housing to just like you and I. Secure housing is important not only for the protection of your chickens, but also for their production and development. Back to Basics Homestead has some chicken-coop plans for you.

Click Here

Barns and Buildings

If their are buildings already on the homestead,I take them down and use the materials, that way I can build what suites me and my needs.You'll see what I mean as you continue on my site.We have things set up so we save time in slaughtering,collecting eggs, our fire pit for scalding stuff like that. You'll see! Here is something that has helped me a lot.Complete with plans, it gave me some great ideas.

Click Here

Well we've only just begone, I hope you've learned some things here at Back to Basics Homestead.I will do my dead-level best to give you the best information and advice. I will be going into the slaughter of poultry in another part of this site called "processing" their everything will be broken down and all in one place.

Raising Tips! What to do When the Chicks Arrive.

The brooding place is ready. All things are set. All you need are the chicks. Upon anticipating the day of their arrival, you must get yourself ready otherwise things will go out of hand. Here’s what to do when the chicks arrive. This will be very helpful to get your way through raising your own chickens.

Back to Basics preparing for chicks

Tip 1

If the chicks arrived from elsewhere, you have to examine them very well. They must arrive in a condition that is nowhere near “diseased”. If you noticed that the babies arrived in poor condition, you could let the postal employee inspect the shipment again. It is required that the employee certify the shipment arrive in good condition. Advise the proper authorities on what the problems are regarding the shipment for immediate action.

Tip 2

Before putting chicken babies inside, the brooder must have its proper temperature which is at least 90 degrees. Make sure the area is warm and maintain this for a week. You can reduce the temperature for 5 degrees every week that goes on for the first five weeks. After the first five weeks, the chickens will no longer require the heat supplemented. You have to keep in mind that there should be enough space where the chickens can move so that they can move freely either to or from the source of heat. This will be advisable especially during extreme temperatures.

Here at Back to Basics we use a box 2ft wide X 8ft long,with a half wire lid, the other half solid.

Tip 3

Fill the fountains with fresh clean water with an additional half cup of sugar for every gallon filled. This will help boost the chickens energy. It is not recommended to add any chemicals regardless of what advertisements tell you. At Back to Basics we add nothing to the water.

Tip 4

Mix fine grit with a ratio of 1:10. Fill the lids with feeds that will not be more than a quarter-inch. Then add the fine grit mixture then sprinkle a very generous amount of mixture or feed on top of the material that covers the litter.

Tip 5

Chickens, however angle you look at it, can be the source of thousands of microorganisms which are potentially harmful. With this, you have to be very careful and certain precautions must be followed. Proper handling must be practiced. This can prevent the spread of different kinds of oral or fecal transmission from fowl to person to person. Adults should provide proper guidance to their young ones about how to properly handle their chickens. Avoid bringing any poultry within the vicinity of your family space. Wash your hands and any part of your body that came in contact with the babies with water and a trustworthy soap.

Tip 6

For starters, upon removal from the box, dip the animal’s beak into the water mixture to familiarize them where their feedings come from. Do the transferring one chick at a time. Be sure that the brooder is already warm enough for the baby to be placed.

Tip 7

Observe the chickens for a couple of hours after transferring. This will help you identify the environment they are in. Is it sufficient or are there needs lacking? Is their activities relatively equated to the heat? Changes can be observed just by looking at their behavior. If they crowd over the brooding area, it means that heat is not that warm. If they disperse from the heat and go in areas that aren’t covered by the warmth, it only means that the heat is too much for them.

If you are already convinced and with the comfortable situation, you can now breath easily with raising your chickens in your backyard. At Back to Basics after the chicks are placed we do not bother them,until they get used to their new surroundings.

How to Build Your Chickens House

Back to Basics Home Page

Great Places To Get Reference Material If You Want To Be Self Sufficient You'll Need It

If You Enjoy Chickens. Add These To Your Library!

Ya Thats Me!

Hello! I'm Joe.I'm not going to share a lot about me here but

I will on another page.I'll name it."About Me" I just want my readers to know that I really am a country boy. I really do use all the information on this site. I have a library of books,magazines,and video's.You never know when you need it.

I personally would like to recommend reading sources that I really enjoy, in fact I look forward to sharing them.I want to pass them along to you also. I highly recommend them,they are crammed full of great information that can be used daily.

You will find them on most every page that relates to the page itself. You'll also find music, personally I enjoy country and the oldies, whatever you like is here. Truth is I have it in the barns, and carry it in my I-pod when I do chores.Below you'll see what I mean. The chickens even seem to dance to it.

Music You Can Order For Your I-Pod! Check It Out

Don't Under Estimate The Monthly Income From This

Just Simple Pictures Earn Big

Building Your Chicken-Coop

Shop For Just About Anything You Need Maybe Birthday, Christmas, Anytime

Hey friends before I forget it is mid Jan here and I'm just reminding you that is almost time for you to order chicks. The source I use is below.

McMurray Hatchery

My Work At Home Story Short Version

I'm not going to bore my readers with some long sad story. Everyone goes threw hard times,some figure it out and others continue to stay where they land, their stuck in a rut.
After working in the marketplace for years and never seeming to get ahead I remembered owning my homestead where we was for the most part self-sufficient. I started thinking about how I would like to work from home and have my homestead all at the same time. I got sick of the high energy cost,really that is what started it all I had an interest in renewable energy.
After 6 years of trying this and that on-line and never being able to figure out how it all comes together I was introduced to Site-sell. I researched and did my homework and found that all the pieces we're their. I got really excited about it and said to myself dam I finally found it I can do this, unlike all the what I now call crap out their I finally found the Key that would open the door to my freedom,so to speak.
I finally made the decision to go with site-sell and build a business that I can earn from while in the comfort of my home.I might add that the income is far greater than any other JOB or businesses I had threw the years.
Even this very web-site is all from site-sell. Everything you need is right here in their whole package. So I strongly recommend site sell hands down. I recommend them to anyone that is interested in breaking out of the rut that this economy has gotten us into. As I see it it's not going to get any better.

So with that being said if you or anyone you know is interested in earning a full time living from home,than seriously look at site sell. Look at everything they have, take your time and then decide. But I promise you this once you begin you will not want to ever stop. So with that being said go check em out below. When you click on the box you will be taken to a video that will open your eyes.

Eph: 2:8