We are all about raising livestock on pasture. This includes our geese and chickens, which have been free-ranged throughout our farm over the years, but we have recently begun pasturing our chickens with the use of portable arks to keep them out of our gardens.
Geese need fresh green grass more than chickens; geese will consume a lot of grass and will mow your pastures or yard very nicely, and leave wonderful fertilizer behind. Dry brown grass is not good for geese, and they will need supplementation during a dry spell; in my area apples are usually in season at this time, which they love. I give whole organic grains at this time, too. Rotating geese through pastures or yards is very important, or you will end up with a mess!
Chickens need grass, too, for good health. They are the most carnivorous of poultry breeds, and love bugs, worms, etc. Keeping chickens, or any poultry for that matter, in in in one area is very unhealthy; it is important to move them from place to place periodically, to allow the ground to rest, to prevent toxic build-up, and to keep flies and parasites at a minimum.
Photos of one of our own portable hen houses is shown on the Portable Henhouse page, and the photo below links to a page devoted to another style of portable house; chicken tractors.
A link to the Organic Chickens list at yahoogroups can also be found at left.
Links to a wide variety of recipes for making your own chicken feed can be found at left.
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