I am excited to show you all today the natural chicken keeping tips we are doing and and the brooder box we made for our new chicks!

Before we bought our chicks, I knew that I wanted to raise them as naturally as possible. After researching online and reading many books, I felt ready to dive into ” Natural Chicken Keeping “.

Prior to our chicks arrival I went and bought my ” Herbal Toolkit ” aka ( all the items I needed to start the chicks off to a healthy start. )

Disclaimer – I am not a veterinarian, so be sure to do your own research or consult with a professional before trying these natural tips on your own flock.

Here’s what I bought, its benefits and how I use it:

DoTerra Oregano Oil– Oregano oil is a very powerful natural antibiotic. I add one drop to their quart size waterer.

Fresh/Dried Oregano- Once again, with its amazing antibiotic properties, it can be used in fresh and dried form. I put fresh herbs in their brooder box for them to munch on and I add dried oregano to their feed.

Ground Cinnamon Natural prevention for Coccidiosis ( a fatal disease in chickens ). I sprinkle cinnamon on their daily feed.

Garlic Cloves/ Garlic Powder- Garlic boosts the immune system and increases respiratory health. I crush garlic cloves and add it to their food and offer it free choice in a dish. The garlic powder is sprinkled over their food.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar ( with the mother )- It is great for adding beneficial bacteria in their digestive systems, helps guard against bad bacteria and boosts immunity. I add a tiny splash to one of their water dishes for them to drink.

Other herbs- Thyme, Parsley and Rosemary I offer free choice or mix in their feed.

Probiotics- Adds beneficial bacteria to the digestive system and boosts immunity. I sprinkle probiotic powder on top of their feed and sometimes mix some in their water.

Scratch and Peck Starter Feed- This is the chick feed I use. I love that its local, organic, soy free and Non GMO.

These are the few that I have used consistently since we brought the chicks home and so far we are off to a good start! My house smells like an Italian restaurant 24/7, and not in a good way.

Now onto the brooder box…

We needed a big brooder box because we have a lot of chicks and knew they’d grow in no time.

Brooder Box

Materials-

Two large plastic bins ( we found ours at Wal-Mart. )
Miscellaneous pieces of thin wood ( ours were scraps from our various house projects )
Hardware Cloth ( we bought ours at Wilco )
Screws/ Drill/ Scissors/ Box Cutter

Directions-

Cut a window on one of the side of plastic bin. ( The kids were helping.)
Cut a piece of hardware cloth to fit the window, as well as pieces of wood to frame it. Screw the wood frame over the hardware cloth to hold it all together.
Using your box cutter, cut one whole side off of each bin, so that they can be connected together to make one huge bin. Screw a screw to connect both sides.
Screw a piece of wood on the inside of the bin where both bin seams meet.
Add another piece of wood across the top of the bins so that both lids can be placed on top of the bins. You can also clamp your heat lamp to that board.
We added roosts by poking wooden dowels through different sides of the box.
Finally, fill your box with your desired bedding materials. ( For young chicks, non-slip shelf liner over newspaper is recommended so that the chicks won’t slip during their younger stage. )