Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook
It may not seem like it, but the existence of chickens in your backyard can provide you with a healthier life, according to author Amy Fewell.
An Interview with Amy Fewel, Author of Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook
Because they are omnivorous birds, they recycle food waste and organic waste from the yard, keeping them from dumps or landfills. Not to mention that the compound produced by birds results in fertilized soil rich in nitrogen. And problems with unwanted insects and pests will end with the arrival of chickens, which can also give you fresh, natural eggs- all with the certainty that you are not consuming preservatives and other common additives in industrialized products.
The Homesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook by Amy Fewell is the modern homesteader’s guide to raising, feeding, breeding, selling, and enjoying the noblest animal on the farm – the chicken. From the rooster’s crow in the morning to the warm egg in the nesting box, chickens are the gateway livestock for almost every homesteader and backyard farm enthusiast. In this book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about raising poultry naturally. In this book, Fewell guides readers in:
~ Understanding why chickens do what they do
~ Creating your very own poultry or egg business
~ Preventing and treating ailments with herbal remedies
~ Setting up your property, coop, and brooder
~ Hatching chicks
~ Purchasing chickens properly
~ Cooking delicious recipes with your farm fresh eggs and poultry.
This is heritage chicken-keeping skills 101, with a modern twist. Not only will you gain knowledge about naturally keeping poultry through every stage of their lives, but you’ll fully embrace the joy and ease of raising all-natural chickens on your homestead.
OMTimes: What motivated you to start this journey of discovery and to become such an advocate for Chicken Keeping?
Amy Fewel: We first started keeping chickens when we became more and more aware of our food and where it was actually coming from. At the time, my son had just turned one and was diagnosed with childhood asthma. On his path to natural healing, chickens were the easiest source of “grow your own food” that we could grow on small acreage. And it gave our toddler something fun to take care of as well!
I soon discovered that if we were going to treat and live our own lives naturally and holistically, shouldn’t our animals be living a natural lifestyle too? And that’s what drove me into raising chickens naturally!
OMTimes: Why would you think it is important for people, even in their city backyards to raise their chickens and have their own production?
Amy Fewel: Chickens are one of the easiest livestock that you can keep. They are simple to take care of, and the eggs are incredibly nutritious compared to store-bought eggs. If you choose to raise chickens for meat as well, the taste and nutrient value are incomparable to the store-bought meat. I think it’s so important, also, for people to become a little more self-sufficient in their everyday average life. Poultry is the gateway to understanding more and more where your food comes from, and soon enough you’ll probably have a garden and other animals as well!
OMTimes: We support the concept of reincarnation, but can you clarify why would you like to come back as a chicken on Amy Fewell’s flock?
Amy Fewel: Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s because they eat so many bugs and rodents freely, and have a nice herbal smelling coop to come back home to at night!
OMTimes: What is in your opinion the necessary elements in poultry keeping, to a chicken to express her real and unique chicken-ness?
Amy Fewel: Space. Chickens need space. They are so fun and quirky when they have a clean environment to grow and run around in. They will hop and peck and show you their true character when there’s enough room!
OMTimes: How would you define a holistic way to raise chickens?
Amy Fewel: Placing herbs and natural supplements in their feed, water, and even in their run is a great way to start raising chickens holistically. Not only that but choosing to treat common ailments with herbs instead of chemicals is the ultimate way to holistically raise poultry.
OMTimes: Please tell us something about who you associate herbs and herbal products into your chicken keeping guidelines.
Amy Fewel: I believe that prevention is key when dealing with poultry. Because of this, our birds receive herbs on a weekly basis in their feed or waterer—whether they are wild foraged for or added manually. We also like to create herbal tinctures or glycerites as maintenance products for our chickens. By replacing chemical maintenance products (like chemical wormers) with natural ones that are homemade, we are able to completely raise our flock holistically and naturally.
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About Amy Fewell
Amy Fewell is the author of The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion and founder of The Fewell Homestead blog and website. She’s a writer, photographer, and the mastermind behind the annual Homesteaders of America conference. You can learn more about Amy at www.thefewellhomestead.com and www.homesteadersofamerica.com
