by Sue Weaver

Some folks think that natural chicken-keeping means letting the birds fend for themselves, rustling up their own food and roosting at night in trees, because “that’s how they kept them in the old days.” Except that it wasn’t.

Great-grandma and great-grandpa fed their flock on grain and goodies from the milk house and garden, treated sick or injured birds with home remedies, and safely housed their chickens at night. The hardy breeds they raised — we call them heritage breeds — produced luscious meat for Sunday dinners and eggs all through the week. We can raise our birds that way, too.

The first step to natural chicken-keeping is getting a healthy, hardy breed, such as the Plymouth Rock (pictured), a dual-purpose bird with outstanding laying production and a provider of tasty and juicy meat.

AMY KERKEMEYER/SHUTTERSTOCK

Getting Started

Because natural chicken-keepers don’t use antibiotics and chemical dewormers, it’s important to keep a natural flock in the pink rather than treating birds once they’re sick. To that end, provide nourishing food, fresh water and a clean, roomy henhouse with a fenced-in chicken yard. Also, handle your birds often to check for external parasites, body condition and injuries.