Probiotics for chickens

[raw-al]

Raw chicken is at best gross tasting to me but this article is interesting in that they are feeding probiotics to chickens as opposed to antibiotics.

Now I have no doubt that these are cage chickens which is another disgusting practice, but at least there is recognition that antibiotics are particularly bad news.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/22/350590488/giving-chickens-bacteria-to-keep-them-antibiotic-free

[van]

imagine the bacteria inside a worm or cricket or on the surface of a young blade of grass or spout.

[raw-al]

Exactly my sentiments. Mine roam free over the backyard which is not touched by any form of pesticide etc. They get their probiotics naturally. However they also get bugs on them which cause them to dig holes in the garden to get the dust into their feathers for a dust bath. To a new chicken keeper this can seem a bit weird.

[goodsamaritan]

When i do eat chicken around 2x a year, i get it here http://pamorafarm.com

[JeuneKoq]

I saw a documentary two years ago where the industrials mixed PRE-biotics with the chicken's food. Pre-biotics apparently being the exact same thing as antibiotics, just with a different name 

Now I don't know if these people really give probiotics to their chicken, instead of pre/antibiotics. I think it's still better to avoid eating factory chicken anyway, if possible.

[raw-al]

Joe Salatin has the answer. He runs his cows through one section of his fields then shifts them to another and a certain period of time after that, he moves the chicken mobiles in and the chickens feed on the insects that are on the cow manure.