Recent content by Hawkeye2010

So if I'm planning on 12 inches of litter, having the bottom of the coop door 18" off the floor of the coop should be ok? Do I then want the nesting boxes 28" off the floor of the coop so there is a usuable 16" underneath them?

How high should the chicken door and nesting boxes be off the coop floor when using the deep litter method? Just finalizing my coop design. Thanks in advance!

Can I feed the same feed to 3-5 year old egg layers and the meat birds for the 12 weeks I have them?

I am thinking red ranger chickens for the meat birds, not cornish crosses.

We are in the early stages of planning our chicken coop for our family. I would like to have 6-8 perennial egg layers and then raise 8 or so chickens every year for just meat. Can I do this in the same coop/run or are the feeding requirements too difficult to sort out that way?

I sitll don't see where I can buy one...

I've seen a lot of recommendations for the trigger happy automatic chicken feeder on this site but their website doesn't appear to be operational. Any idea where I can get one or how I can make my own? Thanks!

Someone out there has to have a great solution?!

I don't see your tank heater?

Thanks. I live in Wisconsin and I'm afraid it would freeze. The heater says it is good down to +10F. Every winter we seem to hit -20F if not -30F. So I would have to find something that could handle that. How often do you have to clean them?

Thank you for your input! I don't mind the cost of the automatic door, it would be invaluable with our schedules. The watering is what is holding me back getting chickens. The potential for freezing and needing constant attention/cleaning is what has held me back from getting started with...

I have access to electricity.

Does this exist or no? I live in Wisconsin. Any other solution where I could leave 6 chickens for two weeks in winter without worrying about water for them?

I am in the initial phases of thinking about a small backyard flock. My backyard is about 1.25 acres in Wisconsin. My objectives would be to raise a few chickens (6ish) for meat and eggs, help control japanese beetles in my garden/raspberry patch and ticks around my yard, give my daughter a...