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No offense taken :) To each their own. I agree, if it's just for roosting then small is fine. I have a few 8x7 foot coops for my birds and I can't imagine having a hundred bird in there! haha! but then I don't have huge runs, and mine tend to spend a fair amount of time indoors in the winter as...

Just thought I'd share :) https://www.bigpondfarm.ca/calculators/chicken_space_requirements_calculator.php Also has ration protein calculator and a place to track your incubation records.

I'd like to breed some magpie coloured Indian runners. I've been fooling around with the genetics calculator but thought I'd ask for some advice from those who have more experience with genetics and breeding. Which colour crosses yield the highest chance of magpie? I'm open to black or blue...

@@Folly's place I had originally planned a three year cycle, but have been considering a few different options. Basically trying to figure out what will work best. I am planning to use dual-purpose Heritage breed (or two crossed Heritage to increase egg production). I'm worried that they will...

Thanks @donrae - very reassuring! and hilarious! Hahaha!! I definitely feel better about the whole thing.

Gotcha! So far planning out all aspects of the new building have been fairly "easy" but it's the grow-out pens that are getting me! You need so much space for all those extra cockerels!! And it's extra annoying since the grow-outs are only used for 4-5 months so that space is either unused the...

Thanks Alaskan for sharing your method and experiences! It is helpful to hear how others do things. Good point about separating out the males in the grow-out pens... I'll need to account for that. Do you think they need to be visually separated as well? (as in they can't see the girls)

Great advice everyone! Lots to consider... Thanks :) I'm definitely leaning towards the 2 year cycle (always seems to work out that your original idea/plan is the best one!) Seems simpler in so many ways. I think I may have over thought the affects of integrating new birds. I'm planning to...

Thanks for you input and your well wishes :) It's been a lot of work figuring out the logistics of a bigger scale! Going from 20 to 100 will be interesting! From breeder stock, to brooder/grow-out space to layer space to pasture rotation etc etc etc! It's really exciting though! I was...

That's what I figured (size-wise). And you're right, after doing a lot of figuring I got on to the roost space - I always forget how much space it takes! haha. I currently use poop boards with a lip filled with sand and stall-dry. Works really well - I'll just have to scale up (a lot!) for that...

Right... should have mentioned that! :) It will be for dual-purpose Large Fowl. I'm in eastern Ontario (Canada) north of New York, so we have "true" winters here - But I will likely only use the pen from April until August - so spring and summer. Thanks!

What would you say is a reasonable size (dimensions) for around 70 chicks from age 0 until they are about 5 months old given they will have 10 to 15 sqft of outdoor run space each? Also if anyone has pics I'd love to see yours! Thanks!

I'm trying to decide what method would be best for having 50-100 layers. 1. Would it be best to hatch out my total desired number of layers each year and sell/process the year old layers once the new ones hit laying age (housed separately until year olds are removed/sold). 2. Or hatch out...

I will be breeding several different breeds (4-5) this year/next year and I'm in the process of designing a new building to house just my chickens (moving them from the main barn). What I am trying to figure out is the best way to house everyone in the most efficient way and the way that will...

If you cross 2 different breeds it is called a crossbreed. But what do you call the offspring when you cross chickens of the same breed but different colours (that yield a non-recognized colour)? Example: If you crossed a speckled Sussex with a light Sussex. It is still the Sussex breed but...

Will definitely post pics! :) Nice photo, they are stunning! Their colouring is so rich! Hmmm I hadn't considered that she may only have one black gene - which totally makes sense as a possibility. Now I'm even more curious about will hatch! It will finally clear up what genes she carries...

Great! Thanks for the additional description and the photo is a great help! Thanks for sharing. :) They are lovely! Not sure if my girl is pure black... She's a beautiful black and with a nice green sheen in the right lighting! But I have noticed that in different lightings I can see a sort of...

Very interesting! Thanks for the reply and the explanation. Just so I'm clear: r+r+=no Runner pattern Rr+=may be a few white feathers around the neck and possibly white wing tips RR=full Runner pattern Correct? :) So that means the babies should be sexable at hatch by colouring! I'll...

Hi! I used the genetics calculator to determine what I would get it I crossed my pencilled runner drake with a black runner duck. It says: Males - black self runner/pied Female - chocolate self runner/pied Does it mean they would be the same pattern as the pencilled but have different...