JeffandLori
Songster
I've had laying hens for about three years now. We've always bought them locally at about the 18 week mark. I'm now thinking to add meat birds and since I was ordering chicks, I ordered four more hens because....why not?
Right now I have a decent sized coop that will accommodate 12 fine, but have it surrounded by 164' of poultry netting so they have a very large, fenced run, half of which is under an oak tree.
This will be my first attempt at raising from chicks. I ordered 15 Rudd Rangers and 5 Jersey Giants. My questions revolve around brooder, etc. I'm in S. Fl and expect the night time temperatures to not fall below about 45 with most of the nights not below 55. The brooder will be on the back screened in patio until they are ready to be promoted to the yard. What I'm thinking for these 20 is:
So, questions would be:
Right now I have a decent sized coop that will accommodate 12 fine, but have it surrounded by 164' of poultry netting so they have a very large, fenced run, half of which is under an oak tree.
This will be my first attempt at raising from chicks. I ordered 15 Rudd Rangers and 5 Jersey Giants. My questions revolve around brooder, etc. I'm in S. Fl and expect the night time temperatures to not fall below about 45 with most of the nights not below 55. The brooder will be on the back screened in patio until they are ready to be promoted to the yard. What I'm thinking for these 20 is:
- I have a ton of scrap 3/4" plywood. I was going to build the brooder 3'w x 6'l x 2'h. Solid sides and bottom. Frame out a top with 1/4" hardware cloth. Half fixed, half on hinges for access to food/water.
- I can put a heat lamp above it just fine and the hardware cloth will keep it from falling in. I can easily rig up something to control the height. I'm thinking to put a cheap thermometer inside.
- At some point- I'm guessing around 5-7 weeks? when they are feathered or won't fit in the brooder, the five get promoted to an old 4x8 tractor I have that will go inside the run. That will let the current hens get used to them for a couple of months.
The 15 meat birds will go in a new tractor- likely 8x8x2 that I'll have to build and move around the yard twice a day. Free ranging birds do not do well in this neighborhood. Cars, hawks, coyotes.
So, questions would be:
- At what age can you safely put them in a tractor with no heat source in temperature swings from potentially 40-80?
- Can we go from brooder to tractor?