Homesteaders

[lcertuche]

I was down to no roosters, the last one scratched my 14 month old grandson in the face. My sweet neighbor gave me 4 roosters/cockerels. All but one seem really young and bratty. I will probably be canning them soon. When she asked if I wanted them I told her as long as she didn't mind that most if not all might be butchered and she said she would be happy to know they fed my family. Now how sweet is that? I'm not sure what they are. I think one or two
is probably BSL but the red ones I'm not sure. Maybe game or game mixed.
My pullets are Production Reds and a Blue Cochin mix. These are Red fellows. Not very good photos.


Picture of my beautiful driveway.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was down to no roosters, the last one scratched my 14 month old grandson in the face. My sweet neighbor gave me 4 roosters/cockerels. All but one seem really young and bratty. I will probably be canning them soon. When she asked if I wanted them I told her as long as she didn't mind that most if not all might be butchered and she said she would be happy to know they fed my family. Now how sweet is that? I'm not sure what they are. I think one or two
is probably BSL but the red ones I'm not sure. Maybe game or game mixed.
My pullets are Production Reds and a Blue Cochin mix. These are Red fellows. Not very good photos.


Picture of my beautiful driveway.

From what I can tell they look like game type birds and definitely would be aggressive and protective of the girls. You might consider a calmer breed. Delaware, Orpington or Wyandotte.

 

[CLSranch]

I've noticed Game roosters are much calmer to people than other than normal egg producing breeds or most pet breeds. It's about the only roo I've never had attack me. And I've had friends who raised game only.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Well we were on a fixed income til I went back to work. That said even old codgers have value and I'm sure you can think of ways to earn a little income. Even if just to offset the cost of keeping poultry.  One way is to bag your chickens manure and sell it for a couple of bucks. Some folks want manure but are to lazy to shovel it. Reuse your feed bags and fill to about half and charge two or three dollars. 

Here I think there is a market for Duck eggs so I will be getting some of them. 

Right now I'm trading four dozen eggs for two bunnies. I also use eggs as a tip for my barber. Cheaper than the fiver I usually give.  I expect some raspberry plants from him this year. 

I'd trade just to have an extra pair of hands. 

I'd like to see a pic of your green house. 

Will do when I get it finished and yea I can make a few bucks to support my birds for sure that brings in food for free so it's a good thing to do

 

[lazy gardener]

.

I believe this boy is an EE. He might throw blue egg gene. Check out my avatar roo. He's an EE, gives me a very colorful egg basket, makes beautiful babies, is quite the family man, and loves his babies.

 

[wyoDreamer]

IM SO EXCITED!!! I just got gifted 5 easter eggers!!!!!!!

I don't have a coop or run set up yet, nor am I allowed to have them here so they are going to hold onto them until I get into the new house. I am going to talk to Dad about setting up their fencing at the same time we do the cattle fencing, then adding another fencing material if needed to make sure the chickens can't get out, and critters can't get in. They are only a year old and laid through the winter, so I am super excited to move now and if I hurry up and move this summer I might be able to get my Idaho hunting license for this year instead of having to wait until next year to get it. Now I just need to draw up blueprints for the coop/run area. Debating on having just the egg laying area outside of the coop and have the rest of the coop inside the run but I don't want to have to walk into the run everyday just to check eggs. What are your thoughts on the coop being inside the run vs being along the edge? I want to buy a prebuilt one, there is a person in town that builds some really nice looking coops that are super sturdy, for $500, and fits a couple of chickens and they can build to size for you. Or I could go to North 40 and buy a coop with a mini run for $400, but I have heard they are flimsy and easies fall apart. I'm not a carpenter so building one is out of the question, plus dad might kill me if I asked him to help me build another thing for my creatures, the bunnies nearly did him in.

Definitely put it on the edge of the run so you don't have to go through the run to get to the coop. If you can, build the nest box so you can access it without having to enter the coop either.
I hate getting poopy shoes when I am in a hurry to gather eggs before going somewhere.
This is what I used for brooding my chicks. Note that the roofs are not on it in this photo. The previous homeowner left it when they sold the place to us, I am too cheap to buy this for $200. It is advertised as a chicken coop to hold 4 birds. In my opinion, this is too small for 2 chickens, let alone 4. The nest box is the white part that sticks out on the left side and the roof for that is hinged so that it lifts up for collecting eggs. I would recommend having something like this on your coop to make egg collecting easier.

EDITTED TO ADD: I am talking about the nest box only - in-my-opinion, the rest of this is useless for full grown birds.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I

Definitely put it on the edge of the run so you don't have to go through the run to get to the coop. If you can, build the nest box so you can access it without having to enter the coop either. I hate getting poopy shoes when I am in a hurry to gather eggs before going somewhere. This is what I used for brooding my chicks. Note that the roofs are not on it in this photo. The previous homeowner left it when they sold the place to us, I am too cheap to buy this for $200. It is advertised as a chicken coop to hold 4 birds. In my opinion, this is too small for 2 chickens, let alone 4. The nest box is the white part that sticks out on the left side and the roof for that is hinged so that it lifts up for collecting eggs. I would recommend having something like this on your coop to make egg collecting easier.

built mine starting the run a little larger than that I have a 75ft x 20ft run I used one side of the run wire actually built the coop on the outside completely it's a 8x8 ft 4ft high box that the one side is mounted through the fence to bind it tight just the front side is inside the run nest boxes on the backside for easy access and one 4x4 ft door for clean out all outside the run with an access door to the run

 

[wyoDreamer]

An 8x8 box that is 4' high is deluxe accommodations compared to that thing. It is about 4' high at the highest point that the roof sits on. The little door on the enclosed area is maybe 12" wide. The width is less than 30", and the length - total including the nest box is about 6'. I carried it from the barn to the garden shed by myself - hence the lack of roof at the time of the photo. It fit through the garden shed door with ease, and I think that is a 30" or 32" door. Definitely less than the standard 36" exterior doors we have on houses today.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

the thing is you can build one larger and to accommodate you better for less I'm glad I went that way and built my own not as pretty but works better for me

 

[CLSranch]

Raech you can also just put a door where the egg box is.

On my chicken tractor I put the next boxes on the inside to save room and weight and put a door where I could stand outside to check eggs. I just cut one side threw some hinges on and finished cutting.