How to house meat bird in a stationary coop?

[Esrun]

Hello all! This is my first post. We are in the beginning stages of researching raising meat birds. We have had layers for a couple years. Due to our property we really are unable to have them in a tractor (wooded and lots of hills). I saw another post that indicated having the coop/run raised with hardware cloth flooring as an option to help keep them cleaner. I’m wondering if anyone does this? We do have space that we can let them “free range” on normal ground. I use quotes bc it would be more of a fenced in enclosure. I’m attaching a photo of one of our proposed locations that has flat space. I’m just struggling with how to make a safe (and inexpensive) coop. We are looking at maybe 6 cornish cross meat birds for our first try but can legally have up to 15. This location is about 100 feet from our house but is wooded and we do have predators (mostly raccoons and hawks but also foxes, coyotes, fisher cats, opossums, and occasionally bears though we’ve never seen one in our yard). Is this doable for us?

 

[Molpet]

I did 6 CX with 2 laying chicks and 2 BBB turkey poults. I let them free range with adults at 6 wks . They did fine. I did have a good dog that chased predators. The CX tried to keep up with the layers, took a couple extra weeks to get heavy but they were healthy.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

When I've raised Cornish Cross, it's always been in a stationary coop and run. We had a little wooden shed with raised concrete floor, inside of a fenced run. We had no netting or roof over the run, so we took our chances - but never lost a bird to any predation. They made an awful mess in the coop that had to be scooped daily, but it works just fine. I can't see why it wouldn't be doable for you, too.

Just be sure they can get off the ground if weather is wet. And I don't mean roosts; they are far too heavy to use traditional roosts. They prefer to sleep on the floor. So a clean, dry floor with bedding (like wood shavings) is a must.

Likewise, I don't see how a wire or hardware cloth floor could work at all; their poop will clog it up in no time. Also, these birds tend to spend so much time on their bellies that they rub the belly feathers off and leave exposed skin. A wire floor would be abrasive I think.

 

[Esrun]

Ok, thanks for this information. We have a massive chipmunk population (oddly not many squirrels) and as a result our hens’ run is fully enclosed in hardware cloth (with sand in the run, the coop is also inside the run). Do you think we should put hardware cloth on the floor of the meat birds’ run? I’m learning about different feeding schedules and don’t plan to offer them 24 hour access to food once outside. I also want to keep maintenance to a minimum (so if I can keep their feed and feeders in the run for refilling overnight it would be helpful given the distance from the house). I guess that would make sense to hardware cloth the run floor then, right? But then what material should I put on top of that? Right now it’s leaves and pachysandra.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Ok, thanks for this information. We have a massive chipmunk population (oddly not many squirrels) and as a result our hens’ run is fully enclosed in hardware cloth (with sand in the run, the coop is also inside the run). Do you think we should put hardware cloth on the floor of the meat birds’ run?

I would not, unless it's buried under sand or dirt so their bellies don't rub on it. I'm serious; these birds will spend 95% of their time lying on their bellies. They will rub all the feathers off. They get up to eat, but often sit while eating. They'll waddle over to a waterer, get a drink, then waddle to a patch of grass and plop down. When the sun moves and that spot gets too warm, they'll waddle a little more to the next shady spot, then plop down again. They'll eat the grass and weeds in a semi-circle around them without getting up. You'll have to herd them into the coop in the evening, where they'll find a bare spot of floor and plop down until morning. I would not put hardware cloth anywhere they will lay directly on it.

I’m learning about different feeding schedules and don’t plan to offer them 24 hour access to food once outside. I also want to keep maintenance to a minimum (so if I can keep their feed and feeders in the run for refilling overnight it would be helpful given the distance from the house).

You are absolutely correct. These eating/pooping machines will absolutely convince you they're starving if you don't keep the buffet stocked and open 24/7. They are hard-wired to EAT and don't realize when they've had enough. Please DO put them on a feeding schedule with measured amounts of feed according to their age and weight. If you overfeed them, they'll develop split skin over their backs and shanks (BTDT), leg deformities (BTDT too), and are prone to heart attacks (haven't had that misfortune). Feed them per the schedule, and they'll grow appropriately and stay healthy.

I can't find my reference at the moment (But I'll look for it and send it to you if you're really interested), but I remember they do need 24/7 access to feed for the first - what, 2 weeks I think? After that, you have to weigh it and measure according to a schedule. I split my birds' feedings into two per day - mornings, and late-afternoon (so that they could digest most of it before bedtime).

Besides feeding, most of your daily chores will consist of cleaning the coop, health checks, refilling waterers (they drink a LOT), scooping more poop, and supervising while they eat to be sure everyone gets a fair share. Watch for any who don't seem to be putting on as much weight as the others. Their care is nothing like raising other chickens; these little guys need close supervision at mealtime. You can't just put a feeder out and walk away.

I guess that would make sense to hardware cloth the run floor then, right? But then what material should I put on top of that? Right now it’s leaves and pachysandra.

If you must put hardware cloth on the run floor, then by all means do cover it thickly with dirt and/or sand. Keep in mind that they will EAT anything you put on their floor, so be sure it's edible and won't cause issues. (No grass clippings, for example; those can cause impacted crop.) I'm not sure about leaves; but that just seems like more unnecessary work.

Having raised several batches of these birds myself, I can't see raising them on anything but bare dirt and green grass (while it lasts). They poop SO VERY MUCH that trying to keep clean bedding in the run would be a constant fight. I could maybe see sand, but even that would have to be sifted through - and that's more maintenance.

I really do just recommend you build the run fencing tight to the ground, and bury an apron of hardware cloth around the perimeter to keep out the vermin. It doesn't have to cover the floor of the run.

It occurs to me suddenly that might be the reason you're wanting hardware cloth on the floor - so you can leave feeders (maybe with feed in them) inside the run, but where the chipmunks can't get to them. Am I right?
If so, that's moot. The chickens will always empty their feeders down to the last tiny crumb and leave no morsels whatsoever for the chipmunks to find. It's just what they do. So you can safely leave feeders in the run overnight with no risk. Just fill them on your feeding schedule, they'll clean 'em out for you, and don't worry about the chipmunks.

 

[Esrun]

Thanks for this reply! Yes, I would like to somehow store their feed nearby as it’s a little distance from the house over a small stream and up a hill. Our hens are closer to the house and in their run I have a large food storage bin. I wouldn’t intend to keep the feeders full just hoped to store them and the food with the birds somehow. At this point I was thinking of a hoop coop that could be split in half (back half a secure coop for sleeping and front half for daytime and then have an enclosed run for when they can be outside. The leaves are just what’s on the ground now, I didn’t mean as bedding intentionally. What do you use for bedding inside the coop? What would you suggest as a floor there, wood with shavings? - or still just the dirt with an apron around them? Hardware cloth seems out as an option for flooring bc I don’t want to do sand (I have sand in w my hens and I do like it for them).

 

[Esrun]

Also, I had no idea they needed so much looking after, I’m glad to know these things ahead of time to see if we’re really prepared for this. Our hens are very low maintenance (partly bc we have a small flock and I have an auto coop door/heated waterer). We both work full time so I’ll really need to assess if I have the time for this. I’m prepared to take care of them in all aspects and my husbands job is to take over if anyone is hurt beyond being helped as well as processing day. So much to learn. We had talked about starting with six. Does that seem like a good amount? Of course I immediately said, “well, if we want 6 we’d better get 9”

 

[Esrun]

One more question for now. I’m on the fence about him processing them and would rather pay a farm. He wants to do them for cost saving but I’m worried he won’t know a diseased bird. Is there a resource for assessing the meat for things that would make it not fit to eat? A local farm is having a class on processing in May that he’ll attend but if we want to have someone else process them we have to book the appointment ahead of time and likely before May for later in the summer.

 

[Birdinhand]

I’ve grown out hundreds of CX in a medium coop, at about 25-30 at a time. I would highly recommend seeking out the cobb 500 strain, they are more mobile, lively and “ chicken like”… need a lot less coddling. All chickens, especially CX absolutely need protection from predators. They need hardware cloth wall to wall, ideally ceiling and floor, at least for where they are locked in at night. They are best kept under cover in a secure coop and run, they can not tolerate being exposed, damp and wet. I don’t think they are generally well suited for free ranging but some people do it and I totally understand the appeal, so it might be worth experimenting during the day. I would caution from seeing the free ranging as a substitute for properly formulated grower formula. Their dietary requirements, particularly amino acid ratios, are way way beyond that of a regular heritage breed and they can get thrown out of wack if they don’t get what they need. I’d see free ranging as a way to improve quality of life but not as a way to save money on food.

If you skip using a heat lamp you can skip the rationing of food. Using radiant heat, some variant of the “mother heating pad” you can give them 24/7 access to food because darkness will limit their eating naturally, and real sleep throughout the night allows their bone/joint growth to keep up with their weight gain. I personally think it’s inhumane to ration their food, they have roughly a 10 x metabolism over that of a regular chicken, that is driven by their breeding and hormones. If you don’t like that they are growing and eating machines, go with a slower growing bird like a dual purpose breed. They are ravenous and need food pretty much constantly or they suffer. Ditch the heat lamp and their growth will be much healthier without starving them.

I use a modified version of the deep litter method to manage their waste. My meat bird run is a second floor in my coop, I lined it with flexible plastic shower liner from Home Depot. I get wood chips, composted soil, broken down plant matter that’s been breaking down for a while in the elements and layer it 6-8” deep, giving them something to scratch and peck and turn. This “forest floor” like litter is full of good bacteria, worms and all, giving them something to search for, motivating them to move. I usually add this layer to a covered run months in advance of their arrival, giving it plenty of time to dry. The first several weeks, they keep up with their waste by turning it in. After say week 5, the production of wet manure outpaces their natural tendency to dig and turn and they become so heavy they gradually become less active. At this point the manure builds up as a layer and soaks into the deep litter an inch or so and I remove it by hand (my runs are at waist level for convenience) as clods of mixed manure, wood chips and plant matter and earth of the deep litter and it goes straight into a tumbler composter where it heats up and begins the process of turning into the best garden soil amendment I’ve every used in a remarkably short period of time. I hang their food and water and raise it as they grow, to force them to stand and I separate the food from the water further and further apart, forcing them to move back and forth. This exercise is very important for them and is overall a part of what helps reduce the tendency to get skin sores on their chest and feet.

Investing in a covered coop and run, buying the hardware cloth from a farm supply store by the 100’ roll and using rough lumber is all worth its weight in gold. One of the main advantages is that hardware cloth keeps the vermin and predators out. Some folks spend thousands on their coop, it can be done quite adequately for hundreds and give you many years of problem free service if you do it right the first time. You can save yourself a lot of trauma and drama by investing the time and money up front, paying it forward.

For lots of details on my learning process you can look up “trials and tribulations of suburban meat bird production”.

Cheers!

 

[Esrun]

Birdinhand, thanks for this. I’ll check that resource out. Having a safe coop is really important, I totally agree. I would love to have one at waist level so as not to have to bend down. Not sure how to go about making one though. The enclosure for “free ranging” (I don’t know what else to call it but it’s not truly free ranging) would indeed only be for quality of life. So much to learn.