The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[immyjay54]

Jim,
I didn't have any frostbite problems this year - even with the bitter temps getting below zero.
I use a heavy clear vinyl in the winter attached with Velcro. I loosen the bottom on most days and roll it up. Then roll it down again at night.
This provides great air circulation and yet really holds enough warmth in at night.
On the rare occasion it didn't get above 20, I'd simply raise only the top flaps... it all depends on the temperature and amount of sun on a given day.
All vinyl is off for the summer now of course.
Here's a pic I took mid-winter when I was breeding. Hatched a few hundred eggs from these pens Jan thru March.

That would not stand up in these mountain winds that we get and the 35 below wind chills. lol Believe me, I've tried many things. It is like a 10 mile area here that really gets hit with it.
Jim
I do want to say that I really do like those pens.


Fred,
The juveniles are really nice. Keep up the good work.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Jimmy, here's the little man I have here. Remember, he's only 8 1/2 months old. He was sorta standing on his tip toes to see what I was doing with the camera, but you can see what he looks like well enough.

 

[immyjay54]

Jimmy, here's the little man I have here. Remember, he's only 8 1/2 months old. He was sorta standing on his tip toes to see what I was doing with the camera, but you can see what he looks like well enough.

Nice Fred and yes, I can tell he is alert. lol After taking as many pictures as I do of mine I can almost always tell what to look for. He has really nice color and the leg color is showing up just fine. I probably have about 2000+ pictures on my computer and CD's of my birds. ha,ha I think my chickens think that my camera is a part of my body I wasn't going to raise any Nelson's this year but thought I better because I only have the one boy right now. I have egg in lock down right now due to hatch Saturday. That is it for them this year, that is if I get a decent hatch. lol

Thanks for sharing the photo. He is nice. nice tail set too.
Jimmy.

 

[Davaroo]

Yes that WAS a compliment and a vote of trust for your expertise level.

Well I am gathering eggs to hatch from these two Nelsons:

Next year should be fun choosing the keepers for the breeding program. Thinking I will see if I can come up with stuff to build one or two pens along this line (was someone on heres photo I kept for a pattern):

Of course I will post pictures for You, Matt and Fred to help me choose from. Or to tell me yes a good choice or no because of.... etc.

I'm excited to get the chicks that came from my Kittle hens eggs from Fred in a few weeks. If one turns out to be a male I can work on that line too! If not...well I will have eating eggs there while I develop/preserve my Nelsons! And so my journey as an apprentice breeder begins!!!

I like the pen. Give it about 6" of overhang front and back, though.

 

[RedRidge]

I purposely didn't put an overhang for two reasons. The back has a gutter. But the front was in favor of my husband's height. He is a full foot taller than I am and while I could have walked under it (my vertically challenged self can walk under most things), he would have surely caught those corners with a forehead, or worse an eye.
I have quite a few pens and tractors and am always refining my designs since I have both poultry and rabbits and have learned that's is easier to request periodical help if I don't booby trap. ;-)

 

[Davaroo]

I purposely didn't put an overhang for two reasons. The back has a gutter. But the front was in favor of my husband's height. He is a full foot taller than I am and while I could have walked under it (my vertically challenged self can walk under most things), he would have surely caught those corners with a forehead, or worse an eye.
I have quite a few pens and tractors and am always refining my designs since I have both poultry and rabbits and have learned that's is easier to request periodical help if I don't booby trap. ;-)

Well okay then
That's as good a reason as any.
I'm always thinking construction, and an overhang protects the eaves and the roofs wood deck from water damage. It so helps keep rain out of the pens.
Just my brain, I guess

 

[RedRidge]

I purposely didn't put an overhang for two reasons. The back has a gutter. But the front was in favor of my husband's height. He is a full foot taller than I am and while I could have walked under it (my vertically challenged self can walk under most things), he would have surely caught those corners with a forehead, or worse an eye.
I have quite a few pens and tractors and am always refining my designs since I have both poultry and rabbits and have learned that's is easier to request periodical help if I don't booby trap. ;-)

Well okay then
That's as good a reason as any.
I'm always thinking construction, and an overhang protects the eaves and the roofs wood deck from water damage. It so helps keep rain out of the pens.
Just my brain, I guess

Ironically the only side I have ever taken in any moisture is the west side - that is the direction our weather comes from. Some that is the back side which is plywood flip doors on the bottom half and only hardware cloth on the upper, adding the gutter added just enough width that I haven't had any moisture in the pens since adding the gutter. IF we have something server predicted with high winds, I simply flip the vinyl down on that side. We had tornados a few weeks ago and only the southwest corner of the end pen was damp the next morning... Pine pellet horse bedding solved that problem real quick.

 

[cmom]

The weather has turned. Time to move these rascals out to a grow out pen. I like to separate the cockerels at this age as they tend to hog feed from the pullets. To the bachelor pad they go.

I just moved my birds to another pen. Haven't separated the males from the females yet. Have to empty out some other pens. Working on it. My birds look to be a little younger than yours. The combs on mine aren't quite as developed.

 

[immyjay54]

Chicks hatched yesterday, first picture Nelson's, second picture Underwood's. Have Reese/Mohawk eggs due to hatch tomorrow and a broody hen due 2 weeks from today then that is it. Oh my, glad this is done for a while. lol

 

[docdandc]

Great pictures of the new chicks. Who grows faster?