Reviews by DoozyWombat

Fabulous and inspiring article! I love the concept of not terrifying the chicks with hands coming down from above.

One thing that might help for things like this (both for articles and comments) is for people to mention their average last frost date. That helps everyone put things in perspective, when talking about outdoor conditions and activities.

I have my very first batch of 32 chicks coming from Cackle Hatchery at the beginning of April (25 CX, 7 Dark Brahmas). My average last frost date in the northern Shenandoah Valley is April 22. With both a heat blanket brooder and a 250w heat lamp, I was going to raise them in the barn, inside a doubled cardboard "Chick Corral" (just a strip of cardboard). I'm going to experiment with it this weekend, but I might run an extension cord out to the coop, and see if I can maintain a stable temperature in there. If I can, the chicks will have a warm brooder that is open on one side, where they can venture out and see the world outside the coop (but still behind hardware cloth). They will also naturally explore the coop as they get bigger and the days get warmer. When they are really comfortable in the coop, I'll hook up the door, so they can go out.

In the meantime, the mess the chicks make will just be the start of the DLM in the coop.

Great idea. I was concerned about switching to non-roll-out if I want hens to go broody, but you've even included that in the design, with the lift-up floor.

I love the idea of the hens being able to share the same next box area.

Great article. It's hard to take the step of physically processing an animal you've raised for food. We've been conditioned against it. Yet it really is the "circle of life", and if we believe in living in harmony with our world, this is a part of it.

I respect those who choose to be vegetarian or vegan, even though I do not share their beliefs or points of view. To me, humans are carnivore-leaning omnivores, and learning to raise animals for food with kindness and humanely preparing them for food is a fundamental part of living in this world with respect for all living creatures.

Processing animals is difficult for me. Too much empathy can be a curse, but it is part of what makes us human. Yet being a slave to empathy makes us unable to live successfully in a changing world, and unable to protect and provide effectively for our families. Learning how to do this helps me anchor to the world I live in more firmly.

Native Americans used to thank the animals they killed, for providing for them and their families. I've always understood that philosophically. Only in doing this have I understood it emotionally.

Thanks again for this most helpful article.

This article and a couple of the videos convinced me to raise a straight run of 25 CX for myself next year. I'm still going to have breeding and layer chickens, but I'm going to see how well the CX do for meat. The key seems to be limiting the food you give them, motivating them to forage aggressively.

One thing I am concerned about is making sure the other birds get enough to eat, with the CX being so much bigger and hunger-driven.

Outstanding article!

I'm just at the point of setting up roosting bars in my coop, and this was extremely helpful. (I'm going to use 2x4s with the wide side up, as they don't from this seem to have a preference, and the wide side up might help keep the feet warmer in cold weather.)

Excellent, thorough, approach to figuring out the best way to do things.