Recent content by HandsomeRyan

  1. HandsomeRyan

    First hatch in Brinsea Mini Advanced.

    I bought a Brinsea Mini Advanced and the small egg disc, sourced some coturnix quail eggs locally, and crossed my fingers. This was my first hatch and I am very happy with the result. So far 7 of 12 eggs have hatched. One of the chicks only lived a few hours and expired but the other 6 seem to...
  2. HandsomeRyan

    Hydroponic vegetable gardens

    I've done some hydroponic projects. Pros: You get to build stuff. You get a better understanding of plant nutrition. Did I mention building stuff? Cons: When things go wrong the plants can be injured or killed much faster than traditional soil based agriculture. More expensive. If you don't...
  3. HandsomeRyan

    Looking for experienced input on a cold-climate open-air coop

    The guy who has sold you on the idea that open air coops are "better" than traditional coops also sells (sold?) books about this subject. That may not make him a completely unbiased source for information. I'm not qualified to tell you if an open air coop will work in your situation but I...
  4. HandsomeRyan

    Waterers for tractor raised birds?

    I'm planning on getting some meat birds this spring and growing them out in a tractor. I've never done meaties before and my hens live in a fixed coop. I am at a loss for what would be a good way to make sure the meat birds have water available but that will move with the tractor and be easy to...
  5. HandsomeRyan

    Elevated garden bed from reclaimed materials

    That's mighty personal. You could at least buy me dinner first. oh, you mean the pallet tool... Sure...
  6. HandsomeRyan

    Elevated garden bed from reclaimed materials

    The "teeth" of it are cut to be 6" long and I use a cross piece about 5.5" long. The handle is 1" black iron pipe which I cut to 4 feet long for maximum leverage. The tool is inserted under the top boards and rocked backwards against the stringers to pry up the boards. Sometimes it works really...
  7. HandsomeRyan

    Elevated garden bed from reclaimed materials

    A few weeks ago I welded up a tool which helps me quickly and easily take apart shipping pallets which I can collect for free at my office. I have been using this free reclaimed lumber to make a few projects around the house. First I built a brooder to keep baby chicks in until they feather out...
  8. HandsomeRyan

    In the process of making my chicken coop with some questions

    Architectural salvage stores (as others mentioned such as ReStore) are a great source for cheap windows. You can get other items there as well- hinges, hardware. etc.
  9. HandsomeRyan

    Can someone clear this up for me?

    I'd register another vote for the 'apron' approach. I use chicken wire on my run and an apron of it 12-15" out buried slightly underground. I've never lost a bird or egg to a predator getting inside the coop and I've only had a couple instances of anything even trying to dig in but they stopped...
  10. HandsomeRyan

    New coop/need help

    For bedding I recommend pine shavings. Some people prefer sand or other beddings but for me pine shavings are cheap, readily available, and they do a decent job. As far as ventilation- The more the better. Just be sure to avoid drafts. Chickens are covered in insulating feathers and most of...
  11. HandsomeRyan

    BROODER thread! Post pics of your brooders!

    Here is an in-progress shot of my new brooder. It is made of reclaimed pallet wood and the bottom and lower sides are lined with coroplast to make it easier to clean. (The coroplast was lining some of the pallets before they were dismantled.) I'm waiting on a thermostat I ordered and then I'll...
  12. HandsomeRyan

    Show me your brooders!

    Here is an in-progress shot of my new brooder. It is made of reclaimed pallet wood and the bottom and lower sides are lined with coroplast to make it easier to clean. (The coroplast was lining some of the pallets before they were dismantled.) I'm waiting on a thermostat I ordered and then I'll...
  13. HandsomeRyan

    The "Buck-It Pluck-It"

    Neat idea. Would it not make more sense to offset the plucking fingers instead of keeping them in perfect vertical rows?
  14. HandsomeRyan

    Swing set coop conversion?

    I think you are spot on. That guy makes nice coops but he is really proud of them for what they are. The existing swingset frame could be a good starting point for your coop. If I were you I'd start designing on paper using the actual measurements of the swings to calculate how high up the...
  15. HandsomeRyan

    How do I make a coop when the odds are NOT in my favor?

    Why was a plan for housing not put in place before the chickens [or additional chickens] were procured? My gut reaction is you should rehome the chickens to a home with the means to support them. I don't mean to be rude as I understand you are young, but if you can not financially afford to keep...
See more
Back
Top Bottom