https://coopsnmore.com/products/18-5gal-120v-2-000w-s-s-pro-poultry-scalder-chicken
I have the 32gal version of this scalder. Easily does 4 birds at once and I can process batches of 100 birds. The thermostatically controlled temperature is a feature well worth having as it saves a ton of...
The skin is pierced anywhere past the tendon within reach of the band. It doesn't need to be as far as the band can reach.
My chickens have had their wing bands on a few months now and they are all very well in tact and absolutely wonderful for keeping track of the birds. Once they get their...
Update: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8In3P9Jq5XKUEtWbnJvVnpXXzQ
It looks as though i may have two or three cockerels, we'll just have to wait and see i suppose. I tried to get some good pictures but didn't manage to get many good ones.
I think that i will go ahead and order some cockerels...
I didnt have much time to work on the coop this week but was able to get in one door, one window, and at least start the siding to get a good idea of what it will look like. It took me about an hour just to put the door in because the whol door fram fell apart on me and needed to be rebuilt! a...
The wing bands can be put on as early as 1 day old. I just happened to put them on when the chicks were a week and a half because that's when the bands arrived in the mail. I am definitely thankful I have the wing bands on now! Makes identification very simple and the pullets don't mind them in...
Update: Here are my most recent numbers. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8In3P9Jq5XKUEtWbnJvVnpXXzQ
I was shocked at how big of a jump there was in the weights in the past week! I had to weigh the first three pullets i grabbed several times before i believed the numbers i was seeing. I went...
UPDATE:
sorry its been a little while since my last update, my internet connection has been in and out (mostly out) but i have some more pictures now! I work weekends so im only able to work on the coop two-three days a week at the most so its going a bit slower than i had hoped but it is still...
Just picked up another load of materials today! If I figured correctly, I have everything that I'll need to finish besides the siding. I've spent about $600 so far and I think my total will be nearly $1000 when its all said and done. Really not too bad for such a large coop.
Once the coop is...
One thing that I am definitely curious about, is how our growth rates change as winter approaches because it'll start getting quite cold here with significantly shorter days.
Should be interesting data at least :)
@KoopOnTruckin I guess there is very much the possibility of the stock I got being better, or perhaps it's just got to do with climate or maybe the extra scraps and weeds I toss in occasionally. I fear it would take a great deal of experimentation and observation to really identify how to...
Here my updated spreadsheet with weights from this week.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8In3P9Jq5XKUEtWbnJvVnpXXzQ
Overall growth weight dropped from about 40% to about 20% which seems like it is just a bit too drastic. Perhaps it's just human error and im doing a poor job at giving them...
I'll be posting updated weights tonight! I may up the protein in the feed a bit as it looks like the overall growth rate is already slowing quite a bit and the pullets are only about 4 weeks old now.
Not sure yet, we'll see
On another note, they are all getting much less frightened by me...
The longer 2x6's in the middle section will be covered with boards as a walkway that'll support human foot traffic just to make matinence and cleaning easier. The wood going the other way is 2x4's that provide plenty of strength to hold chickens but not so much for humans. I did it this way...
My main reason for having all the nesting boxes is i really want to have the option of making them trap boxes for the sake of keeping track of the laying consistency of the layers and who each egg came from with the breeders. I'm figuring that it would be safest to have more than need to add...
Alrighty, I've got some sketches to help with visualizing more or less how the coop will turn out!
(The pictures are splotchy due to the fact that the inside of the lens on my phone is covered with dust, I apologize)
Here is a simple sketch of how the layout will be with the coop and run...
@KoopOnTruckin I started a new thread for the ongoing progress of my coop! i figured that would be better so that this thread can stay more or less devoted to the meat bird breeding project
Feel free to chime in and make suggestions, criticize, admire, whatever you feel you'd like to say...
I have been thinking and planning a large coop to house my current and future chickens and just started building it. I thought i'd start a thread in hopes that others can learn from my mistakes and to give opportunity for anybody to make suggestions. Please, feel free to speak your mind!
So...