100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[PotterWatch]

Quote:
We just ran tubing low on the side of the bucket from one to the next. Made the hole slightly smaller than the bucket and pulled the tubing through with pliers. We had two or three buckets on each tractor.

ETA: The only problem we had with the tubing running between the buckets and down to the bell is that (mostly in hot, sunny months), the tubing would get clogged with algae growth sometimes. We used clear tubing so we could see when that was becoming an issue and would flush the tubes with higher water pressure. We used the black tubing that came with the bells at first, but after losing almost an entire tractor of chickens one particularly hot summer day, we switched to clear. The black tubing didn't allow us to see that it was getting clogged and we didn't notice that the bell wasn't filling properly so the birds ran out of water early one day when it got up to around 107. We saved some of them, but lost a bunch in that tractor. We switched over to clear tubing that same day when we figured out why it had clogged.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I think I will be ok as far as the feeders but I will have to have something built for the watering system.

So it sounds like I"m looking at 10 gallons of water every day for 100 broilers?

 

[PotterWatch]

Water consumption depends a lot on weather and the feed you are using. This time of year, ten gallons a day will probably be enough. During hot weather though, 100 broilers can easily go through 35+ gallons a day.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Water consumption depends a lot on weather and the feed you are using. This time of year, ten gallons a day will probably be enough. During hot weather though, 100 broilers can easily go through 35+ gallons a day.

35 gallons?? WOW!! I will be getting mine in January, so it will be cooler weather here in Louisiana. I plan to feed organic feed.

 

[Buster52]

We just ran tubing low on the side of the bucket from one to the next. Made the hole slightly smaller than the bucket and pulled the tubing through with pliers. We had two or three buckets on each tractor.

Okay, that is what I wondered. To run one bucket, we put the tube low in the side of the bucket and from there to the bell waterer. So I guess to do more than one we just do another one on the other side in the same place and run it from the second bucket.

35 gallons is a lot. Makes me think I need to switch to this system before next spring.

 

[Buster52]

Kuntrygirl, to answer your question, when we raise that many at a time we use a tractor similar to Potterwatch's and exactly like the ones in the above video (since he is the guy who built them). After brooding for 3 weeks, we move them to the tractor. About week 6, the birds are getting kind of large, so we put electro netting around it and prop up one end to day range. We still have to move the tractor fairly often, even when we day range, to keep the ground from mucking up.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Kuntrygirl, to answer your question, when we raise that many at a time we use a tractor similar to Potterwatch's and exactly like the ones in the above video (since he is the guy who built them). After brooding for 3 weeks, we move them to the tractor. About week 6, the birds are getting kind of large, so we put electro netting around it and prop up one end to day range. We still have to move the tractor fairly often, even when we day range, to keep the ground from mucking up.

Thank you very much for the infor. Question..... when you brood them, are they on bedding? If so, what kind of bedding or are they on wire?

 

[PotterWatch]

We brood ours on pine shavings. We put fresh shavings where needed on a daily basis. By the time they get to be just over a week old, they basically need fresh shavings over the whole floor every day until they go out at 3 weeks old. Here is a picture of our brooder.

 

[donrae]

We brood ours on pine shavings. We put fresh shavings where needed on a daily basis. By the time they get to be just over a week old, they basically need fresh shavings over the whole floor every day until they go out at 3 weeks old. Here is a picture of our brooder.

What's in the box? Is that your heat source?

 

[PotterWatch]

Yep. We found that we only have to use two lights in the box as opposed to the five lights we had around the brooder before. The chicks also love it because they can duck under it when they want to get warm but the rest of the brooder stays cooler. Much more natural than heating the whole space.

We put foil across the top at first thinking that the wood needed protection and it would reflect more heat. It wasn't needed and was eventually removed.