300 chickens, pastured egg farm

[Beekissed]

I would definitely have dogs inside the fencing. Their presence and movement inside the fencing and in the midst of the flock will deter hawk predation and also 4 legged preds. I think 75 per acre is pretty heavy stocking but if you rotate off that original 4 when the hay is cut on the 19, and let it recover, it just may work.

 

[ChickFarmer]

Update time. The first 100 pullet chicks are due to arrive this week. They are a cross between RIR and Leghorn. 100 Easter Eggers are coming about 3 weeks later. Walmart is selling a 10x20 canopy for 97 dollars so I'm going to order one and shorten it's legs. I'll add cross bracing and skids then I'll attach the electric poultry net around the base, ancor it with five gallon waterers at each leg, and have a covered run. That will give the chicks a chance to forage while they are small enough to be easy hawk snacks. Of course they can free range part of the day when I'm watching, and I can move it as needed to a new patch of pasture. The coops are movable too. Later in the summer it will provide a dry and shady spot for the feeders and waterers. If the first canopy skid works well I'll build more.

 

[centrarchid]

Are they all to be day old chicks? You will have a little fun merging cohorts as elder birds will pick on little guys pretty hard. WIll you have a brooder setup to get chicks large enough to handle night time temperature drops? I generally delay putting chicks outside until at least week four and generally target week 5.

 

[ChickFarmer]

Yes, all day old chicks but I will have them in separate coop's. After they recover from the flight here, I'll put them in the pasture brooder. They will be in a fully enclosed but floorless moble coop, with one heatlamp on the feed/water area and one in the booder box. The brooder box has a floor and will be bedded with shavings. The chicks will be able to enter and leave the brooder box as they see fit but won't be able to leave the coop till they are older. The coop will be moved to fresh short grass as needed. At 3 weeks I'll take the brooder box out and put down a section of floor with bedding under a heatlamp instead. So that the new chicks can use the brooder box. The pullets don't need to be integrated right away but when they are they will have plenty of space to get away from eachother and will have seen eachother through a fence for quite some time.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, all day old chicks but I will have them in separate coop's. After they recover from the flight here, I'll put them in the pasture brooder. They will be in a fully enclosed but floorless moble coop, with one heatlamp on the feed/water area and one in the booder box. The brooder box has a floor and will be bedded with shavings. The chicks will be able to enter and leave the brooder box as they see fit but won't be able to leave the coop till they are older. The coop will be moved to fresh short grass as needed. At 3 weeks I'll take the brooder box out and put down a section of floor with bedding under a heatlamp instead. So that the new chicks can use the brooder box. The pullets don't need to be integrated right away but when they are they will have plenty of space to get away from eachother and will have seen eachother through a fence for quite some time.

Keep those little buggers dry during first four weeks. That is a lot of bitties to on ground strait away in such a small area. Watch for cocciodosis like a hawk. It has been a warm year but also beware of chicks piling up on a cold night causing some to be smushed.

 

[ChickFarmer]

They will have about 90 square feet of heated space till I deem them feathered enough to have access to a covered run. I'm going to start them on medicated chick starter. I do plan on selling up to 50 chicks at 4 weeks and up. To help cover costs and also you get a price break buying in groups of 100.

 

[kingdr85]

Hello, great Thread! - I am doing my research and I am planning (more like dreaming) of doing the same, perhaps a few more birds than you. Are the hens laying now or close to laying?

I just watched a WONDERFUL video that shows how they use dogs to protect chickens from predators. I would NOT feed them medicated feed if you are planning on labeling the eggs "pastured egg" or "organic" or anything like that.

Please share any information or pictures you may have so I can keep on dreaming.

- too see the dogs in action go to about 2:30 in the video.

THANKS!

 

[Scatterknit]

Ran across this thread and would love an update!

 

[rambotex]

What is LGD?

 

[blucoondawg]

Livestock guardian dog