A few photos from Wisconsin

[Mac in Wisco]

In the depths of winter here with another 6 inches of snow on its way. I took some photos of our barn today and posted them on my BYC page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2328-wisconsin-layer-barn

 

[Chickenkate17]

So many eggs, so many chickens!!!

 

[BooBear]

that is alot of snow.
So happy to live in the south (until summer hits and everything roasts)

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Thanks for posting the pictures. I'd thought several times about asking. lol

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

That's a lot of chickens in one small space...


I imagine the clucking in their is deafening!

 

[M To The Maxx]

Quote:
Have you even seen the inside of a hatchery? This is like heaven compared to the inside a hatchery. Just sayin. Also

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Have you even seen the inside of a hatchery? This is like heaven compared to the inside a hatchery. Just sayin.

Yes, this is heaven compared to most commercial operations. I just came in from there as I check them every night after they've bedded down for the evening and it's very comfortable in there. We provide supplemental heat to 65 F, although when it's above 25 F they provide enough heat to get it to 65 F as the building is very well insulated. (You can see the snow on the roof that's been there all winter). We also have a humidity controller that runs the ventilators and keeps the humidity at 60% which keeps the ammonia at very low levels.

Come March they will have access to the pasture in the afternoons and the time outside will increase until they are going outside all day in late spring.

 

[kathyinmo]

WOW! How do you keep it so clean? I don't even see poop!

Where do they roost at?

Thanks so much for the great pictures!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Oh there's plenty of manure... You can see it piled up in the pits under the plastic slats or on the photos that show the floor. That's not dirt they are walking on, it's a mixture of manure and straw. It breaks down to the consistency of dirt and is actually more sanitary than you'd think. As long as it's kept fairly dry, it doesn't stink too much. Once in a while we'll have a water leak that fouls things up, but as long as we shovel out the wet areas promptly it stays pretty decent in there.

They roost on the plastic slats at night, although we have been thinking about putting in some other perching areas. We just haven't decided exactly what we are going to do though.

 

[kathyinmo]

I was thinking that is where they probably roost at. Those girls got it made!

I love it, Mac! You have a great set up. Will you come make me one like that?

Do you ever do any breeding, or are you strictly for egg production?