Advice Needed!

Pics
Date sort Score sort
F

Fetz

Chirping
Oct 14, 2023
17
37
51
Hi all,
New member here, hoping to get some ideas/opinions for our specific situation.

My wife and I are finally escaping the suburbs and found a dream homestead, we'll be moving in just a few weeks. We have a lot of aspirations, but one of our first-year goals is to start a flock of egg-layers. The property has a barn with its own electricity and well, and a few stalls. It's 400ft away from the house and separated by an intermittent creek, but also accessible by road.

We'd like to start with 10 at most, and I don't see us ever having more than 20. My initial thought was to convert a barn stall into a coop, and allow them to free range most of the day. This brings up some obvious risks for predator control which I would attempt to mitigate by having a very secure coop, choosing a breed that is more wary to predators, and having a rooster.

I am also weighing the options for using a tractor and moveable netting. We have ample pasture to move them on and have them fertilize. They would be more secure during the day, but less secure at night. They'd have the benefits of free-ranging, and less cleanup involved, but it would require more logistical effort to get them food and water, and to move the tractor/netting. Also I don't think I could do this over the winter? We're in Central Illinois so winters are moderate with temps down to -10F on rare occasion.

What would you guys do in my shoes? What factors am I failing to consider?

Also important to note cost-efficiency is a major consideration for us, and we also both work full time. Due to the nature and scheduling of our work lives there will be occasions where nobody is home for 24-48 hours. Any tips or tricks for managing that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to reading through the forums!

1697285591150.png
 
Welcome to ByC
I would have a secure night coop
Although attacks can happen in the day most are night ones
Once you train your birds as we’re home is they will automatically go in at night
Many use automatic doors
I would start them in a smaller area attached to the coop with temp fencing till they get a routine down then allow full open space
That way they will all go in before the door closes for night
Having larger feed buckets and automatic waters will help on times you are away for 24-48 hours
 
With free ranging there is that risk of loss. Rooster isn't much help but it he will give you that "someone is watching over the girls". Some say the lighter breeds are easier to be picked off, black breeds look like crows which hate hawks so there's that. Auto coop doors would lock them in when you can't at dark. If you decide not to free range you could build a huge run attached to the barn and after that grass has turned to mud you could build a tractor style/portable run with a chicken tunnel attached to the permanent run
#bestchickenlifeva

Welcome to BYC, congrats on the new homestead (looks beautiful) and good luck with your new journey/adventure.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Fetz said:
I don't see us ever having more than 20
Click to expand...
:lau
Fetz said:
What would you guys do in my shoes?
Click to expand...
No way would I do the mobile tractor/netting route.
Convert a stall and make certain you incorporate at least 20 sq feet of permanent ventilation in the chickens area that does not permit drafts on roosted birds.
I would create a very large area of the property that is enclosed with electrified netting to control ground predators. Try to include some shrubbery or other cover for aerial predator shelter. You can plant that stuff now as fall is the perfect time for planting. Cover the roots of all plantings with a large ring of chicken wire to keep them from damaging the plants.
I keep my flock enclosed in about 1/3 acre with electrified poultry netting and I've never lost a bird to a ground predator and only one 10 week old pullet to a hawk in 5 years. I've had many, many hawk strikes but they are unsuccessful due to the roosters early warning system and plenty of places to run for shelter. I keep an average of 24 birds in the space and there is plenty grass always. I have to mow their pen.
 
DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

:lau

No way would I do the mobile tractor/netting route.
Convert a stall and make certain you incorporate at least 20 sq feet of permanent ventilation in the chickens area that does not permit drafts on roosted birds.
I would create a very large area of the property that is enclosed with electrified netting to control ground predators. Try to include some shrubbery or other cover for aerial predator shelter. You can plant that stuff now as fall is the perfect time for planting. Cover the roots of all plantings with a large ring of chicken wire to keep them from damaging the plants.
I keep my flock enclosed in about 1/3 acre with electrified poultry netting and I've never lost a bird to a ground predator and only one 10 week old pullet to a hawk in 5 years. I've had many, many hawk strikes but they are unsuccessful due to the roosters early warning system and plenty of places to run for shelter. I keep an average of 24 birds in the space and there is plenty grass always. I have to mow their pen.
Click to expand...
Could you post some pics of your setup and a rough cost? This sounds ideal to what I'm currently doing mainly just looking for the netting cost. I'm surrounded by plantation fields on 2 sides. Birds are in barn with big run attached and fencing in a bigger free range area but a little patch of that is wooded with maybe 20' tall trees at most. They currently free range the full 1.3 acres but want to contain them to the back more.
Your pics might help the OP also hopefully.
 
wrathsfarm said:
Could you post some pics of your setup and a rough cost?
Click to expand...
You can click on the "My Coop" link at the bottom of my avatar to see everything, including an aerial map showing the layout.
For just the netting (3 rolls of 40" tall x 164' long) and support equipment (locust fence posts for corners, insulators, lead out wire, 2 copper ground rods, clamps, charger, enough extra netting rods to double the number they come with), I paid about $750. Other than some inconsequential damage to the netting, it's performing as desired after 5 years of service.
 
DobieLover said:
You can click on the "My Coop" link at the bottom of my avatar to see everything, including an aerial map showing the layout.
For just the netting (3 rolls of 40" tall x 164' long) and support equipment (locust fence posts for corners, insulators, lead out wire, 2 copper ground rods, clamps, charger, enough extra netting rods to double the number they come with), I paid about $750. Other than some inconsequential damage to the netting, it's performing as desired after 5 years of service.
Click to expand...
Perfect, I'll check it out. Thanks Dobie.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom