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- #81
Eggcentric One
Songster
HAHA. I am beginning to think it will take me longer to become quasi knowledgeable about chickens than it did to attain both my masters degrees.
Am I on the right path?
- Thread starter Eggcentric One
- Start date
HAHA. I am beginning to think it will take me longer to become quasi knowledgeable about chickens than it did to attain both my masters degrees.
CindyinSD
All will be well, and that will be well is well.
Eggcentric, you’ve got some wonderful plans. I’m not going to read this whole thread right now although I likely will later. I’ve learned so much since I got my first chickens last fall. I now have the original 15 plus another 30+ chickens, turkeys, geese & ducks. That’s not counting the 25 meaties in the freezer or the 30 more in the brooder. And three Scottish Highland heifers. Chickens are a gateway drug. We have 12 acres, decent grass, no growing season unless you can live on lettuce and pine trees. So if I want to grow food it’s gonna be animal protein.
I don’t think you need to start out with such a fancy set-up. If you have the means to make it happen out of the gate, then by all means start vetting contractors. If this is a DIY project and you’re not a professional builder, (or even if it’s not) then why not get started while you’re doing the preliminary work on your dream coop?
All you need is a tractor like this:
And some Premier One “Shock or Not” netting for chicks. (Fine netting on bottom, but it’ll work equally well for adult birds). If you have high predator pressure, you’ll also want a solar energizer to charge the netting and a string trimmer to trim under it to keep grass from wicking off power to the ground. (It contains its own integral ground.)
We do have aerial predators but the birds of all ages can and do run for the tractor at the slightest hint of movement from on high.
You’ll probably want some accommodations like these if you have much land at all anyway, and if not they can always serve for isolation or grow-out coops. You can even cover them with flexible clear or white panels and use them to start your tomatoes before it gets warm. In the edge seasons I tarp the ends if it’s too cold, rainy or snowy.
Alternatively you could fix up a prefab tool shed for your preliminary flock and later use it as a tool shed, feed storage, etc.
I know the yard looks kind of tight, but the shed was already there and we had a serious blizzard coming on. I had just realized that the coop they were in wasn’t gonna cut it if they had to stay inside for days on end. There’s a lot more yard behind and to the right. It’s just constrained at the front door. See what I mean about learning by doing? If I’d known better I’d never have built the first coop that way. I’d have done it tall enough for me to enter comfortably and big enough for the birds to spend the winter cooped up in happily if necessary.
The reason I’m suggesting this is that it’s a way to get started almost immediately. You learn so much in the process of actually caring for and raising poultry that honestly can not be learned in any other way. You have to do it, and while books and mentors are absolutely wonderful and superbly helpful, there is NOTHING that you can buy or read or listen to or even visit and tour that will teach you as much or as well as actually doing and living it.
You’ll find things you hadn’t thought of, that would be so helpful if only you had built them in to begin with, and other things you think you’re really gonna want that are completely unnecessary and superfluous in your situation.
Start out with some wonderful breeding stock from one of your desired breeds—not run-of-the-mill hatchery chicks (like mine lol), but the high dollar ones, or obtain stock from local breeders dedicated to excellence. That way you’ll be building on your ultimate goal and also discovering more about the breed (and chickens in general) while you’re working on those dream facilities.
I don’t think you need to start out with such a fancy set-up. If you have the means to make it happen out of the gate, then by all means start vetting contractors. If this is a DIY project and you’re not a professional builder, (or even if it’s not) then why not get started while you’re doing the preliminary work on your dream coop?
All you need is a tractor like this:
And some Premier One “Shock or Not” netting for chicks. (Fine netting on bottom, but it’ll work equally well for adult birds). If you have high predator pressure, you’ll also want a solar energizer to charge the netting and a string trimmer to trim under it to keep grass from wicking off power to the ground. (It contains its own integral ground.)
We do have aerial predators but the birds of all ages can and do run for the tractor at the slightest hint of movement from on high.
You’ll probably want some accommodations like these if you have much land at all anyway, and if not they can always serve for isolation or grow-out coops. You can even cover them with flexible clear or white panels and use them to start your tomatoes before it gets warm. In the edge seasons I tarp the ends if it’s too cold, rainy or snowy.
Alternatively you could fix up a prefab tool shed for your preliminary flock and later use it as a tool shed, feed storage, etc.
I know the yard looks kind of tight, but the shed was already there and we had a serious blizzard coming on. I had just realized that the coop they were in wasn’t gonna cut it if they had to stay inside for days on end. There’s a lot more yard behind and to the right. It’s just constrained at the front door. See what I mean about learning by doing? If I’d known better I’d never have built the first coop that way. I’d have done it tall enough for me to enter comfortably and big enough for the birds to spend the winter cooped up in happily if necessary.
The reason I’m suggesting this is that it’s a way to get started almost immediately. You learn so much in the process of actually caring for and raising poultry that honestly can not be learned in any other way. You have to do it, and while books and mentors are absolutely wonderful and superbly helpful, there is NOTHING that you can buy or read or listen to or even visit and tour that will teach you as much or as well as actually doing and living it.
You’ll find things you hadn’t thought of, that would be so helpful if only you had built them in to begin with, and other things you think you’re really gonna want that are completely unnecessary and superfluous in your situation.
Start out with some wonderful breeding stock from one of your desired breeds—not run-of-the-mill hatchery chicks (like mine lol), but the high dollar ones, or obtain stock from local breeders dedicated to excellence. That way you’ll be building on your ultimate goal and also discovering more about the breed (and chickens in general) while you’re working on those dream facilities.
Ain't it the truth!I bring the Reality to the Romance. Many don't appreciate that, or my delivery style(bluntly abrasive)....but thanks.
Yes. And if you ever come across regular leaves and wood chips, those are great to add in too.
Well, I'm from the camp that believes you can never have too much ventilation. The only time you'd want to eliminate direct drafts is probably in freezing temps, or as a shield from hurricanes. Chickens will appreciate a cool breeze, or any air flow through the coop on hot days and especially warm nights... my windows are open all spring, summer and fall when the weather is down to the 30-40s. Like I said, if you face the coop in the right direction according to weather patterns, you can have an entire wall open all year. Here's the original book for the open air "woods coop" and a couple byc examples
http://gnipsel.com/files/chickens/mfaph.pdf
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
I haven't had the opportunity to let a broody raise chicks, I've only heard broody moms can be pretty protective, just depends on her personality whether she lets you handle them much. If you're worried about using an incubator or raising the chicks yourself, there are many nice folks here who can help you through the process. I personally do NOT like heat lamps for chicks, so I use a heating pad and it's very easy and safe. A commercial chick-heating-plate would probably be even easier. And the chicks would be able to bond with you much quicker.
Have you read the meat bird section to understand the difference between dual purpose and other meaties like Red Rangers compared to what you're used to eating from the stores... likely Cornish Cross? There's quite a difference in texture and taste and especially size. CX might not be what you wanted, but they're big and ready to process by about 7-10 weeks. Dual purpose breeds will take a couple more months to grow to a good process weight, which is still much smaller. Then there's the feed-to-meat/egg ratio to think about during the grow-out time.
Even with pure breeds, there are still many temperament and behavior variations, they may not all turn out like the description says. Some of the best layers and meat birds are actually hybrid crosses.
Well, you want to make sure she's a dedicated broody so she doesn't get fickle and abandon the nest halfway through incubation. And the eggs all need to be the same age, or at least same stage. You can collect the eggs you want to hatch, hold them aside, then when you know you've got a good broody, place those eggs under her. Most people mark the eggs just in case other hens lay more in that box you know which ones to remove. A staggered hatch is rarely successful as once the first chicks have hatched, the mama will abandon the remaining eggs. She may even push out an egg she knows isn't viable before hatch.
Chickens will usually return on their own in the evening... if they don't happen to find a spot they like better in the trees lol! If the weather gets bad and they're out, they might find someplace else to take shelter. Mine always come to my covered patio instead of their own coop. So teaching them to come to you is a good idea for when you need it. But if they happen to range a couple acres out, it might be difficult getting them to come back before dusk. Keep in mind almost everyone loses birds to predation at some point while free ranging.
Many people compost with chickens, they definitely do enjoy it! You just have to be careful what you put in it. I have my compost in the chicken yard and my first year I put all our kitchen/dinner scraps in there, my birds loved it so much! But after about a year, a hen turned up very lethargic and I couldn't find an illness figure out how to help her. She died, and I did my own amateur necropsy and found an inch layer of visceral fat with probable organ failure. All those carbs (bread, pasta etc) did her in, she was the one who ate veggies last. Now I only use the compost bin for old bedding and scooped droppings, lawn clippings and weeds, and occasional fruit and veggie scraps. There are lots of worms and bugs living in there, so my chickens still really enjoy scratching through it. I make sure never to put anything that will draw unwanted critters, but rats always manage to find a way to invade. I set an alarm to go out and close up the feeders early.
I wouldn't. My birds like to dig holes for dust bathing and I would hate to deny them that joy. I do have some 12" square concrete pavers in the runs that seem to be enough, and they file their beaks as well. I move them occasionally to reveal more bugs and goodies underneath.
A run space of 90x150 is a very good size. You wouldn't even necessarily have to free range. There's lots of ways to add enrichment in a contained area. More links to read!!
Keeping Chickens Without Free Ranging
Key Points to Successful Free Ranging
@CindyinSD makes a really good point here:
Eggcentric, what's wrong with starting small? Even with just one breed for the first year so you can experiment with breeding, get to know life with roosters and broodies, all without the added complication of separating individuals for so many weeks.
Here's an entertaining thread to look through
What were your mistakes when you first started?
I am the queen of leaving links!!
But please do read them... valuable info there
Ditto Dat!!!^^^
CindyinSD
All will be well, and that will be well is well.
I’ve been reading through this thread... I’ll offer a few comments before I forget (I’m old...
) First, if you want to do true deep litter that composts in-coop, you’ll need a dirt floor. I achieve the actual composting action in only one place: in my cow barn with dirt floor, and I’ve tried diligently in both floored coops. Added starters, the whole thing. Deep bedding does help manage the manure and smell, but it won’t compost in place unless your floor is dirt.No, don’t pave your run and yes, do provide shade there. You can provide alternating (rotational) runs if you like, accessible from differing coop exits, so the grass isn’t ruined by perpetual chicken occupation. Then you could also isolate a breed and provide them with their own private run when you want them to reproduce according to their kind.
The other thing... If you’re set on using broodies, get some broody-breed hens... silkies, game breeds, bantam varieties. They can incubate your eggs for you. It *is* fun using an incubator, though. The broodies will need their own areas, not in the general population. A broody house would ideally provide each broody with her own little living space. Once the chicks are hatched and mama is ready, they can go to the general broody area, supplied with a run, to raise the chicks and recover from the physical demands of incubating eggs.
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@aart it's been exactly what I needed more often than not. Thanks.Ain't it the truth!
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Eggcentric One
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