Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I have a roo for her, actually I have 2. One needs to be rehomed, but I haven't been able to find anyone to take him. I don't think she's laying yet. All my chickens are free range so its possible she's laying eggs in the weeds somewhere.

 

[mountainvieworchards]

Hi Aya

I am not sure what your coop looks like, but my preference is a walk in coop, one I can stand up in without hitting my head on the beam. That said I have a half monitor type with an open mesh monitor and an open front, only with 1/4 inch mesh. It has no window glass, but basically 3/4 of the south side is open all the time. There is a small side window for more ventilation and it is board and batten with lots of knot holes and spaces here and there. We don't get too cold here maybe down in the teens or single digits some winter nights, but usually in the colder weather we have 20's and 30's at night, so for Oregon and warmer places I think the more ventilation the better.

But more than the design of the coop, I think, that makes it a chore or easy is the way you manage litter. Of course all the ventilation helps with the deep litter method, and I am a deep litter person all the way. The only reason I clean the bedding out of the coop is to harvest the manure (nutrients) for my garden once a year. My birds spend most of the day outside in the grass or on hot or rainy days they go under the coop which is a basic pole structure with 18 of space between dirt and floor. This keeps rodents out and gives the birds a great place to shade from sun or dodge hawks. New birds usually spend a lot of time under the coop until they are integrated with the flock. So I am also a big fan of standing the coop up off the ground, for my climate and ground it works great.

To many deep litter advocates it means deep litter on a dirt floor. That won't work for me with our wet winters and rodents that move it quickly to a dirt floor coop. To me deep litter means 6 to 12 inches of straw on a board floor. To keep things dry I usually I don't keep any water in the coop, the birds have to go out to get that, of course this requires having an outside. In winter when I put them on artificial light I do put water in there and set it on a screen over a plastic basin so the litter doesn't get all wet and the water doesn't get so dirty.

When I do clean out a years worth of manure I do it during the driest time of year, which in Oregon is right now. It is a lot lighter to clean out when it is bone dry.

The way I keep the litter in good shape, is by tossing scratch into it every day and the birds do the work. Then once in a while when they move too much to one side, usually under the back roosts where I need it deeper, then I just pull it around with a rake.

If it ever starts to smell bad, which is rare and mostly during a winter rainy spell, I just add more fresh straw and it really lifts their spirits.

When I clean it out I pull all the bedding out and dump it about 15 feet from the coop in a long windrow so I can easily turn it into compost.

My main coop is 10 X 16 so I get a nice long pile when I clean it out.

This year it will be even easier because I am going to have my boys do the forking into the wheel barrow. They have to do something more than collect eggs to earn those ribbons.

Andy

 

[AyaBlodgett]

Thanks, Andy
That is very interesting. I had read about the deep litter, and the way the birds keep it mixed so it doesn't smell. I'm glad to hear it works! I hadn't thot about the composting tho. That's a good idea. Is it straw or shavings?
Aya

 

[CP-FARM]

I finally got a picture of my barnevelder pullet! What do you guys think?

I think she is beautiful

I will be getting my Barnevelder eggs on Friday!!

Cathy

 

[CP-FARM]

We finished my coops

Three new ones.

 

[tls_ranch]

Very Nice!

Trisha

 

[AyaBlodgett]

Trisha, you said you will be getting eggs from you blue hen soon. I was wondering how do you know which eggs are hers? How do you keep them all separate.? I guess I'm still learning! Aya

 

[AyaBlodgett]

Hi Cathy, Those look great! What do your new coops look like inside. I'm very curious to see how others manage their flocks. Aya

 

[mountainvieworchards]

Nice Pens Cathy

I built a group of breeding pens of similar style and find them very practical.

Andy

 

[tls_ranch]

Trisha, you said you will be getting eggs from you blue hen soon. I was wondering how do you know which eggs are hers? How do you keep them all separate.? I guess I'm still learning! Aya

Aya,
Right now the flock is running all mixed together. Later I will separate them into 2 flocks depending on which line I want to specifically cross or sell hatching eggs from. I usually watch the pullets closely and I hang out watering plants or working in the garden while I wait for them to lay their eggs. Over time I learn who is laying which eggs and can recognize them by color etc. If I can't seem to catch a pullet or hen on the nest laying an egg then I will cage her for a day or so until I can see what she's laying. Someday, I really want to build a small mobile coop (like a chicken tractor) for pairing up specific birds.

Trisha