California - Northern

[MonsterClucker]

Just a few photos of today Everyone enjoying the rain? 

The pictures are awesome! I like how all the animals are cool with each other lol.
What kind of goat is that?

Im learning about goats that would suit my needs for milk for a american bresse feeding project
And something that can feed the household at some point!

Oh my gosh my ducks and geese gobble our bull frogs. They loved Spring with all the tadpoles. haha We still have some frogs- they didn't clear them all out but it was a frog haven before and now it's more controlled! Literally. They also like to eat the tiny fish and mosquito eggs they find pockets off. They also weed the pond. That part was nice. Def best to start of with a few rather than a lot. Especially with how many chickens everyone has here. I have more ducks than chickens mostly- or else I might be more overwhelmed than I am. 

I hope to be able to eat my ducks at some point but so far we are all 'too chicken' to do it. I am no longer allowing my people to name the females or 'extra' males of any species. Big mistake if you want to eat your animals. lol Lesson #187328723 of caring for lifestock! 

Oh yea, they eat frogs? I have got to get some then!
I need to build them a duck coop right? I'll take pictures of my pond in the morning and post them so you can tell me what you think will be best for me!

WOW so excited for you!! would you buy something for me too! 

Anytime Cheryl

Just watched the weather channel... looks like a hurricane out there......... 

I hope by some miracle it diverts somewhere else!

 

[zooweemama]

The pictures are awesome! I like how all the animals are cool with each other lol.
What kind of goat is that?
Im learning about goats that would suit my needs for milk for a american bresse feeding project
And something that can feed the household at some point!
Oh yea, they eat frogs? I have got to get some then!
I need to build them a duck coop right? I'll take pictures of my pond in the morning and post them so you can tell me what you think will be best for me!
Anytime Cheryl

I hope by some miracle it diverts somewhere else!

Yeah they don't eat the biiiig ones. The young ones they do. Sometimes I have caught them umm fighting over one. yuck. So weird. They swallow them whole it looks like.

 

[Americangame]

Hello ca People I'm new to the site an looking to start hatching eggs with incubator, does anyone have broody hens in the northern ca area ? I have a few eggs I want to hatch out

 

[Happy Chooks]

Crap!  2 hens on the nest tonight.  One is an Icelandic that just finished raising babies and the other an OE that raised babies this summer.  If my new wellie pullet was laying, I'd be happy - but she hasn't started laying yet!

Wow broody city!

This will make #9 and 10 for broodies this year. Their butts got moved to the roost, so we'll see how serious they are about it.

 

[MonsterClucker]

Pics of the new coops! Here you can see the hoop coops on the left and right side of the 2 new coops. Eventually, all my breeders will be in the new style coop and the hoops will ne used for other holding places. Also the fenced in run on the left hand side hoop coop, will be on every coop. I put together another one today in the storm lol Curious Basque chickens checking out the new coops! The nest boxes are really nice. They have a reflective insulated cover to keep warmth in and reflect off the sun rays. And there latches on both sides to make sure no egg thieving is going on! I had him put the door and nest boxes on the same side thinking I could place the coops horizontal facing with a run in the other side, but seeing how the weather comes from the southwest, which would have blown rain into the coops. I just placed them facing long ways to have the fully protected side facing southwest. And here's the inside. Nest boxes to the left, roost to the right. I'm gonna have to build another roost on that back wall and cut a chicken door below it. I like them a lot. What'd ya guys think? Any suggestions? Criticism? Scrutiny? I'm trying to come up with a pretty final idea on my housing situation So I would appreciate ANY food for thought. Thanks Mike

 

[ronott1]

Hello ca People I'm new to the site an looking to start hatching eggs with incubator, does anyone have broody hens in the northern ca area ? I have a few eggs I want to hatch out

My Broody pullets have given up!

It is great to have you here! Tell us about your chickens, or are you going to start with those eggs?

 

[ronott1]

Pics of the new coops!


Here you can see the hoop coops on the left and right side of the 2 new coops. Eventually, all my breeders will be in the new style coop and the hoops will ne used for other holding places.
Also the fenced in run on the left hand side hoop coop, will be on every coop. I put together another one today in the storm lol


Curious Basque chickens checking out the new coops!




The nest boxes are really nice. They have a reflective insulated cover to keep warmth in and reflect off the sun rays.
And there latches on both sides to make sure no egg thieving is going on!


I had him put the door and nest boxes on the same side thinking I could place the coops horizontal facing with a run in the other side, but seeing how the weather comes from the southwest, which would have blown rain into the coops. I just placed them facing long ways to have the fully protected side facing southwest.


And here's the inside. Nest boxes to the left, roost to the right. I'm gonna have to build another roost on that back wall and cut a chicken door below it.

I like them a lot. What'd ya guys think?
Any suggestions? Criticism? Scrutiny?
I'm trying to come up with a pretty final idea on my housing situation So I would appreciate ANY food for thought.

Thanks

Mike

You should get hardware cloth around the bottom of the runs and you might want to either put wire on the bottom attached to the bottom boards or dig a trench to put in a barrier from digging.

They look great!

Of course the Basque are fearless LOL

 

[Happy Chooks]

Monster - my friend Mary bought hose same coops. With the open fronts, she has been dealing with super early crowing. Depending how rural you are, it may not be a huge issue.

I would put some hardware cloth to protect them. I once had a raccoon pull a fully grown Orp through a 1 inch by 2 inch opening - piece by piece. It was not pretty.

 

[tls_ranch]

Pics of the new coops!


Here you can see the hoop coops on the left and right side of the 2 new coops. Eventually, all my breeders will be in the new style coop and the hoops will ne used for other holding places.
Also the fenced in run on the left hand side hoop coop, will be on every coop. I put together another one today in the storm lol


Curious Basque chickens checking out the new coops!




The nest boxes are really nice. They have a reflective insulated cover to keep warmth in and reflect off the sun rays.
And there latches on both sides to make sure no egg thieving is going on!


I had him put the door and nest boxes on the same side thinking I could place the coops horizontal facing with a run in the other side, but seeing how the weather comes from the southwest, which would have blown rain into the coops. I just placed them facing long ways to have the fully protected side facing southwest.


And here's the inside. Nest boxes to the left, roost to the right. I'm gonna have to build another roost on that back wall and cut a chicken door below it.

I like them a lot. What'd ya guys think?
Any suggestions? Criticism? Scrutiny?
I'm trying to come up with a pretty final idea on my housing situation So I would appreciate ANY food for thought.

Thanks

Mike

Is there just one roost bar down low? I would add higher roost bars for birds who need it (not silkes or very heavy orps etc). My birds generally are ok fliers, but do like to roost at the highest point. You might also find some chickens sleeping in the nest boxes if they don't have options to roost higher up than the nests. If you ever have a predator problem, you could also easily replace the 2x4 wire with hardware cloth. Another option would be electric fences a very good dog etc.

Other than that they look like pretty nice coops It almost looks like you could attach wheels or skids and be able to move them when needed.

Trisha

 

[MonsterClucker]

You should get hardware cloth around the bottom of the runs and you might want to either put wire on the bottom attached to the bottom boards or dig a trench to put in a barrier from digging.

They look great!

Of course the Basque are fearless LOL

great ideas Ron!. I think it would be a little easier to put wire on the bottom than to dig trenches. Hardware cloth around the bottom going around the runs or on the floor?

I still have some customizing to do to them. I like this guys skill level of work he does. Real sturdy and high quality.