Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
which bird is giving you the extra large eggs? Or do you have a couple breeds that do? Wondering what size my barred rocks and wyandottes will produce. It just listed them as a "large" egg layer.

 

[Ivywoods]

I have scrounged up enough stuff for 5 nest boxes. One is a large popcorn tin that I cut a hole in the side and rolled the edges so it won't be sharp. If anyone tries this idea, use gloves, heavy nippers and pliars. That stuff is SHARP when you cut it. Fortunately, I got through the process with no blood.

One is an empty gallon jug .Checoukan says they are big enough for my little old english, so they ought to be big enough for the seramas, too. I cut a hole in the side and will zip tie it in the pen so it doesn't move around. It is not as sturdy as I would like, but it will do for now.

Two of them are ice cream buckets that I am going to zip tie the open ends together, cut a hole in the side and lay it on it side and then zip tie it in the pen so it stays put. Wish me luck with that one. We will see how it goes.

One is a aluminum roasting pan that I bought at an auction for a buck. I was going to use it in the kitchen, but the inside of it is so messed up I decided I didn't want to cook with it. It will just set in there. It will be completely open on the top. I like having my nest boxes "enclosed" and they will probably roost on the edge so it may get poopy, but it will work temporarily.

I didn't want to use open boxes, but I may have to use some until I can scrounge or build enough for all the pens. I still need several more.

Hawkeye, I don't know about using the tins outside. I suppose it might work, but I would think it would work better inside just because of the wind and all. You could always give it a try.

Danz-That's a lot of chicks you are hatching! I want to start hatching soon, but I just don't have the best facilities for keeping chicks warm through the worst weather of the winter. We have lost power so many times in the past I worry about them freezing to death outside in the shop if we would loose power some night. I sure can't raise them in the house, either. I usually keep them inside for a few days and then they go out. I want to build some nicer brooders, but now I am wondering if I should do that if we might be moving in a year. Stuff like that is so hard to move and we have so much stuff already!

 

[Ivywoods]

Hawkeye, I think she means the orders are extra large, not the eggs are extra large. Am I interpreting right, Danz?

As far as extra large eggs, your barred rocks might lay extra large. Sometimes it depends on the strain they are from. I have leghorns that I keep specifically for laying eggs. They lay JUMBO eggs! I don't know how those little hens do it! They are egg laying machines!

I have one black jersey giant that lays a LOOOOONGGG brown egg. It probably weighs in as extra large, but it is so long and skinny you cannot close an extra large egg carton on it without practially smashing the egg.

My buff orpintons (I sold them) laid a large to extra large egg.

I don't know. My leghorns lay eggs that are so much bigger than what you usually see in the store, I wonder if it's the fact that I let them free range that helps them lay such big eggs. I know the eggs taste better than eggs from caged birds.

 

[Trish44]

Hawkeye, my Barred Rocks lay a nice sized large egg, even extra large at times. My Wyandotte hasn't laid yet & I don't remember that much about the ones I had before since it's been so many years. I do remember they were good layers though, I had the Silver Laced Wyandottes before & this time I have a Gold Laced one, she's just beautiful. I just figured up that the chicks I raised from day old are now 19 weeks old, so they should be getting close before too long to laying. I have two Black Australorps & the Gold Laced Wyandotte that are in that group along with Rudy my Partridge Rock Rooster.

IVY, I'm not sure, but it's possible that one of my BC Marans hens laid an egg this morning. I found it laying just in the middle of the floor in the coop. It's a darker color than the other eggs I've been getting, so that is my suspicion that it was one of them.

Danz, those are the cutest things I've ever seen! I have never seen a button quail before. I would be so afraid with them being so tiny to do anything with them.

 

[chicken danz]

LOL! I meant I have orders for several extra dozen next week. I have my normal 10 dozen that goes to the restaurant and am being asked for 20 dozen that will be delivered to Oklahoma. I don't think the girls can produce that many in a week. But as far as extra large eggs, my Brahmas and my cuckoo marans lay the largest. The Wyandottes are probably the next largest. I do have some mixed breeds that are laying super huge double yolk eggs on a regular basis. Sometimes they are larger than the duck eggs. I have no idea which ones are doing it. Those all run together in my old garage. I sell my larger eggs and save the smaller ones for myself. It doesn't matter to me and it makes my customers happier. I really make $0 on eating eggs. It doesn't begin to pay for the food they consume but its a little money each week that adds up. I do make more on hatching eggs, and chicks are my main source of getting money back. I doubt I'll ever recoop the money I have spent but I don't care because my birds make me happy and keep me busy.
I always tend to make bargains or give things away. DH gets very angry at me and tells me I've got to quit cutting myself short. I guess I feel like it brings me more business and better than that, it brings me joy. I love the birds and I love spreading happiness. I especially like selling to kids for 4H. I think it is very good for them to raise and learn about caring for animals.

 

[chicken danz]

Hawkeye, about the cookie tin heater. The one I made out of a popcorn can is outside and it is working beautifully. I have 5 gallon metal waterer on it and as cold as it has gotten it has kept it totally warm and thawed. My only precaution would be to be sure you have the hole for your cord siliconed and sealed and that the tin itself won't leak. You have to protect these things from getting wet and shorting out. Other than that go for it. I am super impressed with it's performance. DH didn't think it would work and he is amazed at how great it is.
I've also noticed a couple hens just kind of sitting around it on those cold days so they are also getting heat from it.
My serama nests are about 8 X 8 exterior measurements made of 1/2 inch plywood. They seem to be just the perfect size for them. I have a small 1 by strip along the front to keep the eggs from rolling out. I also have just a 1 X 2 open frame sitting on the floor and one of the hens lay in it. They seem to like being enclosed best though. Before we built our bank of nest boxes most of the girls were laying on the open floor and in the outside pen.

 

[hlf1996]

Anybody have a hen with a tendency to go broody that they would like to sell?

 

[Trish44]

Has anybody ever tried the plastic crates for nest boxes? I'm thinking that my BC Marans hens might not like getting into the bucket nests because of their size. I was wondering if I put some plastic crates that I have underneath the other nests on the floor if maybe they would use those.

 

[chicken danz]

Quote:
Where are you located?

 

[hlf1996]

I live in Winchester, KS. It is about 30 minutes away from Lawrence, Atchison, and Leavenworth. And about an hour from Topeka.