Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I agree HEchicken that having a mother brood chicks is the best way. It is unfortunate that I can't do that with the number of chicks I produce. I occasionally let one or another raise her own chicks but they have to be separated or the other chickens will pick the chicks to death. Time, space and the ability to provide food and water to a bunch of different areas are my limitations. I have tried to introduce some same age chicks to a broody mama but she has ended up killing them. They seem to know which ones are theirs. I guess what works for one can't work for another. I do know that broody hens lead their chicks to feed and water so they don't need the light to attract them. Nature always has the best method. I guess in the absence of that I have to go by the closest method I can devise.

 

[HEChicken]

I had no idea you were brooding that number of chicks! You mentioned selling them - is that the main reason you raise so many, or is it breeding projects and you sell the ones you aren't keeping?

I can't imagine I'll ever want to brood those kinds of numbers. I actually did used to like brooding chicks as my brooder was in my living room and it was entertaining to watch their antics. I didn't even mind the constant fussing over heat, refilling waterers and feeders, and cleaning them out. That is, until my broody raised her batch last year and I got to have all the fun of watching their antics, without any of the other stuff and I was sold. She is the first hen I've ever had go broody on me but I actually did not have any issues with the other hens bothering her or the chicks. She was separated in a broody coop and run where the other hens could see and hear the chicks but not interact, until they were about a week old. I was worried about letting them out but when I did it was a non-event. Mama Hen took them around the yard and showed them where things were and the other hens just looked bored.

So my plan when we move to the new place, is to get a couple of Cochins. I'm also going to incorporate a broody area into my new coop either for broody hens to sit, or when I am brooding chicks, so that I won't have to brood indoors in the future. But it will still be on a relatively small scare compared to brooding 100's at a time

 

[ChooksChick]

Haven't left yet... just getting ready.

Chooks How do you keep the chicks from hopping on top of the thing and pooping all over it?

Ha! I DON'T!!!! It's great for chicks to jump and opens up their airsacs in their respiratory system, so I welcome it...and cover the EcoGlow in a lovely rooster-patterned shelf-paper! It wipes clean like teflon with a wet paper towel, and I peel the sticker off in-between hatches.

I hope your trip is safe and that your hubby gets some quick relief.

 

[chicken danz]

Hechicken, I hatch a few thousand chicks a year. I sure never intended it to get to this proportion. but I love hatching and I hope someday it will start paying me back for the tens of thousands of dollars I have spent on this project. I don't seem to do anything the easy simple small way. It is always all or nothing.
Are you looking for bantam or LF cochins.? I have some LF chicks I am sure. I sell chicks and mature birds as well. I have no breeding projects to create this or that. but I have produced some awesome birds just by mistake. Most of my birds free range so we get a bit of everything in the mix. I have a few kinds that have separate pens and don't free range. If I can ever get my breeding trailer set up I will concentrate on having all purebred chicks. I can look at most chicks I produce and tell breed(s) they are and if they are purebred. A lot of people just like the mixed chicks because many are really colorful and often produce eggs better than the standard breeds. I haven't been trying to sell chicks recently, but need to start soon. My brooder is getting crowded.
If I don't sell the chicks, I use the pullets for egg laying and sell the cockerels to a buyer who uses them commercially. I really make no money on them after feed costs but it's that many fewer I don't have to feed.

 

[HEChicken]

Haha - yeah, since we can't keep cockerels at our current place, we've had to process them around the time they start crowing. Those are some VERY expensive chicken dinners by the time I've fed them to that size/age. I am so looking forward to being at the new place and being able to keep roosters. Not all, of course, or I'll end up with too many, but at least enough for the 1:10 ratio.

I am definitely wanting LF Cochins. Unfortunately, I can't quite get started yet as we won't be moving until the kids are out of school in May, so they don't have to change schools so close to the end of the school year. Also, I have yet to build my coop at the new place and will only be able to do that on weekends while we're not living there. I think I'll have to wait to get chicks until closer to the time we are moving but would be very interested in seeing what you have at that time.....

 

[rittert3]

Ivy I hope all goes well today with your DH! My daughter was looking at my mcmurry catalog and said she liked the lakenvelders (you have some, right?) Anyway we were looking into getting the kids a couple chicks to bond with (my daughter's scared to death of chickens) so I might try to see if we can work something out later this spring.

Chooks-I love your idea for the portable panels. I might have to do something similar.

 

[chicken danz]

Patricia, I checked and I have 4 white Seramas in the brooder right now. One of the certainly looks like he will be a roo for sure. The problem at this young age besides sexing is knowing if they will be all white. I've had some that were total white as babies but developed darker feathers later. And I've had some that showed some signs of darker feathers and became all white birds. At any rate I'd guess in another week or so I should be able to tell. That deadly gene they have seems to kill off more of the white chicks than the others. I guess that must be why the whites are the accepted standard. Personally I love the other colors and think they are much prettier.
I even have a couple of frizzles. I think they are awesome. My favorites are the speckled ones though.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Chooks- GREAT idea about the cattle panels! That would sure save some money to be able to cut it in half.

Okay, so I was map questing Valley Falls (up close to Oskaloosa) and it's going to take me 2.45 hours to drive... and we have to be there NO later than 9am-- actually, that is when you're supposed to be set up. The doors open at 7am. YIKES!!! We're going to be leaving EARLY in the morning. Sigh. I wonder if hotels allow chickens??

Especially... crowing ones???

Keeping in mind-- that is mapquest's time line which does not include any stop lights, breaks, etc..

I might seriously consider seeing if I can stay with my brother in Lawrence on Fri night. We'll see how I feel when the show gets closer.

Soooo... who's loving this cold weather we got hit with??? Not me! It's dark and cold and I got home a bit ago and need to go haul some grain out to the barn. Fun, fun.

Danz, sorry about your babies.

 

[WichitaKidd]

Sounds very interesting - is there a way to share your SketchUp design after you've worked it out? I've been playing with SketchUp quite a bit and learning a few tips and tricks. I did find it very useful last night for figuring out how many sheets of 3/4" plywood I would need for the floor of my coop - just put in the dimensions of the floor, created a 4x8 rectangle and placed it, and so on until I had my floor done.

If you are shopping for supplies like cattle panels and hardware cloth, also consider Lowes & Menards, along with TSC, Atwoods and Orschelns. Those type of supplies are available so many places that it pays to shop around. I was in Menards yesterday pricing materials and I wanna say that a 50' roll of 4' 1/2" hardware cloth was $41 but don't quote me on it. That wasn't a specific item I was shopping for so I noticed it but didn't write down the price/dimensions as I did for the other items. I keep a memo in my phone, and when I am passing a store and have time, I run in to check pricing on things, so I can later compare and decide what to buy where.

If I can figure out how to share my SketchUp file thru the forum I'll do that. Most of my price estimates came from either TSC's or Home Depot's web site. Figured it would give me a good ball park price. Besides, they are both close to my house. Going to Atwoods or Orschlens means going out of town to Park City or El Dorado. Granted, not that far away, but with the price of gas I prefer to stay close. As for the tarp I believe you get what you pay for. The one I priced out was a heavy duty "truck" tarp. Figured something heavier would last longer than the cheaper blue ones. Great tips on the panels. May just take some experimentation.

 

[WichitaKidd]

If I can figure out how to share my SketchUp file thru the forum I'll do that. Most of my price estimates came from either TSC's or Home Depot's web site. Figured it would give me a good ball park price. Besides, they are both close to my house. Going to Atwoods or Orschlens means going out of town to Park City or El Dorado. Granted, not that far away, but with the price of gas I prefer to stay close. As for the tarp I believe you get what you pay for. The one I priced out was a heavy duty "truck" tarp. Figured something heavier would last longer than the cheaper blue ones. Great tips on the panels. May just take some experimentation.

Ooops. Forgot to include this link. The video I saw that I pretty much based my design on.