Eastern Tennessee Thread

[littlechicklet]

Thanks for the info littlechicklet! I am gonna try the stuff I have and if that doesn't work, I will back up...and punt. I will see how it goes. I have a few different bulbs to try.

BTW, I love your mini coop pix. I am converting a huge dog house that was given to me. It was built for a Saint Bernard, but could house a family of 4. It has floor space of 4' x 5'. I have added 3 nest boxes to the back side and roosts inside. I am hoping to get it painted and we drilled a hole to run a strand of rope lights around the inside of the roof and if needed, a heat lamp. I have also been looking at some coop heater mats. I am intending to start with 3 Golden Buffs/Comets, so they should have more than plenty of room in this thing. We put a sliding door on the front to cover the entrance at night and we cut a couple vents and covered them with wire. This thing has almost new 30yr shingles on it and has a porch that sticks out about 2 feet on the front. So they can sit outside and be out of the weather. We are building a run to attach that is also covered and pretty spacious. My little girls will have room to roam. If I can find a place that sells that few at a time.

Thank you the mini coop was for my mother-in-law; she seemed to like it. The dog house sounds great you will have to post pics when you get it done. Also you may find someone on here selling what you want. I think there's a big show coming up in November in Cocke county. There is also a show coming up in Knoxville on October 20th. After some bad experiences on buying from shows I don't think I will anymore but that's just me.

 

[Lunar]

I am planning on being at the Knoxville show on the 20th. I can't wait. I am hoping to find supplies and the like, but I really want to see some of these awesome breeds of chickens too. (***hears the hubby's voice in my head---we are only looking) I have this little list of breeds that I would have if it were a perfect world....and money grew on trees. LOL But perhaps some of the forum folks will have some of them and I can build a nice little flock over time.

But anyway, I did like your little mini coop. I may have to talk my dad into helping me build another small one for the Silkies.

 

[bairo]

lunar

The size tote is fine. They need to be able to get away from the heat as they get older. Clamp the brooder bulb and lay a thermometer on something about 4-6 inches high (a couple phone books might work) leave it for a good half hour and measure the heat. Too hot?? raise the lamp, too cold lower the lamp. once you get it set then you can raise it about 2 inches a week. start off with the food and water in the heat zone. Move it away towards the cool zone a few inches a week or so you are completely opposite the lamp by the 4th week. I am kind of a fan of the red brooder bulbs because they generate infrared heat which is a penetrating heat. At least the first two weeks anyway...also they have been known to not get sleep, get irritated, and start pecking each other with a white light. Now that is not to say that plenty of people don't have luck with just regular bulbs. I know terry uses a regular bulb with my floor brooder and does just fine....but that is a diff. design and the chicks have more room to turn away from the light

 

[bairo]

as far as these mini coops...I meant to say something the other day. I am already set on the fact that I need another small one. I saved some info on the "hoop coops" and wanted to share that, but still need to find it, LOL

Since I need one that may have to be mobile, I am going with that design using either PVC or metal conduit that I bend on a jig. Not a big fan of tarps unless they are the super duty ones, so I will use cloth drop cloths and spray them with spar urethane, it should turn out like a canvass fiberglass.

 

[tennesseeckn]

I think my dream coop would have pens with dirt floors and small roosting boxes. I really like this design if each of the pens had access to larger open areas instead of one common run.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/377365/our-new-coop-pic-heavy-updates-post-93

Of course, the little boxes are WAY too small for my hefty girls, but I think it's a neat idea. You could wrap the pens in plastic during the winter.

I plan on building some salad bars this weekend for the flock. I'm cutting way back on their free range time until the puddles dry, so I'm hoping this will ease the guilt.

I keep adding and adding. I'm afraid I'm going to end up like this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ariannas-chicken-coop

 

[TNBarnQueen]

The shelter at the park where we had our first picnic stops reserving them the first week of Oct. So...may check to see if they may be free and of course would be first one there gets it.

@Humidity...seems mine do better if I ignore them.

Seriously my best hatches have been when I did not hover over them worrying. I incubate around 35-40% and raise it a little,,,maybe to 60% for hatching. Because mine are usually staggered I can't raise it too much. Like Bario said....I think everyone has their own personal way that works best for them.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Okay, for you people who are using them in your house: After they hatch, what do you do? Do you keep brooder in your house also? I could do that for about a month, but then I would have a melt-down.

And BAIRO, I started shots. How long after I am done do I need to wait before I can use that vaccine for ILT?

Listening to your threads makes me realize how much I don't know. I read, read, read, read, read.....books, magazines, interenet, etc. and still IGNORANT. You people are advanced. You are hatching 80 eggs under a hen, and I just want to keep my hen alive. lol

80 eggs under your hen Bario???

Boy...you are really getting brave!! I do have a friend who's hen is brooding 100 chicks.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Soon, you will be going out in public to pick something up from the store (or baby chicks from the post office) wearing clothes you just cleaned the coop out with... hair undone, poop on your shoes, feathers in your hair, no makeup.... you'll look like a normal chicken person!

Stang....I live a long ways from you...how in the world could you describe me right down to a T??? But you forgot the crocs with socks on.

 

[bairo]

Quote: LOL

I think she was kidding....or she got me mixed up with one of Daph's big butt girls

 

[bairo]

I keep adding and adding. I'm afraid I'm going to end up like this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ariannas-chicken-coop

WOW!!

I always imagined I would do basically A 5 stall horse type barn with (5) 10x10 stalls down one side and a 42" walk way down the other side. Then each stall would have a pop door leading to it's own 10x100 run.

Lets see? one building 60 foot long x nearly 14 foot wide and a crap lod of fencing. yep, I'll get right on that when I hit the lottery