'Bee, just raise it up higher. Get a big tall stump that you can brace so it won't move and another stump that's about half as big and make it a step situation. Your birds know what the water is in, it won't be hard to train them to climb up to it. I put my waterers as high as my coop construction will allow. I hate having them drink filthy water.
That's a good idea and I'll sure try it on for size...it's certainly better than keeping light on in the coop at night, though some would think that's a good idea, I do not. I'll let you know how it works out and I can't believe I didn't think of that already as much as my chickens like to get up on things.
My mind sometimes wanders off on its own without the proper supervision...
Hi Ron. Can you tell us more about your poultry business? Like who do you sell your eggs to? How much do you get per dozen? Etc? I suppose you use guardian dogs? What breeds? Hope you don't mind all the questions. I would like to figure out how to make a little money at this.
Do the rest of you try to make any money selling eggs to eat, meat birds, hatching eggs, chicks, layers? If you sell eggs for eating, how much do you get per dozen? What do you guys think about duck eggs? Is there a very good market for them? I want this "hobby" to make some money! lol
Yes, in the past when I had a working flock, I did make a profit. It can be done, though many claim it cannot, I've done it and so I know it's possible. I only charged $2 a doz. because that was all one could get in the area in which I lived but it was still enough to pay for all my feed for the year, new stock and with left over for house money and other projects.
The thing about making money on such a thing is to learn how to
stop spending it in the first place. Make a feeder instead of buying one, cull for performance instead of feeding non-layers out of sentimentality, utilize natural feed sources like free range, pumpkins, garden left overs, fruit from the orchard, etc, obtain breeds that pay for themselves by being thrifty on feed and excellent layers, breeds that lay for longer than 2 years at acceptable levels, breeds that can propagate themselves to provide new layers and extra meat for the flock. Pretty feathers and friendly personalities do nothing to save money or make money...they just are.
People call me hard core and that's fine...this isn't any hobby for me. I've always been too poor for hobbies, so keeping chickens was for food and profit from the get go and always has been. I would never have attempted it if I were only breaking even or going in the hole...who can afford all that time to only break even and who can afford to go in the hole on a continual basis. Not me..not ever. Now my kids are grown and I no longer sell eggs nor have a large working flock, but I still cut costs down to practically nothing out of sheer principle just to have healthy eggs and meat in this house. I no longer make a profit, but I sure do break even.
This is one of the reasons I researched fermenting feeds and why I want to beat my head against the wall when people switch to fermenting the feed...and then turn right around and start adding high dollar feeds and supplements to it. That just defeats the purpose of fermenting the feed in the first place!!! It was for cost savings, first and foremost and the rest is just icing on the cake to that. Anyone who can afford the high dollar supplements clearly does not need to cut costs in the first place, so this all puzzles my frugal soul to bits!
So a BA is what? A Barred Australorp or a Buff Australorp, since a BO is a Buff Orpinton I've discovered. Still learning.
Black Australorp...one of my favorite breeds and worthy of feed in any flock.
Duck eggs are great but ducks aren't. They muck up the chicken's feed and the water and cause a lot of waste. On their own they seem doable or if you have a very large area where they eat in one place, swim way away from the food and roosts, etc,. As a hobby don't think you will even ever break even. It ain't gonna happen! In Ron's case he can sell enough eggs and dressed out chickens to maybe make a profit. When I began this adventure I saved all my receipts to see how much it was costing me. It became appaulling how much it was all costing even with recycled stuff for the coops. I eventually didn't want to know. It was embarrassing. I've sold about 5 doz. eggs to the university boys who live next door for $3 each....a drop in the proverbial bucket. I hope to sell some of my "mutts" when they hatch, if anyone is silly enough to want them this time of the year. lol : )
See above post about how to get it down to the wire on expenses. It can be done...one needs to simply stop spending and actually manage the flock instead of just having chickens.
