Freedom Rangers like to sleep outside at night.

[anthonyjames]

I used to round all my FR every night for the first 10 weeks. Lock them up at night and open the door in the morning. My issue was worry of owls. But since they range with my turkeys they sleep close to them at night. Every day I move the tractors.

Some perch on the roosts, other sleep on the ground, just outside the door or along the sides and back of the tractors. They are always at least 3 - 5 sleeping together. And they tend to sleep close to the turkeys.

Have not had any loses in the last 3 weeks and processing day is next tuesday for all.

should also say they are inside 1/2 acre electric poultry netting that gets moved as the tractors get close to the end.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Risks associated with production birds roosting on ground or low roost too low is to too high. Loss of complete flock, even if only occasional more than I want to risk.

 

[centrarchid]

Lincoln,

As soon as my hens start laying again I will hatch a brood to practice my wing banding technique. The same birds will then be tested with tub-imprinting indicated in previous post. Will be working with existing fixed position elevated roost. Could you post a picture of your chicken tractor. I wil be setting up similar soon and might be able to test birds imprinted to tubs using same configuration.

 

[anthonyjames]

Centrarchid,

I don't understand your post beneath mine. Owls or birds of prey are alway and issue day or night.

But here is what I use for tractoring most of my birds:

http://gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420#100439&bgcolor=black&view=grid

 

[centrarchid]

anthonyjames,

Thanks for clarification. I was incorrectly understanding that you were suggesting having birds roost outside on ground. If roosting within tractor, no real issue. I was thrown by chickens roosting by turkeys were protected. My great horned owls will target turkeys as well.

Looks like you are using chicken coop wire over the cattle pannel material. Are also using dog?

 

[anthonyjames]

centrarchid,

My hoop houses are 2 x 4 lumber, 1" Electrical pvc for the hoops, cattle panels for ends then wrapped in chicken wire with lower 18 inches wrapped in hardware cloth as well.

No dogs are used. I have my dog out on occasion but not very often. They are all enclosed in sections of poultry netting.

Some have roosts and some don't. I leave the doors open 24 x 7 right now and have for the last month. Processing day 6 days a way.

Yippee.

 

[anthonyjames]

Double posted

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
What is the cost per unit? How many square feet per unit?

 

[anthonyjames]

They are 8 x 10 and 10 x 12.

Cattle panels I purchased for $3 each from a farmer that had them laying in a scrap heap
Chicken Wire well that was the most expensive.
2 x 4's were about $4 each
pvc comes in 10ft long sections I got 6 for each cut one to 5ft and use a 15ft long section per hoop.
Used some heavy gauge rubber coated electrical wire for my door hangers and latch
Zip Ties and lots of them.

Not mention it is light and easy to pull with rope or a dolly.

So I would guess each is maybe $40ish because I used scrap where ever I could to keep cost down

 

[centrarchid]

anthonyjames,

Do you think your design can be scaled up to 240 square feet? Design I have now to heavy at that size to move.

When your birds free range outside of pen, do they return to proper pen at night or do you have mixups? I want to run multiple tractors with free run option during part of day. Having birds go back to proper tractor important for record keeping. During confined period I want to track / control feed consumption. I am thinking that several tractors can be run in an area with birds going back to correct tractor, even if birds all same breed.