Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[SilkieSensation]

Started our grow-out pen tonight which will become the layer coop later once some of the spare chicks are sold & the meaties are processed. Coop will be 8X4 with attached run of 8X15. The wall with the "people" door is 5 ft tall & will slant up to the pop door side at 6 ft high. We would have done it the other way around except for the fact that we are recycling parts of an old storage shed that used to sit there & the 5 ft wall was already mostly intact & just needed a few boards nailed back on after taking the huge full length window out that will now be the door. That wall & the corner supports are up & wood has been measured for cutting in the morning. Most of what is taking the longest is clearing all the brush & branches out of the way & finding usable pieces of scrap wood the right lengths. We have a TON of old windows sitting around so plan on putting a small crank-open window in each end & covering the inside with wire so they can be opened for ventilation in the summer. Once this coop & run are complete, 1 side will double as the 1st wall of the next pen & the other side will be 1 edge of the garden fence to keep deer & rabbits out. Beside the coop will go a duck pen with shelter box inside a 6x15 run. If we have room, another pen identical to that 1 will go next & share the duck pen wall for another set of ducks. If I do it right, I may have room for 3 duck pens before running into the big tree, but I can always put the next pen AROUND the tree & put the runners in it since they don't fly & don't ned a top on their pen as long as they get locked down at night. We have several months worth of pen building to do ahead of us.

 

[ozexpat]

Started our grow-out pen tonight which will become the layer coop later once some of the spare chicks are sold & the meaties are processed. Coop will be 8X4 with attached run of 8X15. The wall with the "people" door is 5 ft tall & will slant up to the pop door side at 6 ft high. We would have done it the other way around except for the fact that we are recycling parts of an old storage shed that used to sit there & the 5 ft wall was already mostly intact & just needed a few boards nailed back on after taking the huge full length window out that will now be the door. That wall & the corner supports are up & wood has been measured for cutting in the morning. Most of what is taking the longest is clearing all the brush & branches out of the way & finding usable pieces of scrap wood the right lengths. We have a TON of old windows sitting around so plan on putting a small crank-open window in each end & covering the inside with wire so they can be opened for ventilation in the summer. Once this coop & run are complete, 1 side will double as the 1st wall of the next pen & the other side will be 1 edge of the garden fence to keep deer & rabbits out. Beside the coop will go a duck pen with shelter box inside a 6x15 run. If we have room, another pen identical to that 1 will go next & share the duck pen wall for another set of ducks. If I do it right, I may have room for 3 duck pens before running into the big tree, but I can always put the next pen AROUND the tree & put the runners in it since they don't fly & don't ned a top on their pen as long as they get locked down at night. We have several months worth of pen building to do ahead of us.

so many busy little coop builders. the chicken keeping business is booming

 

[ozexpat]

Ok lads and lasses, here is the latest working list.


Still on the list are

24 Barred Rock - heritage class deal done
24 Giant Jersey - heritage class deal done
24 Rhode Island Reds - heritage class deal done
24 Sussex - heritage class deferred till July
24 Creme Legbars -deal done
24 Ameracauna/Aracauna deal done
24 White Crested Black Polish deal done

I have enough chicken eggs already!!!

12 bourbon red turkey deal done
12 blue slate turkey deal done
12 peafowl
40 mixed guinea fowl deal done
120 Texas A&M coturnix
6-12 tolouse goose
6-12 sebastapool goose
12 Rouen Duck deferred till July
The july run will be the mutha ducka of a run
6 emu (deferred till march 2014)
and anything interesting I find on the way
including some plans for September huch as

Silver Laced Wyandottes
New Hampshire Reds
White Plymouth Rocks
Salmon Favorelles
Blue Andalusians
Light Brahma

I can take partials if I can mix n match suppliers to get a minimum of 18 large fowl and 6 bigger egg birds.

Due to the nature of the travel and time associated with it, I need eggs laid May 23-28 I fly out on May 30, arrive June 1 and eggs will be set on June 2.turkey, goose and peafowl

Ask your chickens if they want to have children living in paradise? Maybe somewhere they can retire too lol here is the photo link to their new home https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/6339140/getting-the-flock-out-of-here-a-diary-of-a-

 

[ozexpat]

Wow. Finally made thru the whole thread... I need a nap!

welcome!!

glad you made it

 

[ozexpat]

UPDATE

I received a text message from Bernie today. The incubators are holding temp at 99.5

We should have pullet eggs from the first immigrants in 6 weeks!

Bernie is building the Coturnix cages and putting the divide down the main coop in preparation for our second hatch.

People were appalled when I said that we are eating the roosters from the first hatch and want us to sell them or swap them for local chickens to eat, I guess we have a market developing!

 

[bribre]

Wow. Finally made thru the whole thread... I need a nap!

Wow I love your user name partyfowl!!!! Hahaha that's a good one for sure! Can you tell I'm young lol

 

[hillfloweranch]

Ok lads and lasses, here is the latest working list.


Still on the list are

[COLOR=FF0000]24 Barred Rock - heritage class deal done[/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]24 Giant Jersey - heritage class deal done[/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]24 Rhode Island Reds - heritage class [COLOR=FF0000]deal done[/COLOR][/COLOR]
24 Sussex - heritage class deferred till July
[COLOR=FF0000]24 Creme Legbars -[COLOR=FF0000]deal done[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]24 Ameracauna/Aracauna [COLOR=FF0000]deal done[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]24 White Crested Black Polish [COLOR=FF0000]deal done[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=800080]I have enough chicken eggs already!!!

[/COLOR]

[COLOR=FF0000]12 bourbon red turkey deal done[/COLOR]
[COLOR=FF0000]12 blue slate turkey deal done[/COLOR]
12 peafowl
[COLOR=FF0000]40 mixed guinea fowl [COLOR=FF0000]deal done[/COLOR][/COLOR]
120 Texas A&M coturnix
6-12 tolouse goose
6-12 sebastapool goose
12 Rouen Duck deferred till July
The july run will be the mutha ducka of a run
6 emu (deferred till march 2014)
and anything interesting I find on the way
including some plans for September huch as

Silver Laced Wyandottes
New Hampshire Reds
White Plymouth Rocks
Salmon Favorelles
Blue Andalusians
Light Brahma

I can take partials if I can mix n match suppliers to get a minimum of 18 large fowl and 6 bigger egg birds.

Due to the nature of the travel and time associated with it, I need eggs laid May 23-28 I fly out on May 30, arrive June 1 and eggs will be set on June 2.turkey, goose and peafowl

Ask your chickens if they want to have children living in paradise? Maybe somewhere they can retire too lol here is the photo link to their new home https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/6339140/getting-the-flock-out-of-here-a-diary-of-a-

Wanna add delawares to your list? They lay extra large eggs and they're people friendly. . Edited - lay brown eggs.

 

[ozexpat]

did not know you had a roo. i love delawares!

 

[hillfloweranch]

did not know you had a roo. i love delawares!

I've become an insane obsessed chicken person. While visiting a friend of mine I saw her delawares and if course just had to have them. It's becoming ...wait no its a serious chicken problem Ive developed!! Lol aww well there are worse ones I suppose.
No Delaware roo yet but I'm working on that. But since I just added 3 female chicks to the group thought I'd mention them because I am looking for a Roo. Planning all the breed pens right now horse stall conversions in progress

 

[hillfloweranch]

From http://www.whitmorefarm.com/delaware
This looks promising... might try this

"Delaware males may be mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red females and produce chicks of the Delaware color pattern. Delaware females mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red males produce sex-linked offspring; the males having the Delaware color pattern and the females having the solid red color of the sires. Chicks from this second cross can even be sexed by their down color when hatched."