housing for your meat birds

[rolffamily]

Last year I raised 15 cornish x in half on my coop. They had a 5 x 11" inside area and the same area available outside. I couldn't get them to go outside at all, and spent huge amounts of time scooping poop inside because it obviously bothered me more than them that they were laying in it . What setup do the rest of you use? Are you good with them laying in their own filth?

 

[booker81]

Mine were in the other half of the coop, 40 in a 10x10 area. I kept them (and me) happy with their containment and poo by putting about an inch of fresh shavings down each day or so. Halfway through their grow time, I "stripped" the bedding all out, and started fresh. They stayed pretty clean, and the odor was low. They liked to try and "dust bathe" when I would put the new shavings down, so they seemed to be happy with their chickeny selves. I liked that while they didn't have the nicest feathers, they weren't too filthy when processing time came. They were used to me throwing shavings around since they were little, and just milled around me until I was done.

All the soiled bedding goes in my garden, either to be spread out for all of winter, or if it's spring/summer, it's piled and composted to be spread out.

 

[itsy]

I made a very inexpensive tractor and moved once a day/twice a day depending on poo. I had red broilers from Ideal.

 

[mstricer]

Here's my meatie pen.

I removed the top to recycle wood (due to to much wind in the run). I works good, I can raise small batches. I would never have them in a coop and always try to get them outside asap. The stench is gross. Once outside I move their water and food away from where they sleep, they have to move to drink and eat.

 

[EggsForIHOP]

I too vote tractor IF you have the room to move it around...if not...then a steady supply of fresh shavings is going to be a must...but any cheap little tractor can be quite easily thrown together - I did our newest one out of left over lumber we had laying around, and a shower curtain I no longer use for the covered end...it's pretty AND has a purpose

Took about half a day as slow as I go...and clean up is simple as "scoot it and move on"...just a thought

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

We use chicken tractors. Last year, following BigRedFeather's example, I built a cattle panel chicken tractor. I don't know about cold weather yet but in July that was awesome. It was also nice to be able to get into the structure as opposed to the Salatin style tractors that make up the rest of my fleet. Finally, it was lightweight. Panels, 2x4s and tarps. It has seen all kinds of wind and hasn't blown away. Finally, it is multi-purpose. It currently houses my pigs and could easily shelter calves.

If this is not an option, see if you can get horse bedding. Horse people tend to keep their stalls super clean so the bedding is only enhanced rather than used. Their used bedding is usually free, contains interesting things for chickens to pick at and scratch in and is a good start toward awesome compost.

 

[bockbock2008]

We built a 4' x 10' tractor from 1" pvc pipes. It's 2 ft tall and covered in welded wire. The top has a hinged lid that is about 4' x 4'. There is a tented tarp over the half without the lid. It gets moved around the yard as needed and the grass is very well fertilized

This would hold 40 birds but I have never had that many in there.

 

[dace316]

I'm interested in attempting to raise meat birds in the spring. Do any of you have predator problems with the movable pens? I love the ones pictured. Thank you!

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

Predators are a problem. We minimize our problem by using poultry mesh around the tractors. I say minimize because we have had two issues. Once a clump of weeds held the fence up and a skunk got through. Once a mink just went through. No stopping a mink.