"How to Manage Your Flock: Without Fancy Equipment"

[deedeefarms]

Hi,
Who out there would like to keep your chickens cool without having to shell out hundreds of dollars investing in cooling fans and misters in the middle of the summer. Who would like to have the chickens be able to have shade and then at the end of the season cut that shade down and feed it to them. The whole purpose of this thread would be for you, the natural and frugal chicken raiser, who want to keep their chickens without having to turn the coop into a factory.
Here is the chance for you to share and inspire people to come up with new innovative ideas that, well, keep your chickens naturally and frugally as possible. The ideas that should be shared in the thread can range from overall cleanliness to how to provide your chickens with good living food through homegrown food i.e. grubs, worm, mealworms, etc.. Anything that you can think of to make chicken raising easier for the home grower can be posted here. So, post away and remember you'll be giving great ideas in a time where the economy is uncertain and people want their food to be their own.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I take free pallets and elevate them on concrete blocks for them to hide under from hawks. They also provide some extra shade in the run. Preening on top of them makes for quite the social scene.

Grapevines also provide nice shade.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have a pallet propped up too. Also, years ago, we had a heavy duty plastic bin that fit into the box of the pick up to store things that we did not use. I turned it on its side, propped up the doors. In the summer - it gives shade, in the winter, I lean an old window and they have a sun porch, they love it.

Also stick old shovel handles kitty corner, through the wire mesh - instant outdoor roost, mine love to sit up there in the late evening of summer.

I am a firm believer in multiple heights and obstacles in the run.
MrsK

 

[bj taylor]

putting the coop in close proximity to the garden is helping both sides of the picture - will even more when i get rabbits.
putting the coop inside the hoop house (use one corner) allows me to work inside. the pop door opens to the outside into the chicken run while the human sized screen door opens into the hoop house. that way i can get into the coop when needed, but they can't get into the hoop house & make a mess.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Another thing I like to do with concrete blocks is turn them on their sides so the two holes in them are above one another (inside the coop). Then I run a 2 x 4 through the top holes to make a roost with the board. This is nice for silkies after they become adults as they can usually jump up that high and it makes them feel important too.

 

[lalaland]

the other thing is, you don't need special feeders or waterers - especially if you feed wet mash or fermented feed. You can use the ground, old pie plates, bowls, etc.

If you have problems with your chickens spilling alot of feed on the ground, you can do two things: wet the feed down, and feed less.

Fermented feed (ff) allows chickens to make better use of the protein, etc, and provides natural probiotics. Everyone I know who uses it says their feed bills have been reduced by 30 -50%. There are lots of threads here on FF, it is super easy to do, and really good for your chickens.

Ask at your grocery store if they have any produce they are discarding that you could feed to your chickens. Most are very willing to let you bring home veggie and fruit discards, which you can use to supplement your chicken feed and to provide greens they miss in the winter.

 

[lalaland]

I take free pallets and elevate them on concrete blocks for them to hide under from hawks. They also provide some extra shade in the run. Preening on top of them makes for quite the social scene.

Grapevines also provide nice shade.

that is a great idea! think I will do that this summer.

 

[Mrs. K]

does the fermented feed freeze solid in the winter? I have tired corn meal mush on terrible cold days, but it freezes solid. I do better with just dry corn meal. I have thought about trying the FF, but wondered about it freezing

 

[deedeefarms]

Hi, guys just wanted to remind that this can be quite anything about natural chicken rearing. Any ideas are welcome so post away. I really would not like arguing though. That stuff is just stupid. Everybody idea is valid.

 

[Den in Penn]

Well if you are talking about duel purpose shade and cutting it down for feed. Growing up the field next to our brooder house was often in field corn. Of course the area nearest the brooder house suffered while it was small, but after it got big enough the chickens didn't do much more damage. So if you could keep them out of the corn till it was tall enough. If my new coop comes to be, that and maybe a couple of other ideas I plan on trying.