I picked up 20 new pullets yesterday - mostly EEs. (I hatch from my own lines, but really needed more for my laying flock. Our colored egg business has grown faster than we thought it would.)
They look quite good, although of course, they're in a quarantine coop & run by themselves for the next 30 days. Anyway...the living 'quarters' at their previous home left a bit to be desired. A dog kennel - about 4' x 8', chain link, roost branches stretched across the corners. The only shelter was a 2' x 3', about hip high, at the back of the kennel with a hanging feeder, covered to keep the feed dry. A couple of nest boxes mounted on the side.
That's it...not enough covered or enclosed space for them to get out of the weather. We've had a lot of wet weather this season - snow and rain. Quite honestly the kennel was just a mess of melted poop and mud.
I was suprised how nice the birds actually looked. Except a handful at the bottom of the pecking order that are missing most tailfeathers from picking. They were being fed only scratch. Picking had started for lack of protein, and probably the confinement.
So they're here at the farm now, in a snug 10' x 10' coop. Nice dry shavings, indoor nest boxes, feeder full of 20% pellets, a run with 15+ sq ft per bird. We had about 4" more snow last night, still falling thickly this morning. All I've been able to think about is how miserable those pullets would have been standing out in that snow this morning - with nothing but scratch to eat.
Wait til their quarantine is over and they're allowed to free range next month! Wonder what they'll be thinking then?
They look quite good, although of course, they're in a quarantine coop & run by themselves for the next 30 days. Anyway...the living 'quarters' at their previous home left a bit to be desired. A dog kennel - about 4' x 8', chain link, roost branches stretched across the corners. The only shelter was a 2' x 3', about hip high, at the back of the kennel with a hanging feeder, covered to keep the feed dry. A couple of nest boxes mounted on the side.
That's it...not enough covered or enclosed space for them to get out of the weather. We've had a lot of wet weather this season - snow and rain. Quite honestly the kennel was just a mess of melted poop and mud.
I was suprised how nice the birds actually looked. Except a handful at the bottom of the pecking order that are missing most tailfeathers from picking. They were being fed only scratch. Picking had started for lack of protein, and probably the confinement.
So they're here at the farm now, in a snug 10' x 10' coop. Nice dry shavings, indoor nest boxes, feeder full of 20% pellets, a run with 15+ sq ft per bird. We had about 4" more snow last night, still falling thickly this morning. All I've been able to think about is how miserable those pullets would have been standing out in that snow this morning - with nothing but scratch to eat.
Wait til their quarantine is over and they're allowed to free range next month! Wonder what they'll be thinking then?
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