Maine

[lazy gardener]

Does anyone do greenhouse stuff as well? We are starting to get into the homesteading concept, attempting to fight back against the rising cost of feeding our family. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am building the coop this weekend, including the greenhouse half. Any thoughts?

I built an 8 x 8 x 6' high cattle pannel green house this fall and love it. I used combination windows from the Habitat store in Bangor for the doors at either end. I transplanted some lettuce into it from the main garden in early november, and it stayed green through multiple frosts until mid-December. No supplemental heat. I guess it's not technically a green house unless it has supplemental heat. It held up VERY well to hurricane Sandy and the other wind storms we've had this winter.(I just got it buttoned up and lashed down before Sandy arrived. I did not have to remove snow. As it heats up, the snow slides off, then where it touches the sides, it melts back from the walls. I don't know how it'll fare in a more snowy winter. The construction was real easy, so much so that I'm using the design to build a chicken tractor of the same dimension. Plan is to have 4 drop-down wheels, a raised insulated area (covered with tarp or corrugated roofing) at the back for roosting and nest boxes, with space underneath which could be fenced in for future brooding. The front end will use the full 6' height, and be covered by 4 mil construction poly in the winter, tarp only on top in the summer for shade. Access in front with a people sized door, and to the back area from both in front and back.

Are you planning to allow chickens to access your green house? How big are you going? If it's a permanent structure, you would benefit from a heat sink. I'm excited for your upcoming building project!!!

 

[kinsey228]

Well, the Red Dorking and Dominique hatching eggs arrived today, and the hubby wants me to fill the rest of the bator w/ eggs from our flock. Maybe he won't notice the other eggs after all.......

 

[lazy gardener]

I really enjoyed the hatching photos and stories from a few pages back. I mentioned to DH about building an incubator and he told me first things first ie getting an established coop and flock. That's not a no! ;-) Hmmm maybe next year. I know my daughters would love that!

I did it the other way around... made the bator, then rushed to build a tractor to brood them in... now will be rushing to build the 8 x 8 tractor to move them into. The bator is not a difficult project. However, the sleepless nights, checking and double checking temps... now that's a different story!!!

 

[kinsey228]

Once you catch the hatching bug, the chicken math seems to go crazy!

 

[pellepeterson]

Well the greenhouse is my payment for meat birds. I will be a permanent as far as the idea goes, but with every other starter project it simply has to get bigger and better every year! I worry about coop size, cheating the birds almost a foot to make more room in the greenhouse, but flexibility is my middle name and that is changeable if needed.

I am planning on using the clear polycarbonate corrugated roofing, at a very steep angle for runoff and zero snow load, and it will be turned to face as south as south can be from my house. I was considering allowing the birds to go in and out, especially in the summer to compost for us as well as kill the bugs, that will most likely happen, not sure about during the growing season, we will have to see how they behave.

I am going to create a sort of air exchanger, push the CO2 into the greenhouse, have the O2 flow back into the coop. A small positive pressure fan should do the trick and simply aid in natural diffusion of gases, but it should also help balance the heat...the little firefighter inside my brain is liking that idea as well.

Pics will be coming as soon as I hit my finger the first time with a hammer!! Be well!

 

[lazy gardener]

Well the greenhouse is my payment for meat birds. I will be a permanent as far as the idea goes, but with every other starter project it simply has to get bigger and better every year! I worry about coop size, cheating the birds almost a foot to make more room in the greenhouse, but flexibility is my middle name and that is changeable if needed.

I am planning on using the clear polycarbonate corrugated roofing, at a very steep angle for runoff and zero snow load, and it will be turned to face as south as south can be from my house. I was considering allowing the birds to go in and out, especially in the summer to compost for us as well as kill the bugs, that will most likely happen, not sure about during the growing season, we will have to see how they behave.

I am going to create a sort of air exchanger, push the CO2 into the greenhouse, have the O2 flow back into the coop. A small positive pressure fan should do the trick and simply aid in natural diffusion of gases, but it should also help balance the heat...the little firefighter inside my brain is liking that idea as well.

Pics will be coming as soon as I hit my finger the first time with a hammer!! Be well!

So, how big will the "Starter" be? I have to live vicariously through other peoples dreams!! Will it be attached to your house?? Any supplimental heat or will it be just solar and chicken generated heat??? BTW, when undertaking any project as interesting as this, you must know that photos are a requirement.

 

[lazy gardener]

WARNING TO ALL NEWBIES WHO ARE STARTING CHICKS THIS YEAR, WITH MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. CHICK STARTER IS NOT THE SAME AS CHICK STARTER AND GROWER. Without knowing the difference, I bought "starter and grower" which has 4% less protein, and I'm guessing that the overall nutrient level is inferior to starter. I almost lost a little chick, but luckily caught the issue in time, and thanks to all of the wonderful info on BYC, was able to save the chick. Sunday night when I went down to check the babies, I found one of the Doms laying off in a corner, looking half dead. I picked it up and it was unconsious. I was able to revive it, and tucked it back under the lamp, expecting to find it dead the next morning. Amazingly, it was still alive, but demonstrating neurological issues. It couldn't hold it's head up, it's toes were curled in spasm, and it's head kept pulling forward and tucking between it's legs. When it tried to move, it would run backwards with head tucked between legs until it ran into something, then it would fall down unconsious. After research, I started Vitamin E, multi-vits, and baby bird hand feeding formula. Yesterday, I had to hold it up to feed it, today, it demanded to perch on my finger to be fed. I don't consider it cured yet, but hold out hope for a full recovery. LONG STORY SHORT, BEWARE OF FEED THAT DOESN'T MEET ALL OF THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF YOUR CHICKS.

 

[Clover Run]

WARNING TO ALL NEWBIES WHO ARE STARTING CHICKS THIS YEAR, WITH MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. CHICK STARTER IS NOT THE SAME AS CHICK STARTER AND GROWER. Without knowing the difference, I bought "starter and grower" which has 4% less protein, and I'm guessing that the overall nutrient level is inferior to starter. I almost lost a little chick, but luckily caught the issue in time, and thanks to all of the wonderful info on BYC, was able to save the chick. Sunday night when I went down to check the babies, I found one of the Doms laying off in a corner, looking half dead. I picked it up and it was unconsious. I was able to revive it, and tucked it back under the lamp, expecting to find it dead the next morning. Amazingly, it was still alive, but demonstrating neurological issues. It couldn't hold it's head up, it's toes were curled in spasm, and it's head kept pulling forward and tucking between it's legs. When it tried to move, it would run backwards with head tucked between legs until it ran into something, then it would fall down unconsious. After research, I started Vitamin E, multi-vits, and baby bird hand feeding formula. Yesterday, I had to hold it up to feed it, today, it demanded to perch on my finger to be fed. I don't consider it cured yet, but hold out hope for a full recovery. LONG STORY SHORT, BEWARE OF FEED THAT DOESN'T MEET ALL OF THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF YOUR CHICKS.

You are right there is a difference - the extra protein helps with feather growth - however it will not cause death - many raise chicks on starter/growth just fine - I do not personally. Crumble versus mash is another option - crumble, if not fine enough can kill chicks - internal bleeding due to pieces being too big and coarse. Some will say that they have always fed crumble and never had an issue - but you may not know that was the cause of a lost chick. It makes sense to me when you look at the size of the chick and the size of the crumble and imagine the tiny inner workings.
It is also important to make sure they do not have too much protein later with just grower - unless you are doing meat birds.

 

[buckabucka]

WARNING TO ALL NEWBIES WHO ARE STARTING CHICKS THIS YEAR, WITH MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. CHICK STARTER IS NOT THE SAME AS CHICK STARTER AND GROWER. Without knowing the difference, I bought "starter and grower" which has 4% less protein, and I'm guessing that the overall nutrient level is inferior to starter. I almost lost a little chick, but luckily caught the issue in time, and thanks to all of the wonderful info on BYC, was able to save the chick. Sunday night when I went down to check the babies, I found one of the Doms laying off in a corner, looking half dead. I picked it up and it was unconsious. I was able to revive it, and tucked it back under the lamp, expecting to find it dead the next morning. Amazingly, it was still alive, but demonstrating neurological issues. It couldn't hold it's head up, it's toes were curled in spasm, and it's head kept pulling forward and tucking between it's legs. When it tried to move, it would run backwards with head tucked between legs until it ran into something, then it would fall down unconsious. After research, I started Vitamin E, multi-vits, and baby bird hand feeding formula. Yesterday, I had to hold it up to feed it, today, it demanded to perch on my finger to be fed. I don't consider it cured yet, but hold out hope for a full recovery. LONG STORY SHORT, BEWARE OF FEED THAT DOESN'T MEET ALL OF THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF YOUR CHICKS.

What kind of feed was this? I never really studied the label, but I usually use Purina "start and grow" (at least I think that's what it is called). I've never had an issue with it in the past. I'll have to check the protein content on the label....

 

[hoppy]

I know tractor supply has a chick starter with higher protien but more for game birds, turkeys. it's fine to feed the chick starter and grower if you don't have anything but chicks.

WARNING TO ALL NEWBIES WHO ARE STARTING CHICKS THIS YEAR, WITH MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. CHICK STARTER IS NOT THE SAME AS CHICK STARTER AND GROWER. Without knowing the difference, I bought "starter and grower" which has 4% less protein, and I'm guessing that the overall nutrient level is inferior to starter. I almost lost a little chick, but luckily caught the issue in time, and thanks to all of the wonderful info on BYC, was able to save the chick. Sunday night when I went down to check the babies, I found one of the Doms laying off in a corner, looking half dead. I picked it up and it was unconsious. I was able to revive it, and tucked it back under the lamp, expecting to find it dead the next morning. Amazingly, it was still alive, but demonstrating neurological issues. It couldn't hold it's head up, it's toes were curled in spasm, and it's head kept pulling forward and tucking between it's legs. When it tried to move, it would run backwards with head tucked between legs until it ran into something, then it would fall down unconsious. After research, I started Vitamin E, multi-vits, and baby bird hand feeding formula. Yesterday, I had to hold it up to feed it, today, it demanded to perch on my finger to be fed. I don't consider it cured yet, but hold out hope for a full recovery. LONG STORY SHORT, BEWARE OF FEED THAT DOESN'T MEET ALL OF THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF YOUR CHICKS.