Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

Yeah, but I can't build an 8x26 shed-roof off our coop so that I can have 3sqft per meat bird. No way will that fly with my husband, OR with our existing structure.

I'm glad I'm trying to plan all of this now. Hubs doesn't want to think about it yet, but we'll only have a month to get things done after our vacation and I want to know what we're doing ahead of time.


Having a little potpourri party, are we Raz?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hi All! I saw an earthworm under the water bucket yesterday! Ladies are laying lots and got 3 Pekins on 3 nests! That deviled egg looked yum! The egg in my pic today was also double.

FWIW, per Amiga over in Ducks Forum,
one duck egg= one + half chicken egg
...and...
One chicken egg + 1-2t oil (fat) = < one duck egg
Duck eggs do contain a little more fats/oils than chicken eggs, so if you are making, say brownies from a mix with duck eggs, you can very easily reduce or eliminate any additions of oils or fats... And you never miss that. For me, how I substitute duck eggs for chicken eggs really depends on the recipe. And of course, him many I've got in the fridge! LOL Have a great day everyone.

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad, since you only keep broilers for about 6-8 weeks, I think as long as there is room for them to get out of the weather if nescessary you will not need as much space per bird. They are not very active compared to regular chickens, and tend towards sloth and easy living. If you are going to use it for storage you definately want it high enough to not bang your head on the rafters (my roof is a little low in the main coop at the back and this has happened often enough to be really annoying).

 

[NovaAman]

Glad... when I did meat birds last year, since I KNEW they were only going to be around for 8-9 weeks, I didn't go with the minimum. I started with a 3.5x4 coop (dog house that you can get a TSC/FFH with hinged lid, used an old cupboard door and lock to close up), that I used from my broodies and their chicks. Anyway, I started with 10 birds in there. They are active little buggers when they are little. I then made a quasi run that went right off the front of it, that was 2x4, sat tight up against it. Kept the regular birds out, and kept hawks out too. Later, they ended up with a 4 foot high fence and 20 sq feet of run space, then when they were about 4 weeks old, they had 200sq feet of run space, next to the egg coop, under a lot of trees to provide them serious shade. They also used the bate motel to stay cool during the day. I let them out at sun up, then didn't wander in until DARK. Sometimes I would have to convince them to go in. Now, I also ended up taking 3 skids, to make a floor in front of the original coop, and two walls. I stapled chicken wire to the insides of the skids to keep grasping hands from being able to reach through the slats and grab at the birds at night, and a solid wood roof. I hinged another skid with wire to the side wall skids and locks screw in to close that up during the day, so... an expansion if you will, that could be taken off and added as needed for the birds growing out... I wish I had a pic, but I hope you can understand. But all in all, they went into the coop at night, were out all day. If you are planning tractors, I think you'd be ok if you moved the tractor ever few days to keep them always on fresh grass. They are pooping machines. It'll also help to keep your grass from dying off really bad by moving them in a pattern across the yard. Where you plan that out, don't mow the grass. Let it grow long. They'll eat it, AND taste so much better too. IF you get lucky, and have a girl go broody, set her on fake eggs for 3 weeks, slip meat birds under her one night, and have her do the raising. They'll learn foraging from her, and you'll have less feed cost but much better tasting birds.

 

[Totalcolour]

I would not skimp on the 3-4 square foot per bird goal.

Your comment about the pallets and tractors gave me an idea of building a few that that be pulled in tandem.

Well, these are meaties though! Ours never moved from the feed trough. So all that space was wasted. By the time they were 3 weeks old, they barely moved at all, lazy little beggars.

 

[Totalcolour]

Our meaty tractors​

Roofs are removable for sunny days. Bottom is hardware cloth. Hoses for waterers.



Top right has electrical and heat lamps for the babies.

 

[snowflake]

congrats on the babys, bought or hatched.
Tap congrats on your new job

we had 25 meat birds in 2 4x4 tractors last yr. they free ranged during the day, we got the freedom rangers so they did go off into the bushes and moved about a little better, meat birds don't fly that much, but take up a lot of floor space as they are fatter then standard birds. ours pretty much filled the floor space of the tractors at night,plus some of them would roost on the bars provided.
They do poo A LOT we hosed the lawn off daily, every other day when the natts came out.


Raz how did your court day go??

 

[snowflake]

the pullorum class was very good, a little long,but maybe it seemed long cause we were watching the time. Daran needed to be home by 1:15 to take his sister to school, (We didn't make it)

fried green eggs, as we were leaving I think I heard you say your BYC name to some one else, Sorry we didn't have time to come say hi!


for those in the UP, Dr. Fulton said they will be holding a Pullorum testing class in the UP this spring, Escanoba?(sp) no date set yet most likely April or May


They also said something about checking sales and swaps for pullorum testing papers,


Daran and I are going to try to get his flock done, soon, my antigen will have expired by June but Dr.Fulton says it is still good for some time after if kept in fridge.
I will bring my pullorum equipment to CS, and would be glad to show how it works(if I have any antigen left)

 

[Amy PT]

We got 3 babies today! 2 white silkies and one mille de fleur. Is it normal for white silkies to have differences in their down? One is more lemon yellow, the other is more golden.

 

[Stacykins]

for those in the UP, Dr. Fulton said they will be holding a Pullorum testing class in the UP this spring, Escanoba?(sp) no date set yet most likely April or May

Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!!! YAY!

I live just outside of Escanaba! Who do I contact to get information regarding class, when it is eventually scheduled?