Michigan

[Mom 2em All]

Mom2... Black capped Chicadee?

Titmouse??

Okay you missed a key part of my description...

BLUE head.

 

[EeyoreD]

Rwaw! Leaving now!

I guess I look for batsh** neighbor and hang a left?

 

[Trefoil]

Raz- I'm not sure how posting works, but I wanted to say, I love your skunk. Mine's name is Scout, he lives in my office guarding my chicks,keets and ducklings from Chloe (coon).

 

[Mom 2em All]

noo, hang a RIGHT...lol

We are going to raffle off Uggos...I will supress the need to send over a dye-filled waterbomb into the neighbors pool...

 

[EeyoreD]

noo, hang a RIGHT...lol

We are going to raffle off Uggos...I will supress the need to send over a dye-filled waterbomb into the neighbors pool...

Wouldn't an uggo be more terrifyingly effective than a dye bomb in the pool?

 

[Shamrock4]

Really? They forage that well? Wonderful! I've got 6 pullets coming in next week's order along with a slew of Dark Cornish, 4 BLRW and 3 Buckeyes. I've been looking for good foragers My feed bill I don't want to think about! I just keep trying out breeds till I find one I really, really like! I don't hold out much hope for my Blue Andalusians as foragers and the Golden Buffs I simply got for the eggs.
Quote:

Quote: What an imaginative name...

Do you know what these are? They were both found on milkweed.

 

[Totalcolour]

Quote:

REAL MEN WEAR KILTS!
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Look at all those lovely Scots with bear chests and Kilts - Yummy!

 

[RaZ]

It looks like I need to go get more beer. I stopped and picked up pork-chops. Plus I have smoked sausage dogs. It will be like a pre-Chickenstock warm up party.
I better mow and tidy up a bit. At least the bathroom was cleaned.

 

[NovaAman]

Well I have to say that my chicken love is waning. I'm not sure if our management skills are horrible or if we just didn't realize what it all entailed. We have about 105 chickens left. We've lost about 15 due to fellow chicken homicide and predators. We had them out in a chicken tractor, but we were losing so many that we had to put them in the bottom of the hip roof barn. They are inside all of the time now, which I'm not a fan of. When we did let them range, they wouldn't go back in at night and my hubby was rather unhappy to be chasing chickens to get them back in. I thought it was instinct for them to back in to safety to roost at night. Are mine just stupid? Not to mention the feed cost! Its about $7.00 per day to feed them! I can really use some tips to help us out here. We wanted to raise them for profit and I don't see how it can happen at this point. I guess this is more of a hobby situation, and we just don't have the high number of birds to make it worth while. Does anyone make money doing this? Any help would be great, we're about to cut our losses and get out of the "biz" if we don't figure something out soon. Thanks for reading my vent, but it feels so good to get it out!

Predators happen. You can keep them locked up all the time. They are not as happy though, but are just as happy having a food trough to sit by all day. Its like this, some people who buy from a meat chicken farmer, they like the IDEA of the chicken being in the sun and grass before being on the dinner plate. Some people couldn't give a whip as long as the price is right and the meat is tasty. I am in the former group.

From what I have read about raising meat birds, it is feed 12 hours, no feed 12 hours. OR they will sit and eat and eat.
Look into mobile tractor pens. If they are in already fenced in yard, this will help with a predator situation. If they are in a field, a little creative apron-ing and something to hold the aprons down, thinking tent stakes.
I do not have meat birds on your scale. I have only 10 birds. Plan on doing them in groups of 10, but not for profit yet, but to fill my freezer, and sell a few to friends. I do have the facility to do 100 birds however. I have a HUGE pole barn. The plan is for next year the neighbor and I are going go halfers on feed and butchering expense, as neither of us wish to learn to do that. We'll build it into the cost of selling the birds. Well anyway, We will be able to provide a predator proof run and house. BUT anyway, back to the ones I am doing now. They do go back into their coop at night on their own. I also have a light inside their coop. Might I suggest using a string of white X-mas lights to light up the inside of their house for night time, so they will go back to it. I had to do this with my regular birds when I first moved them out to their coop at night. They didn't want to go in, but the minute I put a light in there, they'd get in on their own. ALSO, it doesn't need to be a bright light. Put it on a timer, so it goes on at 8 pm, and off at say... 10. They should, not will, but should go to the coop then on their own at night.
Now the tractors...Build a few frames, 8x8x2 out of 2x4, could probably fit 20-30 birds each, maybe more, but less is better, they need space too. The boxes should be light enough to move. Set lightweight roofing/tarping over the top for rain/sun protection. I'd think you could use welded fencing cut to fit the frame. And if you have a guard dog or two, that can circle the perimeter to keep varmints away at night, you'd be able to leave them in them all night. If not, build a box that they could go into at night that is attached to the tractor pen. Use a light weight OSB. Don't put feed in the boxes at night... Just water. But anyway, move the boxes 8 feet forward once a week this way, you don't tire out the grass to fast, and you don't have to worry on the poop mess building up. A good rain really does wash it away. OH, DONT FORGET WHEELS. Wheel barrow wheels are about 10 bucks each.
There is a young man who starts his birds out with starter grower for a few weeks, then switches to broiler feed, then in the last 2 weeks, goes 50/50 meat/cracked corn and then adds scratch in the mix in the last week. Says that he has found this keeps the feed costs down, and the birds come out just as big and yummy and still on their feet come butcher time, as opposed to not being able to walk more than a few steps at a time.
Honestly, I would never have started with so many being a first timer. It is always better to start small, and build up. I know 100 birds doesn't seem like a lot in reality. But 100 birds at 6 pounds dresses out, 5 pounds of food consumed for every pound of bird, that is 30 pounds of feed per bird, or 3000 pounds of feed for 100 birds as long as you manage your feed properly. The ability to free range helps with that management, even if it is a caged free range in move-able cages so they get the fresh greens, bugs, sun... I think I might be overwhelmed if I started with so many, and would not wish to repeat the experience. Starting with a smaller amount allows you to tweak the finer points and find what works best for you in the end, so the next time around, your plan is better, and your expectations are not fallen short of.
I hope it works out better for you next time around.

Olive, she will correct me if I am giving crap advice... I fully expect it, so I will know better next time I open... let my fingers wander the keyboard.


Now, aside from that... There was a lady a few weeks ago who inquired about trading drakes for ducks. She would have been getting the girls if Momma K hadn't shown up for them. Well, she came today and got the last of the duck eggs I had saved for her. Her children were just darling and totally having a good time since my chickens, especially the silkies and my girl Hawk, are catch-able. Well anyway, we were chit chatting and I off handedly asked if she wanted the pekins too. And she said "Really?" I told her I didnt know what sex they were, but figured at least one was a duck since I hear quacking from them. Sure enough, both start quacking at us, so she took them both! Yes, now I do not have to figure out if they are going to be dinner or keepers. Since she is allergic to chicken eggs, this gives her the duck eggs she can eat. I now do not have to build them a coop either, so it makes it that much better for me.

SO, all the way around, very happy weekend this weekend. I got a free run and found a home for my pekins with some one who wants them for pets and breakfast goods. The weather is lovely, the kids are gone out with their daddy for a few hours, And I think now I am going to go and watch a movie that would otherwise be out of bounds with the boys here.

Sorry for the novel, but at the very least, you can just skim or skip and continue on your merry way through the MICHIGAN thread.

 

[Mom 2em All]

It looks like I need to go get more beer. I stopped and picked up pork-chops. Plus I have smoked sausage dogs. It will be like a pre-Chickenstock warm up party.
I better mow and tidy up a bit. At least the bathroom was cleaned.

You have a week!