Minnesota!

[holm25]

I'm excited to see if I can get Joey the Silkie's hair up like that! She'll be pretty excited to see the food and water dishes. Holm, did I also tell you how much I love blue and splash cochins?

Uh oh... Lol I am hatching Cochin Mixes and a few pure breds this year but thats it. PM me if u need some

 

[The BlanchRanch]

So feeder pigs are looking more and more like a reality for this year. I have the feed part sorted and put the finishing touches on my pen plans for them today!

I base my plan on a 100x120x100 trapezoid sliced into 4 spokes around a central hub. The central hub will allow me to build a solid raised water tank with bite valves and not have to move it. The pigs will spend about 4 weeks per paddock. I picked this size based on an average 'square feet per pig per day' ratios based on several sources I read from books and other blogs. My average was about 32 square feet per pig per day. This is based on not overgrazing as i do not want to kill off the grass. By my plans each spoke is ~2450 square feet allowing for up to 40 or so day per hub if I had to (I know this is not an exact science but the numbers help me). I got the hub and spoke idea from the Smiths Medows Farm (http://smithmeadows.com/farm/how-to-raise-pigs-on-pasture) blog but watered it down to my size. They do 26 half acre slices for 50-60 pigs moved every 2 weeks. Crazy!

Anyways, water in the middle with a portable shelter and feed trough. Pigs start on one side and work their way to the other for easy fencing. I picked a trapezoid over a square as I don't think the pigs would make good use of a sharp point on the outside triangles. Adding 10 extra feet of fencing per paddock is nominal compared to the added usable area.
I plan on using 3 or 4 strands of electric wire around the outside and 3 on the inside moving 'walls'. There will be a solid gate at the bottom center for entry per this photo




This whole thing will be set in the back portion of my property that used to be dairy pasture about 50 years ago. It is all overgrown now and I plan to seed in some alfalfa or other perennial pasture mix to add to the nutritional value for pigs in the future (assuming this goes well and we want to do it again)

Nice!! Can't wait to see it.

Miss you guys!! Hope all your hatching goes well!!

 

[KlopKlop]

Nice!! Can't wait to see it.

Miss you guys!! Hope all your hatching goes well!!

We miss your presence. New job keeping you busy??

 

[Minniechickmama]

Good morning, crazy chicken folks!
I am FINALLY feeling better!!!!

I was worried that this was going to drag out for two months, but I am definitely on the upswing. As I was out in the fresh air and doing chores yesterday, I could feel something was letting loose. SOOOOO relieved. I still got a little cough, but otherwise, feeling much better.

Had I mentioned I kept seeing opossum tracks out around the coops and pasture? Well, I came out of the big coop yesterday and there it was, the BIGGEST 'Possum I have ever seen!!! I went and got the .22 and it is not going to be doing anything to the chickens. It hadn't bothered them yet, but I am certain it was just a matter of time, and with it being out in the daytime, not ever a good sign. Man, was it big!

 

[scandiafowl]

@Minniechickmama

I've always thought those buggers were nocturnal. Glad you found him before he found your chickens!

Welcome back to the world of the healthy! I think our home has stood the first cold/flu wave as well.

 

[KlopKlop]

Good morning, crazy chicken folks!
I am FINALLY feeling better!!!!     I was worried that this was going to drag out for two months, but I am definitely on the upswing.  As I was out in the fresh air and doing chores yesterday, I could feel something was letting loose.  SOOOOO relieved.  I still got a little cough, but otherwise, feeling much better.

 
Had I mentioned I kept seeing opossum tracks out around the coops and pasture?  Well, I came out of the big coop yesterday and there it was, the BIGGEST 'Possum I have ever seen!!!  I went and got the .22 and it is not going to be doing anything to the chickens.  It hadn't bothered them yet, but I am certain it was just a matter of time, and with it being out in the daytime, not ever a good sign.  Man, was it big!


 

Nice work! If my wife went outside and found a possum I probably would come home to a bucket on top of it with a heavy rock weighing it down or something haha

 

[jadechick]

im in minnesota too i need a home for my chickens they are 1 year. 14 plus a rooster
dont want them to be eaten tho.

husband got chickens and is never home. im not well right now i cant take care of them im in lakeville

 

[KlopKlop]

im in minnesota too   i need a home for my chickens    they are 1 year.   14   plus a rooster
dont want them to be eaten tho.

husband got chickens and is never home.  im not well right now i cant take care of them     im in lakeville  

I will send you a PM

 

[jadechick]

im in lakeville

 

[KlopKlop]

im in lakeville

You can email me at
(Deleted)