Nevadans?

[Holly31]

WOW! Yum!

 

[NevadaRon]

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I read in another thread where someone suggested hanging a KFC bucket outside the coop.

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I've seen that sign many times, but I've never bought from them. I buy mine from Lahontan Valley Meats - near Lahontan Reservoir on Hwy 50. Their beef is excellent! The feed is all raised right on the ranch. I don't get a whole side, though - they sell a 50lb. pack too which is what I usually buy.

Thanks for the recipe Eglyntine! I can't wait to try it.

 

[Eglyntine]

Ok so I got my recipe up now I can post my progress and updates on stuff.

First off, I am so happy to hear that Sunny and HF are doing well. (Sunny on her surgery and HF on your recovery). You both are continually in my prayers.

Hay... I use grass/alfalfa hay and I guess I have just been pretty blessed so far that I have been able to find it so cheap. I use it for mulch and feeding my worm farm too which is why I use the hay instead of the pine shavings. Straw would be just as good but I just went with the Hay originally because when I was a kid, we used hay for the chickens instead of straw because straw was a lot more expensive. Of course we grew up in dairy farm country where hay was extremely abundant.

I totally agree that the soil here leaves even parasites desiring a better life so I try to give back to it as much as I would like to be able to take from it in the future.

Although I use it for the chickens and worms mostly, I still like it to be somewhat of a good quality hay. The girls do eat it too and I have enough weeds in my yard I do not really want to add to their numbers. I did see a guy selling Rye for $5/bale on Craigs and he will deliver too if you order minimum 25 bales so I will give him a call and see what the whole story is there. Rye is really good for the soil too. I am actually surprised that with the poor soil quality that more farmers, etc. do not plant rye around here. It is almost like an instant soil pick me up.

Egg prices, I have only started selling to a few ppl and originally I thought around $1.50 to $2.00/dozen. It seemed fair but then I started calculating the expenses and then I went to the store this weekend to see how much eggs are in the store.

O
M
G
!

It has been about a month since I bought eggs and even before that I did not really look at the prices. Eggs just are one of those things that you have to have and looking at the prices only make ya sick to your stomach. Organic eggs (not even name brand) are almost $5.00/dozen

and just plain regular eggs are btwn $2.79 and $4.00 depending on sales and different stores so I think $2.00/$2.50 would be more than fair. Of course I am sure that in Vegas and out in Elko eggs are more expensive than around here. As long as you kept it cheaper than in the store anyone should be more than willing to pay your prices for fresh eggs, logically speaking.

So we got foundation re-located to the new area of the yard and we have been working on the coop hardcore the last two nights. I even drug out the extension cord and the living-room lamp out in the yard so we could keep working after dark. *LOL* Although I was disappointed at first that we had to move the chickens I think this new spot has turned out to be much better. There is a lot more room and shade too.

We got the floor completely finished last night (minus the door cut out and the linoleum/vinyl flooring that will be put down after the walls are up). For some weird reason plywood doubled in price from last week. We went down and priced everything out, bought our 2X4's and since the truck was full we figured we would get the plywood later. Well it has only been 5 days and the price for 3/4in went from $16/sheet to $44/sheet. It's like my DH said, did Swamp Loggers miss a deadline or something?

We ended up getting 4 sheets of 1/2 in instead and then just doubled up on it when we put the floor down. (Glued and screwed) We paid about the same price for 4 sheets of 1/2 in as we would have 1 sheet of 3/4 in. and now we have an 1 in floor.

Here are some pictures of the floor so far:

The floor so far is 8X8. We had these extra border bricks from a landscaping project so we decided to use them as our foundation and to keep the coop about 18 in off of the ground. Just enough space to be able to slide a tote underneath for cleaning.

Three tiers of bricks on the outside of each side.

Three tiers of bricks underneath as well to help support on the floor.

This is what it looks like finished. We are planning on adding a second side to expand the coop on the right side so that we have one side for the adult hens and the second side will be for storage, hatching and baby chicks. Also 8X8 but it will be separated by chicken wire on the inside and then there will be a separate run on the other side too for the older babies to get some sunshine and get used to being out in a yard.

So over all 8X16 coop and then the run is about 24 ft. X 56 ft. Nice size for around 30 birds with plenty of room for expansion.

 

[NevadaRon]

Wow Eglyntine, that's really impressive!

I can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[daegorn]

So I have become an egg carton snob, we are given cartons from friends. I just love the Egg Lands Best carton. I wish I could buy those.

 

[yzmike777]

I am going to the Las Vegas/ Henderson area this weekend for my 6 years Anniversary and I was wondering if any one in that area had chicks for sale! I have 5 already that are about 4 weeks old and wanted to add two more! They have to be hens of course let me know!

 

[Eglyntine]

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heh Thanks Ron, I think your place rocks I really was impressed with it. Because of you I am doing the skylight roof now.

Btw, thanks Everyone on the suggestions for Hay/Straw. I lucked out again and just picked up 20 bales of Alfalfa delivered for $5/ea. It's not the $3 I was looking for but because the guy is going to deliver it, so it is way worth the extra $2/bale I think. There is no way I could fit 20 bales in the back of my truck without making multiple trips so the saved gas going back and forth is worth the extra $2. Anyway, this should last me most of the winter with any free stuff that comes up here and there on CL.

 

[daegorn]

how far away are you? Hmmmm I wounder how much it would cost me in fuel to get some of that hay...

 

[Eglyntine]

So every other day I get an egg like these:

And every time it is a double yolker. I am pretty sure it is laid by one of my Barred Rock hens and I was wondering if anyone else consistently gets double yolk eggs like this, or is it a rare thing? Also I was wondering, if these were fertilized would they hatch out two chicks or would it be one of those freaks of nature and it would just rot instead of developing into twins. Has anyone ever successfully hatched out twins?

 

[shanyalv]

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Welcome! I am a newbie too ! Just sent you a PM about your chicks that your selling. Where in the valley are you ?

Eglyntine - Those are some beautiful eggs



yzmike777 I overbought my Buff Orpingtons and would gladly sell you a few. Send me a pm if your interested.


daegorn I know, your such a good surro chick mom. If all goes as well I will hopefully have a ton of babies sooner than later.