No wire fencing required for chicken run?

[teddyjames]

I think a big concern is the bears, because they can get through anything if they're determined. We don't often have problems with them in Florida, but a friend with a house near a lake had a tenants coop smashed up by a bear at night. We have a member who deals with bears regularly in Colorado and baits electric wire to teach them to stay away.

On feed, you'll get the best bang for your buck avoiding less nutritious items like corn and scratch and stick with nutritionally balanced feed. A layer pellet with a minimum of 16% protein, although many of us choose a higher protein 20% all-flock or grower with oyster shell on the side. Corn just doesn't do much, so it's kind of a waste of funds, and you want to avoid too much fat because that can lead to laying issues that won't get you a return on investment. Some people are focusing on the short term and what's the cheapest, but your goal seems to be to create something sustainable and for that you need healthy birds.

I don't know if you're putting in a garden but I have some seeds for tomatoes and other stuff if you want to pm me your addy or po box?

Anyway, one thing you might consider is some breeds are much more economical to feed than others. Leghorns, for example, were bred by big agriculture to do the most with the least. Wyandottes are among the worst, from what I remember according to a chart that was floating around here. That's not just about eggs but also pounds of meat for pounds of feed.
When it comes to sourcing local birds, just keep in mind they won't be as productive after a certain age. Those of us with showy breeds don't often mind getting half as many eggs after a few years (depending on the breed), but the most economical system would be hens under 2-3 years old.

One kinda redneck idea, which I'm only mentioning because your neighbors might not mind, is to convert a derelict vehicle into a coop. The side windows get the mesh, windshield stays, and seats come out. It's kinda crazy but a car is a tough thing, lol.

Was saying to my wife that I need an old volkswagon just for that reason! My wifes dad actually did this. The whole reason I'm looking to get chickens is to get a return on my investment and not starve the last week of the month. If I spend $20 on feed, I expect $30 in eggs and meat. I have looked around at amazon (not the cheapest place) for some feed and some of the prices- 10lb of high quality feed is like $25. If I buy 100 lbs for the month at $250 (10 chickens to feed) I'm only going to get 150 eggs in a good month. Local prices mean 150 eggs cost me $40 at the store. I can't spend $250 for 150 eggs. (if that is near the going rate for high quality feed) I'm pretty sure I can get by with just corn, little bit of laying mash, all the bugs they pick up from the run, all the grass clippings and weeds we pull for them, the table scraps, the garden scraps, the worms my grandchildren always like to dig up and feed chickens, the frozen corn snacks they will get on hot days. I think they will flourish!

 

[GCrumb]

Yikes! Folks, please do not suggest poaching. Rabbits, by the way, also have a season (Nov - Feb) and require a license.

@teddyjames -- Around here there's a lot of streambeds choked with willow-wands and I could make a lot of wattle for the cost of my time. Just remember that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. It is simple and easy to do but darn hard to do well and your first segments will probably be all cattywampus but will still work.

It did occur to me that the guy 'round here who buys scrap-metal hates wire mesh, because it wraps around and tangles up the grindy machine's toothy drum bit instead of getting chopped up. If he gets a load of scrap with a roll of wire snuck into it, as happens a lot, he's peeved and would probably give it away free.

 

[SourRoses]

10lb of high quality feed is like $25. If I buy 100 lbs for the month at $250 (10 chickens to feed) I'm only going to get 150 eggs in a good month. Local prices mean 150 eggs cost me $40 at the store. I can't spend $250 for 150 eggs. (if that is near the going rate for high quality feed) I'm pretty sure I can get by with just corn, little bit of laying mash, all the bugs they pick up from the run, all the grass clippings and weeds we pull for them, the table scraps, the garden scraps, the worms my grandchildren always like to dig up and feed chickens, the frozen corn snacks they will get on hot days. I think they will flourish!

No no, if you go to a feed store you will find much better prices on balanced feed. I pay $19.99 for 50lbs of Dumor 20% grower feed, which is good for adults as long as they have calcium from oyster shell on the side.
50lbs. will feed 4-6 hens for a month. In my area corn is $15 for 40lbs... for the nutritional difference that is not a good deal.

The problem with insect protein is that they are also fatty. By the time they get enough protein they've consumed too much fat. They're good for a treat but shouldn't be the main source of protein. If birds don't get enough protein their eggs are smaller and may be less frequent.

 

[McChooky]

still don't make me understand how they kept chickens.

I understand they might shoot all the critters that might try to kill a bird.. they can't be on watch 24/7 I think they just had so many that it didn't matter if 20 got killed.. were 2000 more to take their place..

Chickens 50 years ago ate grain the farmers fed their cows and goats and pigs that spilled on the ground .They ate garden scraps too. Because of special breeding chickens require 17-18% protein to lay everyday plus calcium supplements. I agree using pickets would be the cheapest way to build a coop and run.I used over 50 pallets building my coops and run.

 

[GCrumb]

I dunno. Dooryard chickens were certainly common among all the hobby-farms and real farms I remember from childhood in the late seventies. They had a shed or a place in a barn to roost, and ran around eating spilled grain and kitchen scraps and bugs, maybe got scratch and a little layer-mash supplementally. I think there are a lot of high-calcium foods that cooped birds don't have access to that dooryard birds would get on the regular -- carrot tops, turnip greens, certain 'weeds' like lambsquarter, amaranth, and their seeds. Quite possibly milk or whey on farms without pigs. They seemed like the same kinds of chickens as now, we all bought them mail-order from Murray McMurray and would usually get those hatchery-choice mixed layer packages and they'd always throw in a super fancy cockerel for free. But predators would take them regularly, we ordered more chicks every few years.

 

[McChooky]

I do have neighbors that WILL call police if they suspect anything illegal going on such as poaching game out of season. It would be totally possible for them to actually see the deer drop. That would be disaster. I could venture out into the woods but again im over 60 and can't walk nor drag nor pack much a very long distance. We do eat deer and squirrel when they venture close enough and we absolutely love ground hog meat.

What am I going to lock them up in at night? A chicken coop of course if I can gather enough supplies. My plan is to build not too close (think stinky) but close enough to keep a good eye on them. My run will be at least 100sq ft and my coop half that.

I have a friend that lets his birds roam free. He has 6 dogs that guard them and he never worries about predators. He also just has chickens to look at. He don't gather eggs or eat them. At my house there is more neighbors and more chicken killing dogs, nor are their many old buildings to gather supplies from which is where im stuck at now, gathering supplies as much on the cheap as possible.

My pallet fence runs the whole length of my driveway and around the run then connects to a wire fence around the yard ( where my chickens free range)The big blue pallets are heavier than other pallets but do a better job keeping predators out.

 

[Smokerbill]

People Who owned chickens hundreds of years ago accepted their losses.
Pallets are generally free but it would have to be 2 high.
How are you planning to feed your birds?
A $17 bag of feed (not scratch) should last about a month for 8 hens- giving about 5 eggs a day, 140ish eggs a month
, considering that eggs are about $5 a dozen, that's slightly cheaper than the store.
And no, unless you have roving flocks of feral chickens in your area, you likely can't let them eat solely off the yard and not feed them and expect decent meat growth and egg production.
Cournitux Quail might be more what you're looking for, they mature faster, laying eggs in about 10 weeks instead of 22 for chickens. They hit butcher weight about then too.
They take less space, they stack, they're a bit quieter than chickens too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-quail-1.48549/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-every-part-of-your-quail.76213/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-process-your-quail-including-gory-pictures.75834/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/
Welcome to byc, hope this helps. :]

I kind of like the quail idea. It might be easier to pull off in a smaller space. And you don't need a run, I think.

And have you considered rabbits? No eggs, but lots of protein with a breeding pair or trio.

 

[teddyjames]

If I find feed is more than $25 per 100 lb.. it won't work for us.. again I think the chicken idea is a bust at this point. Rabbits? I don't enjoy cleaning carcasses much. I don't mind the occasional chicken but don't want to go through the hassle of having to kill and clean multiple animals. All you have to do with an egg is crack it open and fry it. Simple. There is literally no way to save money of food now a days. Seriously thinking about just stealing what food we need, or just shoot everything edible and hope for the best. A deer should feed us a week. Its a shame it has come to this, really.

 

[teddyjames]

well some good news from tractor supply:

Thats 50lb so there might just be some room for better feed! There is hope!

 

[GCrumb]

@teddyjames

You can have a village of tiny coops instead of one large one. Wooden shipping crates are sometimes free. Up on legs with boards across the back two they can form part of a wall for the run.