***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[caj1985]

Here are a couple of pictures of the assortment of purebred Marans for sale near Fort Smith. PM me if interesrted. My neighbor has 2 pair of cuckoo, a few black copper, one white, 4 olive egger and the rest are black tailed buff from Ladycat's eggs.

 

[MrsDickey]

Mrs Dickey,
I just searched for it, and did not find it.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1598111093794058

 

[Matt in Okla]

Well day one. I started the chicken tractor. I'm in over my head now lol!
I'm between Yukon and Mustang technically Okc in a place we just moved in.
There sure is a lot here in BYC. Probably gonna need some advice as I get onboard. It's been 30 yrs since I raised chickens and it was nothing as fancy as what I see here.
This is what I accomplished today:
Made the side open for cleaning and the back for access to the nesting box area.

I'm a ways from being done

 

[margaret8]

Well day one. I started the chicken tractor. I'm in over my head now lol!
I'm between Yukon and Mustang technically Okc in a place we just moved in.
There sure is a lot here in BYC. Probably gonna need some advice as I get onboard. It's been 30 yrs since I raised chickens and it was nothing as fancy as what I see here.
This is what I accomplished today:
Made the side open for cleaning and the back for access to the nesting box area.

I'm a ways from being done

Welcome to BYC! I live in N Edmond and I have guineas, lots of guineas. I got them to eat the bugs and the ticks! They work good!i started out with 18 and now I have about 230, mostly keets!

 

[mjgigax]

Well day one. I started the chicken tractor. I'm in over my head now lol!
I'm between Yukon and Mustang technically Okc in a place we just moved in.
There sure is a lot here in BYC. Probably gonna need some advice as I get onboard. It's been 30 yrs since I raised chickens and it was nothing as fancy as what I see here.
This is what I accomplished today:
Made the side open for cleaning and the back for access to the nesting box area.










I'm a ways from being done

Welcome! I live 15 min. east of OKC. I have 40 adult bird and about 60 babies right now.
That tractor looks good to me, definitely better than I could make.

 

[mjgigax]

I have been moving pens around and I guess the birds are happy with the new changes. I put all my birds in 5'x10' dog pens on cement since my ground pens turned into 12" of mud and muck with the rains. The Marans were in with my layer hens and weren't laying much. When I put them in their own pen and put grass in their nest box they layed 2 eggs with in 4 hours.
I gave my Lavender Cochins a bigger mini coop in their pen and with in 3 hours they had layed 2 eggs too.

We bought two 5'x10's and atatched them together the long way, creating a 20'x5' length with two sections. My two existing dog pens are configured together 10"x5" with a 5'10" section and a 10'x10' section - that big pen has my layers and old favorites.
When we put the new pens together there was a 5' panel left. I put it in the middle of one of the 5'x10's to create two 5'x5's. I hinged the front panel of one of the 5'x5's to create a make-shift gate since the store said that ordering just one gate panel is $500.00! The entire pen kits are only $350.00! (The store explained that they would have to order individual pieces from China

).
When I bought my first pens 6 years ago they were only $250.00. The whole set up has gotten expensive but DH said in the long run it is a good deal since we don't have a barn and pens can be resold. (He figures I will some day not have chickens, , I have had them for 7 years now). The set up is really easy for me to care for the birds and it does force me to keep only birds that I really want which also helps with keeping chores manageable.
I now have my Marans, Chocolate Orps., Showgirls, Lavender Cochins and my pretty layers. But what about BLR Wyandottes and ....... There is room for one more pen on the cement...

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:

to Matt in Okla and I agree with MJ...great coop.

I have been moving pens around and I guess the birds are happy with the new changes. I put all my birds in 5'x10' dog pens on cement since my ground pens turned into 12" of mud and muck with the rains. The Marans were in with my layer hens and weren't laying much. When I put them in their own pen and put grass in their nest box they layed 2 eggs with in 4 hours.
I gave my Lavender Cochins a bigger mini coop in their pen and with in 3 hours they had layed 2 eggs too.

We bought two 5'x10's and atatched them together the long way, creating a 20'x5' length with two sections. My two existing dog pens are configured together 10"x5" with a 5'10" section and a 10'x10' section - that big pen has my layers and old favorites.
When we put the new pens together there was a 5' panel left. I put it in the middle of one of the 5'x10's to create two 5'x5's. I hinged the front panel of one of the 5'x5's to create a make-shift gate since the store said that ordering just one gate panel is $500.00! The entire pen kits are only $350.00! (The store explained that they would have to order individual pieces from China

).
When I bought my first pens 6 years ago they were only $250.00. The whole set up has gotten expensive but DH said in the long run it is a good deal since we don't have a barn and pens can be resold. (He figures I will some day not have chickens, , I have had them for 7 years now). The set up is really easy for me to care for the birds and it does force me to keep only birds that I really want which also helps with keeping chores manageable.
I now have my Marans, Chocolate Orps., Showgirls, Lavender Cochins and my pretty layers. But what about BLR Wyandottes and ....... There is room for one more pen on the cement...

Sounds like a great set up that pleases your birds..
When I have two pens, I position them so they are five feet apart and use an extra back panel to fill in the gap. Then using a home made gate from pvcpipe and wire, I make the front gate. That way I now have three 5 x 10 pens. The PVC pipe and wire is the same size as the pipe so you can use the same attachments and gate set up that you can buy at a hardware store....a lot cheaper than orderone one from China.

 

[NanaKat]

Got my first load of sand delivered for the pens and also got another load of tailings for the driveway and the area in front of the barn. Better on the cows feet than gravel.
This morning, I'm going to visit my little sis who had shoulder surgery last week and then will get to work on moving the sand to the pens and raising the coops.
Early in the evening, I'm going to let Miranda and Mandy take their chicks outdoors for their first hunting trip....while I'm outside to help herd the babies.
I moved a new group to the barn brooder room that were almost as tall as the inside brooder....May rains sure delayed a lot of moving. Then moved 28 chicks that hatched last to the big Brooder box.
Had three CW OEGB hatch yesterday and moved them to the brooder next to the hatcher. The quail should begin hatching today.

 

[mjgigax]

to Matt in Okla and I agree with MJ...great coop.

Sounds like a great set up that pleases your birds..
When I have two pens, I position them so they are five feet apart and use an extra back panel to fill in the gap. Then using a home made gate from pvcpipe and wire, I make the front gate. That way I now have three 5 x 10 pens. The PVC pipe and wire is the same size as the pipe so you can use the same attachments and gate set up that you can buy at a hardware store....a lot cheaper than orderone one from China.

You just gave me a way to have more chickens..

 

[NanaKat]

 
 to Matt in Okla and I agree with MJ...great coop.

Sounds like a great set up that pleases your birds..  
When I have two pens, I position them so they are five feet apart and use an extra back panel to fill in the gap.  Then using a home made gate from pvcpipe  and wire, I make the front gate.  That way I now have three 5 x 10 pens.  The PVC pipe and wire is the same size as the pipe so you can use the same attachments and gate set up that you can buy at a hardware store....a lot cheaper than orderone one from China.

You just gave me a way to have more chickens..

Happy to enable.
You can make a top from pvc and elbows and T shapes like an H with a top and bottom and then stretch your one inch chicken wire taunt to cover your pen. It is hard to draw on here but similar to this:
____
|_|_|
Years ago, I made an entire run out of furniture grade pvc and wire that had sliding sections so I could move the run between the windows in my hen house and shift the one wall for more flexibility in positioning it. It was 10 by 10 and 6 feet tall. I even made the door and hinges from Pvc and wire. I used zip ties to attach the wire to the pic. I'll have to find some pictures.