ordered meaties..... HELP

[the simple life]

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I understand where you're coming from. May 12th I realized last year I had 25 meaties coming on May 13th!! I too built a 4x8ft hut for them and it worked out pretty good. I think you'd need 3 of them for 75 meaties though.

 

[crosbygroup]

Maybe you could get a really good deal on a big used tent. Find something big enough for 10 people. Use it for the chickens and then throw it away when you are done.

 

[Hillsvale]

Quote:
So it sounds like ventilation is the biggest concern with these things.... so I suppose I could make a hut 4X16 and have the whole front tip down to a ramp... lots of ventilation there....

I am unsure if the hatcheries sell direct, for some reason I am thinking they dont but Nove Scotia in June and July isn't going to be warm enough for the birds to suffer heat stroke

I wish.

The tent idea is interesting.... hummmm

 

[augustmomx2]

Quote:
Thank you for this info, although I am not the OP I feel like I'm in the same situation....they're coming this week

 

[CARS]

2 things caught my attention while reading this thread. (well, 3 if you count not doing your homework before ordering a chicken you've never raised before

)

The first is that the chickens have 1 acre to move around during the day, but will be locked down at night. There are 2 things that catch my eye with this plan. A) They don't wander far from the feeder. They may walk over to the water, but that is about it. I move my tractor daily to give them exercise. You could say I am taking them for a walk a couple times a day. B) Good luck corralling them into the coop... doesn't sound fun at all. Can you just put up some temp. fencing around the coop so they can come and go as they please?

The second thing that caught my attention was the suggestion of a flip down front wall on the coop. I am not sure they would walk up or down a ramp. They really aren't that agile. They will forage, but they don't roost or do any tricks.

Regardless of my thoughts, you're going to learn ALOT with the first batch. 25 is a great number to start with

 

[Hillsvale]

2 things caught my attention while reading this thread. (well, 3 if you count not doing your homework before ordering a chicken you've never raised before )

This thread is with the intention of learning before I get the chickens... they are 2 plus months away. Just as I have with the other critters....

I learn more and more......

The "ramp" I have in mind isn't all that long or high, such as the goat pen it is almost at ground level... the thought with that is that it will open the whole front of the hut up and provide great ventilation, it will lay on the ground ... and for the lazy butts that refuse to move out this will force some fresh air to waft around their smelly butts.

My thoughts are to enclose much of the area with netting in some fashion along the lines of a tractor made with PVC, still not sure whether that is what will happen or not. The fellow up the road have a huge farm and his birds wander back to the barn at night so I assume mine would do the same. I guess I can judge that once I see what I am dealing with, building a hoop house or PVC house isn't a big deal...

I could "train" the american cocker to round them up... assuming he didn't just rather licking them!

or the border collie ... but he would probably flip them with his nose and they would never come out.... or maybe the geese could do it!

 

[CARS]

Quote:
That would be one awesome video to watch!

 

[Hillsvale]

about as much fun as them rounding up the border collie