Out to the farm?

[tnmommy]

One of my neighbors mentioned that she works variable hours. Some days she gets home at 2:00 a.m. and sleeps during the day. My roosters are located as far as possible from her home with a barn in between, but as my flock keeps expanding and I get breeding groups going, I know the time will come that I will either have to use rooster boxes and confine them to the barn quite a bit, or move the breeding groups out to our farm.

With our setup, even frozen waterers thaw during the day since the hoop coops are designed to heat with the winter sun, and the groups I have now generally don't need feeders refilled for 3 days on average. Someone is out there at the farm at least every other day doing something, even if it is just checking the property. With a faucet at the well and metal feed storage cans, I think we can do this at the farm. Having covered paddocks planted with greens for them will be possible out there, as well, to cut down on feed costs. My husband likes the idea of controlled grazing covers to prevent total destruction of the plants. We have over 100 acres out there, so room is not an issue. The pens will have to be fortified to prevent predators and solar powered coop doors will be necessary.

Has anyone else kept chickens off their primary residence property?

 

[bobbi-j]

I am not in your situation, as I am blessed to live on a farm and can keep my chickens here. I do want to say, though, that I commend you for wanting to do the right thing by your neighbor. Sometimes, "Just because I can" doesn't mean "I should." I think trying to keep peace with the neighbors is a very valuable thing.

 

[tnmommy]

Yes, I don't worry about my other neighbors as much. The closest one leaves each morning for his part-time job by 4:00 a.m., so he is up early anyway. The other neighbors have loud dogs, louder than my roosters most of the time, and there are game roosters behind us.