Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Beekissed]

question, anyone that built a temp hoop house for meaties can you have a look at this one and let me know if its a workable one please? http://wholeviewfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/building-hoop-coop-how-to-construct.html

It's very workable! That's the one I styled mine after but then I added my own tweaks to turn it into a regular coop. You'll need that wheel assembly to move it, these things are much heavier than they look. I didn't do the wheels and so mine is now a permanently placed coop.

 

[annie82005]

My first shipment of Meaties will be here this week. I am a ball of emotions about it. Mostly feeding them right and making sure they are happy and healthy before D-Day. My husband and I decided on chopping the head off. I have watched many videos and read so much that my brain has a file on meat birds fuller than other things at this moment!

 

[fisherlady]

My first shipment of Meaties will be here this week. I am a ball of emotions about it. Mostly feeding them right and making sure they are happy and healthy before D-Day. My husband and I decided on chopping the head off. I have watched many videos and read so much that my brain has a file on meat birds fuller than other things at this moment!

Good luck with them! We were nervous with our first ones also, I think it comes with the territory... just seems very foreign to get them specifically to butcher. Never seemed weird when we got our others and I knew the extra roos would go to the pot. DH and I were talking about our spring meat birds and we plan on getting them the first week of March, to allow for a May butcher so we don't need to worry about them when camping and fishing season gets here. Hope the weather cooperates with your bird plans... central Pa is sure miserable right now! LOL... though so is half the country with this darned cold snap.

 

[ronott1]

question, anyone that built a temp hoop house for meaties can you have a look at this one and let me know if its a workable one please? http://wholeviewfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/building-hoop-coop-how-to-construct.html

They look good. You can brase the corners with metal braces though.

Make sure to place the open front away from the prevailing rain storm direction. Here in California, open fronts need to face the North.

Post pictures as you build them!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I wont make mine movable just REMOVABLE lol. It looks like I can do that with some extra boards rippe and roll up the fence/netting

 

[Beekissed]

I wont make mine movable just REMOVABLE lol. It looks like I can do that with some extra boards rippe and roll up the fence/netting

I put mine together with zip ties instead of wire...it's as solid as a rock but can be broken down quite easily if I should want to deconstruct it at any time. I placed plastic mesh over mine instead of wire because I don't have to worry about preds here, so that was easier to install and less expensive too. Here's a pic of mine right after it was finished....I built mine to be used for 50 meaties first and then converted to a layer flock coop, hence the nesting boxes.





I love the flaps that can be raised or lowered to provide air and additional shade around the coop...that comes in handy. Here's a pic of my meaties raised in this coop on their first day out of the coop and their first dusting/grit pan. The morning sun is coming in under the flap but after that, it's shady for summer time.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

very awesome, what netting had u used inside? or over the cattle pannels?

 

[annie82005]

I think that is what it is. I am used to just getting chickens for egg laying. This is a whole new game for us. I'm sure it is going to be a BIG learning process!

 

[Arielle]

question, anyone that built a temp hoop house for meaties can you have a look at this one and let me know if its a workable one please? http://wholeviewfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/building-hoop-coop-how-to-construct.html

Bee's design with the side shade is better---

When I built a 12 x 4 with one end covered and the other end covered with chicken wire, guess where they all congregated??? THe bigger they got the less they moved out of the covered section. Made it poopy quickly even on FF. I used a 12 x 10 stall the next time-- these guys don't do the heat!!

I think that is what it is. I am used to just getting chickens for egg laying. This is a whole new game for us. I'm sure it is going to be a BIG learning process!

It is a whole new game. I have altered how I process until I found a set up that worked for me. ANd I do better if the kids are not there to tell me "mom its not dead" as it flaps and finishes the death throes. In my next life I would like to come back as a vegetarian, perhaps a pampered horse.

 

[Beekissed]

very awesome, what netting had u used inside? or over the cattle pannels?

Just a hard, green plastic mesh you can get at most garden centers or Lowe's 48 in. x 50 ft. for $35. It won't hold in new chicks but will work on meaty chicks over a week or so old.