MidMountainFarm
In the Brooder
- Jan 27, 2023
- 4
- 16
- 21
Hi everyone,
I'm new here, and we're preparing to start our chicken journey this summer. We're going with meat chickens - likely Freedom Rangers and Kosher Kings - and will have them on pasture as much as possible. A few questions in planning out our adventure:
- Timing: Part of our objective in getting chickens is to help prepare ground for planting (barley, as well as meadow seed mix). We realize they won't fully till the land, but hope they can help remove the grass and vegetation to minimize mechanical means to prepare the ground. That being said, the barley and meadow seed need to be planted around October 1. Tracking back roughly 14 weeks (we're thinking of letting them get slightly bigger - to about 12 weeks - to be able to scratch and forage more aggressively, and allowing a week or two from when the chickens are off to planting), that puts us in late June/early July. We are in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland, where mid-summer temperatures can range from lows in the 60s at night to mid-90s high during the day. Will the birds be able to handle these temperatures at a relatively young age?
- Brooding: Most of the brooding guidance I've read suggests keeping the brooder in a garage, barn, or other enclosed space. Our challenge is that our barn is not very well secured, and we have quite a proliferation of nimble predators (foxes, raccoons, snakes, possums, coyotes, etc, etc.) We are planning to use the Chickshaw model from Justin at Abundant Permaculture, with some modifications (e.g. no layer boxes). I've read that some people have used the Chickshaw as a brooder outdoors, with a heating plate and some additional insulation, particularly on the floor. We are considering using the Chickshaw as a brooder, protected by electric fencing outdoors in a sheltered area near the house. Is this a terrible idea?
I'm certain more questions will arise as we embark on this journey, but at the planning phase - and constructing our set up - these seemed the most pressing. I'm already exceptionally grateful for all the knowledge here, and am infinitely more informed and confident (though still retain a healthy dose of humility going into this)!
Best,
Ben
I'm new here, and we're preparing to start our chicken journey this summer. We're going with meat chickens - likely Freedom Rangers and Kosher Kings - and will have them on pasture as much as possible. A few questions in planning out our adventure:
- Timing: Part of our objective in getting chickens is to help prepare ground for planting (barley, as well as meadow seed mix). We realize they won't fully till the land, but hope they can help remove the grass and vegetation to minimize mechanical means to prepare the ground. That being said, the barley and meadow seed need to be planted around October 1. Tracking back roughly 14 weeks (we're thinking of letting them get slightly bigger - to about 12 weeks - to be able to scratch and forage more aggressively, and allowing a week or two from when the chickens are off to planting), that puts us in late June/early July. We are in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland, where mid-summer temperatures can range from lows in the 60s at night to mid-90s high during the day. Will the birds be able to handle these temperatures at a relatively young age?
- Brooding: Most of the brooding guidance I've read suggests keeping the brooder in a garage, barn, or other enclosed space. Our challenge is that our barn is not very well secured, and we have quite a proliferation of nimble predators (foxes, raccoons, snakes, possums, coyotes, etc, etc.) We are planning to use the Chickshaw model from Justin at Abundant Permaculture, with some modifications (e.g. no layer boxes). I've read that some people have used the Chickshaw as a brooder outdoors, with a heating plate and some additional insulation, particularly on the floor. We are considering using the Chickshaw as a brooder, protected by electric fencing outdoors in a sheltered area near the house. Is this a terrible idea?
I'm certain more questions will arise as we embark on this journey, but at the planning phase - and constructing our set up - these seemed the most pressing. I'm already exceptionally grateful for all the knowledge here, and am infinitely more informed and confident (though still retain a healthy dose of humility going into this)!
Best,
Ben