Sdwd

[NellaBean]

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Well, isn't that the plan for the May meetup? 4x4 or 4x8 divided in two? Yes it is.

Someday I will finish my 4x4 coop. Probably not any time soon though, ha ha.

The plan with my 4x8 rooster coop hutch is that I could divide it in half if need be. That is why there is a door on "each side". But it works really well as is, so I probably never will. It is the perfect size for my Bantam Mottled Cochin flock which is only a whopping 1 rooster and 5 hens. It is big enough to keep them locked up in bad weather. They take up a whopping 2 feet of the 7 feet of roost space

But, Nella ..... I need them NOW ! I can't wait! Really, I have so many matings I want to do..... I need to get them penned now. I am actually considering dividing up the breeder pens I have now. They are all about 5 x 8 each, some larger. I may make them all double deckers, and cut their outside pen space in half. I made them all plenty large.

Do it. I actually was throwing around the idea today of making a double decker coop.....where the top or bottom would be a partitioned off space that could be used to isolate broodies. Or integrate new birds. Could be a neat idea.

 

[PepsNick]

Oh my, all these coop ideas! I think I might build a NellaBean brooder either for my garage or a small area behind my current coop. As a grow out brooder!

Laura, Kathy likes the hova bator because it holds a TON of eggs, and she's a hatchaholic and all. But if you don't want to hatch very many people obsess over their brinsea octagon 20's. And you can get the 20 Eco for a lower price.

Cyn, care to share snow pics? Happy birthday to Tom, please tell him I said so! Good luck with your root canal.

My play is tomorrow through Sunday! Yayyyyyyyy! Do you know how excited I am? And after this I get to do either sound of music or... Wait for it... A chorus line!!!

But I've been singing way too much and doing the soindtrack for the play so I wont be talking at all until the play starts.

Anyways, I've spent my time drawing out the chicken yard. In the center is the main coop and run, top left is the hospital coop and run, on the right is the bantam coop and run, able that is my NellaBean grow-out brooder. Then the garage is at the bottom with the brooder, incubator and storage. Out of all these, only the storage, brooder, bantam and sick/injured coop is done. Need to buy incubator, buy shed for main coop to fix up and the run for that, build the NellaBean brooder and then chickens! Please excuse my handwriting- I did this with little light.

And since I'll probably be hatching all of the chickens except bantams, I have decided to focus on certain breeds instead of just a bunch of tons of different breeds. Breeds of choice...

- BR's
-Ameraucanas- BBS, white and lav
-Delawares
-Icelandics, hopefully I can get some eggs from Mary or someone on the Icelandic thread... HintHint Kathy?
-Silkies- White, Blue and Buff
-Gold Crested Polish
-Marans- Cuckoo and BC
-Wyandottes- Golden laced and silver laced.

The bantam coop will have EE's, Cochins and D'Uccle.

I am also drooling over coronation Sussex but will not let myself get any... Lord help
me!

Total in main coop is 32 plus my current bunch, which I may house somewhere else if I can. Then 8 in bantam coop.

Here are the dels from today. I also posted this on their threaPithY raised the heat lamp, they were on the sides of the brooder. They will turn a week old tomorrow.

 

[Cetawin]

Well I am finally able to get online....sheesh

I went out to take a video of the crew today and it was so cold my hands were shaking like I have nervous disorder so I had Cheyenne do it for me...You will get your first video glimpse of Maya, daughter of Suede, Ebony is daughter and Lancelot...no relation to the Great Suedenator. Oh and Cannonball makes sure everyone sees here...Hera appears as well

http://www.youtube.com/user/Cetawin?feature=mhum

 

[kathyinmo]

I LOVE Cannonball ! ! ! !

 

[kathyinmo]

Sheeeeesh........ Look at my 10 day forecast...
High / Low
Fri: 26 / 11
Sat: 39 / 27
Sun: 37 / 13 snow showers
Mon: 19 / -4 windy
Tues: 21 / 10
Wed: 26 / -1 snow showers
Thu: 23 / 17
Fri: 36 / 18
Sat: 38 / 29

I have work to do outside, for cryin' out loud!
My poor chickens do not like being cooped up.

Wake me up in the spring..............

Are you guys getting any warmer weather yet?

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Well, since you asked....ummm...NO! Well, maybe just a teeny bit warmer than we were. Now our overnight lows are ranging right around 21 to 28 through Monday night. But then it's back into the deep freeze by Tuesday night....around 17 or so. I bet it gets a bit colder than that right here. Those are numbers for out at the airport, and they're almost always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than we are.

Nick, I looked over your rough drafts of plans for your chicken compound. Mind if I make a few suggestions?

I thought not!

First, which way does the prevailing wind blow around your place? Will that hospital coop and run be upwind or downwind of your main coop? That's one thing I'd consider first. How many feet of separation between hospital coop and main coop are you giving yourself there? The further away you can put your hospital coop from your main coop, the better off your chickens are going to be. Especially in terms of any potentially communicable respiratory illnesses you might have to deal with someday. Nine times out of ten those are spread on the air currents.

Another nickel's worth of free advice from someone who has been there, done that, is with regards to the size of your coop in relation to the numbers you're keeping in it. Build/buy the largest amount of square footage you can kiddo! Because as sure as God made little green apples, there will come a day, all too soon, that you're bursting at the seams!

The penalties of an overloaded coop are: More frequent cleanings = more shavings/poo to dispose of somehow. I don't know if you plan on composting or not. If you aren't, you might want to rethink that. One 3.8 Cu. Ft bale of shavings fluffed = about 4 or more large lawn and leaf bags full, plus the poo!

And if you fail to keep it reasonably clean, especially in winter, you run the risk of disease setting in.

Trust me, you don't wanna go there!

Now, with regards to placement of your main coop and run. Have you given any thought to putting it right up against the side of the garage. Take into consideration such things as winter winds, and hot summer sun when placing any coop. You want to keep it out of direct summer sunlight, especially down south, as temperatures inside the coop can skyrocket in short order. And since Mother Nature has seen fit to blanket Atlanta in snow a number of times already this year and last, I think it might be safe to say that you're going to need to shelter all of the coops as much as possible from the potential for bone chilling winter winds in the future.

Also, placing the coop against the side of the garage [if possible] will help save on the cost of adequate fencing, as you'll only need three sides instead of four. Then there's the ease with which you would be able to subdivide the run enclosure to service the bantam coop as well. Of course, that is assuming that you have room to place the bantam set up next to the main coop. If it were me, I think I'd look at placing those two side by side, and then put the hospital coop on the far side of the garage if at all possible.

Just some things to consider, Nick. I hope you take these suggestions in the spirit in which they are given. Just trying to help our young pup along!

Well kids! Another night whereby I'm up past midnight.

I gotta get some sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!! Sweet dreams y'all!

 

[Inkheart]

NICK! Those babies are so cute - love where the "family" is getting a drink! awwww

Kathy i know from my friends experience as he has bred Cochins for years - large fowl - that it takes a while for them to show their gender - they can fool you - you just sort of have to wait on those!

 

[speckledhen]

Most of the snow is already melted, thank goodness. It's in the 30's outside this morning.


I like your plans, Nick. The babies are really getting their wing feathers, aren't they? So cute! In a couple weeks, we'll be seeing the boys show themselves. Hopefully, not too many!

 

[rancher hicks]

Yard full o' rocks :

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No generator and no wood stove. I am already in a panic mode, and have no idea what to do to prepare.

Well, you can't do a THING about the incubators without power. I would suggest the following:

1. Shower (you, baby, Brittney, anyone else at the house). Afterwards fill up the tubs with water....and I mean FULL. Put water into jugs, large pots, anything you can that you wont be needing. If power goes out for days, once water tower is empty, they will not be able to pump water into it until electricity is restored. Personally, I would NOT use this stored water for the chickens if you lose water....melt snow for that if need be. YOU and FAMILY have got to be the priority. Will have to "dip water" to flush toilets...I'd only do it after #2 and suck it up in between
2. Assuming you have a fireplace, get some tarps, blankets, whatever to block off the room with the fireplace from the rest of the house. You might be living in that room for a few days. Bring in some dry wood to get a fire started with. Sometimes I use a heater and a fan on my deck to melt the snow and "dry it off".
3. Food in your FREEZERS should be fine for a few days IF you dont open it. Freezers will hold the cold pretty well. Worst case you can put it outside.
4. Not sure what the baby is eating right now, but I'd be thinking about that. Perhaps a pan of water near the fire to "warm" up a bottle?? Not exactly sure what to tell ya there. Is he eating any solid foods (sorry, I cant remember how old he is)
5. Food for you guys....got anything easily "heated up"?? Soups, canned raviolis, spaghettios, etc (hate to think of eating that stuff....but, is easier than trying to "cook" something).
6. Do you have gas or electric stove/range? If gas, you will have an add't source of heat and a way to cook.

Trying to remember everything I did when we had the blizzard here back in '93

If I can think of anything else, I'll send it along....but if they think power WILL be going out, I would start getting prepared

PRAYING for you!!!

Scott​

My SIL's father has an old "burner" style incubator. He doesn't have the burner but I figure a oil lamp would work. I just don't have the time to play with it.

It has a cork and it looks as though you put water in the pipe thingy and heat it that way. Not sure how you control the heat. I think there is a wafer. I gave it back, but I have the paperwork. It's from 1907. Very cool.

 

[rancher hicks]

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Where did you find those. I need one for my GLW or she'll never grow her feathers back.