She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[RubyNala97]

Well, what a day today...30lbs of garlic scapes either sold or vacuum bagged...I'm now 1/2 through my 10,000 garlics. The rest by Sunday night...gotta love a FoodSaver....

86 eggs in 2 bators right now, 3 in the brooder, and 19 in the young chicken coop. I am so worried I am going to have too many in one place for too long...I got offered another Brinsea Octo 40 ADV EX today, lolz, she said; "Its just sitting there doing nothing!"...I wish she'd mentioned that $900 ago. So, Amy, I think that will finally put my Styrofoam bator to bed (after this hatch)...I mean, really, if I can do 96 at a time in Brinseas...

And now, a question.

I am pretty sure my brooder can hold 96 chicks till they are 2 weeks old...and maybe even closer to 3 weeks old. My young chicken run can hold 96 till 8 weeks its roofed and there's a wire mesh wall between it and the main run. My main run/coop has 21 hens (some 3 years old, some still pullets) and IMO can hold 100+ layers. I am planning on keeping the roos in the young chicken run till they are 14-16 weeks before processing (I would love to cull them earlier, but they aren't likely going to have enough meat on them earlier)...and am thinking to push the 8 week old hens into the main run/coop. I will be adding new 2-3 week old chicks to the young chicken run every 3 weeks.

My chicks/chickens must be enclosed, let's not discuss free-ranging or even tractors (dogs, fox, wolves, bears, red tail hawks, owls, rocky terrain, no real space to move a tractor about...). I cannot add more run till later this summer (which I plan to do).

The goal is to hatch >100 hens and get them to 8 weeks old (meaning, if I lose any before that age I will hatch more to replace them), and process the rest for meat.

How bad an idea is this?

Be brutally honest, but let's not meander into free ranging. They all are getting fermented feed and lots of weeds from the garden beds. The adults get sprouted double-cut oats and black oil sunflower seed...as well as some grit...and fermented organic scratch from the feed mill. Young chicken run gets fermented grower. Brooder gets fermented starter. Both outdoor coops have 6' of automatic water trough, and there will be at least 12" of roost per bird (there is more than that now, but I have to add more, I know.) 10 Nest boxes in the main coop, they are never "brought in at night" as the coop/runs are all very well secured.

My flock is not old enough or large enough yet for me to comment. But did you see the chick portals I posted for you a few days ago?? If not I'll repost.

 

[NTBugtraq]

My flock is not old enough or large enough yet for me to comment. But did you see the chick portals I posted for you a few days ago?? If not I'll repost.

Ruby, please do, my apologies for not seeing them earlier.

 

[sideWing]

Well, what a day today...30lbs of garlic scapes either sold or vacuum bagged...I'm now 1/2 through my 10,000 garlics. The rest by Sunday night...gotta love a FoodSaver....

86 eggs in 2 bators right now, 3 in the brooder, and 19 in the young chicken coop. I am so worried I am going to have too many in one place for too long...I got offered another Brinsea Octo 40 ADV EX today, lolz, she said; "Its just sitting there doing nothing!"...I wish she'd mentioned that $900 ago. So, Amy, I think that will finally put my Styrofoam bator to bed (after this hatch)...I mean, really, if I can do 96 at a time in Brinseas...

And now, a question.

I am pretty sure my brooder can hold 96 chicks till they are 2 weeks old...and maybe even closer to 3 weeks old. My young chicken run can hold 96 till 8 weeks its roofed and there's a wire mesh wall between it and the main run. My main run/coop has 21 hens (some 3 years old, some still pullets) and IMO can hold 100+ layers. I am planning on keeping the roos in the young chicken run till they are 14-16 weeks before processing (I would love to cull them earlier, but they aren't likely going to have enough meat on them earlier)...and am thinking to push the 8 week old hens into the main run/coop. I will be adding new 2-3 week old chicks to the young chicken run every 3 weeks.

My chicks/chickens must be enclosed, let's not discuss free-ranging or even tractors (dogs, fox, wolves, bears, red tail hawks, owls, rocky terrain, no real space to move a tractor about...). I cannot add more run till later this summer (which I plan to do).

The goal is to hatch >100 hens and get them to 8 weeks old (meaning, if I lose any before that age I will hatch more to replace them), and process the rest for meat.

How bad an idea is this?

Be brutally honest, but let's not meander into free ranging. They all are getting fermented feed and lots of weeds from the garden beds. The adults get sprouted double-cut oats and black oil sunflower seed...as well as some grit...and fermented organic scratch from the feed mill. Young chicken run gets fermented grower. Brooder gets fermented starter. Both outdoor coops have 6' of automatic water trough, and there will be at least 12" of roost per bird (there is more than that now, but I have to add more, I know.) 10 Nest boxes in the main coop, they are never "brought in at night" as the coop/runs are all very well secured.

I have been adding chicks 4 to 6 weeks apart into my run a lot this year and it's been going well. I do use a "portal" situation where the little ones can get away if they need to. That being said they have a lot of space. I'm not sure if you have many more options then to try it and see how it goes. I would just watch for birds getting picked on too much. Missing patches of feathers etc. You might have mentioned but is it well ventilated? That many chickens breath A LOT. Like 10X more than humans or something.

You see that all the time around here. $1 per egg or split hatch

Very interesting.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I have been adding chicks 4 to 6 weeks apart into my run a lot this year and it's been going well. I do use a "portal" situation where the little ones can get away if they need to. That being said they have a lot of space. I'm not sure if you have many more options then to try it and see how it goes. I would just watch for birds getting picked on too much. Missing patches of feathers etc. You might have mentioned but is it well ventilated? That many chickens breath A LOT. Like 10X more than humans or something.

The run has its longest wall as just wire fence, so I gotta believe it can vent. I plan to shingle the roof later this summer, and will put additional vents in when I do. But right now, some winds will blow open the door between the 2 runs, so I gotta believe that means its ventilating. But thanks for that reminder. As for watching for picking activity, yeah, I do that several times a day.

 

[rossfam06]

I have been adding chicks 4 to 6 weeks apart into my run a lot this year and it's been going well. I do use a "portal" situation where the little ones can get away if they need to. That being said they have a lot of space. I'm not sure if you have many more options then to try it and see how it goes. I would just watch for birds getting picked on too much. Missing patches of feathers etc. You might have mentioned but is it well ventilated? That many chickens breath A LOT. Like 10X more than humans or something.

Very interesting

Yea!!!!! On your pip!!!! Keep us posted!!

 

[WalnutHill]

Well, what a day today...30lbs of garlic scapes either sold or vacuum bagged...I'm now 1/2 through my 10,000 garlics. The rest by Sunday night...gotta love a FoodSaver....

86 eggs in 2 bators right now, 3 in the brooder, and 19 in the young chicken coop. I am so worried I am going to have too many in one place for too long...I got offered another Brinsea Octo 40 ADV EX today, lolz, she said; "Its just sitting there doing nothing!"...I wish she'd mentioned that $900 ago. So, Amy, I think that will finally put my Styrofoam bator to bed (after this hatch)...I mean, really, if I can do 96 at a time in Brinseas...

And now, a question.

I am pretty sure my brooder can hold 96 chicks till they are 2 weeks old...and maybe even closer to 3 weeks old. My young chicken run can hold 96 till 8 weeks its roofed and there's a wire mesh wall between it and the main run. My main run/coop has 21 hens (some 3 years old, some still pullets) and IMO can hold 100+ layers. I am planning on keeping the roos in the young chicken run till they are 14-16 weeks before processing (I would love to cull them earlier, but they aren't likely going to have enough meat on them earlier)...and am thinking to push the 8 week old hens into the main run/coop. I will be adding new 2-3 week old chicks to the young chicken run every 3 weeks.

My chicks/chickens must be enclosed, let's not discuss free-ranging or even tractors (dogs, fox, wolves, bears, red tail hawks, owls, rocky terrain, no real space to move a tractor about...). I cannot add more run till later this summer (which I plan to do).

The goal is to hatch >100 hens and get them to 8 weeks old (meaning, if I lose any before that age I will hatch more to replace them), and process the rest for meat.

How bad an idea is this?

Be brutally honest, but let's not meander into free ranging. They all are getting fermented feed and lots of weeds from the garden beds. The adults get sprouted double-cut oats and black oil sunflower seed...as well as some grit...and fermented organic scratch from the feed mill. Young chicken run gets fermented grower. Brooder gets fermented starter. Both outdoor coops have 6' of automatic water trough, and there will be at least 12" of roost per bird (there is more than that now, but I have to add more, I know.) 10 Nest boxes in the main coop, they are never "brought in at night" as the coop/runs are all very well secured.

My brooding process is as follows: first two weeks indoor brooder, heat lamp, constant attention. Next two weeks in an outdoor brooder, heat lamp with thermostatic control (or in very cold weather, extended indoors but replace heat lamp with normal incandescent). That's the end of the starter rations, and off to a bigger pen. No more supplemental heat, roosts provided, mini pellet grower feed or grower crumbles. By six to eight weeks, they are big enough to range with the big birds as long as there are no a$%holes in the coop. I get rid of those if I can't get them in line. This is the time when a "safety zone" with an entrance and exit too small for the big guys is a great idea. Either that, or introduce some of the lesser members of the older flock to the young birds, and add birds on up the chain. After that, they are part of the flock and assume their place at the bottom of the pecking order until they earn their way upward. My chicks and poults grow up as part of an integrated community. I keep the process going, adding birds to the bottom rung until the eggs run out. I have turkeys staggered every two weeks, and chickens all over in there.

If a broody is involved, the dynamics are much different, of course.

And watch that black oil sunflower seed, it can cause fatty liver.

 

[scflock]

I have a pip! Let the games begin!

 

[RubyNala97]

Ruby, please do, my apologies for not seeing them earlier.

These portal doors are just the coolest thing, IMO. At first, the chicks are in a seperate pen with the doors closed. But they can see the flock and the flock can see them. Then, when the chicks are old enough, the doors are opened and they can mingle with the flock but can safely return to their pen without the bigger ones being able to follow.

 

[WVduckchick]

We were told he was on his last year by a biologist from his tooth wear. So maybe 17-20 years. LoL!

I tried to open that post but it said I did not have authorization to do so. So I messaged them my name and hopefully it will be here soon!

I did not know they lived that long!

Sorry, hopefully they will fix you up soon.

and boy howdy they will. I started with 11 in the backyard and in about a month, maybe two they stripped all the living plants out including the rose bush that was back there. lol I was told, get ducks, they don't dig like chickens lol no they don't dig much, but they do eat everything.

Oh good gravy, my yard will never be the same unless we plow it back up. They dig big holes, especially anywhere that water sits. I have the feeder sitting on paver bricks. There are many holes all the way around the brick pad!

oh and if your just getting two and you want one of each sex make sure you try and get a drake that isn't overly sexual. Most aren't but occasionally you get one that is a sex machine and needs at least 3 hens lol

Lol!

 

[WVduckchick]

I have been adding chicks 4 to 6 weeks apart into my run a lot this year and it's been going well. I do use a "portal" situation where the little ones can get away if they need to. That being said they have a lot of space. I'm not sure if you have many more options then to try it and see how it goes. I would just watch for birds getting picked on too much. Missing patches of feathers etc. You might have mentioned but is it well ventilated? That many chickens breath A LOT. Like 10X more than humans or something.

Very interesting.

Lol! Hope you have a chick by tomorrow evening!