Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[1cock2hens]

yeah idk about that, you can pass on the rain but I will gladly take the relief no matter how temporary

 

[centrarchid]

Evaporation and transpiration cause ground level cooling. As the water runs out, that cooling effect diminishes.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Moving pens is a bear. I have only about 40 of the size to be moved and something must me done to make process easier

(havoc, don't start...)

Here's my suggestion....Get a donkey to move your pens.
A win-win? Donkey can help you keep grass mowed (somewhat), provide manure, move your pens and (hopefully) work with your dogs as livestock protector.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/guard-donkey-zbcz1310

 

[centrarchid]

(havoc, don't start...)

Here's my suggestion....Get a donkey to move your pens.
A win-win? Donkey can help you keep grass mowed (somewhat), provide manure, move your pens and (hopefully) work with your dogs as livestock protector.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/guard-donkey-zbcz1310

We have LGD's and donkeys at work. All kidding aside, the latter need more ground and will kill the very same vegetation I want around the pasture. Pens not big enough to justify use of a draft animal. Donkey's no good against foxes, raccoons and opossums.

We would also get a horse or even some of my American Devons first.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I really wasn't kidding

Go with a horse - your kids will love it!

 

[centrarchid]

I was also with the horse. They cost too much. My dad used to keep nearly 30 quarters horses for showing and breeding. In same setup he boarded horses for other people. Boarding cost were comparable to apartment rental in college. In a bad year I do not have enough acreage to support a horse without animal destroying pasture. Rich mans game. I am not.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Moving pens is not fun. Takes me all day long to move 46 domes. It's such slow going it's pathetic. My birds won't walk with the pen so I turn the hens loose and tie cord the stags/cocks in between. There's no easy way to do any of it.

 

[roosterhavoc]

There's tons of people with horses here. Way way too expensive for me. I don't want anything that might require a vet except my dogs.

 

[centrarchid]

Moving pens is not fun. Takes me all day long to move 46 domes. It's such slow going it's pathetic. My birds won't walk with the pen so I turn the hens loose and tie cord the stags/cocks in between. There's no easy way to do any of it.

Your setup as I think it is from picture is similar to how I started in what will be the summer yard. Pens were moved each time just enough so they would go on fresh ground allowing previous patch to rest. Pens were all arranged like ships of the line with gaps in between. Birds in the pens then did not learn to move with pens when just moving even though I moved them every week or so. To teach I walked over ground dropping grain down where pens would be moved to shortly. Birds then wanted to walk towards grain as I pulled pens but distance was far too short for what will be done next. Once I did make do the move in the pens and went a ways they figured it out. Once the figure it out they remembered for the next time. Some did get lazy and tide the roost which was a problem when roost poles fell.

 

[sdm111]

How's about u build twice the amount of domes and have a bird in every other one and switch twice or whatever a year actually prolly have to switch every other month to keep grass down. My empties grow some real nice stuff the birds love