Sparrow Ministries - 01-06-2012 Cleaning room done!

[GoldenSparrow]

wow that alot of eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great pictures!

 

[MIKE555444]

Update

Peeking at about 55 eggs a day. Looks like that's about where we will stay a while since all are at laying age. I have had one ISA brown stop laying and went broody and one of the marans so far. I suppose you can expect that from 60 hen even in the winter. I made a small fenced corner in the main chicken house just for breaking them up so I can focus on getting them back to laying.

I have been pondering trimming a wing on the flock but doing 65 birds will be quite a task. With a cold winter ahead I'd hate to do that. We have lost three birds over the last 4 or 5 months due to a dog spooking them while i'm at work and then a hen flying out of the fence. Covering the fenced area is not an option. Its probably about a 50 x 50 area or so square. There is a slant on the land that makes it easier to fly out on the low end so I may consider adding to the height on the lower side of the fence?? It is 5 1/2' tall all the way around and normally they do not try to get out unless they are provoked (scared).

Water heater is installed and almost ready to put the cleaning room into production

God Bless!

 

[MIKE555444]

Update:

The cleaning room is pretty much completed and is now being used daily. Praise the Lord! The design of this new building with the cleaning room has been a great blessing. The idea is that we can walk into the cleaning room and let it be “homebase” for carrying out daily chores associated with the raising the chickens. No longer do I have to carry 50 eggs across the yard and into the family kitchen to be cleaning and stored each day but rather most everything that needs to be done can be carried out from the new room.

With about 65 chickens we refill two 3 gal water cans daily. This is so much easier now than last year. Separate from the egg cleaning sink I have installed a large square utility sink in the cleaning room next to the door that goes into the chicken house. The waterers are just 5 steps away from the utility sink in the heated room so it is quick and easy to have nice clean water everyday.

Also feeding is simplified as the feed is kept on the other side of the door in the cleaning room again just 5 steps away and the feeding is done. By storing the feed in the new room it is fast and always clean and protected from pests. No more picking up a bag that the chicken have pooped on.

Although I wanted access to the nest from outside the chicken house, I instead opted to just build the old traditional nests inside. We have all of the nests in one area built along an interior wall to prevent freezing. The nests also have an additional seam of 3 1/2” insulation along the bottom row sealed between the nest boxes and the floor. Dealing with eggs has been one of the most valuable changes in this whole project. I can take a basket in to gather the eggs and then walk into the other room, put them in the sink wash and sanitize the eggs laying them on the counter to dry. The egg washing sink is stainless steel with hot and cold water and plenty of counter on each side making this a quick and easy task.

During cold weather we keep an oil filled electric heater running on low to maintain at least 45 deg even in the coldest weather. If I plan to spend much time in the cleaning room I will build a fire in the wood burning stove. I have a small table for filling and labeling cartons and a refrigerator right across from the sink. Having a setup designed to be efficient makes this whole project so much more enjoyable.

Perfect spot to hide away for Bible study time as well

I’ll try to get some new Pics next week...

Praise the Lord and God Bless!

 

[TarainNC]

\\
[-Mike,
Thank you for serving God and your community in this way. I am in the town limits and can only have 10 chickens, so I am not able to do anything on the scale you are doing. I will keep your ministry in prayer. I gave a friend of my mother's some eggs last weekend. She is starting another round of chemo this week and she is on a tight budget. She and her elderly sister told my mom they were the best eggs! She had asked to buy some as I had told her the benefits of home grown eggs and how much better they are for you and I told her I can't sell her any, but I can give her some! (The eggs are an easily digested great source of protein for someone who is sick.) So I plan to keep her and her sister in eggs. I am delivering some tomorrow. I can't serve as many as you are, but I am going to start with what I can.
Keep Spreading the Good News!
Tara

 

[GoldenSparrow]

TarainNC

[-Mike,
Thank you for serving God and your community in this way.

I agree compleatly!

May tyhe Lord contine to bless you, your family, and hens.

bless keep us Updated

 

[MIKE555444]

Updated Pics of the new cleaning room:

Even though we have been using this room for a about 2 weeks we just added the linoleum this weekend

The room is small but efficient

This deep utility sink has been wonderful for washing and filling waterers

If I plan on being in here very long i will build a fire otherwise the small oil filled electric heater breaks the chill.

 

[MIKE555444]

Update:

We have winter well with steady stream of about 50 eggs a day. With spring around the corner we have decided to go ahead and retire the wood burning stove for the year so we have pulled it out and made room for a new pantry cabinet that the lord made available to us. Maybe we can offer a few other food items to those who have the most need. Praise the Lord.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/6534758/width/400/flags/LL

 

[MIKE555444]

Last year I e-mailed Bev Davis's personal e-mail and asked to get on a waiting list to buy some of her Black Copper Marans directly from her. She informed me that she is not selling at the moment but working on breeding projects. She did however direct me to Jennifer Combs who is selling Bev Davis bloodline. I called up last years and got on Jennifer's waiting list for this spring.

A month ago I reconnected with Jennifer and yesterday I received 18 straight run Bev Davis Black Copper Marans chicks. I will be using these for breeding and incubating the darkest eggs i can get. Jennifer was great! She sells them at $10 ea. and ships them for $40. I know it is expensive but I hope to be incubating my own next summer

Here are a few pics...




Delivery today of an additions 26 ISA Browns, 4 E-eggers and 2 white leghorns. Counting my own hatch of 13 and then the 18 BCM chick..hmmmm ... My chicken math says I've added more than 60 chicks to the flock this week... yikes!

 

[GoldenSparrow]

Wow,
beautiful chicks!

 

[MIKE555444]

Efforts to nearly double Sparrow Ministries egg production by winter was shattered this morning when we found the new coop had been broken into by an animal and 61 of the 62 new pullets have been killed. Feeling very frustrated after all the money and work that has been invested… Not sure how we can replace this flock being we have maxed out our finances with this last flock.

Dear Lord I can’t imagine how this could turn out for good…. but I’m just gonna trust you Lord and keep trying. We won’t give up but will rather build a new door that is stronger and able to keep the enemy out. I know Lord you know best. Praise the Lord!