The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Miami Leghorn]

This design was in our plans until wood prices went up.I've collected enough wood for the footing which I'll fill in with cement. So....baby steps.
I'm curious to know how yours are set up.

 

[Painted Calls]

View attachment 2745222
This design was in our plans until wood prices went up.I've collected enough wood for the footing which I'll fill in with cement. So....baby steps.
I'm curious to know how yours are set up.

This is what he needs.

 

[The Moonshiner]

What do you do with the eggs from pens you're not hatching from?

I don't set up pens I don't hatch from cause it would be too hard to not hatch everything.
I have a huge rooster pen that all the boys go into. There's 3 or 4 escapees that just run wild right now and 5 that couldn't hang in general population that live with the kunes.
I have another good sized pen and 4 other decent sized ones that all the hens are mixed in. I like to keep the sexes separate so I can pull hens without having to wait the clean out period.
All eggs fit in one of three categories that my boy made up.
Hatchers, eaters and throwers. Throwers are cracked or dirty etc. he feeds those to/ throws them at the pigs.
Eaters we eat as many as we can and the rest go to whoever will eat them. Man or beast. I used to put dozens and dozens in a huge cooler at the end of my drive. People that wanted or needed them could just stop and grab some. It helped others out and I think many liked to be able to get them with the no contact. People are funny about being helped out some times. Anyways as soon as covid hit and ever since no one was taken any any more so I quit messing with it several months back.
I might try again and see if that changed.
I found it strange but I guess people got worried about stuff like that. Many still go to family and a few friends.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

This is what he needs.

Yeah I've been looking at this design for quite some time we were ready to pull the trigger but the funds are just not there right now.
But, baby steps....

 

[The Moonshiner]

Mine look similar minus the tin.
I have a barn, ok it's one of those metal buildings so not as cool looking as an old barn.
I have similar looking runs minus the tin. No coops just runs with a roost across each one and something for a nest box.
Mine aren't fancy. 2x3s and 2x4s with chicken wire. They're 6' 5" tall. I never had tops on them and still don't on some. Overo has been on me continuously over it since we met. The barn as a fine gravel that packs like concrete so I kinda deep litter and when needed I can scrape them to the gravel.
One thing I did different is only one has a door like that. The rest has the doors on the dividing walls so you have to go in the first one then from one to the next down the line.
If a bird busts and runs it just ends up in the next pen instead of loose so I just have to catch it before the rooster next door does.
In the beginning I used them as grow out pens and community pens as much as breeder pens so I can open and tie doors to make 2 or 3 etc pens into one big pen.
I also have four pens with doors on the ends like that design. At one time it was a large goat pen that I modified.
Most of my pens are 7, 8 + years old. I want to redo everything but ya I can't this year.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

a bird busts and runs it just ends up in the next pen instead of loose so I just have to catch it before the rooster next door does.

Teach,I'm stealing that one for my pens. Smart.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Me three

 

[ColtHandorf]

This design was in our plans until wood prices went up.I've collected enough wood for the footing which I'll fill in with cement. So....baby steps.

This is what I’m doing. Only metal on the outside, plastic panels in the runs, hardware cloth on the outside, and netting in the runs. At least for the bantams. I’ll probably do tin for the big Orps, and if I decide the plastic looks trashy, I’ll pull it and replace it with something that looks better. I just ordered two rolls of netting and two rolls of black vinyl coated hardware cloth to finish the bantam runs. And by finish I mean put that in and then wait until I have the money for the 2x4’s and the metal.

kunes

Peeegs!

One thing I did different is only one has a door like that. The rest has the doors on the dividing walls so you have to go in the first one then from one to the next down the line.

That would make me crazy! Lol if somebody gets out then the whole pen gets out for the afternoon. Lol no way could I stand dragging the feedbuckets and hose all the way to the end and back. I did mean to put gates in my barn pens so I could go between them, but I forgot at midnight in the rain with a pen light in my mouth when I was building them by myself…

 

[The Moonshiner]

This is what I’m doing. Only metal on the outside, plastic panels in the runs, hardware cloth on the outside, and netting in the runs. At least for the bantams. I’ll probably do tin for the big Orps, and if I decide the plastic looks trashy, I’ll pull it and replace it with something that looks better. I just ordered two rolls of netting and two rolls of black vinyl coated hardware cloth to finish the bantam runs. And by finish I mean put that in and then wait until I have the money for the 2x4’s and the metal.

Peeegs!

That would make me crazy! Lol if somebody gets out then the whole pen gets out for the afternoon. Lol no way could I stand dragging the feedbuckets and hose all the way to the end and back. I did mean to put gates in my barn pens so I could go between them, but I forgot at midnight in the rain with a pen light in my mouth when I was building them by myself…

I do carry a 5 gallon bucket with feed but not a big deal. When I get to the end I collect eggs on the way back and use the bucket to tote them.
I keep the water bowls by the front and water through the wire. It is a pain when I need to wash them out so I keep them raised to prolong that need.

I keep my girls on a short leash.
The roosters I'm not using at the time are in a general population pen and always looking to escape. Some do.
I don't want my girls soiled by some random cock so I'm paranoid about making sure they're locked down.
If they get with some strange that's a month I can't use them. Can't have that.

 

[The Moonshiner]

@MIAMI LEGHORN
This is how I store eggs before going in the incubator.
My son helped with the idea and construction. It's a little rough but was supposed to be a prototype to see if it worked.
It works so well I've just been using it as is.
I use these plastic egg trays so wanted a way to hold and turn all at once. They're stackable so it can hold 120 eggs. More then I need it to but we made room for if that changes.
It just spins so 3 times a day (if I remember) I just spin it so the top side becomes the bottom.