The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[BlindLemonChicken]

That helps but watering sucks. I used the black rubber bowls so I can flip and stomp on them but there will be a lot of them.

I love these for the same reason. I don’t have a plan for water this year yet. I am woefully unprepared and unmotivated haha

 

[The Moonshiner]

I am woefully unprepared and unmotivated haha

That's usually me but since I quite hatching already I feel like I should use this time productively.
I go through some water watering my birds on the daily. I use an outside spicket and of course on those coldest days of winter it's frozen so I have to bucket water from the kitchen. Not only a pain but slow going.
Last couple of years I'd put one of the chick pic tubs and 2 5 gallon buckets in my big gorilla cart and drag water down there like that. Ya snow kind of sucks then with snow or not half the water has splashed out by the time I get there.
I'll have to do some experimenting and see just how much water I need for a day but if it's more than that I might have to rig up my water barrel again.
Back when I had chickens and pigs to water I used a plastic barrel. I think it was like 30 or 35 gallons. I made a wooden cradle that sat in my cart so it was on its side. Filled from the top hole and the bottom hole had a fitting then rubber fitting attached to a piece of pvc pipe with an on and off valve. I'd tote it down there and then fill buckets from it.
Of course it wasn't so handy when my spicket and or hose was frozen. Earlier this year I redid water lines to my washer and dryer that's in the mud room. I split a line off of the cold and added a spicket inside. I plan on some what heating the mud room this winter so I can use that all winter long for whatever route I go.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Earlier this year I redid water lines to my washer and dryer that's in the mud room. I split a line off of the cold and added a spicket inside. I plan on some what heating the mud room this winter so I can use that all winter long

Oooh I am jealous you have a mud room! I very much need something like that. Apparently there is water up at the barn but it’s not a currently functioning system. Not that it would matter in the worst of winter. I am going to end up filling jugs in the kitchen and driving the Jeep to the barn every morning. Which might end up being kind of fun!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You don't have frost-free spigots?

 

[The Moonshiner]

You don't have frost-free spigots?

I've had two and they weren't cheap. Both developed leaks within one to two years.
Once they leak they fail to not freeze not to mention the $$$ for water wastage it costs.
Idk the issue they were supposed to be the good brand according to a few old farmers I know.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Bummer. Ours have worked for years and years.

 

[NagemTX]

Im so glad I'm on the coast of Texas. Ill take my nearly lack of a winter and super long summers.

 

[BlueBaby]

Well the incubators are all unplugged and ready for cleaning and winter storage.
Here's some numbers...

32 hatches, 1,132 chicks in 2021
25 hatches, 654 chicks in 2022
21 hatches, 1,015 chicks in 2023
22 hatches, 303 chicks in 2024
18 hatches, 420 chicks in 2025

3,524 chicks in 5 seasons

The weather has turned and it's definitely fall. Time to switch gears and prepare for the hell that is a Missouri winter.
Feels like fall is gonna be gone soon enough. Busy times ahead and everything will surely not get done.

Wow. I'm just about the opposite of the hatching thing down here, since I don't get any snow in winter. But because of our very hot summer's I have to start the hatching process before most other's do. I want the chick's to be adapted to the heat before it hits. Then it's putting several water stations and adding ice, and putting up the misting system to help them with the heat. I have to hurry up and check on them, and then get back in the house to drink some Gatorade and cool off in the air-conditioning.

 

[KF0002]

Well the incubators are all unplugged and ready for cleaning and winter storage.
Here's some numbers...

32 hatches, 1,132 chicks in 2021
25 hatches, 654 chicks in 2022
21 hatches, 1,015 chicks in 2023
22 hatches, 303 chicks in 2024
18 hatches, 420 chicks in 2025

3,524 chicks in 5 seasons

The weather has turned and it's definitely fall. Time to switch gears and prepare for the hell that is a Missouri winter.
Feels like fall is gonna be gone soon enough. Busy times ahead and everything will surely not get done.

I think 420 is a great number of chicks to further projects, while at the same time not going broke feeding them in this crazy economy. It's a good happy medium. I am dreading winter also but am enjoying the fall weather. It's nice to hang out with the birds on days off from work when I get a break from homework and the fall weather has been nice.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Got a little bit of stuff done today. Got my running errands done first thing then moved on to chickening.
Trying to get grow outs situated now. Went trough 4 breeding pens making sure they were secure. Added a bunch of 2×4s for more roosts. Swapped to water bowls and quite a few of the 7lb feeders. Nothing too complicated just a lot of time consuming. Left 2 connected into 1 bigger pen and filled it with pullets. Put oldest cockerel group in 1 of the others and another cockerel group in the last.
Want to say that was 2/3rds of the grow outs but I think that would be a far stretch.
Both cockerel pens were fuller then I'd have liked but guess that's OK I have several that need to go and go sooner then later.
I could tell though out of those groups it was male heavy. About 60/40. 420 sounded good but I'll see what's left come spring. Lots of boys are gonna be going but I saw quite a few that I won't be sad about.
Next chore is clean out another grow out pen that's in the garage with concrete floor. Shovel shovel shovel. Got 4 brooders of small juveniles I hope will fit in there for a while. Once those are out of the brooders it'll only leave me the last 2 batches that'll be in brooders.