The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chikenscratch]

I use deep litter successfully without a poop board. The girls scratch it up plus once a month I take a kids size rake in there to rearrange the floor to a more flat version and then I add new pine shavings. The rabbit has been helping too.

 

[delisha]

Quote: No.that chick is standing like a pullet..nothing more

BDM...awesome tour! It looks really good and the mamas and their babies in their little partitions is just sweet. Fabulous work.

x2

 

[delisha]

Quote: again..it is stance..he is standing like a young cockerel


this is an exaggeration but you will get the idea.

 

[Bulldogma]

I have a couple of "mobile coop" questions for you BDM!

-I noticed that the roost looks really high but that might be just the perspective in the video. How high is the main roost? The lower roost is about 3'6" off the ground, and the 2nd roost is about 5' above the ground.
-Also noticed a higher roost. Do your birds go up that high? They will go that high. Remember - SFH are more athletic than some breeds. If I find the height to be troublesome, the perch is removable. A local friend of mine has had her main perches about 5' high for many years and hasn't had any trouble with it.

(Am just wondering about the heights because I've read so many things about having them too high. I have always wondered about that advice as in nature, a bird would try to get as high as possible to keep away from predators I imagine!!)


-Is your hardwarecloth metal or plastic? All the hardware cloth on exterior parts of the trailer are metal to keep predators out. All the interior mesh is plastic as inside the metal walls, I don't worry about predators. This helped to keep the costs down.
-You showed the side vent door that could be used as a shade for the window. Does the other side also have a closeable door there? Both sides have a hardware cloth covered "screen door" that can open to the inside as well as a solid metal door that opens from the outside.

 

[aoxa]

again..it is stance..he is standing like a young cockerel


this is an exaggeration but you will get the idea.

Stances fooled me into thinking boy before as well. Now I wait for comb development before deciding. By 4 weeks I am really good at sexing single combed birds. Some boys are obvious at 2 weeks.

 

[Bulldogma]

Aoxa - your doeling is precious!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

OMGosh...that little goat is amazing! I bet you can't wait to get it home!!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

BDM - on the roost heights...I have always thought a higher roost made sense so I've quietly contemplated why so many people put them so low. I know all the stuff about heavy breeds, etc., but it just doesn't make sense to me for RIR, BR, SFH, etc.

I remember someone telling me that their birds would go very high into the rafters of the barn. Now THAT'S a high roost! (They had provided lower ones but the rafters were chosen over the provided ones.)

 

[countrygirl74]

I visited my doeling today again. Oh my gosh.. I am so in love with her.. She is the sweetest thing.



It was dark in the barn, so pictures aren't that great.. but she is so cute it makes up for it.

I want one!!!!

 

[Bulldogma]

BDM - on the roost heights...I have always thought a higher roost made sense so I've quietly contemplated why so many people put them so low. I know all the stuff about heavy breeds, etc., but it just doesn't make sense to me for RIR, BR, SFH, etc.

I remember someone telling me that their birds would go very high into the rafters of the barn. Now THAT'S a high roost! (They had provided lower ones but the rafters were chosen over the provided ones.)

The other thing I wanted to do was make the lower roost so that the birds could take advantage of the cross-breeze if they wanted to. The higher roost won't have a breeze. It will be interesting once I get them in there to see where they choose to perch. I'll bet they favor the higher roost...