The Old Folks Home

[tridentk9]

In chicken related subjects - Yesterday it looked like in addition to the two that were already broody, two more of our chickens had been induced to broodiness by the example leaving us with only one laying bird. Today when I came home, I was happy to find only one of the original brooders in the nest, along with one of the Alho's, but it seems Töyhtis is starting to snap out of it, and Virpi might not start the sitting at all. Hopefully Wilma will stop soon too, but Veera I fear will go through with her broodiness for another week still if she's like she was the last time. Only one egg today though. I think I'll have to buy some soon.

In one of the articles that I read late at night, of which I understand very little and retain even less, it mentioned prolactin levels in chickens and it's relationship with broodiness.
High prolactin = broody.
Lower prolactin = egg laying.
Lowest prolactin = rearing chicks.

If you can safely lower prolactin levels you may be able to pull them out of broodiness. Deficient levels of B6 and/or zinc can raise prolactin levels so supplementing with them *might* help. Several of the other suggestions frequently used by BYCers were also mentioned, increase ventilation, etc. I'll have to look for the article after I see why some chicken is calling me.

 

[hennible]

I'd like something a bit thicker. All the greenhouse plastic I've seen has been ~0.2mm thick, I'd like something in the 1-2mm range.

You can get 4mill and 6mill, 4mill is what's on my greenhouse.... Thats here though. Maybe online, e-bay has it.
You can order rolls of lexan online, its rigid, and thin but more expensive.

It occurs to me that you may want plastic that is literally 1-2 mm thick.... (Duh) 4,and 6mill are not literally 4-6 mill thick. Any way I'm an idiot...

 

[bamadude]

I requested a clean up in aisle 14

wisher: who is on mop duty?

 

[bamadude]

I nominate diva

 

[Wisher1000]

I have extended my stay in the Philippines for another 10 days.

The first modified Ohio multilevel brooder was painted yesterday. 9 brooders in a five level structure. Rear doors were added for ease of cleaning.

I am so happy that you are getting more time with your family!

I would really love to see lots of detailed pics of that Modified Ohio. I would also love to see some plans, if you have them. I know that uploads are problematic, but take lots to share, when you're able, please?

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote:
I suspect it may be me, as soon as I find aisle 14, I'll get on it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I love HDPE..... This is the same material that is used on food grade storage containers like 55 gallon drums. Its sterilizeable.... and that is a very good price..... But I have one question That stuff is pretty slick in Sheet form... How do you keep your chickens from Skiing on it?

deb

Deep litter.
The only problem I have is that the birds need to go outdoors to wear down their talons. The plastic won't do it. I haven't had a problem with the nests but I considered a rim with bedding there as well.

Sorry guys. You know me..,

I got a little emotional at things close to my heart.

edited by staff

I almost spoke up about the kids but I thought you were still around for enlightenment.

We have some talent among us! Great Coops, everyone!
...

Plastic welding is fairly simple. Some can even be done with a regular heat gun. Most plastic welders have an internal heat source and an air gun. Usually you need a plastic rod of the same material but I did that coop just overlapping slightly, a plastic weld gun and a roller.

I can stick weld and wire weld metal too. I was relatively good at carpentry but being able to form metal and plastic opens up so many new possibilities. At least I could weld anything metal that I needed to. Maybe I couldn't weld well enough for big high pressure piping or structural steel but I doubt anyone would hire me for that anyway.

HDPE is High Density PolyEthelene. Good stuff very very very durable. Its used in Food Grade containers among many other things. Has good UV stability.... the color may fade but it will still maintain its strength and duribility.... I prefer the un colored like white

A link to one of my resources when I was designing quick prototypes.

The white or blue plastic 55 gallon drums are made of this. You can saw it and even weld it with a heat gun.

Its so abrasion resistant its good for lining horse trailer walls.

deb

I just buy what is cheap. I'm getting green to cover the external nest box doors. It's almost the same color as those coops.
I have a 4X8 sheet of black I'm ready to put down in another building. They're 1/2 hexagon huts so I have to cut and weld.

Oh, no, the section on integrated management and on poisons was most helpful. I also didn't know the difference between a mole and a vole, I learned something!

I am thinking of turning the soil and adding more sand. I am not sure about the hardware cloth, though. I already have wire on the outside to keep the large diggers out.

Voles are tunnelers but closer relatives of mice. Moles are pretty well blind and dig quite a bit deeper. I think some tunnels are at least 2 ft. deep which is why I didn't think a physical barrier would work.

This is my first year planting in fall. I was really fishing for suggestions

Sorry, I missed the bait.

You're quite a bit warmer than I. By now, I should have planted rutabaga, head lettuce (romaine, butterhead, etc.), carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, peas, spinach and kale. You should be able to plant any of those now. I've overwintered spinach, leaf lettuce and other spring greens under the snow and it was brilliant come spring. You should be able to plant garlic now too, for a spring/summer harvest.
How about strawberries and fruit trees. Fall planting is great for those.

Wisher, that elephant dog thing really made me crack up.

Deb, since you're so knowledgeable in all things plastics, I wonder if you have any recommendations. I'm looking for something to cover our run with. At first I was going to go with corrugated plastic, but it would be a bit pricey. And shower curtains are a bit too floppy for my tastes. I'd like something easy to work, as clear as possible, and about 1-2mm thick, so that it's pretty bendy, but won't tear easily and flop around when it's a bit windy. I was also thinking of using those thick PVC sheets they hang in warehouse doors to keep heat in, but I think it comes with a pretty hefty price tag too. Anything come to mind?

EPDM rubber is very light and easy to work with. It glues and can be cut with a scissors. I roof some of my coops with it (my house as well). It comes in 40 and 60 mil but 40 is strong enough for almost anything.

You probably don't need it to go very high up on the sides. Just enough to keep the wind off the chickens.

on a serious note.... How many here know their gardening Zone.

Its helpful for many reasons.... Even though I dont garden I do have plans for Xeriscaping with perennials some of which bear fruit. Below generates Zone by zip code

http://www.plantmaps.com/91934

I am in Zone 9a. Severe drought conditions.

Here is the site I am parusing for plant materials

http://www.highcountrygardens.com/plant-finder

I can do fruit trees.... once planted I can maintain them. Pomegranite.... OH yummmy anything that lives in the middle east will grow here maybe with a little grey water.

deb

That's a good site.

Until last year's cold winter, I was looking into palm trees, figs and olives.
I have been growing azaleas and rhododendrons that grow fairly well here but I've had a long time plan for a camellia grove along the driveway. I think I can find enough cold tolerant varieties for winter blooms. The bees should love them on warm winter days.

I range from 6a to 7a depending on where they draw the line. It's a pretty squiggly line around here as I imagine it is there as well.

You might get away with figs too deb.

Yum.

If you can afford it I would go with Polycarbonate a Known brand name is Lexan..... Its pretty dang resiliant. Mounting should be done with oversized through holes and big oversized washers. Because the wood will change shape over the seasons before the plastic does. The HDPE would be an excellent choice as well the white sheets while not clear would be translucent enough to let light in. Both Polycarbonate and HDPE are known to be self lubricating.... Um er Slippery. Polycarbonate is what is used in bullet proof applications.
.
Do NOT get Acrylic. Its too brittle. Its a good window or aquarium.... but for roofing material... My green house was all acrylic... half of the panels were cracked and some had just fallen in...

Corrugated is structural so it would be able to span a larger distance without having support from under neath.... But I believe your snow load will require support from under neath No matter the material you use....

for what its worth it takes an inch of rain to make a foot of snow.
1 US gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds at 60 degrees F. There are 231 cubic inches of water per gallon, so 8.33 pounds divided by 231 = .03606--> pounds per cubic inch

so 12 square inches will have 0.43 lbs of weight on it.... If the snow is one foot deep. Therefore a 4 x 8 sheet of Polycarbonate will have almost fourteen pounds of snow. At one foot deep.

Yeah I know snow compresses over time and with the addition of more snow.... If your structure can handle it so can the Polycarbonate.

deb

X2
Whatever one covers the runs with, they need to keep snow in mind.
Snow is often quite moisture laden here and doesn't blow off or fall through. It will build up and collapse almost anything.

Deb, I might add that it doesn't need to carry a load, I'd mount it on a vertical surface. I already have a roof on the run, I just need to cover the sides. HDPE might work if I can find it in cheap and thin enough sheets.

OK
Then use whatever is cheapest and it doesn't need to cover everything just keep the wind off the chickens.

Says I am in 6a. Not sure what that means at all. LOL

We're close to the same. That means last killing frost is around April 10. But I've had a whole month of March with no frost and frost at April 20. It is just a guideline.

I'm a 7b! This was interesting...

Zip code 35446, Buhl AL is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7b: 5F to 10F. Using updated climate data through 2010, 35446 is in the Plantmaps Hardiness Zone 7b: 5F to 10F. The average first frost in 35446 is between November 1 - 10, while the average last frost occurs between March 21 - 31. 35446 is part of Ecoregion 65i - Fall Line Hills. 35446 averages 91 - 120 days per year where the temperatue exceeds 86°F. The average annual high temperature in 35446 is 75°F and the average annual low temperature is 51°F. The average high temperature in July (Summer) is 91°F, while the average high temperature in January (Winter) is 54°F.

Wow, you must be pretty far north.

Anyway

I have extended my stay in the Philippines for another 10 days.

My staff dramas are over by the looks of things and everything settledd down well.

My first sow will deliver in under a month and another five by Christmas. Gotta love those people who make home made instructional videos on you tube. The self taught AI worked!

The new Boer/Nubian buck we bought has been busy. The sudden appearance of a buck has bought most of the girls on heat. Hopefully we will get a nice percentage of Dowling's again.

The D-Block coops will be finished by Friday. 5 coops 12x8 with 24x8 runs.

The first modified Ohio multilevel brooder was painted yesterday. 9 brooders in a five level structure. Rear doors were added for ease of cleaning.

The second brooder stack will be five larger brooders.

I want to be able to house 12 weeks of birds inside to prevent rat and cat attacks.

Mrs Oz told the new couple about a mass monthly wedding she set up through the mayors office. They are getting married today!

You're now officially a farmer. Good job on everything.

I made a couple Ohio brooders but I only use them in the dead of winter. In milder weather, I use a single ceramic emitter or nothing at all. Mostly, in summer I give them a week of heat.

I requested a clean up in aisle 14

And you got the clean up too.
Gotta love expats that pick up so many American sayings.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Did anyone mention heirloom seed or tomatoes?
Here's today's tomatoes.


The Romas aren't heirloom but the Black Krim, White, Cherokee Purple, Oaxacan Jewell, Golden Peach, Giant Belgian, Scarlet Red and Vintage Wine are.

The golden peach actually have fuzz on them just like a peach. They're the ones on the lower left.

 

[perchie.girl]

Deb, I might add that it doesn't need to carry a load, I'd mount it on a vertical surface. I already have a roof on the run, I just need to cover the sides. HDPE might work if I can find it in cheap and thin enough sheets.

Then just about anything will do.... I heard Run and I heard cover..... I made an assumption... LOL

The corrugated should be just fine... I know you want light to go through.... so They make clear corrugated as well... I believe its a vinyl. Id have to look it up.

deb

 

[hennible]

Fuzzy tomatoes? Neat.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
If you are ordering seeds you can look up their zone preference....

deb