The Old Folks Home

[bamadude]

hts pretty cool BL

 

[bamadude]

We are trying to come up with the best solutions that suit us. We plan to stick with isabelle leghorns, cream legbars, isbars, black penedesenca (day 17 in bator..fingers crossed), and a good quality light brown layer such as a RIR (hint hint Wisher).
@cree57i has a nice isabelle leghorn cockeral for me in TN. (Awesome person btw).
I think I can get more isbar eggs from @KYTinpusher.
I will need to find good quality cream legbars.

Now to figure on enclosures for them. Im thinking of making 1 big coop/run and several small ones. During fall and winter Im thinking of letting all the females be seperated from males to give them a break from mating.
Have any of you had success with having a coop with only males (of different breeds)?
Do any of you give your hens a break?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Have any of you had success with having a coop with only males (of different breeds)?
Do any of you give your hens a break?

No and no. I have a rooster pad hoop coop. One always ends up being the bottom rooster and gets "mated" by the top dawgs. I feel so bad for them.

I usually keep 2-3 roosters for a flock of 50ish girls. More than that and they fight and don't treat the ladies well. I also have 2 toms in the flock, they completely leave the roosters alone and vice versa. The turkeys seem to stick to their own kind, as do the chickens. We'll see about the guineas, they're also in the same coop (ducks are separated out).

I've noticed in the winter there's less breeding activity. The girls are molting, then not laying. The boys leave them alone. The few that continue to lay do get it, though.

 

[chickisoup]

Hi Dude!
No words, just a hug for you and your better half and a prayer for wisdom and understanding from the insurance assessor and that you might yet be able to recover some of your materials (and maybe a another bird or two???-yes, I don't know how to surrender). Hope after the assessor visit you are able to take a deep breath and to start looking forward.

ETA: just read your last post, sounds like you are already getting the plans together!!!!

On a happier note, it's FINALLY on the UPS truck and on it's way!!!

I really didn't expect it to take this long to ship (pre-ordered in August) but I guess this really is perfect timing. Now I will have a good read while I watch it snow and wait for my new chicks to arrive in the spring.

 

[Alaskan]

Now to figure on enclosures for them. Im thinking of making 1 big coop/run and several small ones. During fall and winter Im thinking of letting all the females be seperated from males to give them a break from mating.
Have any of you had success with having a coop with only males (of different breeds)?
Do any of you give your hens a break?

I have, for two years I think? Put all extra males and growing out cockerels into my veggie garden pen.

It has a table coverd with a tarp for a coop.

With all of the males in there, they would not roost in the table, they would roost in two seperate clumps on twiggy bushes.

Anyway, it is a big area, about 16x24 and at the right times of year a veritable jungle of greenery.

You do need two feeders or the bottom guys do not get food.


As to my wind..... nothing blew away or busted!!! I was so sure that the top edge of my main duck coop would catch the wind and rip right off... Or my little white tractor would blow away.

However, everything was fine, one edge of a small roof strip on the tiny white tractor flapped about in a very loud and annoying way, but never blew off.

That was it.

Oh..... One tree fell down, but it didn't bust anything... Neighbor chopped it up with a chain saw, kids hauled it off.

 

[perchie.girl]

Yep @Alaskan

I pictured a large pen with hidey holes that have an escape exit. at least two feeders maybe more for my bachelor coop.

But once the pecking order is established I picture them all to settle down just as any flock. Maybe with a few extra squabbles occasionally but with good cover and escape routs all would be good.

deb

 

[bamadude]

No and no. I have a rooster pad hoop coop. One always ends up being the bottom rooster and gets "mated" by the top dawgs. I feel so bad for them. 

I usually keep 2-3 roosters for a flock of 50ish girls. More than that and they fight and don't treat the ladies well. I also have 2 toms in the flock, they completely leave the roosters alone and vice versa. The turkeys seem to stick to their own kind, as do the chickens. We'll see about the guineas, they're also in the same coop (ducks are separated out). 

I've noticed in the winter there's less breeding activity. The girls are molting, then not laying. The boys leave them alone. The few that continue to lay do get it, though. 

I couldnt house 50 hens of each of the breeds I want.

 

[Peep_Show]

Hi Dude!
No words, just a hug for you and your better half and a prayer for wisdom and understanding from the insurance assessor and that you might yet be able to recover some of your materials (and maybe a another bird or two???-yes, I don't know how to surrender). Hope after the assessor visit you are able to take a deep breath and to start looking forward.

ETA: just read your last post, sounds like you are already getting the plans together!!!!

On a happier note, it's FINALLY on the UPS truck and on it's way!!!

I really didn't expect it to take this long to ship (pre-ordered in August) but I guess this really is perfect timing. Now I will have a good read while I watch it snow and wait for my new chicks to arrive in the spring.

Yay! Good to know!
I got a printout of receipt for Christmas... Looking forward to reading this.

 

[Alaskan]

Sing along now..



Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."


Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Perch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,

 

[drumstick diva]

Mt favorite it "Don't worry - be happy." easier lyrics to remember