The RE-Build of Les Farms

[farmer boy]

Can he see? If you clip around his eyes he may have better luck breeding.




Frankle needs a girlfriend. I think we may adopt one from the SPCA - as they are spade.. He has a weird balance issue, and we don't want to breed bunnies.. So that's what I think we will do. His last best bud just recently passed after the fire. She was old.

I know a lot of people single coop their male bunnies, but I feel like he is lonely. Look at those eyes?! Doesn't he look like he needs a buddy!

i would cut it but like you said they only molt once a year and i don't want to mess up his hair do lol but if i just cut his beard will he be able to see better or ?

 

[aoxa]

i would cut it but like you said they only molt once a year and i don't want to mess up his hair do lol but if i just cut his beard will he be able to see better or ?

Just trim a little around his eyes and you won't even notice.

He'll be a lot happier. Same with Onyx.

 

[farmer boy]

ya i will try that out when i head home again

 

[schmism]

i kept looking for more suggestions on the new barn construction... but got lost in all the side conversion not about your new barn, so If you've already hashed this out thats why i didnt see it.

Your going with a poured concreet floor for the chicken side?
or just dirt/gravel floor for the entire thing. I noticed the large livestock area.
I assume your not going to go with a raised wood floor on joists for the chicken side?

I would highly suggest a 6' or better double 4' door on the chicken side. You may not have a CUT now but if you pick up one in the future youll be kicking yourself for not being able to drive the CUT loader right inside for stall maintenance.

Id re-think your feed storage location. If you ever go bulk feed (which most do after 40 or so chickens) then being able to fork a pallet of feed onto a location that doesnt require lots of handling to get to the feeders is going to save a lot of work. Again you'll kick yourself every bag you have to carry in a door and down a hall vs being able to tractor 800lbs in at a single time.

I would defiantly include an large 4' or more overhang on the south side of the barn. We have a covered overhang area on our barn and durring the snowy rainy days the girls live in the area that stays mostly dry and snow clear.

my nest boxes have doors on the back and face the person isle so we can go in and collect eggs without haveing to tread into the deep litter area (no poo on the shoes)

I prefer my roosts on outside walls for ventilation and keep the girls by the windows for sun in the winter. by moveing the roosts (poo area) to the other side of the room it opens up that corner for food water area which is closer to were you plan on storing feed and your water access in the building. (not having to run plumbing to the middle of the large room etc)

I assume your going to upgrade to some sort of pressure reduced ball drinkers or nipples?

 

[aoxa]

Your going with a poured concreet floor for the chicken side?
or just dirt/gravel floor for the entire thing. I noticed the large livestock area.

On this question: Poured concrete footers all around, but gravel/dirt in livestock areas. Why? Because it is easier to maintain a deep litter with dirt floor.


Quote:
Piece of equipment right? Alright noted. I'll do some double doors on the chicken side. Makes sense.


Quote: Feed storage is in the tractor area. The feed in the feed room will only be fermented. There are large double doors going right in from the tractor area with shelves for feed storage.

We never did bulk before due to cost not being worth it. You have to get it by the ton here - 2,000 lbs. and you need to have something to store it IN. We've looked into it and it's just not possible here.. but a silo may be useful in the distant future. Right now it is not.



Quote: Not sure if the added expense for that would be worth it. We are at our max for insurance right now without that. I do have covered runs in the back for breeding season though that are NOT on the drawing.


Quote: Too many windows on the south wall to accommodate nesting boxes there. I have muck boots, so poop on the feet is not an issue for me. I like to go in the barn and see everything anyway.


Quote: This part I don't really understand, as there is a window right by the roosts in the plan. It's just squared off so it is not in the way like my last roosts were.
Roosts are easy to move if I don't like where they are.


Quote:
As for the water - we will be doing a nipple cup drinking system. The entire building is insulated and well ventilated. I'm thinking that if the water system on the south wall. Really not 100% on this yet. Feeders will be trough style.

 

[schmism]

On this question: Poured concrete footers all around, but gravel/dirt in livestock areas. Why? Because it is easier to maintain a deep litter with dirt floor. 

Piece of equipment right? Alright noted. I'll do some double doors on the chicken side. Makes sense.

CUT = compact utility tractor. the smallest of which is a SCUT (sub compact ...) such as a kubota BX series looks like a rideing lawnmower with a front end loader and rear 3pt hitch

We never did bulk before due to cost not being worth it. You have to get it by the ton here - 2,000 lbs. and you need to have something to store it IN. We've looked into it and it's just not possible here.. but a silo may be useful in the distant future. Right now it is not.

Some bulk places will bag your order of 2K lbs for you at an additional fee ($1 a bag or some such) even with the bagging fee it can still be less than "store bought" feed. plus you can customize your blend of feed per how you want to feed your girls. You can then palatalize the bags to 10 or so bags per pallet which you can then tractor in and stack in your barn.

with our 24 chickens we go through about a 50lb bag a week this time of year (nothing to forage out in the yard, we free range) which is why i say most people move to bulk around 40 or more chickens due to the volume of feed you go through especially in winter when there is little to nothing to forage.

 

[aoxa]

CUT = compact utility tractor. the smallest of which is a SCUT (sub compact ...) such as a kubota BX series looks like a rideing lawnmower with a front end loader and rear 3pt hitch

Some bulk places will bag your order of 2K lbs for you at an additional fee ($1 a bag or some such) even with the bagging fee it can still be less than "store bought" feed. plus you can customize your blend of feed per how you want to feed your girls. You can then palatalize the bags to 10 or so bags per pallet which you can then tractor in and stack in your barn.

with our 24 chickens we go through about a 50lb bag a week this time of year (nothing to forage out in the yard, we free range) which is why i say most people move to bulk around 40 or more chickens due to the volume of feed you go through especially in winter when there is little to nothing to forage.

Yep I want that machine.

Unfortunately we only have one feed mill here in Moncton. They are the ones I spoke with. I will mention what you say about the bagging fees to see if it's possible, because that would be awesome. I would LOVE to customize my feed. I have been wanting whole grains for so long for them.. It's just not available here.. unless it's layer, and I do not feed layer.

Thank you

 

[schmism]

. I will mention what you say about the bagging fees to see if it's possible,

rumor has it some places will also discount the bag fee if you bring your own bags, Thus you can save your store bought fiberglass woven bags and reuse them. Some would go as far as wave the bag fee if you stood there an ran the bagging operation yourself. you open the bag, hold it under/around the chute and stomp on a floor trigger that dispenses pre-measured (usually 50lbs) of food. then place paper strip over the top and start it into the stitching machine. then place on pallet. rinse and repete.

you can also get large 4x4x4 bulk dry bags (called FIBC) off of craigslist and the like

these can also be move around on pallet. They usually hold several hundred pounds of feed. Nice thing about these bags is you can call for a delivery of 2K lbs of feed and they will generally dispense it into your bags like that on site. (or you can take your bags with you to the feed mill and they will fill them there on your trailer)

 

[coopscritters]

I know a lot of people single coop their male bunnies, but I feel like he is lonely. Look at those eyes?! Doesn't he look like he needs a buddy!

"The Hare Club for Men"
We had to separate our rabbits after our 2 girls had babies. Oops.
They had some communication problems at first but now they are best buds.

 

[aoxa]

I know a lot of people single coop their male bunnies, but I feel like he is lonely. Look at those eyes?! Doesn't he look like he needs a buddy!

"The Hare Club for Men"
We had to separate our rabbits after our 2 girls had babies. Oops.
They had some communication problems at first but now they are best buds.

That's so cute!!!

Frankle needs to move in with the chickens then.. If I could only catch him!



Henry came home today

We met with Rod who is our contractor for the barn to go over more details..