Utah!

[the-bird-man]

Totally. I'm so thankful that we get fresh, healthy eggs from our ladies. I shudder when I look at the store-bought ones. We have been trying to raise some of our own meat birds, too. Does anyone here raise their own worms, mealworms, or crickets? I would farm worms, but we've got plenty in our lawn, hehe I saw a thing the other day on cricket bars. I think they sound interesting.

yeah store bought eggs are not eggs imo. what meat birds are you doing? i hear red rangers are great and are not bad layers ether. you can actually breed them. been thinking of meat birds too but not sure i can do it on my lot. for insects dont breed crickets because they are too much of a pain and stink bad. i would go with meal worms or red garden worms. i know it sounds gross but roaches are big in the reptile world now. they are a flightless tropical kind so even if they did escape they could not survive. you can raise them in big bins. by far the easiest bug to raise. they reproduce fast too. and they are all protein. been tempted to feed some to my girls. one day i want to raise quail. been thinking of muskovies too

 

[eggsbert]

Looking for some advice on quail pens for our area (in the Salt Lake Valley). We’ll be getting 5 quail and intend for them to be outside year-round. There is a possibility we can take them into the garage, depending on the set up. However, we like the idea of being able to put them on the ground so they can pick at the grass and eat insects they find.

My basic options are: a small animal cage, rabbit hutch, or tractor style coop.
A small cage would be quite portable and we could remove the bottom so they can be in the grass. However, there isn’t a good covered area that would protect them against the elements. I suppose I could build a box to cover one side but… ???
The rabbit hutch seems to be pretty comparable to how a lot of people keep their quail. Off the ground with a wire front and a side area for cover. It’s not very portable but seems the best in terms of protection from the elements and predators.
There are some triangular rabbit hutches/tiny coops that are tractor style that are comparable to how I’ve seen some coops made. They have a pretty small foot print and can easily be modified to be predator proofed. It’s kind of a middle ground between the two.

I’m not super handy, but I could try building one… But then I’d still need a better idea of what I want.

 

[sundancenbare]

I am going to sell a couple of pair of my Show Seramas and some chicks out of them I'm giving the people on this list first chance. These are not backyard Seramas They are proven show birds. The straight feathered pair I am asking $150.00 per pair, I will only sell in pairs, The other pair has a frizzle hen with a straight rooster. I also have some straight run chicks for $50.00 each and frizzle straight run for 75.00 each. I'll post some pictures tomorrow

 

[gus2pp]

Looking for some advice on quail pens for our area (in the Salt Lake Valley). We’ll be getting 5 quail and intend for them to be outside year-round. There is a possibility we can take them into the garage, depending on the set up. However, we like the idea of being able to put them on the ground so they can pick at the grass and eat insects they find.

My basic options are: a small animal cage, rabbit hutch, or tractor style coop.
A small cage would be quite portable and we could remove the bottom so they can be in the grass. However, there isn’t a good covered area that would protect them against the elements. I suppose I could build a box to cover one side but… ???
The rabbit hutch seems to be pretty comparable to how a lot of people keep their quail. Off the ground with a wire front and a side area for cover. It’s not very portable but seems the best in terms of protection from the elements and predators.
There are some triangular rabbit hutches/tiny coops that are tractor style that are comparable to how I’ve seen some coops made. They have a pretty small foot print and can easily be modified to be predator proofed. It’s kind of a middle ground between the two.

I’m not super handy, but I could try building one… But then I’d still need a better idea of what I want.

I built a tractor last year, and it turned out terrible because I used the wrong size lumber, trying to save money. It worked well until my boys climbed it... I used 2x2's (I think that's right -- the small square boards you find at lumber stores), but if you use 2x4's you could make it very durable. I made mine triangular, and then used hardware cloth for the walls. It was super easy to move around. When it rained I would just drape tarp over it, and the babies were completely dry. The only problem I could foresee is safety over night. Not sure how to resolve that one. @acemario builds a ton, so he could give you some ideas maybe. If you decide to go with a rabbit hutch, there are billions for sale on KSL. Good luck!

 

[gus2pp]

Totally. I'm so thankful that we get fresh, healthy eggs from our ladies. I shudder when I look at the store-bought ones. We have been trying to raise some of our own meat birds, too. Does anyone here raise their own worms, mealworms, or crickets? I would farm worms, but we've got plenty in our lawn, hehe

I saw a thing the other day on cricket bars. I think they sound interesting.

You can buy 200+ red wigglers on amazon for very inexpensive. You can use them to make worm compost for your garden, and then you can feed the excess worms to your ladies. I was making worm compost for a little bit, but I had a baby and forgot about the bin. They died... I want to start this up again. It is so good for the garden!

 

[sideWing]

Totally. I'm so thankful that we get fresh, healthy eggs from our ladies. I shudder when I look at the store-bought ones. We have been trying to raise some of our own meat birds, too. Does anyone here raise their own worms, mealworms, or crickets? I would farm worms, but we've got plenty in our lawn, hehe I saw a thing the other day on cricket bars. I think they sound interesting.

I have raised mealworms and it was very easy. Just put fruit in once week or something. It's been a while. They small strong though. Not bad, just strong. I would not have them in the house. Garage maybe.

 

[sideWing]

Lisa, here is that Marans boy you gave me. I really think he's turning out nice. He's just starting to crow, but still gets bossed around by the girls. Thank you!

Does he have proper eye color? Number of comb points? Bottom of his feet are white.

 

[lizardandchicks]

Totally. I'm so thankful that we get fresh, healthy eggs from our ladies. I shudder when I look at the store-bought ones. We have been trying to raise some of our own meat birds, too. Does anyone here raise their own worms, mealworms, or crickets? I would farm worms, but we've got plenty in our lawn, hehe

I saw a thing the other day on cricket bars. I think they sound interesting.

If you do, or if you find anyone, let me know. I will be interested in buying. Because my parents don't trust any online sites that sell them, I have to buy bugs from the pet store for my lizards. It is quite expensive, let me just say that. I would love to buy some from someone who breeds them themselves, and is somewhat local.

 

[sideWing]

Chicken Geek! LOL!

Did you see the update above about the Marans boy you sent my way? He's doing great. He still gets picked on by the ladies, but I'm guessing that will change in about another month.

 

[Cynthia12]

Did you see the update above about the Marans boy you sent my way? He's doing great. He still gets picked on by the ladies, but I'm guessing that will change in about another month.

I think he is going to be gorgeous! Has a sweet face. Hope when things turn around, and he's after the ladies..that he is sweet to them.