Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[rsquared]

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Oh my gosh Don, knew you were a serious breeder just didn't realize how much

Now have a question, you live upstate MI right? As N. IN person realize how bleepin cold it can get here on occasion, you've got to be much worse in your local. On your breeder house do you only use Plastic in the winter to protect the birds?

I plastic in the front of these buildings the week before thanksgiving and take it off first week in May if the weather cooperates.

Don, do you have the plastic side south facing??

 

[snowbird]

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I plastic in the front of these buildings the week before thanksgiving and take it off first week in May if the weather cooperates.

Don, do you have the plastic side south facing??

No, No always face East as the wind and rain here always comes from the South West. The Barrel wall is facing the north so it get know rain at all. In the old days farmers always had windows facing the south for heat from the Sun during winter. Does not work that way with open front buildings.

 

[nivtup]

Very impressive setup.

How many birds do you carry through the winter, and how many breeds / varieties are you working with?

 

[snowbird]

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Up until this year I always wintered around five hundred adults. In the past three months I sold off and gave away all the other breeds I was working with. The only breed I miss is the Buff Brahma bantam as I had worked with them for 30 year. Will only keep around 100 Marans through the winter this year. Winters are too cold for an old Man.

 

[sabella]

wrong thread. Oops!

 

[knjinnm]

Very impressive Don

Thanks for sharing your pictures.

 

[VillageChicken]

Don- thanks for the pictures. Now I don't have to imagine your set-up, and can see how well you're set up to handle the volume of birds you produce each year.
My wife is from the Wolverine state - the countryside out there is beautiful, especially the fall.

What is it about the Buff Brahma Bantams that makes them stand out from all the rest?

 

[luvinrunnin]

Hi Don, could you post some pics that show better what you've done with the barrels? I have access to barrels, although it is very hot and humid here, so not sure if they'd work?? It's going to be 100 degrees here the next 3 days and it's not even as hot as it will get. Thanks for your reply in advance. I work night shift and am headed to bed. Thanks!

 

[snowbird]

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VC, At one time had all the Brahma reconnized colors large and bantam. I would put all the Bantam males in these barrels for the winter and they did just great with all the cold fresh air. I had developed a very good line of Buff Bantams and by breeding them so long could make changes without missing a beat. I can say that in the three months or so since letting them go that it was a big mistake. I also sold off around 200 outside moveable cages.

 

[snowbird]

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These barrel row setups are used by the gamefowl people all over the USA. It is a hinged wire door with feed and water hole in wire. I have a woodworking Vacuum and generator that I use to clean the shavings with and I blow the shaving back into the barrel with the vacuum. It takes 4 hours to clean and replace the shavings.

If I were to build this Barrel row over would go with two barrels high and raise the bottom off the ground three foot, that way less bending down catching the chickens.