Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

good morning,
Dan, so far the only feed on the floor is what i spilled.
too soon to tell how the feeder will work.
tthis is the turkey feeder I found at a rummage sale.

the chickens could not reach the bottom through the small holes, so I drilled the holes bigger.
too soon to tell if this will work.
If the full grown chickens cannot use it, it will work just fine for baby chicks and young chicks, until their heads get too big for the holes..

...........jiminwisc..........

 

[GranolaGirl72]

Morning all, night Cindy..

Moved the chicks into a temporary pen of garden posts and chick wire. Cleaned out their current cardboard box home and moved it to the garage. Hoping that it will now be warm enough they will not have to be inside any more. Need to get permit to build coop aparently and our perfect location we had picked out to build is not far enough from the lot line for "livestock" so spending today talking about next best place to build. Considering the east side of the house inside the yard or out in the garden. Only advantage against the house is we could run electricity to the coop very easily. We do not use our air more than a week or so out of the year because of the breeze and that means open windows in our bedroom right by where the coop would be... big disadvantage...... ah well. We have a little time still....

 

[jvls1942]

1st day with the new feeder.. preliminary report.

feed seems to be dropping good. the 3"deep trough has feed only in about the bottom 1/2 ". this means no spillage on the floor.
egg production has doubled since yesterday.. I got 2 eggs today already.

the geese are mating,,,, finally,,,, so maybe by the end of May we might have some goslings ? hope so..

GG72, remember, concrete is very cold , so put a good layer of straw or shavings under your chicks..
also:
I would build a very nice easy to move chicken tractor. then you can sneak it along the lot line occasionally and nobody would notice.

put a fence around the whole yard. and put another fence around the house,, and let the chickens freerange between the fences.

the Marathon feed mill called me.. I was surprised..
the POL pullets I ordered will not come
until SEPTEMBER !!
They were just taking orders from Feb to April 15 so that they knew how many to raise..
HeII, I can raise my own in that much time..
I didn't cancel the order.. who know, by Sept I might need some replacement hens.. If not, I can sell them as POL..

.........jiminwisc........

 

[GranolaGirl72]

GG72, remember, concrete is very cold , so put a good layer of straw or shavings under your chicks..
also:
I would build a very nice easy to move chicken tractor. then you can sneak it along the lot line occasionally and nobody would notice.

put a fence around the whole yard. and put another fence around the house,, and let the chickens freerange between the fences.

Actually have the box on a pallet with pine shavings in it, thanks for the reminder though. The tractor would work wonderful for the summer as we could move it around and because it is a temporary structure we do not have to have a permit for it, I believe. Fence around yard not an option. Yard a half acre and we have a bird dog that roams it currently. Otherwise that would be the way to go

 

[jvls1942]

Quote: the dog can be trained to leave the chickens alone.

 

[Angiebubs]

HI all!

Ordered a Hoavabator 1588 coming Tuesday Going to put in however many Salmon Faverolles eggs Ive collected by then. Spring cleaning out coops, 2 done last weekend, and main coop this afternoon (major procrastinating going on here). Its weird, last year I had broody hens all winter long, and 7 broodys by this time, this year, I just had my 1st hen go broody. Anyone else notice a difference in broodiness this spring?

Easter morning discovered I lost my remaining bee hive :-( Appears to be starvation-didnt get enough stores in last fall and the patties I was feeding wasnt enough. So spent the afternoon cleaning out little fuzzy baby bees :-( 2 new packages coming beginning/middle of May.

Off to coop cleaning

 

[corewassen87]

Just getting home from concealed carry class. I had hunters safety so I didn't need the class to get the permit but it was nice to take any for rules and regulations. Highly suggest it

 

[jvls1942]

.Angiebubs..

just came in from outside,, I just can't quit going out there,
I have doors open and screen doors closed.. air out this house with all that nice fresh free air ..

I have the lid for the feeder glued and clamped.. trying out the Gorilla wood glue. It is supposed to dry faster and be just as strong. If they say so, then I guess.....?

Now I have to come up with two hinges.. hmmmm, I wonder which doors in this house don't really need to open and close...

............jiminwisc.......

 

[irishrovr]

Morning all, night Cindy..

Moved the chicks into a temporary pen of garden posts and chick wire. Cleaned out their current cardboard box home and moved it to the garage. Hoping that it will now be warm enough they will not have to be inside any more. Need to get permit to build coop aparently and our perfect location we had picked out to build is not far enough from the lot line for "livestock" so spending today talking about next best place to build. Considering the east side of the house inside the yard or out in the garden. Only advantage against the house is we could run electricity to the coop very easily. We do not use our air more than a week or so out of the year because of the breeze and that means open windows in our bedroom right by where the coop would be... big disadvantage...... ah well. We have a little time still....

Here is some advice I received a few years back from one of our Town supervisors (who is now deceased): If your shed/coop/whatever is NOT built as a permanent structure (Perhaps on wheels like a chicken tractor as Jim suggested) with footings, concrete floor, etc. and not attached to an existing building you don't have to get permits and follow the Red Tape Brick Road. This guy had, oh, 15 to 20 such dirt floor structures on his property. He said someone gave him a hard time only once so he put FOR SALE signs on them. No one bothered him since. I'm not sure if it just works that way here or if it applies throughout the state.

 

[irishrovr]

It was one of those great days for doing anything outside! It was also a great day for over-doing it! I got a ton of feeders and cages cleaned and sanitized, painted one of the brooders inside and out, moved brush, raked, and hauled a wagon of bunny puckie to the garden. I'm starting to feel it now after I sit down for a few minutes and then try to get up. Old age is the pits!

The hubs also over did it. He cut down a tree, trimmed branches, raked, hauled away brush, etc.

We're both going to be sorry in the morning! Easy does it!