Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[glarnerchicks]

THANK YOU ALL for the fabulous advice. We're pricing out building our own coop (modified version of the one I linked in my original post) vs. purchasing one being sold through Cluck Chicken Store -- not a cheapie pre-fab, but actually a very nice, pre-wired, insulated, etc coop.



From what I have read, 5x4 is a decent size for 5 hens...? Don't want too big or it's harder to keep it warm(ish) in the winter...
I'll probably ask the folks who I'm getting the chickens from what kind of waterer the birds are used to.

Glad your horse is alright -- I lived and worked on the UW-Hoofers stable for awhile, through the equine herpes outbreak. Sick ponies are so sad.

 

[kristip]

Yes a turner can be added- it is a cradle so you never open the unit from what I understand. But the cradle turner is around $100 more...

This incubator retails for close to $200 depending where you look

 

[jvls1942]

Yes a turner can be added- it is a cradle so you never open the unit from what I understand. But the cradle turner is around $100 more...

This incubator retails for close to $200 depending where you look

yes, I saw a cradle, too,, about $90.oo..

Gchicks, it doesn't matter what the chickens are used to.. they will drink out of anything,,
you are the one who has to clean the waterers .. so make it easy on yourself..

again, I state,, don't undersize the coop.. keeping it warm is not that difficult..
you have to keep it only just above freezing if you don't want your water to freeze..
a little warmer , if you want the chickens to lay eggs..

I heat a 12 ft x 16 ft coop with a very small ceramic heater..

you are going to drive yourself crazy by over thinking this project..

I have my coops built on concrete slabs.. keeps rodents from tunneling in,, easier to clean, and never rots ..

 

[birdman55]

morning everyone...icy roads here...bummer....have to go get wood later....also hatched 40 chicks so far and still more chirping in the shell but nothing pipping yet...two died in the shell..not sure what happened

 

[kristip]

Glarner..Cluck is a wonderful resource, but some things are pricey like the coops. if you can swing it great, but we built our own coop fairly reasonably. It is not insulated, but built sturdy. One of the coop builders for cluck is a high school student in our community... might be worth asking him directly if you or your hubs are not handy. We built ours and then decided out run was too small and added onto that after about a year. We let the chickens out when we are home, but there are too many predators to let ours free range on a regular basis. luckily our rooster does a good job keeping an eye out. with the nice weather last week we had the chickens out for a few hours and my daughter was trying to figure out why they were all moving quickly into the coop... I told her to look up to the two red tail hawks swooping around our yard...yup that would do it!

On a good note we have 12 hens and are getting 8-9 eggs a day. Hooray! better than the 4 we were getting most of winter. And the kids finally stumped dad... he was asking if we needed to dye eggs this year and both kids looked at him and said "why would we need to do that, we have beautiful eggs already!" Love those kids

 

[DutchClutch]

Hello All!

New to this site (well, I have been reading, learning, first signed up yesterday) and I am in Wisco, too, Wausau area, although I've lived in Green Bay, Oshkosh and Madison areas, too.

Heading to a poultry clinic at the local feed mill this week to learn more!

Looking to start up our first coop with Orpingtons (blue black and splash) and maybe Delawares, too this spring. Do any of you raise/sell these? Other recommendations on where to get them? My kids will likely want to take them to the fair. Thank you!

 

[wyoDreamer]

Glarner..Cluck is a wonderful resource, but some things are pricey like the coops. if you can swing it great, but we built our own coop fairly reasonably. It is not insulated, but built sturdy. One of the coop builders for cluck is a high school student in our community... might be worth asking him directly if you or your hubs are not handy. We built ours and then decided out run was too small and added onto that after about a year. We let the chickens out when we are home, but there are too many predators to let ours free range on a regular basis. luckily our rooster does a good job keeping an eye out. with the nice weather last week we had the chickens out for a few hours and my daughter was trying to figure out why they were all moving quickly into the coop... I told her to look up to the two red tail hawks swooping around our yard...yup that would do it!

On a good note we have 12 hens and are getting 8-9 eggs a day. Hooray! better than the 4 we were getting most of winter. And the kids finally stumped dad... he was asking if we needed to dye eggs this year and both kids looked at him and said "why would we need to do that, we have beautiful eggs already!" Love those kids

One year I used blueberries, strawberries, spinach and onion peels to dye my Easter eggs. It was cool to see the colors that I could get and it was all natural so the fact that they were store bought eggs and some hairline cracking that showed up after dying them was not a problem.

I LOVE COLORING EASTER EGGS!
and yes, I am pushing 50 years old, lol.

 

[babylady4]

524 days.

The job search is OVER.

 

[jvls1942]

524 days.

The job search is OVER.

Whaaat ?? you mean you quit looking ??..

 

[jvls1942]

Quote: my DD Barby is pushing 50 too,,, April 13..