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We Have Chickens!
- Thread starter techres
- Start date
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Update on the chickens.
They are all feathered out, in their newly completed coop, and happy as little ...... chickens can be.
Made a feeder out of a 5 gallon bucket and a waterer too, works like a champ.
This.. is an excellent project and I think will be a great thing for our family.
They are all feathered out, in their newly completed coop, and happy as little ...... chickens can be.
Made a feeder out of a 5 gallon bucket and a waterer too, works like a champ.
This.. is an excellent project and I think will be a great thing for our family.
have you got pics of the waterer and feeder? i'd be interested in how you made them. thanks!
TECH......you inspired me. although i didn't go the chicken route just yet. i'm wetting my feet with ducks. picked up 3 8 week olds today at TSC. i have them all comfy in the basement until the weather breaks and then its on to the backyard to torment my golden retriever. i was too much a sissy to go chicken right off the bat so i thought i would start with just taking care of a pooping machine to see if i could survive. thanks for all the info, everyone! i'm feeling more confident after reading all of your wisdom. now i have to figure out a way to sneak a pig in town so i can have BACON and EGGS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
66chevelle
Expert
I would like more info on this waterer and pics please. I have tried to make 2 of these now and they either overflow or dont work worth a crap.
shooter521
Certified Glock Nut
Ducks are awesome; I had a couple as pets when I was a kid. I assume you got females? Once the eggs start coming, they will keep you and your neighbors and everyone else you know well supplied. Keep in mind that duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs (by about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 times, depending on breed) and their texture is quite different. We used them in baking and cooking, primarily, rather than eating them "straight".
We kept our ducklings inside in a large cardboard box with bedding area, food & water until they were old enough to jump out, then we put them outside in a fenced area with a duck house/coop to sleep in at night (more for protection against neighborhood dogs/cats/raccoons than anything else) and a kids' plastic pool for swimming. We had a mallard and a Pekin; both required little maintenance and were quite hardy.
Last edited:
shibumiseeker
Grandmaster
Coup? Coup d'etat? Are these chickens from South America?
Coup d'poulet. Chickens RULE!
shooter521
Certified Glock Nut
Been a lot of years since I've had 'em, and the memory fades. It's "different" is about all I can say. Not necessarily a bad thing, especially once you get used to it; kinda like eating bison vs. beef. I understand the taste varies a lot more from species to species. It should also be noted that duck eggs are higher in cholesterol, fat and protein than chicken eggs. Their cooked (scrambled or fried) texture is also much firmer and drier than that of a chicken egg.
bigiron, here's a link you might find useful:
Duck eggs: A primer | The New Agrarian
thanks shooter! i too had no idea that duck eggs were edible, although i assumed they were but hadn't looked into it. the ducks are fun so far but my wife is growing short on patience. i have them in the mechanical room of my basement in a large tub for now. they are still small and cannot get out of this tub but i fear them moving to the detached garage in the morning. my original deal with my wife was to raise them and then set them free at my fishing club, but i'm leaning toward keeping them around. i just hope its still not too cold for them, although i picked up a quality lamp for them today so they should stay toasty in the garage. it seems my daughter has come down with a little fever tonight and my wife is convinced she has gotten something from one of the ducklings. all that said, if i can keep them around for another couple of weeks i'll be lucky but i'm gonna fight like hell. its the birds or a new 1911, "which is it honey?". how exactly do you sex them. i have no clue as to what sex they are, my kids just picked the one they liked. my luck, i have three males who will eat my dog before its all over with. thanks again for the help!
I'm going to try and show some of my progress so far. I've still got a lot of finishing work on the outside run. My coop is a enclosed section of a minibarn
Before:
The small area in the lower right side is my dogs box/house area also in the barn. The bigger area on left is soon to turn into........
This:
Before I added the wood shavings i put down the "sticky back" vinyl tiles to help with cleaning. The nesting boxes are not finished yet either but they will go on the left side somewhere. Here is as good of a close up of my homemade feeder as I have, I'll have to get more pics of the feeder and waterer.
It's just a five gal bucket with slots big enough for them to stick their heads in for food. Funnel the food into an empty water jug from an office type water station. Cut a piece of 4" PVC about 5-6" long, with some V's. Turn the jug upside down and you've got the feeder. Sometimes it doesn't flow out real well but they've figured out quickly how to get it out.
I don't have a good picture of the waterer but it's the same idea. turn a jug of water upside down, set it into a 5-6" piece of PVC and have 1/4" (maybe little larger) holes drilled around the bottom of pvc instead of the V's like the feeder.
Here's the tricky part: The opening of the jug has the sit BELOW the level where you cut the holes for the chickens to stick their heads in!!!! Otherwise all the water will run out onto the floor
You might have to trim some of your 4" pvc to get the correct height. It took me 2 tries but the second design seems to be working. I'll post pics soon.
Here's a "work in progress" pic of the outside run. Whenever it's done I'll let ya know.
I'll be cutting a small door so they can come and go inside and out as they please. Hopefully someday, freerange around the yard.
Things I still Need:
Nest boxes
Screen Window for ventilation in coop
Ladder or walkway up to roost bars
Slanted piece of wood over food and water so they cant sit on it
Before:
The small area in the lower right side is my dogs box/house area also in the barn. The bigger area on left is soon to turn into........
This:
Before I added the wood shavings i put down the "sticky back" vinyl tiles to help with cleaning. The nesting boxes are not finished yet either but they will go on the left side somewhere. Here is as good of a close up of my homemade feeder as I have, I'll have to get more pics of the feeder and waterer.
It's just a five gal bucket with slots big enough for them to stick their heads in for food. Funnel the food into an empty water jug from an office type water station. Cut a piece of 4" PVC about 5-6" long, with some V's. Turn the jug upside down and you've got the feeder. Sometimes it doesn't flow out real well but they've figured out quickly how to get it out.
I don't have a good picture of the waterer but it's the same idea. turn a jug of water upside down, set it into a 5-6" piece of PVC and have 1/4" (maybe little larger) holes drilled around the bottom of pvc instead of the V's like the feeder.
Here's the tricky part: The opening of the jug has the sit BELOW the level where you cut the holes for the chickens to stick their heads in!!!! Otherwise all the water will run out onto the floor
You might have to trim some of your 4" pvc to get the correct height. It took me 2 tries but the second design seems to be working. I'll post pics soon.Here's a "work in progress" pic of the outside run. Whenever it's done I'll let ya know.
I'll be cutting a small door so they can come and go inside and out as they please. Hopefully someday, freerange around the yard.
Things I still Need:
Nest boxes
Screen Window for ventilation in coop
Ladder or walkway up to roost bars
Slanted piece of wood over food and water so they cant sit on it
If any of you other chicken farmers is interested in one/some we believe we have a/some roosters that were supposed to be hens. We are about 98% sure of one, it was supposed to be a golden laced wyandotte but we believe him to be a silver lace wyandotte. The other we are pretty sure of although wifey isn't sure she wants to be rid of it is a bantam Roo.
FYI: I have been quiet in this thread due to issues related to permits/chickens/and the people's republic of Bloomington. I will say more later. Enough to say, my wife is beginning to understand why I slid libertarian and would rather live in the county.
evansvillethompsongunner
Shooter
- Oct 29, 2009
- 2,434
- 36
FYI: I have been quiet in this thread due to issues related to permits/chickens/and the people's republic of Bloomington. I will say more later. Enough to say, my wife is beginning to understand why I slid libertarian and would rather live in the county.
You asked for permission instead of forgiveness, didn't you?
Bad TechRes! Bad! You know better!
You asked for permission instead of forgiveness, didn't you?
Bad TechRes! Bad! You know better!
Not I.
I said: Let's just live like free people.
She said: No, let's do this the right way.
I said:
Then it went down hill...
Not I.
I said: Let's just live like free people.
She said: No, let's do this the right way.
I said:
Then it went down hill...
TECH: NEVER, EVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT EVEN LIFE OR DEATH, NEVER, I SAY AGAIN, NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE. my wife told me not to buy ducks but i agree with the ETG, ask for forgiveness, even with the wife.
shooter521
Certified Glock Nut
First, buy them a drink...
Seriously, though; it's pretty much the same as for chickens:
YouTube - Dirty Jobs: Mike Rowe
The place we bought our pekin from did the sexing, so we knew it was a female. The mallard, we figured out when he got his adult feathers.
TECH: NEVER, EVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT EVEN LIFE OR DEATH, NEVER, I SAY AGAIN, NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE. my wife told me not to buy ducks but i agree with the ETG, ask for forgiveness, even with the wife.
The marital question, as we all know, is "do I want to die a horrible slow death on this particular hill?"
And in this case I actually had the alternate question, "Should I let my wife run into the bandsaw of regulation in order to teach her a libertarian lesson?"
I told her to do what she wanted and that it was her deal. She did it her way and has now openly said that she kinda wishes that she had not said anything to anyone.
So, if we lose the chicks I will have my lesson. If we keep the chicks, after all the BS and more BS and more BS, I will still have my lesson and I get the chicks too.
So, in the end:
1. Not bleeding out on marital hill.
2. Huge lesson to be quoted in future martial & political "discussions".
I kinda win either way.
But the chicks may not survive the ordeal.
[Marriage: It's about long term battle strategy even though you know she will be at your funeral.]
RockCreekRelics
Marksman
- Sep 15, 2009
- 154
- 16
Hello all!!! I read quickly through the pages and saw that there are many questions regarding raising chickens. I have been raising chickens for several years now and hatch and sell about a thousand or so birds a year. Although it's late and I cant answer everything right now I thought that I would try to help with some of the questions and try to also address some things that I have not seen mentioned here but I think have some value . The following are just things that I have learned over the years with my own flock(s).
1.) Hens do not need the company of a rooster to lay eggs. I have found that it is beneficial for overall flock health if a rooster is present though and he will also provide some security against small predators if they are not kept in a coop full time. I always have roosters around my hens.
2.) A laying hen will be at peak laying stage from year 1 through year 3. After that egg production will slowly begin to decline. Either butcher or sell the hens that are beyond that age. Older hens will not be worth the feed to egg/meat ratio that younger hens are. If butchered they will have to be slow cooked ( i.e. Crock Pot) to be tender enough to be worth eating. Same with older roosters. Still very tasty though. All that being said I still keep a few of my favorite old hens and roosters around to live out their golden years in peace. Hey personality goes a long way LOL!!!
3.) Most modern breeds of chickens have had the natural instinct to to sit on a nest bred out of them so do not expect them to hatch thier own young. Especially those bought as chicks from a hatchery. There are a few exceptions to this but don't be surprised to see them sit on a nest for an hour or two and then leave it for something more interesting. I would STRONGLY suggest buying an incubator from Rural King or somewhere like that to keep your supply of young hens coming and replace older ones each year. They are about a hundred bucks I think ...maybe less but well worth the money.You will be able to hatch a LOT of chicks over the course of a year and it will pay for itself in no time. It is also very easy to do and only takes about 21 days to hatch each run.
4.) Most breeds will naturally drop in egg production in the colder months. This has nothing to do with temperature. It is actually because of the decline in daylight hours. If you wish to have eggs year 'round simply provide supplemental light to make up the difference. They need about 14 hours or so of light total ( including the natural daylight). A standard 40-60 watt bulb in the coop will do if set on a cheap timer from Wal-Mart or anywhere for that matter. Be sure to set the timer to come on in the early morning hours so that when it turns the light off there is daylight for the hens. If turned off in the evening the hens will be left standing in the dark suddenly in the middle of the coop unsure of where there roost is.
5.) A chicken will take between 8-16 weeks to reach maturity. The Cornish Cross breeds will be ready to butcher in eight weeks. They are good meat birds but worthless otherwise. They are bred to grow at amazing rates and become so overweight and lazy that they will sit in front of the feeder all day and eat. They will forage absolutely zero for themselves and many die of heart failure from being so overweight. Not a good bird to raise from a survival standpoint. Most other breeds take about 16 weeks to begin to lay and become a good size for butchering. They are also very good at foraging for thier own food during the warmer months.
6.) I always recommend a good dual purpose breed for the average family. I like Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks. These common breeds are good layers of lots of brown eggs (about 180-200 per year/per hen) and still have a large enough frame to provide a good amount of meat if needed.
7.) A chicken coop does not need to be made of expensive materials. Anything that gives them shelter from wind,sun,and rain is fine. They are tough enough to handle the cold providing they have shelter from wind. I would suggest a deep litter bedding if confined to a coop. You can make it from grass or leaves or any type of material that you would usually throw in a compost pile. The deeper the better. I believe the deep litter makes for a much healthier flock than bare ground and also keeps the area smelling clean. A thick layer of leaves and grass will be turned into the finest compost you have ever seen and the birds will get a lot of nutrition from the earthworms and insects that will inhabit the bedding.
I will try to keep up with this thread and add more later. Time for some sleep lol. Feel free to PM me with questions that I haven't answered yet. I would be glad to help.
1.) Hens do not need the company of a rooster to lay eggs. I have found that it is beneficial for overall flock health if a rooster is present though and he will also provide some security against small predators if they are not kept in a coop full time. I always have roosters around my hens.
2.) A laying hen will be at peak laying stage from year 1 through year 3. After that egg production will slowly begin to decline. Either butcher or sell the hens that are beyond that age. Older hens will not be worth the feed to egg/meat ratio that younger hens are. If butchered they will have to be slow cooked ( i.e. Crock Pot) to be tender enough to be worth eating. Same with older roosters. Still very tasty though. All that being said I still keep a few of my favorite old hens and roosters around to live out their golden years in peace. Hey personality goes a long way LOL!!!
3.) Most modern breeds of chickens have had the natural instinct to to sit on a nest bred out of them so do not expect them to hatch thier own young. Especially those bought as chicks from a hatchery. There are a few exceptions to this but don't be surprised to see them sit on a nest for an hour or two and then leave it for something more interesting. I would STRONGLY suggest buying an incubator from Rural King or somewhere like that to keep your supply of young hens coming and replace older ones each year. They are about a hundred bucks I think ...maybe less but well worth the money.You will be able to hatch a LOT of chicks over the course of a year and it will pay for itself in no time. It is also very easy to do and only takes about 21 days to hatch each run.
4.) Most breeds will naturally drop in egg production in the colder months. This has nothing to do with temperature. It is actually because of the decline in daylight hours. If you wish to have eggs year 'round simply provide supplemental light to make up the difference. They need about 14 hours or so of light total ( including the natural daylight). A standard 40-60 watt bulb in the coop will do if set on a cheap timer from Wal-Mart or anywhere for that matter. Be sure to set the timer to come on in the early morning hours so that when it turns the light off there is daylight for the hens. If turned off in the evening the hens will be left standing in the dark suddenly in the middle of the coop unsure of where there roost is.
5.) A chicken will take between 8-16 weeks to reach maturity. The Cornish Cross breeds will be ready to butcher in eight weeks. They are good meat birds but worthless otherwise. They are bred to grow at amazing rates and become so overweight and lazy that they will sit in front of the feeder all day and eat. They will forage absolutely zero for themselves and many die of heart failure from being so overweight. Not a good bird to raise from a survival standpoint. Most other breeds take about 16 weeks to begin to lay and become a good size for butchering. They are also very good at foraging for thier own food during the warmer months.
6.) I always recommend a good dual purpose breed for the average family. I like Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks. These common breeds are good layers of lots of brown eggs (about 180-200 per year/per hen) and still have a large enough frame to provide a good amount of meat if needed.
7.) A chicken coop does not need to be made of expensive materials. Anything that gives them shelter from wind,sun,and rain is fine. They are tough enough to handle the cold providing they have shelter from wind. I would suggest a deep litter bedding if confined to a coop. You can make it from grass or leaves or any type of material that you would usually throw in a compost pile. The deeper the better. I believe the deep litter makes for a much healthier flock than bare ground and also keeps the area smelling clean. A thick layer of leaves and grass will be turned into the finest compost you have ever seen and the birds will get a lot of nutrition from the earthworms and insects that will inhabit the bedding.
I will try to keep up with this thread and add more later. Time for some sleep lol. Feel free to PM me with questions that I haven't answered yet. I would be glad to help.
