Author Topic: Chickens went to freezer camp Update (Read 3746 times)

burntmuch · « **on:** April 02, 2010, 10:15:37 AM »

Just picked up 10 cornish rock chicks :meat in a couple mths & 3 chicks for laying eggs. Dont know much about raising no chickens. gonna do some more reading. Figured it would be a good learning experience for the family. Gotta get working on a coop next week.

Dee · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2010, 10:31:32 AM »

I've been thinkin about gettin some more chickens. I raised them for a hobby, eggs, and meat for years when I was a kid. I would let them out in the yard during the day, and they kept the bugs at bay. Now they call them "free range chickens"

. Back then, and now, I called'em BREAKFAST & DINNER.

burntmuch · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2010, 10:37:58 AM »

Im hoping to let them free range as much as possible ,but I still gotta have a pen. With my 24 hour work shifts. I gotta be able to pen them up

Dee · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2010, 10:43:37 AM »

I don't know where you live, but where I live, if you don't pen'em at night, a coyote, bobcat, coon, or gray fox will help their selves.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2010, 10:57:53 AM »

We have about 25 laying hens and one rooster, you dont really need a rooster unless ya want chicks.

Your problem will be Hawks, coons and DOGS/coyotes. Be prepared to shoot dogs!Ours run free during the day, when we are there. I built ccops and runs for em that i can move around caise anywhere a chicken is fenced in, is dirt/mud. they will destroy the grass in a small pen. Your coup needs to have no bottom or a tray under the roost that you can clean the fertilizer with. We average a dozen eggs a daywhen they are laying well. it drops off in winter.

My favorite hen is a Barred rock(the speckled ones) They have a good nature and dont make a lot of noise.

Dee · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2010, 11:52:48 AM »

I have heard of the portable coups. Do you have pics of them? That sounds like the way to go. When l had chickens my coop was in a corner of a barn.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2010, 12:26:21 PM »

I'LL take some and post em Dee, I built em on skids so I can slide em with the tractor. They are 4x8 about 4 ft high with a pitch roof and the bottoms slide out for cleaning. (my favorite part). the runs are 16 ft x 8 ft with chicken wire tops and tarps for shade/rain.

Dee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2010, 01:29:19 PM »

I have been plannin one in my head for some time using old lawn mower wheels at one end. That way you simply pick up the light end, and walk with it a few feet. The enclosure will have a lift up roof, for egg gathering, that's where the majority of the weight will be.

burntmuch · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2010, 01:53:02 PM »

Those are called chicken tractors. I may look into building one of those in the future. I see hawks being my number one preditor. The pens gonna have a fenced roof. over all of it & shingles over part of it. Next week. for now they seem to be happy under the lamp.

Dee · « **Reply #9 on:** April 02, 2010, 03:26:49 PM »

Yea, I think that's the way to go. I'm gonna build one BEFORE I get my chickens and that'll make momma happy. I hope. $:-\$

burntmuch · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2010, 09:23:52 AM »

Old shooter My coop will have a bottom that can be slid out. I plan on 6 laying hens year round then an additional 10 meat birds twice a year. Right now Ive got the cornish rock for meat & 3 ISA Browns for laying. Im gonna pick up 3 mor ISA Browns. Do you think it would be better to get 3 more chicks or 3 more 0ne year olds. I found a farmer thats has a bunch of one year olds & she wants to get rid of a couple. Ive read { really the only chicken knowledge I have right now} that Adult hens may help with the chicks. Also With that many chickens ,how big should my coop be? So far The kids & I are really enjoying this.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2010, 04:04:26 PM »

Chickens have a pecking order(where the term came from i think). If you put in chicks with adult hens or pullets, some will give em a hard time. Depending on their individual nature. Even the 1 year olds will have to defend them selves a bit, But they will be allright just will have to make it or break it on their own. We determined that we needed 3 sq. ft for each hen in a coop and 10 sq ft per hen in a run/pen.

Young chicks will take about 5 months to start laying, so you may be better off with the older pullets. like I said before they will fall of laying in the winter, its the time of daylight that is the factor. A pullet will lay an egg about very 24 to 30 hours,When there is more daylight.

We have been Tx chicken ranchers

for 4 yrs now and we learn every day! Our grandchildren love to care for them and throw feed and gather eggs. We have some experience with feeders waters and such so if I can be of assistance let me know.

burntmuch · « **Reply #12 on:** April 05, 2010, 11:43:43 AM »

Oldshooter thanks for the info. Im sure I ll have some questions in a couple weeks. Right now the chicks are pretty happy just eating & sleeping under the lamp. Jay

Ultra_Hunter · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2010, 09:42:48 AM »

Check out backyardchickens.com. No plans that I have found but a lot of ideas.

Ultra_Hunter

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2010, 09:47:23 AM »

Those 10X10 X 6 foot tall dog kennels work great for a chicken pen . And they work on ticks in a yard also.

Couger · « **Reply #15 on:** April 26, 2010, 07:24:25 PM »

Quote from: burntmuch

Those are called chicken tractors. I may look into building one of those in the future. I see hawks being my number one preditor. The pens gonna have a fenced roof. over all of it & shingles over part of it. Next week. for now they seem to be happy under the lamp.

Don't overlook owls ..... too!

burntmuch · « **Reply #16 on:** April 27, 2010, 06:48:23 AM »

Chickens are doing good. . Ive got them in the coop & the attached pen is done. I get them in the yard as much as possible. Its only been a mth but so far the family is really enjoying it. Another 4 wks & the cornish rocks will go to freezer camp.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #17 on:** April 27, 2010, 09:10:42 AM »

Quote

cornish rocks will go to freezer camp.

Yea the Family will just love that!

When i told my kids(all grown) the names of my wifes chickens (roosters) were Gumbo, dumplins and stir fry! It was on !

They said that they wouldn't come eat at our house anymore! You can bet that upset me to no end!

They did come and eat the (rooster) gumbo then we broke the news about "who" was in it.

Ron 1 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 27, 2010, 09:19:46 AM »

My ol' ladies chickens are all goofy looking, but protected by Mossburg and Marlin.

FourBee · « **Reply #19 on:** April 27, 2010, 09:45:41 AM »

Oldshooter; I gotta see your set-up, sounds great. I found that the best color on a chicken is white. Most daylight predators, hawks and coyotes tend to neglect them. At night, any opening in the coup is a welcome mat to all predators.

Recently a couple of my Bantams hatched out some chicks. They run free and roost in my barn, but with a clutch of chicks they'll stay on the ground and a cat , fox , coyote can clean up on them easily. Well I found where one was hiding and during the day set a small dog tote box near her spot. After sunset I went to the barn and picked her and the chicks up and put her in the box and closed the door. Next night she was in the box. Then the second hen hatched out, and lo and behold I couldn't find her anywhere. But when I looked into the dog box to make sure hen #1 was safe before I shut the door, there was #2 in the box also. Every night they're all in the box together . Smart chickens I'd say.

zeke08 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 30, 2010, 12:18:01 AM »

What kinda scratch/feed is best for laying hens? Which have the best disposition I have a 3 year old son that thinks he has to help daddy with everything so i would like em to be as gentle as possible! Thanks for any advise.

FourBee · « **Reply #21 on:** April 30, 2010, 03:57:07 AM »

Quote from: zeke08 on April 30, 2010, 12:18:01 AM

What kinda scratch/feed is best for laying hens? Which have the best disposition I have a 3 year old son that thinks he has to help daddy with everything so i would like em to be as gentle as possible! Thanks for any advise.

A pelleted laying ration is best. They make good use of many grains. I use chops (Chopped Corn). For children, the Heavy Breeds are not generally mean unless teased. You don't need roosters to have eggs. Any breed can have an occasional agressive rooster which can be dangerous for little children.

burntmuch · « **Reply #22 on:** April 30, 2010, 04:19:53 AM »

Zeke your boy will love chickens. My 2 y/o ""helps"" me alot with the chickens. Right now Im still feeding them the chick food. I heat the house with a corn burner, so Ive always got at least a couple hundred lbs of corn. Im gonna try & grind some up for scratch. The Isa browns are still a couple mths from laying. So I ll have to switch over to different food then. Oldshooter, My 9 y/o girls were told from the start the purpose of the cornish rocks from the start, .But you know how that goes

.

zeke08 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 01, 2010, 07:39:13 AM »

Thank ya'll so Much! I'm just afraid that my son will try to "Hug" the chickens last time he hugged the cat he almost "broke it" he does not have a gentle bone in his body and after using my retired police K-9 as his play partner he thinks all animals love to be rough.................I see a future problem here lol Again thanks for the advice cant wait to see his reaction!

blind ear · « **Reply #24 on:** May 02, 2010, 05:36:16 AM »

The chickens are sure fun to watch and learn from. They make different sounds with a broad range of meanings. They have one sound for a Hawk and another for ground preadators. A roundup call for chicks. Laying cackles. I've got food and others. Better than TV if you have a comfprtable rocking chair in the shade.

burntmuch · « **Reply #25 on:** May 02, 2010, 07:58:32 AM »

Thats one of the benefits Im getting already. Sitting in a lawn chair with a cup of coffee, watching the boy chase the chickens. Good way to start my day off.

Fourbee. Is that all you feed your chickens is chopped corn, or do you mix it with something else.

FourBee · « **Reply #26 on:** May 02, 2010, 11:06:44 AM »

Quote from: burntmuch on May 02, 2010, 07:58:32 AM

Thats one of the benefits Im getting already. Sitting in a lawn chair with a cup of coffee, watching the boy chase the chickens. Good way to start my day off.

Fourbee. Is that all you feed your chickens is chopped corn, or do you mix it with something else.

Yes they get a scoop full of chops a day, but all I have now are Bantams, and they run free and stay around the Barn where I feed my livestock, so they pick up all the spilled feed etc. Looked out the kitchen window early this morning and saw a fox run out of the barn. Everything was ok this time.

mrloring · « **Reply #27 on:** May 06, 2010, 08:55:47 PM »

I have five one year old Golden Comets. Chickens can and will eat darn near anything. I feed my girls most of my table scraps.

Pumpkins were a big hit last fall. We had a few that were not carved so I quartered them and threw them in. The next day just the outer skin remained.

My tractor has wheelbarrow tires on the coop end and skids on the other. My backyard is a hill so I push it downhill every two days and when it gets to the end of the yard I pull it back up the hill with my lawn tractor. If left in one spot for more than two days the grass really takes a beating.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #28 on:** May 07, 2010, 08:57:08 AM »

watermelon is a big hit as well. a freshly eaten melon is just right for a melon party for the girls!

Scibaer · « **Reply #29 on:** May 08, 2010, 09:08:54 AM »

There is some good information about raising chickens on the mother earth news website too
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/2003-02-01/Eggs-Travaganza.aspx