Poultry
- Thread starter Brent S
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My baby chicks might be a little spoiled. My grand-daughter's playhouse and panels from 2 $150 colossal dog crates to give them yard room too.
Very innovative use of materials!
Here's ours. Most is from a friend who was selling his house, so we adapted those materials, added our own, and came up with this. Mesh is 1/4" x 1/4", and there is no opening or gap in the coup bigger than that...so hopefully will keep out any possible predators. Biggest worry is snakes, but we made it to keep out cats and dogs, etc. too.
They are sitting on the nesting boxes, (8 openings). Inside, it's about 6' high, so we can walk around in it. This was taken just prior to getting the chickens, right after we finished it.
The building behind it is used for hay and feed storage for the horses (and usually the lawn mower, when we aren't boarding any horses). It's concrete, so we had to build up to the part of the building that is wood (starting around the top of the coup).
Looking at the pic, I really need to paint it! (dark brown to match the buildings)
Here's ours. Most is from a friend who was selling his house, so we adapted those materials, added our own, and came up with this. Mesh is 1/4" x 1/4", and there is no opening or gap in the coup bigger than that...so hopefully will keep out any possible predators. Biggest worry is snakes, but we made it to keep out cats and dogs, etc. too.
They are sitting on the nesting boxes, (8 openings). Inside, it's about 6' high, so we can walk around in it. This was taken just prior to getting the chickens, right after we finished it.
The building behind it is used for hay and feed storage for the horses (and usually the lawn mower, when we aren't boarding any horses). It's concrete, so we had to build up to the part of the building that is wood (starting around the top of the coup).
Looking at the pic, I really need to paint it! (dark brown to match the buildings)
Mine is only temporary. The big chickens have the run of the side yard with a coop at the end of it that is also fitted with panels from the same colossal dog crates. I'll shut the baby chickens in the playhouse at night for now. I may not keep them. Chickens seem to be a large expense for little return.
I let my Wife go out and shut the chickens up last night she came back in fast and said there is a Skunk in the chicken house . I took a .22 rifle and sure enough the skunk dug under and ran a hen off her nest she had been sitting over 2 weeks and he ate all the eggs that would have hatched in a few days . I shot him and had the bad job of getting rid of it . As he lay dying he let out that terrible skunk spray .
Wow, dug under it huh? Guess I could run some wire fencing down about a foot around it. Luckily, there's someone out there at least 3 times a day, so hopefully, we'd catch it before a critter got that far, but yikes. Good to know. We did sink the entire coup a couple of inches into the ground, but yeah, we'd need something all around it to prevent that.
Still clever. I'd love to let mine free range, but simply too many predators around here to get them. Including my own pets.
Still clever. I'd love to let mine free range, but simply too many predators around here to get them. Including my own pets.
Oh yeah, my son's Corgi would love to have some tender chicken nuggets for dinner. I definitely play musical animals here.
I had two more eggs hatch in the incubator this morning. I'm going to try and sneak them with my one brooder while she has young chicks with her. I didn't realize how important the imprinting of them with their mother is. I still have two chicks that are terrified of the other chickens, even after a couple weeks they are still having a rough time. The other chickens see this as a weakness and can attack them, so I have them in a separate cage inside the coop. I think if they were free range they could avoid the larger ones better, but it's not a good option here yet. Maybe after the yard is finished being fenced and a couple good outside dogs, but too many predators so far. I still have about five more eggs in the incubator but should have enough hens for a while now. I have 9 large hens, and 10 chicks, plus a few unhatched eggs, so I'm pretty good for now. I think I still have three young roosters in the freezer still too.
I took the two new hatchlings out to my brooder tonight. They ran right over to her and the other chicks! The two older chicks were milling around with the others for the first time finally as well. That makes 11 chicks in my new nursery area of the coop. I still have 5more eggs 'cooking' in the incubator, so I hope they hurry up so the others won't be too big to hurt them. It takes exactly 21 days for the chickens to hatch, but I didn't write the date on these eggs. I think there pretty close. I also figured out that the rooster ratio to hens is just about 50percent. So I'll have 5 or so more birds in the freezer before long.
Pastured eggs versus caged eggs:
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/tests-reveal-healthier-eggs.aspx#ixzz37JURsUuQ
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/tests-reveal-healthier-eggs.aspx#ixzz37JURsUuQ
Thanks, I had never read real numbers before, but I can look at my eggs and tell a huge difference. The shells are way thicker, and the yolk is much deeper yellow. I honestly can't taste a difference, but I certainly feel better about mine.
I as well love my hens dearly for not just for the eggs. They as did a nice touch to the farm yard. My ducks are kind of a I like them thing. A good friend of mine has ducks that lay eggs which we trade and they are delicious. So unless you're using the ducks for meat or eggs they're not really practical to just have around for no reason. They eat a lot of the feed. Also another kind of bird that is highly useful for weed control and bug control are guineas. I love mine greatly, hardly any nuisance bugs (ie. Ticks, Japanese beetles in the trespass and garden) they also a key a great warning system. If they don't know who is in the driveway or yard they are LOUD. Definitely don't want them in a town. Hopefully I can have helped anyone and I know I've learned from the other posts.
I just found this. It's a supplement for your chickens that will help them stay healthier. Makes sense to me.
http://www.littlehomesteaders.com/2014/07/garlic-oil-supplement-chickens/
http://www.littlehomesteaders.com/2014/07/garlic-oil-supplement-chickens/
It always depends on the type of duck, Psalm7, Muscovy ducks are best for meat rather than eggs. White Pekins have a very fluffy egg that's best for making cakes and breads. I've never eaten a scrambled or fried duck eggs, just used them in baking.
I'll have to do some Duck homework . I think the ones we got eggs from one time were scoveys or mallards . That was a long time ago and I had decided aginst duck eggs . I have a pond started and may get some ducks . The last time I tried to have turkey's they were very dark almost black turkeys and went wild and moved to a creek next to our yard and owls got them .
The Muscovys are considered a nuisance bird, but their meat is excellent. It's a red meat and when you cook up the breasts on the grill, people will ask you where you're hiding your cows. It tastes like a tender sirloin steak.
My Buckeye has finally started laying! I found a nest hidden in the back corner of the coop - she had hollowed out a spot and laid 4 eggs in it. When I found the 4 eggs, I didn't know which chicken had laid them. I brought those eggs in and did the water float test. All 4 eggs stayed in position on the bottom of the bowl. So I ate them. 
This afternoon, I walked outside and didn't see my Buckeye with the other 2 girls so I peeked in the coop and sure enough, she was hiding in the corner on her little nest. She didn't leave an egg behind, though. I guess she was just staying in practice.
Now, I know that free range eggs are much better for me than commercial eggs. I see that they have much thicker shells and darker yolks. They do taste different. I really do not like them hard-boiled and hard-boiled eggs have been a staple in my diet for a long time now. I sure hope my taste buds adjust because I can't buy eggs at the store anymore, just like I can't buy milk. The thought of either literally turns my stomach.
This afternoon, I walked outside and didn't see my Buckeye with the other 2 girls so I peeked in the coop and sure enough, she was hiding in the corner on her little nest. She didn't leave an egg behind, though. I guess she was just staying in practice.
Now, I know that free range eggs are much better for me than commercial eggs. I see that they have much thicker shells and darker yolks. They do taste different. I really do not like them hard-boiled and hard-boiled eggs have been a staple in my diet for a long time now. I sure hope my taste buds adjust because I can't buy eggs at the store anymore, just like I can't buy milk. The thought of either literally turns my stomach.
My neighbors would be very upset with me if I had a rooster. I have a total of 9 female chickens. Only 2 of them are laying and I have to say that it's super cool to go out and milk the goat in the morning and check for eggs and walk into the house carrying my perfect breakfast - a full glass of milk and 2 eggs. My chickens have a nice spacing in age, 2 are 8 months old, 1 is 6 months old, 2 are 3 1/2 months old, 3 are 2 months old and I have no idea what is going on with the 9th one. I got her at the same time as the 2 1/2 month olds but she still looks like a one month old. The youngest 4 were all the same size when I got them but this one just isn't growing. I'm wondering if she's some kind of miniature chicken mix instead of the Rhode Island Red she was supposed to be. The interesting thing is that she still sounds like a baby chick, too. When I grab her up and she starts calling, all of the other chickens come running. So I use her to get the rest of my chickens where I want them.
I know that hens start laying around 6 months of age and will lay consistently for 12 to 18 months. Then they moult and after that, laying slows down and can become very sporadic. With life as it is right now, I know I can buy more pullets and I probably will - about every 6 to 9 months I'll probably bring in a couple more. But if SHTF, a rooster will probably become a necessity. However, at that point, I will probably have plenty of hens to trade for a rooster.
I do plan on adding a couple of jars of pickled eggs to my food stores, but they aren't something I would choose to eat often so I won't go crazy with it. From what I understand, dehydrating eggs doesn't work very well, unless you mix something like polenta or grits with it. So I supposed I'll be sharing my fresh eggs with family, friends and neighbors once all of my chickens are producing.
I would be interested in hearing if anyone has any recipes for eggs that would be suitable for canning - perhaps an egg drop soup or other combination meals that could be canned?
I think that I'd still be pretty skeptical of any canned egg product. Like you, I'd rather just deal (post SHTF) with harvesting real eggs from real chickens vs. any kind of powdered eggs. In my house, five us, so we'll eat the eggs from our 8 hens. Post SHTF, even more mouths to feed, but hopefully by then, I'll have lots of canned garden veggies as well as multiple fruit trees, bushes, etc.
This morning I went out to let the chickens out and there were coon tracks all around the chicken house . He didn't get in but is trying to find away in . I will have to get some more gaurd dogs most of mine have past away from old age . Just having a dog around stops most preaditors from coming around . Several years ago I had a Mama coon bring her half grown youngsters and killed 18 one night and 22 the next night . I don't keep that many birds now that would just put me out of the chicken bussiness .
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When I had a coon problem, I put out those humane trap and baited it with cat food. Ended up catching 5 in a 2 week period.
I really haven't noticed a difference in taste or texture, but they sure look richer and have thicker shells. By the way the crushed shells are great to put around your tomatoes next year.My Buckeye has finally started laying! I found a nest hidden in the back corner of the coop - she had hollowed out a spot and laid 4 eggs in it. When I found the 4 eggs, I didn't know which chicken had laid them. I brought those eggs in and did the water float test. All 4 eggs stayed in position on the bottom of the bowl. So I ate them.
This afternoon, I walked outside and didn't see my Buckeye with the other 2 girls so I peeked in the coop and sure enough, she was hiding in the corner on her little nest. She didn't leave an egg behind, though. I guess she was just staying in practice.
Now, I know that free range eggs are much better for me than commercial eggs. I see that they have much thicker shells and darker yolks. They do taste different. I really do not like them hard-boiled and hard-boiled eggs have been a staple in my diet for a long time now. I sure hope my taste buds adjust because I can't buy eggs at the store anymore, just like I can't buy milk. The thought of either literally turns my stomach.
ever tried fried coon?
I think thats part of having birds, you are going to loose some once in a while. I'm almost ready to get a couple outside dogs to help soon, I'm almost done with the fencing.
