Chicken addition

[Doewhacker]

50 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

was going to do meaties and turkeys this year but decided to do one thing at a time so I didn’t overwhelm myself. Next winter I’m going to build some pasture pens for meat birds and invest in butchering equipment to do it the right way. I don’t like to half ass stuff so I didn’t want to jump into this year.

 Meat birds are at least ten times as stinky as hens, we did @18 the first year and went from there. I built a plucker from looking on the internet and a chicken tractor out of pvc and netting. 

[Doewhacker]

4 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

 

Gotta love hay! Had to do the same thing this winter to keep the run dry. With all the freeze/thaw this winter I had a river running through the run at once point. Had to dig a trench to divert some water plus lay down a few bales. Works like a charm!

 

Ha same here, I was adding trenching yesterday. I must have a few hundred feet in different spots by now. We live in a wet area at he bottom of a gentle slope and my main trench runs like a river in the spring. 

[Doewhacker]

36 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

The plan is to slowly grow this place into a fully functional diverse farm.

Same here, I think we are getting into goats next to make milk, cheese and soaps and sell some for meat and a sheep or two also. 

We started three years ago with a few hens and now we have four coops and runs and more meat birds each summer. We love it. 

[Adkhunter1590]

Same here, I think we are getting into goats next to make milk, cheese and soaps and sell some for meat and a sheep or two also. 
We started three years ago with a few hens and now we have four coops and runs and more meat birds each summer. We love it. 

Very nice! Sounds like a whole lot of fun right there! I really wanted to get meat birds this year but I figured if I built this pasture coop the way I wanted it would cost me a small fortune. Which is turning out to be true haha. So I figured I’d wait another year. I’m real excited about it though. It will probably take me all next winter to design pens for them like it did with this pasture coop. I tend to over think stuff and I hate having to redo stuff after it’s already done and I realize I didn’t do it right. The coop I have my smaller layer flock in right now has gone through at least a dozen design changes in the past 3 years so I learned a lot through that. Hoping if I study enough meat bird pen designs I can knock it out of the park on the first shot. Not to mention I looked into the butchering equipment and that alone will set me back close to $1500-2000 for decent stuff. Rome wasn’t built in a day I keep telling myself. Though it’s been hard not to come home with a few dozen Cornish crosses from TSC everytime I go down there. Especially when they mark them down to half off!

My wife wants to get into raising pigs next. My neighbors wife also wants pigs so the two of them are telling us we need to finish up our projects and get to work on pig pens. I’ve warned here a dozen times that these pigs won’t be pets they will end up at the butcher in 6 months or so. She tells me she’s alright with that but idk if she’s being honest lol. My next big venture I think will be a few beef cows. That’s what my neighbor farms primarily so I’ve got a lot of help through him for that right off the bat. Maybe next year but I’m thinking most likely the year after we will dive into that venture. Will have to see how it all shakes out.

[grampy]

Really nice work!  Got a couple old hay wagons. Maybe we can build a mobile deer blind on one, after seeing how your coop turned out, that's the first thing that popped into my head. Good stuff here, with all the ideas!

[Doewhacker]

31 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

 

Very nice! Sounds like a whole lot of fun right there! I really wanted to get meat birds this year but I figured if I built this pasture coop the way I wanted it would cost me a small fortune. Which is turning out to be true haha. So I figured I’d wait another year. I’m real excited about it though. It will probably take me all next winter to design pens for them like it did with this pasture coop. I tend to over think stuff and I hate having to redo stuff after it’s already done and I realize I didn’t do it right. The coop I have my smaller layer flock in right now has gone through at least a dozen design changes in the past 3 years so I learned a lot through that. Hoping if I study enough meat bird pen designs I can knock it out of the park on the first shot. Not to mention I looked into the butchering equipment and that alone will set me back close to $1500-2000 for decent stuff. Rome wasn’t built in a day I keep telling myself. Though it’s been hard not to come home with a few dozen Cornish crosses from TSC everytime I go down there. Especially when they mark them down to half off!

My wife wants to get into raising pigs next. My neighbors wife also wants pigs so the two of them are telling us we need to finish up our projects and get to work on pig pens. I’ve warned here a dozen times that these pigs won’t be pets they will end up at the butcher in 6 months or so. She tells me she’s alright with that but idk if she’s being honest lol. My next big venture I think will be a few beef cows. That’s what my neighbor farms primarily so I’ve got a lot of help through him for that right off the bat. Maybe next year but I’m thinking most likely the year after we will dive into that venture. Will have to see how it all shakes out.

 

When you are ready for meat birds I recommend finding a hatchery because they are way cheaper than TSC even with their sale and you will know for certain when they were hatched. Plus they seem to be healthier. Here’s a link with prices, 

http://www.neppahatchery.net/Products.html

They don’t need much for shelter which is nice, basically just some shade and the basics and they are good. 

We use a place out of Fort Plain in the Amish area, they let us order X amount and we can pick them up in batches so we don’t have to butcher all of them at once. 

We contemplated pigs but they will rut up the land and make a mess and they like to escape. The last thing I want to do is round up a big fat angry pig. 

[Adkhunter1590]

Really nice work!  Got a couple old hay wagons. Maybe we can build a mobile deer blind on one, after seeing how your coop turned out, that's the first thing that popped into my head. Good stuff here, with all the ideas!

These wagon running gear would work perfect for mobile deer blinds! I actually mentioned that to my neighbor the other week when we first started this project lol. I’m keeping my eye out for another set of running gear for cheap. Problem is a lot of people think they are made of gold and want a fortune for them. I wasn’t having much luck on Craigslist this winter, thankfully my neighbor saw a set down at Jack Millers New Holland in schoharie and he was able to get me a good deal on it. But if you already have a few wagons laying around it wouldn’t take much to turn them into blinds.

[Adkhunter1590]

When you are ready for meat birds I recommend finding a hatchery because they are way cheaper than TSC even with their sale and you will know for certain when they were hatched. Plus they seem to be healthier. Here’s a link with prices, 
http://www.neppahatchery.net/Products.html
They don’t need much for shelter which is nice, basically just some shade and the basics and they are good. 
We use a place out of Fort Plain in the Amish area, they let us order X amount and we can pick them up in batches so we don’t have to butcher all of them at once. 
We contemplated pigs but they will rut up the land and make a mess and they like to escape. The last thing I want to do is round up a big fat angry pig. 

Dang they are cheap! I actually came across that place awhile back now that I see the website again. I totally forgot all about them. I should have just got my red sex links from there. Dang. O well next time!

I agree TSC can have some questionable healthy chicks. I try to buy them the day they come in. I think all the ones I bought this year were only in the store for a couple hours before I picked them up. I called around starting in February almost every day asking if they got them in yet so I could pick them up right away. I’ll definitely use that hatchery for my broilers next year, thanks for that!

Haha ya I’ve heard some horror stories with pigs. I’m not all that sure that we will get into them this year or ever. I’m trying to talk my wife out of it for the time being. She’s been talking about starting a big veggie garden the last week or so, maybe I can steer her towards focusing on that and she might forget about the pigs for now haha🤣.

[DirtTime]

New coup is looking good. Great work.

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[Adkhunter1590]

Made some more progress today. Got the end walls framed up and the roof rafters up. But of course I ran out of nails before getting the rafters nailed down . Have to hit up the local lumber yard in the AM for more nails to finish the roof frame but after that all the framing is done. Might put the door in tomorrow as well. Next up is the metal roof panels and windows, then onto the board and batten siding. It’s coming together slowly but surely!

[Pygmy]

Nice job....And in the off season you could rent it out to two or three families of Mexicans...

[Adkhunter1590]

Framing is officially done! My arms are sore as can be haha. I’m investing in a framing nail gun for the next one of these we build!





Now onto the metal roofing, windows and siding. Can’t wait to finish this up, it’s going to look really good I think. I guess my neighbor has had some people ask him if we could build one for them. Will have to wait until it’s all done so I can tally up what this has all cost me. It’s not going to be cheap I know that much haha

[b3h]

I'm thinkin snakes can get up thru that catwalk



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[Pygmy]

3 minutes ago, b3h said:

I'm thinkin snakes can get up thru that catwalk



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I have never seen a chicken coop that snakes COULD'NT get into...

Never considered it an issue....<<<smile>>.....

[Adkhunter1590]

Snakes? This ain’t the Amazon lol

[Pygmy]

5 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

Snakes? This ain’t the Amazon lol

Hehehehe...Besides that, if a snake got in and ate a chicken or an egg, he wouldn't be able to get back OUT....

Then ADK could chop him up and use him for chicken feed...Hehehe...

[Adkhunter1590]

Hehehehe...Besides that, if a snake got in and ate a chicken or an egg, he wouldn't be able to get back OUT....
Then ADK could chop him up and use him for chicken feed...Hehehe...

Lol true story. I’ve lost a lot of chickens over the last 4 years to all sorts of things but never seen a snake kill a chicken. I’ve watched my chickens gang up and kill garden snakes a dozen times though. I don’t think my chickens need to fear any snakes, they have a better chance of getting hit by me on the 4 wheeler lol. Wife still doesn’t know how that one met it’s maker so shhhh don’t tell her I ran it over! Lol

[Adkhunter1590]

Well this weather totally sucks for trying to get any work done on this coop. Add on 82 hour work week and it’s even more challenging. . I forwent sleep Friday to go pick up the siding only to get there and find out the guy miscounted and was 45 boards short. Now waiting on him to mill more sometime this week for me so I can finish up the siding. Did manage to get the windows in and got the boards up on the end walls. Started on the front side to get the spacing all figured out for around the windows and such. Will do the battens last once everything is the way it needs to be and we confirm nothing needs to be adjusted. Roofing will be picked up this week also so that should be done by the weekend. We need some nicer weather, sure would help speed this build up a bit!




Still trying to decide on which automatic door I want to put in this thing. The more reviews and stuff I read online the more I can’t decide haha. I figured I’d give myself another week to decide before ordering. Nipples for water system were ordered and I’ll get to work on that once the structure is all done and I can tow it back to my driveway so I can tinker with it without being in my neighbors way. Wife’s friends husband will be coming over around then to help me get a solar charged electric system hooked up so I can put in a couple lights inside and one or two outside as well.

[NYBowhunter]

11 hours ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

Well this weather totally sucks for trying to get any work done on this coop. Add on 82 hour work week and it’s even more challenging. . I forwent sleep Friday to go pick up the siding only to get there and find out the guy miscounted and was 45 boards short. Now waiting on him to mill more sometime this week for me so I can finish up the siding. Did manage to get the windows in and got the boards up on the end walls. Started on the front side to get the spacing all figured out for around the windows and such. Will do the battens last once everything is the way it needs to be and we confirm nothing needs to be adjusted. Roofing will be picked up this week also so that should be done by the weekend. We need some nicer weather, sure would help speed this build up a bit!




Still trying to decide on which automatic door I want to put in this thing. The more reviews and stuff I read online the more I can’t decide haha. I figured I’d give myself another week to decide before ordering. Nipples for water system were ordered and I’ll get to work on that once the structure is all done and I can tow it back to my driveway so I can tinker with it without being in my neighbors way. Wife’s friends husband will be coming over around then to help me get a solar charged electric system hooked up so I can put in a couple lights inside and one or two outside as well.

Awesome, when can i move in..lol..?  Thats the Ritz hotel for chickens!!!! With a coop that fancy and comfy  those chicks are gonna produce like crazy. Those are some lucky chickens. Great job!!!

[Adkhunter1590]

Awesome, when can i move in..lol..?  Thats the Ritz hotel for chickens!!!! With a coop that fancy and comfy  those chicks are gonna produce like crazy. Those are some lucky chickens. Great job!!!

Haha thank you! Making them comfy and happy was our biggest goal here. Happy hens produce the most and since we are trying to make a business out of this, figured we had to go all out and make this coop as nice as possible. I also believe appearances make a big difference when people want to buy things. Customers will be welcome and encouraged to visit the farm to see where their eggs come from. I’ve seen plenty of other coops around the area that are just terrible looking and the conditions the birds are subjected to doesn’t make me want to buy anything from them. Same goes for other livestock. Our coop will be moved around to different fields and will be extremely visible from the roads. The same guy who’s going to help me electrify this coop makes custom wooden signs also. He’s going to make us a nice sign to put on the coop so there will be no question who owns this thing and hopefully will become a local symbol of the freshest and cleanest eggs in the area!

[NYBowhunter]

7 minutes ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

 

 

Haha thank you! Making them comfy and happy was our biggest goal here. Happy hens produce the most and since we are trying to make a business out of this, figured we had to go all out and make this coop as nice as possible. I also believe appearances make a big difference when people want to buy things. Customers will be welcome and encouraged to visit the farm to see where their eggs come from. I’ve seen plenty of other coops around the area that are just terrible looking and the conditions the birds are subjected to doesn’t make me want to buy anything from them. Same goes for other livestock. Our coop will be moved around to different fields and will be extremely visible from the roads. The same guy who’s going to help me electrify this coop makes custom wooden signs also. He’s going to make us a nice sign to put on the coop so there will be no question who owns this thing and hopefully will become a local symbol of the freshest and cleanest eggs in the area!

 

 

Makes total sense. Think you can roll that thing into Brooklyn, i'd buy eggs from you everyday!!!

[Adkhunter1590]

Makes total sense. Think you can roll that thing into Brooklyn, i'd buy eggs from you everyday!!!

Haha well that might be a pretty long haul but the next time I visit the city I will PM you and I can bring down a bunch of eggs for ya! Or if you ever venture north towards Albany let me know and I can stock you up!

[Steve D]

https://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/d/mobile-chicken-coop/6542036248.html

 

[dbHunterNY]

i'm probably good i have a couple friends with laying hens and three of my cousins in the area also have them. this is interesting though. i don't really know of anyone doing the mobile setup.  my great great grandfather and great grandfather. had a chicken farm. three stories of birds in a barn. not sure how many at one time but it was a lot.

[Adkhunter1590]

https://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/d/mobile-chicken-coop/6542036248.html
 

Looks like a over cramped fire hazard on wheels right there lol. A lot of things about that build tells me they don’t know a lot about chickens. Looks to be enough room for about 4 chickens in there if you were to follow the guidelines on sq footage per bird. That guy should of made it longer and gave up the small run because it’s not nearly enough to even be worth the trouble of building it. All those heat lamps in there is inviting a fire, and disease. The only time I use heat lamps is for chicks, once they fully feather they will never see another heat lamp.