Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6826971
04/02/20 12:02 PM
04/02/20 12:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,926 Central, SD
Law Dog
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,926
Central, SD
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DD that coop has a ton of history to it very cool keeping it real I love it.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6826984
04/02/20 12:15 PM
04/02/20 12:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,086 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,086
SEPA
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That is awesome Ditchdiver!
Eh...wot?
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6826994
04/02/20 12:27 PM
04/02/20 12:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,143 So. IL
pintail_drake04
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,143
So. IL
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As stated before, plan bigger than what you think you need. I have my coop on a poured slab, it makes for easy cleaning. I use the deep litter method which allows me to only clean the coop 2x a year. I but 5 bales of pine shavings on the concrete floor, then add organic matter every week or so (hay, pine needles, etc) chickens scratch it up into a fine dust. my coop is 8x12 with an attached 600sqft enclosed run. But I free range my birds from 6am to 8pm. I only use the run for when its really bad weather or there are a lot of predators in the area. I have several separate coops: one for layers, one for meat birds, one for young birds/breeding. I automate as much as I can to make our lives easier. Feeder holds about 120# of feed, and a 5gal water with horizontal nipples reduces the amount of time need every day in the coop. I suggest you add a "poop board" under you roost. This makes it a lot easier to clean. my meat bird coop is 14x16 with a dirt floor on 1/2. It is a lot harder to keep clean. I don't like keeping meat birds and layers together because they become bullies and "hog" the feeders. I do prefer to force my meat birds to move. I put their water on one side of the coop and feed on the other. I also run them outside in the their run at least once a day. pic of the layer coop adjacent the meat bird coop. inside of the coop. Concrete floors, and the area under the window is where the roost is located. the removeable poop board is being framed in. 4 nest boxes. although they only use 2 of them for 40 chickens. part of the run. Post set in concrete, braced corners with aircraft cable and turn buckles to support the netting over the run. 6' welded 2x4 wire set 1' deep. heavy duty netting over the run to help keep predators out. I use the same stuff we had on the game farm raising 40,000 pheasants for the state.
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6827008
04/02/20 12:44 PM
04/02/20 12:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141 Michigan
Ditchdiver
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,141
Michigan
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I really like your setup, Pintail. I would like to build my own coop, just to "make it my own", but the one I have works, has history and is better built than what I could do! Maybe I'll make a separate coop just for our meat birds....
When life gets me down..... you know hunting/trapping season is closed.
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6827391
04/02/20 07:01 PM
04/02/20 07:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 492 Berlin, Pa.
cci
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 492
Berlin, Pa.
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You don't want to raise strictly meat birds with your other hens. They will eat and eat and make a mess you won't believe. You should butcher all your meat birds at the same time. If you keep them too long they will die from a heart attack OR their legs will give out the gain weight so fast. About eight or ten weeks. At six weeks old fifty meat birds will eat fifty lbs of food and ten gallons of water a DAY.
Last edited by cci; 04/02/20 07:04 PM.
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6827487
04/02/20 08:17 PM
04/02/20 08:17 PM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 487 Northeast Ohio
zook
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 487
Northeast Ohio
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Bought my kid a turkey tonight hes been asking for one. Can you put a turkey in with my chickens?
Can't kill em sittin at home.
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6827501
04/02/20 08:32 PM
04/02/20 08:32 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,282 ny
upstateNY
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,282
ny
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Been raising em for over 60 years.concrete floor inside coop or don't bother.thats all I got to say about that.
the wheels of the gods turn very slowly
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Re: Chicken coop help
[Re: Rockfarmer]
#6827777
04/02/20 11:35 PM
04/02/20 11:35 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,932 iowa
bankrunner
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,932
iowa
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I buy hens already laying off a local hatchery for $2.50 a piece. Getting eggs the next day. When they start to peter out, can trade them back in for a $1.00. Don't have to stick all that feed on them, pullets around here sell for higher.
Last edited by bankrunner; 04/02/20 11:36 PM.
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