Raising Chickens

We are currently feeding some layer fees from a big chicken house that had too much or something wasn't just perfect. We feed it to the pigs and all the birds.
 
layer pellets from tractor supply. dont have any local feed mills up here close by. but chickens really only eat that during the winter. they barely touch it in the spring and summer when there is plenty of forage.
 
I get feed from G&M milling in Taylorsville. I normally get about 40-60 bags at a time when I go, will be going on Tuesday as I am completely out, if anyone needs some let me know.

On another note, finally butchered the ducks and Rudd Rangers yesterday and today. I was able to sell all the Rudd hens, so lucked out there, but I butchered 8 roosters. I have butchered some 'large' roosters before, but the Rudd's definitely had more meat on them than any other roo I have butchered in the past.

I butchered one Khaki Campbell, one Cayuga, and 3-4 Pekin's. Still have three more ducks left to butcher. I had one exceptionally large Pekin, and man did he have some meat on him. I hope they taste good, guess we will see. I know the general rule is to pluck them, but they had a fair bit of pin feathers so I didn't bother. I plucked the Cayuga and cut the breast meat out with skin still on it. I am not fooling with plucking the whole birds when most of the meat is in the breast and legs. We have a refrigerator full of meat though.

Lastly, how's this for luck (although I can't say bad luck for the price):
11 ducks purchased for $0.50 each @ TSC in August. My dog killed one, out of the 9 left, we got ONE female 🤣. So keeping the Pekin female and one of the largest Pekin males, so hopefully once she starts laying we can hatch some more.

The chickens picked the carcasses clean.

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Went and picked up feed today. 2,000 lbs of 18% custom mash for our pigs and chickens. Was gonna back under the barn and drop it, but its too tall. Didn't have time to fool with it tonight but gonna set it on a trailer and back under the barn.

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Made a chick and a duck brooder out of IBC totes. The ducks will be in the top one, I made a water catch tray with a drain to run the water out to a bucket. Fingers crossed it works well because ducks are a MESS. The waterer handles slights above the tray.

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Ive seen people put mesh or wood slats over the water, so they could get their head in, but cant go swimming. That, plus putting a "deck" around the water to try and keep shavings as dry as possible.
 
Well, its fixing to get real. Been dropping a lot of coin to get all the supplies to fence the back half of the property. Only big item left now is gates.

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R Q said:
Hate to say this but those landscape timbers will melt when you put them in the ground. They won't last 2-4 years. I know they're cheap but ...
Click to expand...
Yeah if they are like the ones I bought a couple years ago, the tag on them actually says they aren’t to any standard and is just a cosmetic treatment so they look treated.
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Maybe soak ends in used motor oil
 
Alright, who ordered the big coop?

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@JSJJ388 I should have gone that route...

But now I'm building a new coop and enclosed run because the wife wants more chickens. Current coop can handle 10 birds max. We have 4 full grown(1 rooster/3 hens) and we just picked up another 8 coop ready hens(3 sapphire olive eggers, 3 americuanas, 2 easter eggers) that are 8 weeks old.

New coop will be 8x12 with a 4x8 section for storage. Enclosed run will be 10x18. Picked up some material today to start on the foundation.

Probably also need to build a farmstand for the neighborhood because we are going to be overflowing with eggs in a couple of weeks.
 
Might as well share some photos.

Specs are: 8x12 with a simple sloped roof. Roof height will be 8' at the front wall, 6' at the back. I'll incorporate some gutters eventually to supplement rain barrel for chicken water. There will be a 4x8 "room" for storage of bedding/food/lawn/garden tools, interior wall with a door and a coop size of 8x8. There will eventually be an enclosed run around 10x18. We will be maxed out on our current coop space in a few weeks so getting this built is a priority(at least for the wife).

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Foundation is all treated 2x8. It will get a 3/4" OSB floor(eventually covered in stick on laminate for easy cleaning). Picking up some OSB flooring as well as 2x4's to start building out the walls today and this weekend. Planning on sheathing it in 1/2" plywood?

So far its been a fun project and the girls are enjoying helping. This is about the most level spot in all the back yard. There's around a 10" drop from the front left corner to the right rear so that is going to make building the run challenging.
 
Anybody need a rooster or 2? We have 2 bantam mix roos that need new homes. Good birds, just not enough hens for 5 roosters.
 
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