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 ...
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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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