Chickens, and things related

[EddieWalker]

I can't say where I saw this for sure, but the non-metal, plastic/nylon type fence is only expected to last 5 years. I'm going to run and electric fence around my area at two different levels, so maybe that is a good solution. I'm not sure, I prefer to build things to last as long as possible. Five years will be over pretty soon and I'll have to do it all over again.

Eddie

 

[Tororider]

If that is the case, I will be using the hardware cloth. Now I just need to find somewhere to get it in widths of 6'. I am going to try to call some fencing places around here today. The big box stores only have it in 36" widths.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've seen 48 inch widths, but nothing wider. I figured for the price and ease of instlation, two rows of 36inches will give me 6ft. I'll be doing this by myself, so handleing 6ft tall fence might be a little dificult.

I'm also thinking of using two different materials. On the bottom three feet, I think I'll use the welded wire fence. Then use chicken wire on the top half. I'd save some money, but I wonder if I'm being too cheap creating problems down the road.

One thing that I found at Home Depot that I really like is their cyclone fence gates. It is 6ft wide and 6ft tall with a built in mad door to get through it. The fit of the man door inside the gate panel is very, very tight!!! I'm going to buy one of those and one without the man gate in it to give me the ability of haveing a 12 foot opening. Then to seal the bottom, I'm going to bury a PT 4x6 in the ground. This will allow me to rest the gates on the wood and also screw in boards to fill the corners of the gates. I can use the man gate to get in and out, but to mow or do something inside there, I can open up both gates fairly easily. I just hate the idea of not being able to get my backhoe into any area of land. As soon as I make it impossible for it to get in there, I'll regret it.

Are you going to run electric fencing? Tractor Supply has a few options as do the other home improvement stores. Is there a brand that anybody recomends? Anything to avoild? I want to run a wire at the bottom of the fence, and then up about a foot. It will be about 470ft, so double that plus some gives me a run of under 1,000 ft.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Tororider]

I was thinking of using the cloth all the way to the top, as I figure coons and cats could climb up and make trouble if I use something else up top. I have found a couple of internet places where I can get 6' widths but shipping is price prohibitive so I am going to see if anyplace around here has any.

I wasn't going to use electric as it will be right behind my garage and there are a ton of kids around and I don't want to have to worry about that.

I am thinking of making a small man sized door myself, but we will see, if I can find something reasonable, I may just buy one and cover it with the cloth.

Could you just have a seam in your fence on one of your posts. Actually if you put two posts next to each other and had your seam there, you could just remove the posts and have as large an entrance as you need. You could even put the posts in a reciever to make them easy to move, sink a pipe into the ground, drill a hole through it and the post so you can stick a bolt through both to keep it locked in the ground, but still easy to remove if you were to need to get your backhoe in there. Does that make sense?

 

[dooleysm]

You guys have been going to town on this since I checked last.

I built a brooder last fall. My FIL had a bunch of 1x1 boards laying around from another project. They were all about 42". I built 4 panels that are about 40"x24" and covered in chicken wire. I have 2 holes drilled in each corner such that I can line them up and make a 40x40x24 brooder. They bolt together with 3" bolts and wingnuts. I made a top with a hinged opening that just sits on top of the 4 panels, again covered in chicken wire. I'm planning to put this in my barn with wood chips on the floor and brood my chicks in there. I have the whole thing dis-assembled and hanging on the wall of my barn by some screw in hangers. After the chicks are done with it I can just scoop up the wood chips and throw them in my compost pile.

I was planning to build a little 'house' to put in there and then aim my heat lamp down at the house. That'll give the chicks a warm, draft free area to hang out. I'm hoping to keep 25 chicks in there until they're big enough to move outside.

I have no idea if this will work or not, but it's what I'm going to do this year.

 

[dooleysm]

I've been thinking about my coop as well. I think I'm going to make it 6x9 (since I can get a deal on metal and it comes in 3' sheets. I'm thinking 7' on one side and 8' on the other. Just a simple slanted roof. I'm going to build the whole thing out of 2x4's. I think I'll just make some hinged openings covered with chicken wire for windows. I'll frame up a door and cover it with metal too. I'm thinking I'll put either a 2x6 or 2x8 along the bottom and then just leave a bare dirt floor. I'll fill it with wood shavings.

From the coop I'll have a little opening for the chickens to get out into a fully enclosed (sides and top) run that's probably 8' tall, 6' or 9' wide (butted up against the coop, haven't decided which side) and maybe 14' long. The chickens will have constant access (day and night) to the coop and run. The coop and run will be enclosed in a fenced in area maybe 25'x52' (up against the barn and an existing fence). I'll let them out into this area while my garden is going and I don't want them in it. When the garden is done for the season, or past the point when they can hurt it, I'll let them out to roam where they please.

Again, this is my plan for now, we'll see how it works out in practice.

 

[Tororider]

I stopped by Tractor supply tonight, they are now getting their day olds on April 17th, it keeps getting moved back. The lady I spoke to also said if I want to special order that I have to order 25, so I will have to guess at what their pullets are. I called another feed store looking for hardware cloth and she said they could special order for me, but they don't get theirs until May 4th. I guess this gives me more time to get everything ready, but more time to wait for eggs.

 

[Wiltipoll]

Chickens need to be put up in a coop at night to protect them from predators. I'd say if you're only going to check in on them a few times a week you won't have chickens very long. I have a large number of geese and I put them up in a pen at night, even though I keep donkeys with them when they're out. Otherwise, coyotes and other varmints will have a feast.

I found that foxes will kill in the daytime, so long as people are not about, so locking up only at night is playing a dangerous game. Neighbours did this for 17 years safely, and then one day they lost 90% to foxes. Would have been 100% if I hadn't been visiting and saw the fox and feathers everywhere! Not a pretty sight!!!

 

[Tororider]

Ok Eddie, if you were waiting for me to come up with something better, I didn't. This is what I have for my brooder. I threw it together while the kids were asleep and I was watching the Piston's game. I got the tote at Home Depot for $18, and the hardware cloth for $7. I used some 1/4"x1/2" machine screws and some big washers. I ended up using an old steak knife with a large serration to cut the hole in the top. I just used a 1" spade bit to get me a starting point and then putting a little downward pressure on the lid hacked away with the knife. Its a 54 gallon rubbermaid roughneck. It measures 42.5"x21.5"x18.6". Nothing fancy but it should work.

Now I just need to get some pine shavings, a heat lamp, a feeder, and a waterer. I suppose I will make a mini perch for them as well with a dowel and a couple blocks.

I am not sure where I am going to get my chicks from now. I am kind of anxious to get them, I figure the sooner I get them, the sooner they start laying eggs in the late summer/fall. Tractor Supply keeps on backing up their date, and the other feed store around here that is selling them is even later. There is a small local farm owner that sells and hatches eggs that said she would order them for me and combine them with her larger order, so depending on when she is doing that, it may be the way to go.

Only thing about getting them sooner is that it starts the clock on me having to get the coop/run built.

 

[Tororider]

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