Chickens, and things related

[davitk]

Also, has anyone constructed a coop that can be moved using the tractor? More like a shed, that can be moved? Or would that be too heavy? I have seen the chicken tractors, but those are smaller than I was thinking. Just wondering.

Absolutely! My chicken coop is about 35 years old, my dad built it when we lived in town, when we moved to the country a few years later we put it on a couple of skids and pulled it down the road behind the truck 5.1 miles. Same coop, I jacked it up, backed a hay rack under it and pulled it another 2 miles to my place last summer.

Of course, if your going to plan for it to be mobile, you could build it light weight and maybe even fasten a couple of pneumatic wheelbarrow tires to it.... naw, that would be too easy

 

[shvl73]

Also, has anyone constructed a coop that can be moved using the tractor? More like a shed, that can be moved? Or would that be too heavy? I have seen the chicken tractors, but those are smaller than I was thinking. Just wondering.

Your tractor could move a good sized shed. Our little 8x8 was easily moved a couple hundred feet to its present location. I built it on two 4x4 skids w/ beveled ends, and heavy screw eyes. I just hooked a chain to the eyes and away it went.

 

[akjohnston]

I have been away from the forum for a spell and returned and i will now add a little to the postings.
I built my chicken house last summer only 8x8x8 found that it was large enough for my 25 chickens. fastened roosting poles on hinges to hang from the celling to make it easier for cleaning works great.
The one McGyer trick after experiencing is my nesting boxes I tried several and finally determined that if i made two cradles for 5 gal buckets to lay in secured with screws and left the lid on and cut 2/3 of the lid out and placed wood chips inside was the best i could hope for. chickens will not roost on the top of the round bucket. i did put a walking board in front. The eggs are clean very little washing has to be done. downside i must go inside the coop to gather eggs.
second comment is I purchased golden comet or some call red star which is a sex link cross between rode island red and white legorn. at birth pullets are redish and rooster are white.
I bought my chickens last aug 15 and they commence to lay on the 21 day of december.It is quite cold here in west virginia but they have not slowed down this winter at all.
I lost one due to pecking and a hawk had chicken dinner on two ocassions before i got the top on the lot. do not know if a hawk would take one now that they are growned.
I have 22 chickens and one rooster (rode I red) and lay do they ever. I get 21 or 22 chickens a day or as i joke with a friend of mine if it was not for that one republican chicken i would get 22 every day. so be sure you do not get a bunch of republican chickens. happy clucking perhaps this little tidbits will help someone. should have got mine years ago now that I am old i have went to the chickens.

 

[EddieWalker]

Does everyone use chicken wire? I'm trying to figure out how far apart to put the posts for the wire?

Eddie

 

[davitk]

Does everyone use chicken wire? I'm trying to figure out how far apart to put the posts for the wire?

Eddie

Chicken wire fencing is hard to make look good. We use this, and go 6 - 8' between T posts: http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa93/davitk/DSCN3900.jpg

 

[EddieWalker]

Nice fence. How tall is it and do you do anything special at the bottom to keep animals from digging under it?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[davitk]

Thanks. The fence is 48" tall, we stake it to the ground twice between posts, and for critter proofing we cover the windows with chicken wire, close them in the coop after dark, raised the building from the ground 8" to monitor what is underneath, and enlisted the services of a couple of roosters (they crow and the hens run and hide when a hawk shows up) and a border collie. http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa93/davitk/DSCN0596.jpg

BTW this pen (about 60' in diameter) is too small for 25 chickens, they decimated the ground cover in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Tororider]

Is that considered wire mesh? What is the term for that fencing is I guess what I am asking? Does it come in taller sections? I am thinking of covering over the top with poultry mesh(correct term), and want to be able to walk under it without hunching too badly, I am 6'3, and want to bury it underground to discourage coyotes.

Trying to figure out how many chickens I can get away with. I was thinking of fencing in 30x20 area, and having a 8x8ish coop/house. If I get 25, thats pretty much 2 dozen eggs a day, which is a ton of eggs and I think I will need to get more friends to give/sell them to.

 

[davitk]

Is that considered wire mesh? What is the term for that fencing is I guess what I am asking?

 

[Tororider]

Thanks, the only thing missing from that tag was the price. Do you find that the mesh is easy to work with?

Davitk, do you think Farve is coming back? I would assume so, but hope he doesn't take as long as last year. I am originally from WI, but have lived in MI for 24 of my 29 years, so I have become a long suffering Lions fan. It is painful.