Self-Reliance: How do you?
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After three days of the coop door opening and closing at dawn/dusk, the chicks have finally started to venture out. Yesterday, nearly all had come out of the coop and on to the grass. I’ve been checking to see how many are still out after the coop door closes at nightfall. Lastnight there were 13 still out, however they were nested up under the center of the coop. I don’t think a predator, such as an owl, would have been a problem. Motion lights are affixed to the coop on all sides, electric poultry net is doing its job as well.
Chicks are four weeks old now, going on five, they are feathered and are already scratching around and spreading out the cowpats within their enclosure. I took a video but it is too large to share, I will post some pictures later.
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RafterW Love him or hate hom or don’t think about him at all Senator Thomas Massy has something similar, though I swear I read his was solar powered?
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I haven’t listed to this, but a quick google search may have revealed that you were not making up the solar powered chicken tractor, lol. Maybe its just the door?
You’ve peaked my interest though, so I may give it a listen! https://www.spreaker.com/user/11190591/dz-ep-112-congressman-thomas-massie-on-t
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34:46 start point if interested lol.
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All parties involved are growing quickly!
Matt W.
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RafterW Looking good, they are really growing.
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RafterW birds are getting big
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Nice coop. Looks like the you put some thought into it.
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RafterW Chickens seem to be doing well. That’s quite the tractor you have for them.
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RafterW they are looking good
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Chickens are growing, bees are foraging. Things are moving along this summer. Chickens are set for processing mid-July.
Matt W.
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Chickens are growing, bees are foraging. Things are moving along this summer. Chickens are set for processing mid-July.
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gus4416 They are. “freedom rangers”. They take a bit longer than a cornish cross to finish out but they are supposed to forage a bit more. This is my first time raising chickens. We started with 51 chicks, one died in the brooder within the first few days of arriving. Around 3 weeks of age, once feathers came on, I moved them out to the mobile coop you see in the picture for their first night outside but I didn’t put up their electo-netting. That was a mistake, I lost four that night to predators that consumed them from the outside of the coop, from below. Once I got the electro-netting up, that kept out ground based predators. the next two weeks, I lost 8 more to aerial predators, before getting a scare crow built, which has put a stop to that.
I got my wholesaler license submitted with the state, I plan to raise several hundred next year, after dialing in my method.
Matt W.
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gus4416 They are. “freedom rangers”. They take a bit longer than a cornish cross to finish out but they are supposed to forage a bit more. This is my first time raising chickens. We started with 51 chicks, one died in the brooder within the first few days of arriving. Around 3 weeks of age, once feathers came on, I moved them out to the mobile coop you see in the picture for their first night outside but I didn’t put up their electo-netting. That was a mistake, I lost four that night to predators that consumed them from the outside of the coop, from below. Once I got the electro-netting up, that kept out ground based predators. the next two weeks, I lost 8 more to aerial predators, before getting a scare crow built, which has put a stop to that.
I got my wholesaler license submitted with the state, I plan to raise several hundred next year, after dialing in my method.
RafterW Have fun while supporting your habit. Go for it.
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Chickens are growing, bees are foraging. Things are moving along this summer. Chickens are set for processing mid-July.
RafterW Everything is looking good.
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Chickens are growing, bees are foraging. Things are moving along this summer. Chickens are set for processing mid-July.
RafterW Outstanding, looking good.
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gus4416 They are. “freedom rangers”. They take a bit longer than a cornish cross to finish out but they are supposed to forage a bit more. This is my first time raising chickens. We started with 51 chicks, one died in the brooder within the first few days of arriving. Around 3 weeks of age, once feathers came on, I moved them out to the mobile coop you see in the picture for their first night outside but I didn’t put up their electo-netting. That was a mistake, I lost four that night to predators that consumed them from the outside of the coop, from below. Once I got the electro-netting up, that kept out ground based predators. the next two weeks, I lost 8 more to aerial predators, before getting a scare crow built, which has put a stop to that.
I got my wholesaler license submitted with the state, I plan to raise several hundred next year, after dialing in my method.
RafterW If you are ever wanting to try a dual purpose breed that can be sexed at birth give Bielefelders a test. I’m raising some for the first time this year and so far they have lived up to their reputation. The only thing left is to verify their laying, but as much as I have read I’m betting they will do great.
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RafterW If you are ever wanting to try a dual purpose breed that can be sexed at birth give Bielefelders a test. I’m raising some for the first time this year and so far they have lived up to their reputation. The only thing left is to verify their laying, but as much as I have read I’m betting they will do great.
mrobisr I was late to the start for ordering these freedom rangers, had I had my crap together a littler earlier, I could have ordered all males, for meat purposes or all females for the dual purpose, should I want layers. All things considered, I didn’t pay too much for these birds, and having a local mill has kept feed costs pretty low.
Keep me upto date on the Bielefelders, please. I’m going to try pasture raising a group of cornish cross next spring and see how that goes, the larger size and 3 week shorter season to finish out is appealing. These should butcher at 11 weeks.
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For anyone interested, here are my numbers on the chickens. Some of the final stats on total feed consumed and feed per bird consumed are estimates at this time but should come in pretty close:
Estimated Feed Conversion Ratio (live weight, processed weight): 3.09:1, 4.29:1
Estimated gross carcass percentage: 0.72%If these numbers do hold true, this will be a very high performing group, compared to the breed standard.
Matt W.
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For anyone interested, here are my numbers on the chickens. Some of the final stats on total feed consumed and feed per bird consumed are estimates at this time but should come in pretty close:
Estimated Feed Conversion Ratio (live weight, processed weight): 3.09:1, 4.29:1
Estimated gross carcass percentage: 0.72%If these numbers do hold true, this will be a very high performing group, compared to the breed standard.
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