Urban Poultry

[inactive]

After a bit over a week, our other two started today as well. Black Betty (the black and gold Polish) laid her first ever, I think. She is a bit smaller so I peg her at only a few months old. She was sure walking around squealing funny, then jumped talons first at my wife who was cleaning the next box this morning. Once that was done and she got her privacy back, she went up there and laid us a little white egg. Betty Red (the Rhode Island Red) must want in on the fun, as she went up and laid a large brown egg about an hour later; she wasn't laying when we got her as she just "weaned" (?) a recent flock of chicks and hadn't started back up yet.

With all three going (Betty White - a white Leghorn as best as I can tell - has been laying most every day since day 1), we should be about a dozen and a half a week. That's not bad for our family of 4.

 

[Harley1953]

( Shhhh ... it's a secret (the beehive) ...)

BB --- If you are serious about getting beehives, come join the Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association... Meets every 4th Thursday at the OSU Extension Center on North Portland.

Wife and I got semi serious a couple of years ago and now have 7 hives.

 

[Garand]

So Cards81fan, after a few weeks of dealing with your chickens what are your initial thoughts, hows the tractor working out?, anything you'd do different?

I'm looking real hard at picking up some Black Australorps next spring (chicks that will be hatched this fall/winter so they will be near laying age in March)from a buddy of mine that runs a small outfit. I'm in the process of figuring out what the best options are for the tractor, feeders, and water.

thanks

 

[inactive]

Overall, I would say it's easier than I thought it would be. The chickens are super quiet, very docile, and just instinctually started doing "chicken things" like roost and scratch and nest in the house when I got them in there (they're like pre-programmed robots, seriously). The litter is no big deal; there's a lot but it's small and they actually break it up as the bugs get into it once it appears. 1 good rain and it should be gone.

Here's some summary points about the build itself:

Tractor:
It took 3 sheets of ply (1 of which was the siding), roughly 7 2x4s, a large roll of hardware cloth, some 1" dowel, 2 pairs of hinges, wheels off a salvaged hose reel/cart, a set gate handles, 2 samples of stain, 2 cans of spray-on Thompson water sealer, and a handful of nails. I had the 2x4s and nails and wheels and dowels; I had to buy the ply sheets and handles/hinges and hardware cloth. It set me back probably $175 for all that (could be done cheaper, but this was more a fun project and effort to increase the integrity of my food than an act in frugality). I didn't use plans, but looked at designs online so I had an idea that I just ran with.

I tried using buckets as nesting boxes, but the hens never went into them. So I just put my aspen shavings all over the floor of the next box and the hens each picked a corner and hang out there communally. Seems to work fine.

Food & Water:
I purchased cheap water tray/containers at Atwoods. The bases are different colors you purchase separate from the top container. Each piece if roughly 3.50, so for a pair of complete feeders it was around 16 bucks (4 pieces).

I drilled out holes in the side of one so it would work with food. I wallowed the holes out a good amount and the food falls through fairly easily. The hens like to peck at the holes though to dig out the food (even if there is food just in the tray or on the ground), which is fun to watch.


Things I am proud of are:
Hardware cloth is awesome. More expensive than chicken wire, but sure adds rigidity to the structure.
I like the natural finish. It will probably need touched up/refinished more than paint and primer, but spray on water sealer for decks can be applied to the entire thing in like, 3 minutes.
The A-frame design is super easy to build, is structurally sound (triangles FTW), and adds height for them to roost without wasteful space and materials. I would definitely do this again.

Things I would change:
Don't mess with buckets. If you want separate next areas, I would probably just frame a little space out of wood.
Purchase all the chickens from the same place. It seemed introducing birds from varied flocks took some time for them to mellow. Not a big deal but would be easier.
Make it lighter. Not sure how, but would think about something seriously. It rolls fairly easily but damn it's heavy. I move it about every 2-3 days to fresh ground.
Build 2. I want to build another for 3 more hens. I should have done it simultaneously.

 

[BadgeBunny]

( Shhhh ... it's a secret (the beehive) ...)

BB --- If you are serious about getting beehives, come join the Central Oklahoma Beekeepers Association... Meets every 4th Thursday at the OSU Extension Center on North Portland.

Wife and I got semi serious a couple of years ago and now have 7 hives.

Thanks for the heads up. We are planning on being there! I can hardly wait!! (Sorry for the hijack CardsFan ...)

 

[chr_edw]

We have two in the back yard. Got them for the kids. Fun at first but it's a PITA now. I spend way more on food and supplies than I get in eggs.

 

[Garand]

Finally decided I was tired of eating tasteless eggs, so I've decided to grow my own.

Tractor in progress

Going to try to see if they'll nest in a bucket (when the time comes)

Black Australorps

 

[Perplexed]

A coworker keeps three hens in his fenced-in 1/2 acre backyard; he has a coop for them, but he and his family let the hens out in the morning so they have the run of the yard, then the hens go back into the coop as it gets dark, and someone goes out and closes them in for the night. Their wings are not clipped; right after they were brought to the yard, one flew over the 4' chain link fence into a neighbor's yard, but they've stuck within the yard since.

I'd love to try this, but my five large dogs, several of which have definite hunting instincts, wouldn't give the hens a moment's peace!

 

[inactive]

Garand,

Very cool!

I tried a couple buckets but my hens never took to it. They just snug up on a corner of the house and bed down there for the night (except for my Rhode Islands this summer, which have been sleeping up on the roost bars at night to keep cooler).

They each have a designated corner where they sleep, but then there is a 4th spot where they all lays their eggs in the same place every days. It's pretty wild how communal they ended up.

As far as cost, I go though a $10 bag of feed every 5 weeks or so, and I am still on my original bag of pine shaving bedding (which was like $5). So the maintenance isn't too bad but I was out a fair amount for the construction of the coop. But I knew going into this I would have a pretty steep break even point; this was more an exercise for me to work on and the kids to enjoy and appreciate. Even my wife enjoys it now and the black Polish even lets her (my wife) pet her, but she's (the hen) still skittish of me.

 

[Garand]

I'd love to try this, but my five large dogs, several of which have definite hunting instincts, wouldn't give the hens a moment's peace!

I understand that! I have a Golden Retriever that I use for bird/duck hunting, I've had to have a few talks with him already and need to keep an eye on him.