Another chicken thread

[Mausermeister]

About this time last year my wife asked me to go to the store and get some eggs. I made the comment that when I was growing up we never ran out of eggs since we had about 50 hens. The girls then decided we needed some chickens. I blew it off, but they've been relentless about it, so I finally gave in.

The past few days I've been working on a chicken tractor in the mornings after I got off work. I've still got to get some wheels put on it, but it's complete enough for occupation. This morning my older daughter and I got 3 Speckled Sussex and 2 Ameraucannas. They're about 3 months old, so we should start getting eggs about the end of August or first of September.

 

[Chapman]

That's a really nice setup there.

 

[fishboy1]

Looks good! Put some kind of cover on your watering device. The chickens WILL find a way to poop in it otherwise. (don't ask me how I know this )

 

[Mausermeister]

I decided I did not like the hanging feeder I bought. It takes up a lot of space and is open to the weather. So this morning I built a weatherproof feeder that is accessable from the outside.

I sloped the lid and cut it to fit tight. Added a drip edge that hangs down 5/8" all around. Used some closed cell foam weatherstripping and pushed it up tight where it compresses the foam when closed.

Now there's more open space for the birds to roam and The feeder can be filled without entering. The feed is also now protected from the weather. It holds 25 lbs of starter with plenty of room to spare. Also any spillage willbe inside where they can get it off the ground.

 

[Mausermeister]

Looks good! Put some kind of cover on your watering device. The chickens WILL find a way to poop in it otherwise. (don't ask me how I know this )

They've got to drink it, not me.

 

[fishboy1]

Looks good! Put some kind of cover on your watering device. The chickens WILL find a way to poop in it otherwise. (don't ask me how I know this )

They've got to drink it, not me.

HA!

thats really nice work. Love the big feeder & great design. Going to be hard for them to waste feed.

Check out
http://www.qcsupply.com/
Get the watering nipples for a buck or 2 and plumb them into a 5 gal bucket.

We have a 55 gal water barrel collecting rain water off the barn roof, a 4' section of garden hose leading to a 4' section of pvc pipe with watering nipples every foot.

Almost zero maintenance, no more cleaning chicken poop out of the water dish.

 

[Nimrod777]

Wow, you certainly are much more proficient at building stuff than I was! But, I have to admit, none of my chickens have left or complained, so I guess it's good enough.

Love the feeding design, way nice! I've looked for a way to create a waterer using nipples, but not finding any nipples in the local farm stores, had given up. Glad to see the link.

I can make you a heck of a deal on a gorgeous Americauna rooster. Or two!

 

[Nimrod777]

Fishboy, any chance you can post a pic of your watering set up?

 

[fishboy1]

Nimrod,

Ill try and post one later this weekend. Gotta go deal with the chicken killing varmint we FINALLY caught in a live trap.

Hope he didn't have friends.

IF you shop around the watering nipples are .98 or 1.79 something like that.

First 2 places I found them they were $5.68 EACH!!! for the same thing!!

Cost more to ship than to buy.

 

[Nimrod777]

What varmint was it? Coon??

 

[timberjack86]

Thats a nice setup there! I am going to have to order some chicks and build a pen as well for my kids.

 

[fishboy1]

Yep. Big boar coon.

He sleeps in the big dumpster in the sky.

 

[timberjack86]

Yep. Big boar coon.

He sleeps in the big dumpster in the sky.

Good for him!

 

[Nimrod777]

For a raccoon, a dumpster is right up there with 76 virgins!