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Lil'John said:
I'll bite... if I were to do chickens for meat, what should I be looking at? Or am I better off considering turkey at that point?
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Not sure but ,my neighbor got his last set of birds second hand the place that raise all kinds,he got me a meat birds and that was a good bird, hate to buy from store after that.
 
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Security is #1. Any hole larger than an inch can be a problem. Also when you use hardware cloth it keeps mice and rats out. Rats will hurt chickens at night, mostly biting eyes. Once it's secure from small animals you need to be concerned about bears. They go after the chicken feed, but then kill the chickens when inside. A sturdy structure built like a shed is usually enough to keep them out. A concrete pad is the best floor.

#2 weather proof. Many breeds do well in the cold, some much more than others. A Draft free space is very important, and also keeping the space dry. If they are in wet shavings or get wet and the temp gets cold they will get frost bite. I've got a great rooster that was given to us that lost both feet to frost bite because he was in poor conditions at his former home.

#3 ease of maintenance. You need to service waterers and feeders easily in all weather. So make sure water is close by and they are easy to access in the coop area. Mucking out is about a monthly chore here so being able to scoop shavings out easy, and not working through tiny holes make it much better.

#4 health. There are lots of bad disease around. It's best to start your flock and keep it. Hatch chicks, get them mail order or farm store instead of random adds. If you do take in any birds from another place be sure to quarantine for 30 days at least 200ft downwind of your flock. Check for mites, lice, and worms every so often.

#5 heat lamps. The red heat lamps cause tons of fires. Sometimes the fall into shavings and burn, other times they can burst and cause fires. The ceramic infared bulbs are much better. We know of a few barns that have burnt from them locally, and it's a terrible thing. Only chicks should need heat lamps, buy your breeds recording to your location. They are fine sub zero, on real cold nights they get scratch corn. Scratch when digesting keeps them warm.

Any questions please ask, I'm happy to help.
 
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Lil'John said:
I'll bite... if I were to do chickens for meat, what should I be looking at? Or am I better off considering turkey at that point?
Click to expand...

you need meat chickens... They'll go from chick to plat in ~10-12 weeks, IIRC. Grow fast and eventually either break legs or heart attack
 
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Meat chickens are profitable. Turkey hell no. I've done both. 100 meat chickens and 30 turkeys I only did the turkeys once. But did 4 runs of meat chickens. If I recall correctly it was roughly 7 dollars in food per chicken to maturity and over 40 per turkey. And plucking turkey pin feathers sucks.
 
Island rules said:
Meat chickens are profitable. Turkey hell no. I've done both. 100 meat chickens and 30 turkeys I only did the turkeys once. But did 4 runs of meat chickens. If I recall correctly it was roughly 7 dollars in food per chicken to maturity and over 40 per turkey. And plucking turkey pin feathers sucks.
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helped a buddy harvest 4 turkey last year... Doesn't pluck. He skins. Thought it was odd, but after doing it a couple of times, it's a lot faster. But he grinds turkey, so that is a consideration.
 
I have been reading up on conturnix quail they are easy and seem to be cheap to grow inside, are prolific egg layers fancy chefs like them, so there is a possiable source of revenue, and they are tasty
 
Provience said:
they don't really freeze themselves to death. lot's of ground birds survive winter just fine. give them a roof and some walls as a windblock and let 'em be
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This. Chickens are tough birds. We have 11 hens and a rooster. Im a definite chicken dad. Curent temp is -1* and they are just fine.

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rockota said:
you need meat chickens... They'll go from chick to plat in ~10-12 weeks, IIRC. Grow fast and eventually either break legs or heart attack
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So feed them till they stop moving:homer::flipoff2:

Island rules said:
Meat chickens are profitable. Turkey hell no. I've done both. 100 meat chickens and 30 turkeys I only did the turkeys once. But did 4 runs of meat chickens. If I recall correctly it was roughly 7 dollars in food per chicken to maturity and over 40 per turkey. And plucking turkey pin feathers sucks.
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A quick youtube search told me 25 chickens were ~50lbs of feed per week. Cornish cross were ~8 week to dinner and his quick cut to results showed processed birds in the 4lb range. Wouldn't turkey be a few pounds over this processed?

rockota said:
helped a buddy harvest 4 turkey last year... Doesn't pluck. He skins. Thought it was odd, but after doing it a couple of times, it's a lot faster. But he grinds turkey, so that is a consideration.
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Your friend sounds like what I'd do... lazy approach since I don't care for skin anyways:grinpimp:

Not sure if this is a highjack or not. But to continue the meat bird talk.
How much room is really needed? The YT guy used chicken tractor and needed ~2k square feet every 90 days or so. What about not doing a chicken tractor?

Any breeds do better in "colder" areas? I get snow but usually not much below 30 degree.
 
pretty sure our birds are spoiled...

started with 8. lost one as a chick. Inherited 5 mature girls... after integration and 3+ years, we have 6 left. None died from predators, though.

I was going to use a shed as a make-shift coop, but ended up picking up one on CL for a good price. Moved it next to the garden and carved out a run that is ~10x36, I believe, covered with string netting. Since we get a ton of rain, soil is all clay and the coop doesn't have a ton of shade, I was talked into using building a ~12x10 covered area from left overs.

The covered area has a ~6' door that allows me to keep the birds either contained to their run, contained to the garden (typically, end of year) or open to both. Can't free range due to predators and dogs w/ high prey drive.

Door from the coop to the run is on a CoopControls door.... it's been worth the investment.


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Lil'John said:
So feed them till they stop moving:homer::flipoff2:


A quick youtube search told me 25 chickens were ~50lbs of feed per week. Cornish cross were ~8 week to dinner and his quick cut to results showed processed birds in the 4lb range. Wouldn't turkey be a few pounds over this processed?


Your friend sounds like what I'd do... lazy approach since I don't care for skin anyways:grinpimp:

Not sure if this is a highjack or not. But to continue the meat bird talk.
How much room is really needed? The YT guy used chicken tractor and needed ~2k square feet every 90 days or so. What about not doing a chicken tractor?

Any breeds do better in "colder" areas? I get snow but usually not much below 30 degree.
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My meat birds were 10 to 12 lbs at week 10. My turkeys were 13 lbs at week 32.. thats how my math works. And several others I know who have done it.
my meat birds were done in a 10 by 10 shed. They only need a heat lamp till they get their real feathers. Ussualy 2 weeks or less.. these little sumo wrestlers don't move other than to the feeder or water trough. If they get confused they have a heart attack. From 100 I ussualy ended up in the high 80s or low 90s at week 8 maybe 70 make it to week 10. . Week 8 is about 8 lbs dressed.
If I was ever to do turkeys again hell yes I would skin them... even though the skin is my favorite part... so not worth the 2 hrs a bird plucking with tweezers
 
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Put door on each side of the coop so you can pressure wash it, I give my neighbor my empty pellet bags he uses an an under liner with cardboard on top for a quick way to clean it.
 
Kicking around ideas for the coop in my head all day. I’m thinking 10’ x 5’, the floor about 3’ off the ground so they can hang out underneath. The door on one 5’ wall, water and food on the opposite end. Nesting boxes on one 10’ wall. This will go up against the wall of my new 10 x 20 shed. Metal roof pitched away from the shed. Both 5’ ends hinged for easy cleaning. Also thinking of slide out floor sections for added clean ability. I’ll leave the eaves open for ventilation.

I might use foam insulation panels in the walls and sheet the inside with plywood to help them stay cozy in the winter.
 
High roost positions for escape....coyotes are cock gobblers....and gobbler gobblers if you get turkeys...pretty bad here off of allen rd and west rd area. ...my buddy on king and inkster area lost two sets.
 
bobbywalter said:
High roost positions for escape....coyotes are cock gobblers....and gobbler gobblers if you get turkeys...pretty bad here off of allen rd and west rd area. ...my buddy on king and inkster area lost two sets.
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We have a den on the back of our property.

West and Merriman
 
Ton of great resources out there. We started 3 years ago and haven't lost a bird yet.

Math- there's a bunch of stuff out there about sqft per chicken, roost space, egg boxes, etc. I used all of that to design my coop. I used the "Carolina Coops" as inspiration. I only wish I had their skill! lol

DEEP LITTER METHOD- no smell, no work! Basically self composting. Can't do it in some coops as the chicken door and egg boxes are on the floor. You need up to 12" for the material.

When I do need to clean- The bottom 1/4 of the coop is lined in linoleum. The main clean out door on my coop is accessible by my tractor. I stick the tractor bucket under the door opening and everything slides right into the bucket.

Chicken nipples- no open shitty standing water. I use a old insulated 5 gal water jug (GOTT?) with nipples. Stands up to the cold well. In the winter I move it inside the coop. Below freezing it'll keep working till the nipples freeze. I bring the whole thing in at night to thaw and repeat.

Coop door access- I use a simple paracord through a eye pully to open and close the coop door from the outside of the run. I have the shit for a DIY solar 12v auto door, but I fail at electrical circuits. I actually got the actuator to work off the timer, but I simultaneously started a fire when the wire coating caught fire, and burned my fingers yanking the lead off the battery.

One of the unsung perks is all your old leftovers/ table scraps, etc get turned into chicken feed. Feel much less wasteful, lol. (Note: I don't feed them any chicken scraps. I don't need that karma in my life.)

DIY PVC feeder- mine is filled from outside the run.

Rooster grows a pair once a year or so, I punt him into tomorrow or gently(ish) step on him and carry him around for a while. Then we're good for another year. He has big ass spurs and has drawn blood, but it's kinda like a cat scratch. Annoying, but not enough to snap his little neck.
 
I built a coop and even put in some Pella windows. :flipoff2:

Put linoleum down or paint the floor else it will get wet from their mess and fall apart. 3 nesting boxes for 9 chickens. We usually get an egg a day from our Isa-Browns. No rooster but two have gone setting. :rolleyes: One of the most awesome things is that they eat almost all leftovers, scraps, and things that turn into science projects in the fridge and turn them into eggs, which we eat or give away. Pretty handy critters to have around.
 
My uncle used to raise chickens for meat. Back then, you got a whole bird (head & feet) minus feathers. The egg layers were producing double yolks. All this was done in a storefront on main st.

He did raise turkeys for holidays, they were thin not like the fat ones today.

Last time I saw him, the rat race took over main st & he only did eggs in his backyard at home-
 
Do you have a dog? Your dog will find a way to kill them. Do you have raccoons? They will find a way to kill them. Do you like the smell of shit? Go for it!
 
Provience said:
they don't really freeze themselves to death. lot's of ground birds survive winter just fine. give them a roof and some walls as a windblock and let 'em be
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Ish. A lot of that is true for a day or 2. But if they have to stay indoora because of extreme cold, chickens are not arctic birds, then you need a bigger coop. The bigger the coop the harder it is to keep warm. The birds huddle together for heat fine. I had 6 bides in a 3x3x3 coop with a small run that seriously sat buried in snow the first winter we were done here. Had like 8’ total that year with no less that 3-4’ on the ground in unplowed/shoveled areas didnt see the dirt till april 3rd that spring. They were fine because it was such a small space and covered in snow. But I had to clean the damn thing like 2 times a week because they never left the roosting area because it was too fucking cold out. Now those same birds are adapted and most “tolerate” the snow. Saw a first winter chicken yesterday try to fly out and land in the snow. It was about 16-20” of dry drifted powder. She just disappeared. My wife went and saved her:lmao:.
 
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Tooheysmax said:
My dad has 4 silkies some Rhode island reds and Easter Eggers about 35 in total and 6 tortoise and 2 African Gray parrots
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I want to get a few silky hens. I have 30 ish hens and haven’t had a broody bird for 4 years. Sick of using the fucking incubator. Although we did hatch and give away like 6-8 batches of chicks summer 2020. Apparently you can take someone who is worried that the world is ending and give them a 1/2 dozen mouths to feed and provide shelter for and somehow they think they just got the easy button handed to them for the zombie apocalypse. :lmao:
 
Been watching the Carolina Coops channel on YouTube all day. Holy fuck they build some nice coops. Too bad they are way out of my price range.
 
VG SERE said:
Ton of great resources out there. We started 3 years ago and haven't lost a bird yet.

Math- there's a bunch of stuff out there about sqft per chicken, roost space, egg boxes, etc. I used all of that to design my coop. I used the "Carolina Coops" as inspiration. I only wish I had their skill! lol

DEEP LITTER METHOD- no smell, no work! Basically self composting. Can't do it in some coops as the chicken door and egg boxes are on the floor. You need up to 12" for the material.

When I do need to clean- The bottom 1/4 of the coop is lined in linoleum. The main clean out door on my coop is accessible by my tractor. I stick the tractor bucket under the door opening and everything slides right into the bucket.

Chicken nipples- no open shitty standing water. I use a old insulated 5 gal water jug (GOTT?) with nipples. Stands up to the cold well. In the winter I move it inside the coop. Below freezing it'll keep working till the nipples freeze. I bring the whole thing in at night to thaw and repeat.

Coop door access- I use a simple paracord through a eye pully to open and close the coop door from the outside of the run. I have the shit for a DIY solar 12v auto door, but I fail at electrical circuits. I actually got the actuator to work off the timer, but I simultaneously started a fire when the wire coating caught fire, and burned my fingers yanking the lead off the battery.

One of the unsung perks is all your old leftovers/ table scraps, etc get turned into chicken feed. Feel much less wasteful, lol. (Note: I don't feed them any chicken scraps. I don't need that karma in my life.)

DIY PVC feeder- mine is filled from outside the run.

Rooster grows a pair once a year or so, I punt him into tomorrow or gently(ish) step on him and carry him around for a while. Then we're good for another year. He has big ass spurs and has drawn blood, but it's kinda like a cat scratch. Annoying, but not enough to snap his little neck.
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I punted Cornflakes the other day fucker came out and started attacking me for filling his water. Cat scratch is about accurate. Its a younger bird and he looks just like the cereal box rooster. Fucker is going to be a free range bug eater fairly soon. We hatched out in like October and had a stupid ratio of roos to hens. Come spring they roos are outside the wire eating ticks. I will build them an elevated roost to ward off some predators but fuck it nature has to eat as well.
 
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