I am getting 6 chickens in a few weeks so will have eggs this summer. We have an acre of pasture and plan on doing the chicken coop/tractor thing. I do have a local feed mill that makes their own animal feed that I trust to supplement their pasture grazing.
I am getting 6 chickens in a few weeks so will have eggs this summer. We have an acre of pasture and plan on doing the chicken coop/tractor thing. I do have a local feed mill that makes their own animal feed that I trust to supplement their pasture grazing.
Francis, that sounds like a great plan. We live on an acreage and have plenty of room. It’s just a matter of securing the building from predators. But we’re planning to do the same. Our son started chickens last year, he has 13 and they have enough eggs to sell some. He said that 6 would be plenty for us. On Tucker’s report they were suggesting a problem with Purina feeds. It makes sense that the big corps like that are compromised. Always buy local whenever possible.
In the local chicken page that I recently joined, the people there said that the chain feed stores feed was crap and had no nutrition. That surprised me, I figured it wouldn't be as fresh as getting it local plus who knows WHERE in the world the ingredients come from. I can ask and get a list of where the ingredients come from at my local mill. The mill is over 100 years old and still using original equipment. Family owned for 3 generations. If I want whole grains, there is a place just a couple of miles from me too.
I am looking forward to the chickens. We had free range heritage turkeys, but are down to 3. We don't eat much turkey and the eggs are not easy enough to find to make it worth while to eat. We have predators so making a solid coop/tractor. The predator that killed two turkey hens sitting on eggs were skunks.
Oh skunks! I had a mama cat and her kittens in a shed many years ago, and a skunk got in and killed all the kittens. The next day I set a live trap, caught the skunk and then shot him with my dad’s 22 automatic rifle. My husband was working out of town and I had to handle the situation myself, so I did.
Check out the great "scare crow thingies" sold on Amazon that chicken farmers are using with success... It's one of those tall blowy things car lots use to attract business... plug it in and watch! It successfully keeps hawks away. Additionally, I've been told by the same farmer, geese will protect chickens....
You have a small flock you don't need it. You do need a bio safety plan. Ie - keep shoes clean and used only for your space. Ie don't wear your boots or sneakers you wore in town in some dirty bathroom out in your fields. It keeps their space cleaner. Enjoy it's great for making neighbors happy and your kids from being bored.
We had chickens and ducks for years and let them out to free range on our 11 acres where they kept down the bug population and weed seeds, which cut back on the amount of feed we had to buy. Sadly, a hawk (or hawks) discovered our flock and over time picked them off one by one.
BTW, duck eggs are delicious and about 1 1/2 times bigger than hen eggs.
I never built a chicken tractor, and with two dozen hens and a dozen ducks it would be difficult to accommodate all. But of course I had a hen & duck house.
This is terrific. Plus about 25% of the actual protein source for your birds will come right from the ground. Great insect inhibitors, including mosquitos.
I am getting 6 chickens in a few weeks so will have eggs this summer. We have an acre of pasture and plan on doing the chicken coop/tractor thing. I do have a local feed mill that makes their own animal feed that I trust to supplement their pasture grazing.
Francis, that sounds like a great plan. We live on an acreage and have plenty of room. It’s just a matter of securing the building from predators. But we’re planning to do the same. Our son started chickens last year, he has 13 and they have enough eggs to sell some. He said that 6 would be plenty for us. On Tucker’s report they were suggesting a problem with Purina feeds. It makes sense that the big corps like that are compromised. Always buy local whenever possible.
In the local chicken page that I recently joined, the people there said that the chain feed stores feed was crap and had no nutrition. That surprised me, I figured it wouldn't be as fresh as getting it local plus who knows WHERE in the world the ingredients come from. I can ask and get a list of where the ingredients come from at my local mill. The mill is over 100 years old and still using original equipment. Family owned for 3 generations. If I want whole grains, there is a place just a couple of miles from me too.
I am looking forward to the chickens. We had free range heritage turkeys, but are down to 3. We don't eat much turkey and the eggs are not easy enough to find to make it worth while to eat. We have predators so making a solid coop/tractor. The predator that killed two turkey hens sitting on eggs were skunks.
Oh skunks! I had a mama cat and her kittens in a shed many years ago, and a skunk got in and killed all the kittens. The next day I set a live trap, caught the skunk and then shot him with my dad’s 22 automatic rifle. My husband was working out of town and I had to handle the situation myself, so I did.
You RAWK!
Check out the great "scare crow thingies" sold on Amazon that chicken farmers are using with success... It's one of those tall blowy things car lots use to attract business... plug it in and watch! It successfully keeps hawks away. Additionally, I've been told by the same farmer, geese will protect chickens....
Guinea hens for sure do
YES, indeed they do!
My family had chickens and geese when I was little. I never understood why we had the geese. Now it makes sense.
💡
What is your son's opinion on marek's vaccination?
You have a small flock you don't need it. You do need a bio safety plan. Ie - keep shoes clean and used only for your space. Ie don't wear your boots or sneakers you wore in town in some dirty bathroom out in your fields. It keeps their space cleaner. Enjoy it's great for making neighbors happy and your kids from being bored.
We had chickens and ducks for years and let them out to free range on our 11 acres where they kept down the bug population and weed seeds, which cut back on the amount of feed we had to buy. Sadly, a hawk (or hawks) discovered our flock and over time picked them off one by one.
BTW, duck eggs are delicious and about 1 1/2 times bigger than hen eggs.
We are in a bird of prey zone so chickens need to be sheltered so the coop and tractor combo.
I never built a chicken tractor, and with two dozen hens and a dozen ducks it would be difficult to accommodate all. But of course I had a hen & duck house.
Chicken feed is where the bugs need to be!
This is terrific. Plus about 25% of the actual protein source for your birds will come right from the ground. Great insect inhibitors, including mosquitos.