The chickens have arrived
hchi...@hotmail.com
day or two. 16 culls of Cobb type meat birds. I've been waiting on
building a chicken tractor, now have the materials and just need to
get in gear. I've no idea if all of them will make it, but the price
($0) was too good to pass up, especially since we want layers in a
while.
These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. With the back gate to the
trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
easily rounded up. Not what I remember from my youth. They now have
water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
I'll see how many make it through the night. One or two seem to be
more chicken-like than the rest.
Seerialmom
I'm sorry....I took 4 years of Ag. Science in high school, was in the
FFA and before that was in 4-H in Jr. High where my original project
was "poultry". What is a "cull of Cobb"??? Just curious, did you
mention these chickens were coming before? I don't remember seeing a
thread about that :)
hchi...@hotmail.com
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/cobb/59/cobb-500
Culls are the chickens left after a major poultry marketer goes
through a broiler house and takes what they want, leaving the rest to
be destroyed.
These aren't your grandfather's chickens. I remember chasing chickens
when I was only a little larger than them. These aren't what I
remember. They get pooped after running for a few feet, they can't
fly more than six inches off the ground, and they huddle when
stressed.
I've had a few posts referencing our getting chickens in the past.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. With the back gate to the
> trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
> easily rounded up. Not what I remember from my youth. They now have
> water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
> I'll see how many make it through the night. One or two seem to be
> more chicken-like than the rest.
They are probably too conditioned to being battery-raised. I bet they
will change.
I miss having chickens!
max
hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
i am SO JEALOUS. i wish i could have chickens. I like chickens; grew
up with all sorts of poultry.
I'm sure your birds will perk right up over the next few weeks; quite a
bit, too.
My better half and i visit one of the live poultry stores in town every
month or so pick out a nice old Rhode Island Red spent hen (aka stew
hen) for chicken and dumplings. soo delicious, and something you Just
Can't Get at a grocery store. Such good eggs you'll get, too ( maybe ).
really -- I'm so jealous!
--
This signature can be appended to your outgoing mesages. Many people include in
their signatures contact information, and perhaps a joke or quotation.
Jeff
> In article <p1la74ttb50dn9iar...@4ax.com>,
> hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> The chickens have arrived... and are living in my cargo trailer for a
>> day or two. 16 culls of Cobb type meat birds. I've been waiting on
>> building a chicken tractor, now have the materials and just need to
>> get in gear. I've no idea if all of them will make it, but the price
>> ($0) was too good to pass up, especially since we want layers in a
>> while.
>>
>> These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. With the back gate to the
>> trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
>> easily rounded up. Not what I remember from my youth. They now have
>> water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
>> I'll see how many make it through the night. One or two seem to be
>> more chicken-like than the rest.
>
> i am SO JEALOUS. i wish i could have chickens. I like chickens; grew
> up with all sorts of poultry.
I live in the city and my neighbor had free range chickens (layers). Not
so oddly, they disappeared one at a time.
I did learn the answer to that age old question: Why does a chicken
cross the road?
It doesn't care...
Jeff
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>
>
>On Wed, 9 Jul 2008, hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:26:37 -0700 (PDT), Seerialmom
>> <seeri...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Jul 9, 5:21?pm, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>> The chickens have arrived... ?and are living in my cargo trailer for a
>>>> day or two. ?16 culls of Cobb type meat birds. ?I've been waiting on
>>>> building a chicken tractor, now have the materials and just need to
>>>> get in gear. ?I've no idea if all of them will make it, but the price
>>>> ($0) was too good to pass up, especially since we want layers in a
>>>> while.
>>>>
>>>> These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. ?With the back gate to the
>>>> trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
>>>> easily rounded up. ?Not what I remember from my youth. ?They now have
>>>> water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
>>>> I'll see how many make it through the night. ?One or two seem to be
>>>> more chicken-like than the rest.
>>>
>>> I'm sorry....I took 4 years of Ag. Science in high school, was in the
>>> FFA and before that was in 4-H in Jr. High where my original project
>>> was "poultry". What is a "cull of Cobb"??? Just curious, did you
>>> mention these chickens were coming before? I don't remember seeing a
>>> thread about that :)
>>
>>
>> http://www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/cobb/59/cobb-500
>>
>> Culls are the chickens left after a major poultry marketer goes
>> through a broiler house and takes what they want, leaving the rest to
>> be destroyed.
>>
>> These aren't your grandfather's chickens. I remember chasing chickens
>> when I was only a little larger than them. These aren't what I
>> remember. They get pooped after running for a few feet, they can't
>> fly more than six inches off the ground, and they huddle when
>> stressed.
>
>I'll bet within 6 weeks they'll be much stronger and spunkier, once given
>a little room to move.
I think it is more the breeding. The broiler house they came from is
huge, about a football field and a half long, and I'd guess about
seventy feet wide. The chickens had free run of that entire space.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> I live in the city and my neighbor had free range chickens (layers). Not
> so oddly, they disappeared one at a time.
We lost several of ours to raccoons.
> I did learn the answer to that age old question: Why does a chicken
> cross the road?
>
> It doesn't care...
Or maybe it saw a bug.
Why did the punk rocker cross the road?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Because he was stapled to the chicken.
Seerialmom
>
> - Show quoted text -
That helps a bit. So these are the "seconds" you're getting...I take
it based on your post they aren't layers? Or are they still young
enough to produce eggs?
JonquilJan
news:betatron-E6F78A...@news.ftupet.com...
> In article <p1la74ttb50dn9iar...@4ax.com>,
> hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> > The chickens have arrived... and are living in my cargo trailer for a
> > day or two. 16 culls of Cobb type meat birds. I've been waiting on
> > building a chicken tractor, now have the materials and just need to
> > get in gear. I've no idea if all of them will make it, but the price
> > ($0) was too good to pass up, especially since we want layers in a
> > while.
> >
> > These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. With the back gate to the
> > trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
> > easily rounded up. Not what I remember from my youth. They now have
> > water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
> > I'll see how many make it through the night. One or two seem to be
> > more chicken-like than the rest.
>
> i am SO JEALOUS. i wish i could have chickens. I like chickens; grew
> up with all sorts of poultry.
>
> I'm sure your birds will perk right up over the next few weeks; quite a
> bit, too.
>
> My better half and i visit one of the live poultry stores in town every
> month or so pick out a nice old Rhode Island Red spent hen (aka stew
> hen) for chicken and dumplings. soo delicious, and something you Just
> Can't Get at a grocery store. Such good eggs you'll get, too ( maybe ).
>
> really -- I'm so jealous!
>
I am jealous as well. I have the land, the room - but not the health to
reliably take care of any animals. But I do want chickens. Maybe next
year.
JonquilJan
Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying
hchi...@hotmail.com
<seeri...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Jul 9, 8:26?pm, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:26:37 -0700 (PDT), Seerialmom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> <seerial...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >On Jul 9, 5:21?pm, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> >> The chickens have arrived... ?and are living in my cargo trailer for a
>> >> day or two. ?16 culls of Cobb type meat birds. ?I've been waiting on
>> >> building a chicken tractor, now have the materials and just need to
>> >> get in gear. ?I've no idea if all of them will make it, but the price
>> >> ($0) was too good to pass up, especially since we want layers in a
>> >> while.
>>
>> >> These birds are scarey compliant and quiet. ?With the back gate to the
>> >> trailer down, only two decided to take a walk outside, and those were
>> >> easily rounded up. ?Not what I remember from my youth. ?They now have
>> >> water, feed, a few squash bugs for entertainment, and some straw.
>> >> I'll see how many make it through the night. ?One or two seem to be
>> >> more chicken-like than the rest.
>>
>> >I'm sorry....I took 4 years of Ag. Science in high school, was in the
>> >FFA and before that was in 4-H in Jr. High where my original project
>> >was "poultry". ?What is a "cull of Cobb"??? ?Just curious, did you
>> >mention these chickens were coming before? ?I don't remember seeing a
>> >thread about that :)
>>
>> http://www.thepoultrysite.com/focus/cobb/59/cobb-500
>>
>> Culls are the chickens left after a major poultry marketer goes
>> through a broiler house and takes what they want, leaving the rest to
>> be destroyed.
>>
>> These aren't your grandfather's chickens. ?I remember chasing chickens
>> when I was only a little larger than them. ?These aren't what I
>> remember. ?They get pooped after running for a few feet, they can't
>> fly more than six inches off the ground, and they huddle when
>> stressed.
>>
>> I've had a few posts referencing our getting chickens in the past.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>That helps a bit. So these are the "seconds" you're getting...I take
>it based on your post they aren't layers? Or are they still young
>enough to produce eggs?
I think they are about 14 weeks old. Three are about market size,
maybe 4 lbs dressed, the rest are smaller. Not really runts, because
those get culled early on, just not as fast at growing. The
appearance isn't great; they are dirty and most have some feathers
missing, but that'll change over time. The females may get to a point
where they start laying, not sure how many are roos since they are
young.
I've been constructing a chicken tractor today. This first one is
taking a surprising amount of time to design and build, since I'm
partly working out design issues as I build, and I've been doing lap
joints without the proper tools. I'm trying to keep construction
materials cost as low as possible without resorting to scrap wood. I
have hopes that I'll be able to make up a set of plans, or even market
kits or complete units to folks in the general area.
All the birds survived the first night in the trailer. They had water
and food, both of which were used. There was a start of chirping off
and on, since they are getting over the stress of the move. We'll see
how this goes, since it is a learning experience. I have used
hardware cloth instead of poultry netting to limit predators. Hawks,
buzzards, owls, fox, coyote, dogs. If I lose birds, I'll enclose the
base of the tractor.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> so what's a chicken tractor, anyway?
A mobile home for chickens. Google is your friend.
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>
>
>On Thu, 10 Jul 2008, hchi...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> I've been constructing a chicken tractor today. This first one is
>> taking a surprising amount of time to design and build, since I'm
>> partly working out design issues as I build, and I've been doing lap
>> joints without the proper tools. I'm trying to keep construction
>> materials cost as low as possible without resorting to scrap wood. I
>> have hopes that I'll be able to make up a set of plans, or even market
>> kits or complete units to folks in the general area.
>
>so what's a chicken tractor, anyway?
We make chickens work out here. I want to have them haying by fall.
Think cage and housing without floor. Instead of moving the buildup
of poop and litter, you move the cage. Within a short period, the
land is just a little more fertile, and the chickens have fresh
pickins.
Seerialmom
So basically you're saying you have a rolling fertilizer machine?
hchi...@hotmail.com
<seeri...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Jul 11, 7:16?am, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:00:45 -0500, barbie gee <boo...@nosespam.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >On Thu, 10 Jul 2008, hchick...@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>> >> I've been constructing a chicken tractor today. ?This first one is
>> >> taking a surprising amount of time to design and build, since I'm
>> >> partly working out design issues as I build, and I've been doing lap
>> >> joints without the proper tools. ?I'm trying to keep construction
>> >> materials cost as low as possible without resorting to scrap wood. ?I
>> >> have hopes that I'll be able to make up a set of plans, or even market
>> >> kits or complete units to folks in the general area.
>>
>> >so what's a chicken tractor, anyway?
>>
>> We make chickens work out here. ?I want to have them haying by fall.
>>
>> Think cage and housing without floor. ?Instead of moving the buildup
>> of poop and litter, you move the cage. ?Within a short period, the
>> land is just a little more fertile, and the chickens have fresh
>> pickins.
>
>So basically you're saying you have a rolling fertilizer machine?
More like a combination tiller fertilizer machine. Chickens dig into
the ground for nutritious snacks and to create dust baths. They are
looking a little cleaner today because of their dusting themselves.
They also eat like pigs.
I filled up two trays this morning and gave some scratch, and I had to
do the same this evening. I've also got to make a stand for their
water. They manage to poop in it somehow.
Two of the big ones will be going to freezer camp in a couple of days.
One has a leg problem, and the other is overly aggressive. That
should take some pressure off the underachievers and slow the feed
inhalation just a bit.
Dennis
Yep, some of the meat breeds put on so much weight so fast that their
legs can barely support them. They just sit most of the time,
especially if they have feed available without effort.
How's the chicken tractor project coming? My wife recently
commissioned me to build a new one for one of her flocks. She wanted
something simple and light enough for her and the kids to move easily.
I screwed together a couple of 2x2 triangles, 4ft on a side, for the
ends, then connected the points of the triangles with three 8ft 2x2s.
Two more 12ft 2x2s attach at middle of the upper sides of the
triangles to add support and extend past the ends to make carrying
handles. Then we covered the sides and one end with chicken wire. I
covered the other end with plywood scraps, hinged for a door.
Finally, we wrapped a heavy blue tarp across one half to make a
sun/rain shelter and added a few foraged tree branches across the mid
(carry handle) 2x2s for roosts.
Cheap, lightweight, easy to build and to move. The clucks seem to
like it.
Dennis (evil)
--
I'm behind the eight ball, ahead of the curve, riding the wave,
dodging the bullet and pushing the envelope. -George Carlin
Dennis
I built one of our early chicken tractors out of pvc pipe and chicken
wire (think hoop house) such that it would fit nicely on top of the
4x8ft raised beds in our garden. Put a couple of chickens in one in
the spring and the raised bed is scratched up and fertilized in a week
or two. A few easy turns with a fork and it's ready to plant.
>I filled up two trays this morning and gave some scratch, and I had to
>do the same this evening. I've also got to make a stand for their
>water. They manage to poop in it somehow.
Clucks are poop machines. If they can get near it, they will poop
in/on it. Putting the waterer on a short stand will help prevent them
from scratching feed and debris into it.
>Two of the big ones will be going to freezer camp in a couple of days.
>One has a leg problem, and the other is overly aggressive. That
>should take some pressure off the underachievers and slow the feed
>inhalation just a bit.
Here is a butchering method that we tried with some success (skinning
rather than plucking):
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html
No plucking, no gutting, pretty quick and easy. You only give up a
tiny amound of meat on the back/ribs. Depends on how much you like
that crispy skin on your drumsticks.
Dennis (evil)
--
I'm a hands-on, footloose, knee-jerk head case. -George Carlin
hchi...@hotmail.com
First tractor - four panels + roof
2x4 treated lumber for base, 2 x3 for rest of frame
2 2x4s with wedge fronts, 2" in from ends, the lap joints to the 2 x
3" x 24" verticals. 24" wide 1/2" metal hardware cloth, stapled all
around. 2x3x92 top frame on sides, 2 x 3 x 40" +- on ends. Roof of
4'x8' sheet of flooring board. When dragging the roof can come off to
limit weight. Roof has a 20" x 48" door for feeding and water.
Hardware cloth stapled to frame, panels screwed together with deck
screws. Cost under $50, probably under $40. Two boxes inside old 18"
cardboard box cubes for nighttime.
Vic Smith
>lis...@privacy.net wrote in
>news:kjdp84hmno78m37vu...@4ax.com:
>
>>
>>
>> I so miss having chickens but now I am in the city and can only have
>> three of them and it seems like too much work.. :(
>
>You're fairly lucky you can have even one.
>Many years ago a woman in the adjacent city of Eagle had a little
>banty for a pet. She had a small chicken house built of it to scale
>that matched her own.
>The neighbors got together and enforced the no livestock rule
>and she had to get rid of it.
>
Makes you wonder why people are so petty.
In a residential neighborhood I lived in on the north side of Chicago
a family - never met them - had 6 or 7 chickens running around their
fenced front yard. I thought somebody would complain and they'd be
quickly gone, but they were there for at least a couple years until
I moved. I liked seeing them there myself.
--Vic
Dennis
<thismaila...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Makes you wonder why people are so petty.
>In a residential neighborhood I lived in on the north side of Chicago
>a family - never met them - had 6 or 7 chickens running around their
>fenced front yard. I thought somebody would complain and they'd be
>quickly gone, but they were there for at least a couple years until
>I moved. I liked seeing them there myself.
Living next door to 7 chickens could get a little smelly in the
summer. Also, they could keep a small yard pretty scratched up and
bare looking. Of course it's obvious why someone might not want to
live next to a rooster or two.
Just playing devil's advocate here. We're running somewhere around 50
clucks +- (in a really big rural yard).
Vic Smith
wrote:
It was a corner house, so the yard was a bit bigger than I suggested.
The yard did look a little threadbare, but not real bad.
Never noticed a smell, but I didn't live next door.
Anyway, I can think of worse neighbors.
Just talked to my daughter, who is visiting in a small Polish village.
She says the roosters are better than any snooze alarm she's had.
--Vic
Dennis
<thismaila...@comcast.net> wrote:
Until you get used to them, then you rarely even notice. Good thing,
too -- my wife and I were sitting on the front porch one afternoon
last spring and we counted 10 crows a minute -- one every 6 seconds on
average. That was before we sent a bunch of roosters to auction, but
the latest crop will be old enough to start testing their voices soon.
Dennis (evil)
--
The honest man is the one who realizes that he cannot
consume more, in his lifetime, than he produces.
Vic Smith
wrote:
>
>Until you get used to them, then you rarely even notice. Good thing,
>too -- my wife and I were sitting on the front porch one afternoon
>last spring and we counted 10 crows a minute -- one every 6 seconds on
>average. That was before we sent a bunch of roosters to auction, but
>the latest crop will be old enough to start testing their voices soon.
>Dennis (evil)
They never bothered me much when I lived on a farm as a kid.
I might wake and see dawn was breaking, then go right back to sleep.
What I remember most was grand dad whacking heads off on a stump,
and the smell of chicken feed - corn - that we picked up in town.
I'd use the burlap bag of feed as a pillow in the bed of the old Ford
pickup on the way back, and still remember the aroma.
Musty Pleasant.
--Vic
max
Terri <Te...@micron.net> wrote:
> Dennis <dg...@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:vgsu84hvtdo35f42r...@4ax.com:
> Even so, I'd still rather have 10 rooster crows a minute than live within
> 5 miles of a peacock.
> Half a mile away and it isn't far enough-mutter-damnbird...
about 10 years ago i was on a v. large bike ride across iowa. We got
into our overnight town, hot and exhausted and hurredly pitched out
tents, showered and fled to the town square in search of beer, AC and
pork products.
That night, the low temp was 90-something. 5 thousand of us lay in our
tents, drenched in sweat, cat napping in the heat and basically
miserable. when, about 4:00 a.m. this Horrible Squawking woke everyone.
In unison, about 100 people involuntarily exclaimed "WTF was THAT??"
Turns out we were camped next to a local zoo, which included 20 or 30
peacocks. Sleeping went from very difficult to manifestly impossible,
and the entire camp had hit the road by 5:30 in the morning.
.max