Mike, we should talk! I'm giving my experience here... We prevent any broken eggs from laying in the nesting boxes. You can get birds pecking and eating eggs. Once it starts, it can be difficult to find the offending hen. And they'll continue to eat. We do not wash eggs with water. We used to and I got a nasty infection that ended up being traced to the birds and the possible mishandling of the eggs. Nasty right! Campylobacteriosis - Wikipedia This affected me for over a year before it was diagnosed. Trust me, it wasn't fun. Many tests were ran, and many regimes of natural and prescription meds. One thing you NEVER want to try is wormwood tea. I don't want to talk about the others... Might wanna hold out on the water and do some reading. See above.
I hope this is the correct chicken thread. This reminded me of lukem 's portable cages, kind of clever.
I’ve been watching craigslist for a free trampoline for this very reason, except it would be to move around the yard not against the coup. Very convenient.
I thought it was a clever idea too. Yes, a trampoline frame. I saw it on facebook. I have two small ones here that were picked up and tossed an acre away by the wind, not safe to jump on now. I'll offer then on the local rebuild group.
When it gets cold and snowy out my chickens huddle against the house to stay out of the elements. When I tend the fire this is what is looking in at me. I imagine they are a little jealous I'm in and they are outside . Lol.
Just ordered 34 meat birds to be delivered in early march. I try to avoid having them during the extreme weather, both hot and cold. Lost 8 in 3 hours on a 98 degree day this past summer. Stupid things huddled up and forgot to go get water. I then broke down and put an AC unit in the coop until that heat broke 3 days later.
Just layers. Sometime down the road I'd like to get into building a tractor and getting a bunch of meat birds.
I wish! I'm not zoned for chickens. But I buy my eggs from a local person. Yesterday I got a dozen duck eggs ($6) and made some yummy egg salad.
I think you’re supposed to have a longer box with the heat lamp at one end... this allows the chicks to choose if they want to be under the light or not depending on whether or not they are warm or cold... otherwise they could end up like the crew when Kenny Roger’s roasters moved in next door to Kramer’s apartment..