Omgsh i got mine at Jerry's home improvement 149.00. Dumps and handle moves for towing as well. Wow I got a great price back in Feb. Lolol i love it vroom vroom.
14 to 1 is almost perfect ratio for hens to roo. Ideally, it would be 15... I'd keep him. He'll make the hens happier and you also have a chance to have some chicks of your own. If you have the nesting boxes blocked remember to unblock them at 17 weeks! The more greens you give them the oranger the yolks will be. Kelp meal and oyster shell are good/necessary suppliments too once they start laying! My new girls head out to the coop today...and it's snowing...I'm so sick of Winter!
Thanks for the info. Yeah we might keep him but I was worried about the other chickens bullying the little chicks? It's been raining a lot here and the temperatures have been up and down but slowly warming up. I used to live in the northern states and got tired of the cold and snow too.
Omg that door zzz Nom nom nom the rooster The pup looks like he would love some chicken ! You can try putting wheels on the coop then you could rotate spots on the lawn where they mow the lawn and fertilizer at the same time.
You should keep the rooster my friend always good to have one. And as for the young lady with out the tail feathers it doesn't look like there being pecked out. Usually if one starts pecking they all do so she will end up with a complete bold patch and they don't stop there they will go in the flesh as well. As a lot of ground bird can be cannibalistic. So seems it could just be the way her tail is growing they loose feather from flapping and jumping about so that probably why you find them in the coop and try not to put perches to high as eggs can break in side the hen and kill them if they jump from to high as I found out.
Great job ! Your chickens are happy and healthy 😊🐓 we just bought a 1200 lb Gorilla cart a week ago,,,” love it!” You should cut a little bit bigger screen and bend the sides up, great idea though 👍 thanks for sharing 🐓🐥 make sure they get lots of calcium when they start laying, don’t trust the feed bags that say all the calcium they need included in the grain, Amazon has great choices for calcium, manna pro and oyster shell.. good stuff... happy girls!
it's looking good over there. that cart will come in real handy all the time, i hope you can fill it up with garden veggies. i guess you have it figured out pretty good by tipping the bucket to clean the coop, before you did that i was thinking you could dig some divots for the wheels if you were that close to level with the coop, or let some air out of the tires :) glad you got it sorted out easily. have fun, like the channel.
I like how you used that scrap of hardware cloth (screen) to scoop poop. When I saw what you were doing, I started thinking of getting a few dowels to make a small hardware cloth Shovel, hoe, and/or rake. I'd keep the rooster, but I'd add a little side run. Like when you are looking at the ramp side of coop, it looks to be about 5' narrower than your run. If you added a little additional run from there to the back of the coop with a couple pop doors for chickens, one to under coop, one to run, and a big door for people, and built little one nesting box coop (like a dog house). You could accomplish several things at once; * You could leave both pop doors open most of the time adding additional square feet to your run, but more than just the square feet, you would in a sense be like adding a room, or creating a maze sort of - providing a 'loop' that a bullied hen could be evasive in somewhat. There will always be a pecking order, that can't be helped, but usually the bossy ones just want the passive ones to go away. But in one rectangle run, they more or less have no where to go. Think of how most nice restaurants are arranged so that not everyone can look around and see everyone else, VS how a cafeteria is usually arranged. If you added that little add on run, It'd help to put a non see through partition a little taller than a chicken on part of it. Maybe even cover about half the opening where they go under the coop. Not close it off or anything, just provide some line of sight blockers. You could even build a perch or two in the main run they could sit on, like 2' high, but with something, plywood, tarp, etc. between the legs, Kind of how cubical s work in offices, just a place to be out of everyone's line of sight all the time. * You also, by having the pop doors to the addition closed, when you need to have a hospital pen for a sick or injured chicken. If one gets a wound, or blood, the rest will pick away at it terribly. They'll likely kill it. A hen like that needs to be isolated from the flock until she recovers, or she may not recover. Whether the wounds come from trying to poke their head through the wire, a cat, or just getting beat up by other chickens, or just some other illness, you need a hospital pen sometimes. " Sometimes you need a chicken jail too. Often it's not so much the whole flock beating up the low status hens so much as the top few hens that are bullies, and some followers follow. This is normal, in any two chickens, one is going to be boss, and one is bottom, but some bosses are worse than others -- give them a week or two in jail and they often loose their rank, for a while anyway. Sometimes roosters are too active, or rough on hens, or the hens just need a break to grow back some feathers - throw him in jail awhile, lol. * But the best part of the add on run is it can be a nursery, and grow out pen. If you keep that rooster, when you find a broody hen, you've got a place to put her on a clutch of eggs in the little coop in the side run. That rooster may short you a few eggs a week, but he'll provide you with replacement hens. To be a sustainable chicken farmer with 15 layers, you should plan on replacing around 1/3 to 1/2, or at least 1/4 of your hens each year. They reach their maximum laying their second year, then decline 20 - 25% a year after that (these are just averages, it varies, but generally the high production types, RIR, Golden Comets, Leghorns, etc., reach the peak and drop production quicker - all the eggs that they will ever lay are in them when they are chicks, so the faster they lay eggs in the beginning, the less they'll have left when they're older). So if your goal is to keep 15 hens, and you decide to keep them laying 3 years, you should get 5 replacement hens every year. or 4 if your keeping 4 years, 3 for 5 years etc. Around half will be male though, so for 5 hens, you probably need 10 chicks, or a few more to cover a few deaths, or extra rooster, margin of error. You can raise your chicks right there where the main flock can see them but not touch them until they are big enough. Then when they are introduced, you've got a good start on an obstacle course, hidey spots, a hospital, and a jail as needed. I never said you had to stew all those old hens, like I would, you can retire them into luxury if it suits you, but if you want a 15 layer flock to produce what a 15 layer flock should, you need to plan on replacements. I know yours are all the same age, but if you add 5 anyway each year, you'll still get there, you' ll just be long a few good layers the first few years.
Another great video. I love your coop and run and your chickens are going to be happy girls and give you lots of fresh eggs. You should keep the rooster because he will alert the hens of danger and he will keep the girls in line when they squabble. I'm surprised that you haven't named them, I have 18 and they all have a name. Suprisingly, they learn their names after awhile. Regarding the hen with the pulled tail feathers, I have two polish hens with poofy feathers on their head and the other hens would pull every feather off these poor girls heads and then start pecking the top of their head, so I separated them after seeing much blood. Your girl with no tail is probably low on the pecking order or someone is just bored and pulling her feathers. There is a product that you can get that tastes bitter to chickens, just apply it to the pecked area and the taste will stop the pecking.
Flower Girl Thank you, I can't wait to taste real organic fresh eggs that have been fed fresh greens from around my property and organic chicken feed. We're definitely keeping the rooster now, too many people tell me the same thing. I can't name the chickens because I'll become too attached to them. I'm already getting attached to my white ( blue andalusian ) she's always curious and watching me. 😄
I ordered 10 hens lost 2 about 4 days after I got them and so I ended up with 2 roosters, now I have to get 4 more hen's and we will just butcher the 2 roosters.
If I were to build a coop and run exactly like yours, what's a ballpark figure I'd be looking to spend? Not including tools and equipment. Just material.
I wish I cold tell you, but between building the coop and run, I lost track of all the receipts. But the coop is cheaper to build then to buy a shed at Home depot or Lowes.
Absolutely, I would make it 8x8 also and with the storage on the other side. I blocked off two nesting boxes to use as storage because six nesting boxes is too much for 14 hens. I wish I could tell you how much I spent on the coop and run, but I can say with confidence it was more than $800.00
Usually they gang up on the weakest hen and pull their tail feathers out and peck them. The rooster may be doing it too if he's trying to breed them. Usually if it's the rooster they will be missing some neck feathers as well.
Other chickens won't bother the babies! Momma hen will protect them! It's a win-win situation! He warns them of danger, finds food for them and us a good thing to have! Bee Blessed Danny and Rita in TN on Rooster's Ridge
The roost platform is 44 inches wide by 36 inches deep and 24 inches off the floor. It's been working great. The poop is falling on the sand I put down on the platform and cleaning is fast and easy with a metal kitty litter scooper.
these carts last 3 years at most and they will never carry the loads claimed. Tires are cheap Chinese-made and they dryrot, no lube in hubs and no grease fittings so hubs wear out, metal is cheap and rusts immediately. SO, if three years is all you want it to last then good luck but carrying capacity is less than half claimed.
I have a gorilla cart..for two years now...I am 70 yrs...and it works great for hauling, bales of hay, 50 lbs. bags of grain...and cleaning out my horse's stall..love the dump...but not a fan of those inflatable tires...I don't have..a compressor to refil..want hard tires...same with my old dolly..air filled tires, but to clean this cart..I just spray out with hose,, and all is cleaned. .leave it standing up and drains and dries fast....but keep the rooster...he will make sure of breeding..and you will not have to buy any more chicks...let some eggs hatch, keep the flock growing, and put and other rooster into your freezer..after the purchase of our high birds..25 of them...we never bought chickens again..had off spring from the original first 25 birds..for over twenty years...and the rooster filled our freezers..and yes we love barbeque chicken...after the cull of the roosters, we then used our small table top band saw ...cut them down the back..and each of the four kids, and me and hubby, enjoyed a whole half of barbeque chickens. .there where 6 of us. two adults four children. ..this way we all got to enjoy the different parts..white and dark meat...
He speaks of the Pine shavings making good fertilizer for his garden. Not so. Wood decomposes slowly. As It decomposes, it uses up all the nitrogen (needed for leaf growth) in the soil. That’s how mulch keeps the weeds down. Your poop and clippings should go through a compost pile process first, before using it on your garden.
As long as you don't mixg the pine shavings into the soil, i.e., leave them on top as a mulch, then there is no nitrogen leaching. That's why wood chip gargening works.
On keeping the rooster, I would say it depends on if he's aggressive or not. If he becomes mean or aggressive I'd say boot him out of there. As far as protecting the flock I had 10 hens to one rooster and I used to let them free range now I am down to one chicken and guess who it is. Good luck
Yeah if he gets too aggressive with the hens, then I might have to terminate him. But so far he's been really good. I can't let mine free range here, they'll be eaten by a hawk, coyote, raccoon or something.
Yeah I know. Like they say, you live and learn. I'm planning on making my run bigger so I don't have to let them free range. We have similar predators where I'm from. Hawks, raccoons, possums, no coyotes around eastern shore Maryland.
Dump feature = excellent small batch concrete mixer! They say it will "hold" 1500 lbs. That may be the absolute max capacity over smooth terrain. Drag it across uneven terrain and that may reduce the capacity to maybe 1000 lbs (which is still a lot of weight).
Dan Burch I've been using it all the time around my property, even to carry my yard tools around. But I'm not sure it would make a good cement mixer because the bottom of the cart has large ribs, but if it were smooth, it would be great for that.
So she's never had feathers? Could be just the way she is or she could be doing it herself but she is acting like she's been picked on... extra jumpy. But it seems like you would still see them picking on her. I don't think they care who is watching. I don't have chickens (despite the amount of books I've read and videoed that I've watched) but I grew up with Dobie's and yours was definitely stalking those chickens and trying to grab them... even pawed at them and whined. They have a pretty strong prey drive. When my mom bred ours and she had her pups, she broke out of the yard and killed one of my neighbor's chickens and regurgitated it for her pups. She actually had to be put down because she kept hunting porcupines. I became an expert quill remover. The last one she attacked got the quills so far down her throat and so many that she needed surgery. Vet advised against surgery though. Said we'd be back probably before she healed. Still love them though. They are extremely good with kids. The sand is a good idea! Seems better than a tarp but do they try to dust bathe in it? You can find strainers with handles in most sizes.
Yeah I think the Rhode island reds tail feathers are just that way, she still doesn't have any and it doesn't seem like the others are picking on her. I can tell my dobie's want the chickens but we've been out to check on the chickens so many times that they seem to have calmed down a bit. Toby the male doberman is very protective around the property and I worry about him getting in to a fight with a wild boar.......and that would not be good for him.
Jon Brunner Yeah I thought about that too, but I have two feet of galvanized hardware cloth on the ground to protect the chickens from predators. But I still might remove the hardware cloth and lower that area. Thanks
It's not about being lazy. Maybe you enjoy going out 200 yards from your house just when the sun rises and close it just after sunset in the rain, cold or snow.
The rooster is going to be nothing but trouble once he matures. His crowing will become very annoying. And, you have the hens for the eggs. You do NOT want him fertilizing the eggs. Not good. Get rid of him.
Very nice cart Pete, looks multi functional. That chicken manure feeds the garden, what a good recycle this is.
Thanks 👍
Your voice is very relaxing. Love your videos and your dobermans!!!
Thank you 🙂
Cool! It was the white one one the swing first! 🐓🐔🐔🐔🐔 Thanks for sharing that Pete!
👍
Omgsh i got mine at Jerry's home improvement 149.00. Dumps and handle moves for towing as well. Wow I got a great price back in Feb. Lolol i love it vroom vroom.
14 to 1 is almost perfect ratio for hens to roo. Ideally, it would be 15... I'd keep him. He'll make the hens happier and you also have a chance to have some chicks of your own. If you have the nesting boxes blocked remember to unblock them at 17 weeks! The more greens you give them the oranger the yolks will be. Kelp meal and oyster shell are good/necessary suppliments too once they start laying! My new girls head out to the coop today...and it's snowing...I'm so sick of Winter!
Thanks for the info. Yeah we might keep him but I was worried about the other chickens bullying the little chicks? It's been raining a lot here and the temperatures have been up and down but slowly warming up. I used to live in the northern states and got tired of the cold and snow too.
New to the channel that coop door gets me every time 🚪😂😂😂
🙂👍
Omg that door zzz
Nom nom nom the rooster
The pup looks like he would love some chicken !
You can try putting wheels on the coop then you could rotate spots on the lawn where they mow the lawn and fertilizer at the same time.
You should keep the rooster my friend always good to have one. And as for the young lady with out the tail feathers it doesn't look like there being pecked out. Usually if one starts pecking they all do so she will end up with a complete bold patch and they don't stop there they will go in the flesh as well. As a lot of ground bird can be cannibalistic. So seems it could just be the way her tail is growing they loose feather from flapping and jumping about so that probably why you find them in the coop and try not to put perches to high as eggs can break in side the hen and kill them if they jump from to high as I found out.
Interesting thanks for the information 👍
When my birds pick at each other i spray blue kote ( you get it from tractor supply) they don't like the taste.
Joseph Riley Thanks, I'll look into that.
Great job ! Your chickens are happy and healthy 😊🐓 we just bought a 1200 lb Gorilla cart a week ago,,,” love it!” You should cut a little bit bigger screen and bend the sides up, great idea though 👍 thanks for sharing 🐓🐥 make sure they get lots of calcium when they start laying, don’t trust the feed bags that say all the calcium they need included in the grain, Amazon has great choices for calcium, manna pro and oyster shell.. good stuff... happy girls!
👍
Just dig (4) 2" deep holes to set your tires into.
rkorsberg That is exactly what I thought. Then movethose concrete bricks over the holes. I think he uses them to stabilize the steps.
That's exactly what I was going to suggest, but you beat me to it. lol
Yep 👍🏽
How about a kitty litter scoop?
I tried that but the holes or slots on the scoop were to big and most of the poop went through.
Wrap with screen, I live in Florida and use Beach net for minnows
A rooster is a good protecter of the flock cause He is always on alert and will sound the alarm I vote to keep him
Yep, we're going to keep the rooster.
I was going to say if you wanted a guard bird get a goose and eat the rooster.
A lot of work to pluck and clean a single bird
it's looking good over there. that cart will come in real handy all the time, i hope you can fill it up with garden veggies. i guess you have it figured out pretty good by tipping the bucket to clean the coop, before you did that i was thinking you could dig some divots for the wheels if you were that close to level with the coop, or let some air out of the tires :) glad you got it sorted out easily. have fun, like the channel.
Why dig down a lil bit for the wheels so you back it up and dock it
Yeah I though about that too, but it gets muddy there after it rains and I'll just end up making a place for water to stand.
Where did you get your chickens what Hatchery
We got them from www.meyerhatchery.com but it would be best to find a hatchery closest to your area so they don't spend too much time in the mail.
I like how you used that scrap of hardware cloth (screen) to scoop poop. When I saw what you were doing, I started thinking of getting a few dowels to make a small hardware cloth Shovel, hoe, and/or rake.
I'd keep the rooster, but I'd add a little side run. Like when you are looking at the ramp side of coop, it looks to be about 5' narrower than your run. If you added a little additional run from there to the back of the coop with a couple pop doors for chickens, one to under coop, one to run, and a big door for people, and built little one nesting box coop (like a dog house). You could accomplish several things at once;
* You could leave both pop doors open most of the time adding additional square feet to your run, but more than just the square feet, you would in a sense be like adding a room, or creating a maze sort of - providing a 'loop' that a bullied hen could be evasive in somewhat. There will always be a pecking order, that can't be helped, but usually the bossy ones just want the passive ones to go away. But in one rectangle run, they more or less have no where to go. Think of how most nice restaurants are arranged so that not everyone can look around and see everyone else, VS how a cafeteria is usually arranged. If you added that little add on run, It'd help to put a non see through partition a little taller than a chicken on part of it. Maybe even cover about half the opening where they go under the coop. Not close it off or anything, just provide some line of sight blockers. You could even build a perch or two in the main run they could sit on, like 2' high, but with something, plywood, tarp, etc. between the legs, Kind of how cubical s work in offices, just a place to be out of everyone's line of sight all the time.
* You also, by having the pop doors to the addition closed, when you need to have a hospital pen for a sick or injured chicken. If one gets a wound, or blood, the rest will pick away at it terribly. They'll likely kill it. A hen like that needs to be isolated from the flock until she recovers, or she may not recover. Whether the wounds come from trying to poke their head through the wire, a cat, or just getting beat up by other chickens, or just some other illness, you need a hospital pen sometimes.
" Sometimes you need a chicken jail too. Often it's not so much the whole flock beating up the low status hens so much as the top few hens that are bullies, and some followers follow. This is normal, in any two chickens, one is going to be boss, and one is bottom, but some bosses are worse than others -- give them a week or two in jail and they often loose their rank, for a while anyway. Sometimes roosters are too active, or rough on hens, or the hens just need a break to grow back some feathers - throw him in jail awhile, lol.
* But the best part of the add on run is it can be a nursery, and grow out pen. If you keep that rooster, when you find a broody hen, you've got a place to put her on a clutch of eggs in the little coop in the side run. That rooster may short you a few eggs a week, but he'll provide you with replacement hens. To be a sustainable chicken farmer with 15 layers, you should plan on replacing around 1/3 to 1/2, or at least 1/4 of your hens each year. They reach their maximum laying their second year, then decline 20 - 25% a year after that (these are just averages, it varies, but generally the high production types, RIR, Golden Comets, Leghorns, etc., reach the peak and drop production quicker - all the eggs that they will ever lay are in them when they are chicks, so the faster they lay eggs in the beginning, the less they'll have left when they're older). So if your goal is to keep 15 hens, and you decide to keep them laying 3 years, you should get 5 replacement hens every year. or 4 if your keeping 4 years, 3 for 5 years etc. Around half will be male though, so for 5 hens, you probably need 10 chicks, or a few more to cover a few deaths, or extra rooster, margin of error. You can raise your chicks right there where the main flock can see them but not touch them until they are big enough. Then when they are introduced, you've got a good start on an obstacle course, hidey spots, a hospital, and a jail as needed. I never said you had to stew all those old hens, like I would, you can retire them into luxury if it suits you, but if you want a 15 layer flock to produce what a 15 layer flock should, you need to plan on replacements. I know yours are all the same age, but if you add 5 anyway each year, you'll still get there, you' ll just be long a few good layers the first few years.
Fertilized eggs are potent
Especially if raw
Another great video. I love your coop and run and your chickens are going to be happy girls and give you lots of fresh eggs. You should keep the rooster because he will alert the hens of danger and he will keep the girls in line when they squabble. I'm surprised that you haven't named them, I have 18 and they all have a name. Suprisingly, they learn their names after awhile. Regarding the hen with the pulled tail feathers, I have two polish hens with poofy feathers on their head and the other hens would pull every feather off these poor girls heads and then start pecking the top of their head, so I separated them after seeing much blood. Your girl with no tail is probably low on the pecking order or someone is just bored and pulling her feathers. There is a product that you can get that tastes bitter to chickens, just apply it to the pecked area and the taste will stop the pecking.
Flower Girl Thank you, I can't wait to taste real organic fresh eggs that have been fed fresh greens from around my property and organic chicken feed. We're definitely keeping the rooster now, too many people tell me the same thing. I can't name the chickens because I'll become too attached to them. I'm already getting attached to my white ( blue andalusian ) she's always curious and watching me. 😄
Flower Girl iii
What does it do? 2:00 oh, it dumps good
I use it to carry garden tools and mulch and yes it dumps too ☺
I ordered 10 hens lost 2 about 4 days after I got them and so I ended up with 2 roosters, now I have to get 4 more hen's and we will just butcher the 2 roosters.
A floor squeegee might work better raking against the floor and not so much chance cutting the vinyl as with the hoe.
Great idea thanks
If I were to build a coop and run exactly like yours, what's a ballpark figure I'd be looking to spend? Not including tools and equipment. Just material.
I wish I cold tell you, but between building the coop and run, I lost track of all the receipts. But the coop is cheaper to build then to buy a shed at Home depot or Lowes.
Absolutely, I would make it 8x8 also and with the storage on the other side. I blocked off two nesting boxes to use as storage because six nesting boxes is too much for 14 hens. I wish I could tell you how much I spent on the coop and run, but I can say with confidence it was more than $800.00
Usually they gang up on the weakest hen and pull their tail feathers out and peck them. The rooster may be doing it too if he's trying to breed them. Usually if it's the rooster they will be missing some neck feathers as well.
Thanks, she finally grow her tail feathers but not sure if she was a late bloomer or the rooster was doing it.
Other chickens won't bother the babies! Momma hen will protect them! It's a win-win situation! He warns them of danger, finds food for them and us a good thing to have! Bee Blessed Danny and Rita in TN on Rooster's Ridge
Rita McCartt-Kordon Thank you, it looks like we'll keep the rooster. God bless
Hey I like your set up Pete. Shouldn"t loose any hens to predators. Think I will sub you.......Thanks for sharing.....
Thank you so much 👍
Pete what's the dimensions on your roost and how is that working for you?
The roost platform is 44 inches wide by 36 inches deep and 24 inches off the floor. It's been working great. The poop is falling on the sand I put down on the platform and cleaning is fast and easy with a metal kitty litter scooper.
these carts last 3 years at most and they will never carry the loads claimed. Tires are cheap Chinese-made and they dryrot, no lube in hubs and no grease fittings so hubs wear out, metal is cheap and rusts immediately. SO, if three years is all you want it to last then good luck but carrying capacity is less than half claimed.
Mine is three year old now and I use it all the time in my garden and fill it with compost and manure. works and looks great.
I have a gorilla cart..for two years now...I am 70 yrs...and it works great for hauling, bales of hay, 50 lbs. bags of grain...and cleaning out my horse's stall..love the dump...but not a fan of those inflatable tires...I don't have..a compressor to refil..want hard tires...same with my old dolly..air filled tires, but to clean this cart..I just spray out with hose,, and all is cleaned. .leave it standing up and drains and dries fast....but keep the rooster...he will make sure of breeding..and you will not have to buy any more chicks...let some eggs hatch, keep the flock growing, and put and other rooster into your freezer..after the purchase of our high birds..25 of them...we never bought chickens again..had off spring from the original first 25 birds..for over twenty years...and the rooster filled our freezers..and yes we love barbeque chicken...after the cull of the roosters, we then used our small table top band saw ...cut them down the back..and each of the four kids, and me and hubby, enjoyed a whole half of barbeque chickens. .there where 6 of us. two adults four children. ..this way we all got to enjoy the different parts..white and dark meat...
See chickens at 4:22, heehee I was looking for the chick update.
He speaks of the Pine shavings making good fertilizer for his garden. Not so. Wood decomposes slowly. As It decomposes, it uses up all the nitrogen (needed for leaf growth) in the soil. That’s how mulch keeps the weeds down. Your poop and clippings should go through a compost pile process first, before using it on your garden.
As long as you don't mixg the pine shavings into the soil, i.e., leave them on top as a mulch, then there is no nitrogen leaching. That's why wood chip gargening works.
2 inches too high.
Me: grabs skid steer lower the ground level....
Trolley fits!
🙂
On keeping the rooster, I would say it depends on if he's aggressive or not. If he becomes mean or aggressive I'd say boot him out of there. As far as protecting the flock I had 10 hens to one rooster and I used to let them free range now I am down to one chicken and guess who it is. Good luck
Yeah if he gets too aggressive with the hens, then I might have to terminate him. But so far he's been really good. I can't let mine free range here, they'll be eaten by a hawk, coyote, raccoon or something.
Yeah I know. Like they say, you live and learn. I'm planning on making my run bigger so I don't have to let them free range. We have similar predators where I'm from. Hawks, raccoons, possums, no coyotes around eastern shore Maryland.
varoooom varoooommmm!!!!....
Laurie Flores Nothing like being a kid again 👍
lol...
Get a metal cat litter box scoop instead of metal fencing
I did, and the most of the chicken poop just went through ☹ The holes or slots on the cat litter scoop are to big for chicken poo.
Just glue or zip tie the mesh inside the scooper.
I have a Gorilla Cart from Home Depot. I love mine 👍
Yep it definitely comes in handy.
Dump feature = excellent small batch concrete mixer! They say it will "hold" 1500 lbs. That may be the absolute max capacity over smooth terrain. Drag it across uneven terrain and that may reduce the capacity to maybe 1000 lbs (which is still a lot of weight).
Dan Burch I've been using it all the time around my property, even to carry my yard tools around. But I'm not sure it would make a good cement mixer because the bottom of the cart has large ribs, but if it were smooth, it would be great for that.
So she's never had feathers? Could be just the way she is or she could be doing it herself but she is acting like she's been picked on... extra jumpy. But it seems like you would still see them picking on her. I don't think they care who is watching. I don't have chickens (despite the amount of books I've read and videoed that I've watched) but I grew up with Dobie's and yours was definitely stalking those chickens and trying to grab them... even pawed at them and whined. They have a pretty strong prey drive. When my mom bred ours and she had her pups, she broke out of the yard and killed one of my neighbor's chickens and regurgitated it for her pups. She actually had to be put down because she kept hunting porcupines. I became an expert quill remover. The last one she attacked got the quills so far down her throat and so many that she needed surgery. Vet advised against surgery though. Said we'd be back probably before she healed. Still love them though. They are extremely good with kids.
The sand is a good idea! Seems better than a tarp but do they try to dust bathe in it? You can find strainers with handles in most sizes.
Yeah I think the Rhode island reds tail feathers are just that way, she still doesn't have any and it doesn't seem like the others are picking on her. I can tell my dobie's want the chickens but we've been out to check on the chickens so many times that they seem to have calmed down a bit. Toby the male doberman is very protective around the property and I worry about him getting in to a fight with a wild boar.......and that would not be good for him.
You could always dig the area out in front of the door so the top of the cart will sit level with the floor
Jon Brunner Yeah I thought about that too, but I have two feet of galvanized hardware cloth on the ground to protect the chickens from predators. But I still might remove the hardware cloth and lower that area. Thanks
@@petebeasttexashomesteading
How about getting some smaller tires?
Sorry but that electric door opener has taken being lazy to a whole new level, it would of been quicker to just open it with a rope or string.
It's not about being lazy. Maybe you enjoy going out 200 yards from your house just when the sun rises and close it just after sunset in the rain, cold or snow.
you,ll need the rooster to get the eggs. no rooster, no eggs!
No just no 😂😂
The rooster is going to be nothing but trouble once he matures. His crowing will become very annoying. And, you have the hens for the eggs. You do NOT want him fertilizing the eggs. Not good. Get rid of him.
what about using the roster as free meal for Mia & Toby 🙀🙀🙀 !!!!
One day it will be 😩