Hey Free,how is your shed going?

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day ,I seem to recall you were going to build a new shed ,where are you up to ??......................T,O,R.

 

[freemotion]

That will be a later.....much later....project. For now, I'm just counting the cost!

Right now I am birthin' goaties and incubating eggs and need to put up a fence, get my pigs, and start work on the gardens......plus spring clean out of the barn/coop and the yard. Build the grape arbor and get more berries planted.

Oh, now I'm tired!

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

OMG,I'm exhausted just reading that (LOL).

If you like we could examine some of the things we took into consideration when we built our "new shearing shed".IE Position , ventilation,Internal headroom,ETC.

It may prove an interesting exercise for others on the forum?

What do you think?.................T.O.R..............

 

[MsPony]

Oh me me! I'm putting up a new shed TOR, chicken & rabbit food, supply, etc. Seeing as that's all I have at home, the horses have their own shed at the barn that isn't interesting to anyone here.

 

[freemotion]

I would love to get your thoughts and experience in this, TOR, and anyone else here who would like to chime in. I am absorbed in other things right now but always make time to relax here for a few minutes when I take breaks.

I am thinking in terms of a "real" coop since my current coop was an afterthought....an 3' wide addition to my barn, hard to maneuver in and very hard to clean out, and there is no room for flock expansion or to block off an area for a broody or two....I need to move them right out of the current coop space.

Problem is, no funds right now. I HAVE a coop, sorta, so it is not urgent. And I have other more urgent projects.

But I have to start somewhere, and I'm thinking that even if I can get it framed and put a roof on this year, that will put me closer to having a coop for some serious chicken-raising. There is a huge market for pastured eggs here, and I can't sell any with my tiny flock right now. Last year, my egg sales funded my pigs and their housing. This year, no eggs to spare. I hope to sell enough soap to buy the pigs, and their housing is already paid for, so the coop can be next.

So, back to my shed....I want to keep the design very simple, a lean-to shed. Skids or piers? Skids will be cheaper, as no permit is required, no inspection.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day Free,so lets put on our thinking caps.

1.what sort of "snow" do you get?THIS

OR THIS

2.Is it to be "fixed or towable"(skids sounds like you want to be able to move it around the paddock)?

So lets establish these two points first.(this could become quite a "saga" LOL).....................................T.O.R.....................

 

[freemotion]

Top photo! I'm just thinking skids to keep the price down....and I may want to move it some day.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

Hey Free ,saw you were on so,we will move on to the next step.

1.What is your production system now?EG: do you start each spring with POL pullets,sell them in the fall and set eggs over winter to start with pol the next spring.

2.What do you see as the terminal size of the flock?

3.Are you using "commercial hybrid layers"?

.............................................T.O.R...................

 

[freemotion]

Missed this again!

1. I've been buying day old hatchery pullets so far. I am still working towards my idea of having broody hens raise chicks from my own flock. We have been having a major problem with a pair of bald eagles and a pair of redtail hawks that have decided that my hens are delicious and the broodies can't keep up....and I lost three proven ones recently, don't know if I will have any volunteers this spring. So we got a small incubator and filled it last week with 41 eggs and will tractor the chicks to keep them safe until they are big enough to be with the rest of the flock. Roosters will stay in the tractor until slaughter in the fall. I have one tractor almost finished and most of the materials for a second one.

2. Right now I can squeeze close to 30 birds in my tiny coop because they free range all day, and I only close the pop door in the worst winter weather. At that number, they are jammed on the roosts. Right now I have about 15-18 layers, a few are older ones that have gone broody in the past and are still here for that ability.

3. I use heritage breeds and have a mixed flock. I recently acquired 4 outside roosters to bring in new genetics and Monday will pick up two GIGANTIC mixed breed young roos to get some size into my freezer roos for the fall, and some size into my hens to hopefully keep them less interesting-looking to the raptors.

I'd like to have a few more hens so I can sell eggs as there is a decent market here at good prices. Last year I paid for my pigs and their housing completely with egg money. I like the idea of this farmlet sustaining itself financially, paying for outside necessities with products of the farm......I've made some goat's milk soap this spring to make up for the lack of eggs for sale. My family comes first as far as good eggs are concerned. We eat a lot of eggs.

For this shed, it will be small but I do want to be able to keep more hens, maybe 40-50 laying hens/broodies and the roosters that aren't breeding will be tractored to reduce stress on the hens. I don't need the coop space that the "books" say is necessary since my birds get plenty of exercise except in the worst of winter....then they usually make a dash to the goat's communal stall and hang out there for the day. So they still get out.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day Free,A question:Is it more cost effective to buy "day old"and grow them out OR buy P O Lay Pullets?...Taking account of % of roosters,cost of feed and labor(I know your labor is free,but you could be doing something else which produces "income")............Do the roosters produce more money than eggs? as they both consume the same amount of feed?................

Can you post a photo of the barn and the coop?.I'm working on an idea which could help with the raptors(NO its not a "lead aspro")...It should not cost very much as well.

The "saga" continues...............................T.O.R...............