Hawg Hens

[omegabrock]

nice post. A lot more intricate than my coop lol. The wife isn't done painting it yet. .

Inside fence is 4ft chicken wire to keep the birds inside with an outer electric fence to keep predators out, with normal wire between the electric tape.

I have made some adjustments since this pic, but I don't have any pictures since. Fixed the light out of the way, mounted to the wall and waterproofed it and added another roost. Next is to make better nesting boxes, but I'm also going to build a separate "room" of the coop and separate the roosts and the nearing boxes.

[omegabrock]

Not sure why my pictures are fuzzy

[hawgrider]

Are those birds Rhode Island reds? I spent all spring and summer making changes to my set up as the learning curve was kicking my butt. Finally got a handle on things before it turned into winter. During the non freezing weather I keep the feeder and water fountain out in the kennel run. Had to put a tarp over the feeder to keep the pellets dry. With the food and water outside they only went in to roost and lay an egg so everything in the coop stayed pretty clean. Mid to late November I moved it inside the coop and went to the deep litter method. I already wired it for electricity for additional lighting and to run a hot plate for the water.
Its so darn cold here right now they don't want to come out of the coop as its only about 9 degrees brrrrrrr.
I am not running any heat for the birds.

[omegabrock]

Yeah, I have 4 Rhode Island reds, 2 americanas, a leghorn and a something else that I don't know what it is. I keep the coop open all day with the light on but they spend most of their time outside, even when it's in the teens lol. I don't have any heat set up (the guy I get them from doesn't do that so I didn't) but I'll thaw the water out every morning. idk what breed this one is

[hawgrider]

Might be a Plymouth rock

http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/med...ck-chicken.jpg

[Jeep]

Yep also known as a Barred Rock.

[hawgrider]

Picked up 6 new to me birds. All 9 month old Isa Browns now have a total of 9 Isa's . Should be filling some egg cartons soon. A couple are finishing up a molt a couple are laying. A few are getting used to there new home. The introduction to my 3 birds went well nobody is too pissed off. Sping is coming....Yaaaay!

[justlooking]

Love isa's

Our best layers were buff orppingtons

[hawgrider]

Isa's lay a lot more eggs than Buffs. My oldest daughter has 6 Buff's . I'm in it only for the max production of eggs. The only bird that lays more than the Isa's are Leghorn's as far as I know.

The buff's are nice looking birds and do lay fairly well but I think they are under 300 eggs per year.

Now of course the Isa's will burn out first. and they lays less after every molt.

And Isa's are not a heritage breed they are a hybrid. Your buff's are a heritage breed I believe right?


edited:

Buff Orpingtons are now bred as much for their looks and temperament as for their egg laying capabilities. A healthy Buff Orpington hen should lay 150 – 200 eggs per year and achieve a weight of between 8-10lbs and a cock bird should achieve a weight of between 10-12lbs.

http://www.orpingtonchickens.co.uk/p...gallery/page/3

[omegabrock]

got my bigger coop with the roost built