Michaelp, I'm so glad things have worked out for your family. What a great testimony.
We all have our own choices to make in life, even our children. Sounds like they yours made some good ones. Congratulations to them, and to you as well.
It's not easy raising children. We do the best we can and hope and pray they turn out all right. The rest is really up to them.
growing Chicken feed
Children are our stewardship,[ trust from God]-- we are just helping them to be all they can be, --
You did good, Michaelp. Parenting is the hardest job on earth.
Amen to that Annie!!
What's goin on with the Coop Michael? Haven't had an update for a while!
I have got the metal on most of the bottom [to keep the coons from reaching through] and am working on building nest boxs, I will have 3 rows of 15 nest boxs, in the coop, the boxs are slanted to the back so the eggs will roll out under the 2 inch gap to a tray where I can gather the eggs from the room in back of the coop, this keeps the girls from stepping on the eggs with their poopy little feet.- the bottom of the boxs is 1/2" hardware cloth, so dirt [etc] can fall through and not accumulate in the boxs, -- the nest box is a design like the ones I posted picts of in the brooder thread, --
Got the nest boxs done will start on the sides this weekend, -- computer is down so will have to wait till is is out of the shop to upload pictures, --
Can't wait to see your progress.
Good luck with computer. #1 son's just went down, too. He's good at fixing his own but still so aggrivating. Seems odd when we didn't think we needed personal computer not so long ago doesn't it? =)
My laptop is acting wonky.
It will be fun to see pictures! I hope you get your computer goin soon. :)
Quote from Michaelp :
I know cows gain about as well on Turnips [tops]as alfalfa, -- and will prefer turnips[esp the tops] to alfalfa hay, -- they will eat quite a lot more then some other feeds, as they are very sweet, --- but it gives them horrible breath, -- but choking can be a problem when they are eating the [bottom] turnip part.
Here on our farm we feed a ration of potatos . but we have to grind them ,because cows choke very easy on any medium to large chuncks of any thing. suggest you chop or grind the turnip and they wont choke .
Welcome to the forum Littleacre! I hope you visit often.
the Turnips are a forage crop, that they harvest themselves, I do not pull the turnips to feed the cow. sometimes the bottom of the turnip comes out of the ground when she is munching on the tops, --
got the "girls" moved in to the coop, they are running around enjoying the extra space, [but not the roosters] in another week they will like the roosters better also, --
they are fun to watch, -
back of nest box
front of nest box
roosts
front of coop [and my construction mess]
this is where it all started, -- they have sure grown, -- I like the temperment of these better than any other "production" breed I have had.
That is really a nice set up. Lots of fresh air and easy to clean out. Those look like really happy chickens! What breed did you say they were? I scanned up through the thread and couldn't find that. Sorry if I missed it and am duplicating a question.
You've done some really nice work and now I hope it pays off for you multiple times over (the objective of all entrepreneurs, right?). Best of luck to you and let us know what you end up growing for the girls. I'm very interested to know about that!
Wow! Wow!!! Awesome Michael!! Just awesome! Fantastic job there.. I hope your venture pays off too.. You did an amazing job.. Love the pictures!!! Love the coop!
Yes amazing and above. You are a very talented man.
the breed is called Hy-line Brown, -- it is a production variety, -- I will try to take some picts of the chicken food growing area, next, - Thanks for the nice comments, ---
Really Michael, it's a chicken lover's dream to have a coop like that.. at least for me it is! I am amazed at how fast it went up.. and how nice it is! Very good work..
Oh good, I was hoping for an update, the coop is awesome, Michaelp, Great job! The ladies look like they're enjoying it too.
I did not realize you had roos too. The coop looks great and i love the concept for the nest boxes.
Yes, it's so nice and so BIG, and then they also get to free range. They are blessed.
I didn't know about the roosters either. I wondered if that meant more baby chicks soon.
Seems it didn't take long for them to grow up, and then that coop went up so fast too. Michael, you just don't mess around, when you set out to do something it gets done.
The reason I was pushing so hard for completing the coop, was, --the hens are suopsed to start laying this next week, [acording to the info provided by Hy-Line, where I got the chicks] I realy don't know when they will start to lay, but some are breeding, and lots have bright red combs, so it won't be long.-- another more pressing reason for the hurry was, -the heat is getting bad, and the "girls" in the greenhouse were laying around and panting in the late afternoon, obviosly too hot for them in there. The coop is well ventilated and nice to be in, in the heat, -when working in there it was quite nice.
-- RE Roosters, --I sell fertilized eggs so the roosters are just for that., --I will only plan to breed my Arachana/Leghorn cross, here, so i can have a green egg laying chicken with good egg production to add color to the egg mix in the clear egg cartons I market in, -- next I will have to get the catch bason built to hold the wash-down water, until it can be sprayed on the garden area-
I really like that wire you used too, it's perfect for the adult chickens. If some critter comes up and puts his paw through, the chickens have plenty of room to back away. It's just perfect.
I got some pictures of the Chicken food, -- purple top turnips
and Carrots,
next to the Carrots are Rutabagas, -- in above picture
and here is another pict
more Rutabagas
and Swiss Chard
and Apin Forage Turnip
more Apin Forage Turnip
here is a pict of Forage Radish, --[a Daikon]
