miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
More and more I am thinking that my biggest ss mistake wa not getting enough land. 
What SS Mistakes Have You Made?
- Thread starter sylvie
- Start date
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
What kind are you getting? Why would they all be cockerels? I'm guessing that they will taste the same as pullets b/c they are so young when you butcher. Are the cockerels bigger? I think I just answered my own question!freemotion said:Is it a bad sign if you don't know how many chickens you have?
We want to order 75 heavy breed cockerels, but the special in the catalog makes it a dollar cheaper to order a hundred. Uh-oh.
Wolf-Kim
Lovin' The Homestead
I would imagine cockerels would be bigger, quicker.
The other reason, I think they would be all cockerels, is because since people want more pullets than cockerels, most hatcheries have a surplus of cockerels. So, I think buying the assorted, heavy breed "left over" cockerels is cheaper. That is what I'm thinking anyway.
The other reason, I think they would be all cockerels, is because since people want more pullets than cockerels, most hatcheries have a surplus of cockerels. So, I think buying the assorted, heavy breed "left over" cockerels is cheaper. That is what I'm thinking anyway.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I don't consider them mistakes....they are learning experiences! Okay, okay....myriad mistakes and too numerous to list. 
And the sad part? I'm still looking for mistakes to make....like getting a ram, getting bees, borrowing an incubator....I don't think it ever ends.
Okay, okay....myriad mistakes and too numerous to list. And the sad part? I'm still looking for mistakes to make....like getting a ram, getting bees, borrowing an incubator....I don't think it ever ends.
freemotion
Food Guru
Cackle Hatchery has a "fry-pan special" of assorted heavy breed (probably brown egg laying breeds) cockerels for $32 for a hundred. If we got 75, we would have to order a lot of 50 and a lot of 25, which would cost $33! Plus shipping, of course. We were going to order something big like Jersey Giants, but then I got this groovy Dutch oven and cooked up a White Rock rooster that was a year old. It was amazing. Why spend triple when you don't have to? And I figure I might be able to sell a bunch of the chicks for much more than I paid for them, if I go by the prices I see here on CL. Maybe sell 25 and recover most or all of our purchase price and shipping.big brown horse said:What kind are you getting? Why would they all be cockerels? I'm guessing that they will taste the same as pullets b/c they are so young when you butcher. Are the cockerels bigger? I think I just answered my own question!freemotion said:Is it a bad sign if you don't know how many chickens you have?
We want to order 75 heavy breed cockerels, but the special in the catalog makes it a dollar cheaper to order a hundred. Uh-oh.
Yes, you answered your own question!
On Our own
Lovin' The Homestead
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Not enough fencing.
Someone gave DD a book on how to feed the birds. I said, "Spend 200 on supplies, spend hours putting in a garden and there you go!" You've fed the birds! And the rabbits and the deer and the groundhogs and and and
Can;'t say I am not doing my part to support my local wildlife!
I can also chime in on the driveway, but don't see many other ways around that.
Someone gave DD a book on how to feed the birds. I said, "Spend 200 on supplies, spend hours putting in a garden and there you go!" You've fed the birds! And the rabbits and the deer and the groundhogs and and and
Can;'t say I am not doing my part to support my local wildlife!
I can also chime in on the driveway, but don't see many other ways around that.
VickiLynn
Lovin' The Homestead
Has anyone ever thought they built their chicken house too big? I'm wondering because I've read a few comments wishing they would have gone bigger. We're getting ready to build one and now I'm reconsidering the size. I don't want to have to report it here as a SS mistakeohiofarmgirl said:
DawnSuiter
Power Conserver
My mistakes are not mistakes... I concur with them being learning experiences... as all are.
I tried to garden as if there weren't any tricks, skills or knowledge required. Killed several hundred dollars worth of plants the first couple years... then moved onto seeds. Its taken 5 years to learn how to grow a plant for me... mostly because I never bothered to acknowledge I needed to learn something about the whole process. Gardening ISN'T easy, but it can be done.
I did get too many chickens too, too much separation too many flocks too many 2 gallon bucket waterers..too many nest boxes & doors to open & close.... just can't decide which colors to keep. Much too ambitious there but I am working to rectify that. I DID have the foresight to build coops that will later double as storage buildings, workshops & sheds. One will become an outdoor pavilion this summer I think.
I forgot to consider how much room 2 cars would need and then err on the side of EXTRA when installing my driveway fences... so this year we had to dig up 50' of garden beds to extend our driveway to get in and out of the cars.... oh how I miss the strawberry bounty that I got last year and didn't know how to deal with... which brings me to the final learning experience...
I didn't know how to cope with my garden bounty last year when I was on the verge of getting things right. This year I required myself to have a "Put Up Plan" for each variety I planted and also installed a garden sink and soon a work table to accomplish most of that outside.
added:
except I guess maybe in the winter if your counting on the birds to help ease the chill in the coop. I built smaller "huddle boxes" in my coops basically enclosing the perch for them.. in that case.
I tried to garden as if there weren't any tricks, skills or knowledge required. Killed several hundred dollars worth of plants the first couple years... then moved onto seeds. Its taken 5 years to learn how to grow a plant for me... mostly because I never bothered to acknowledge I needed to learn something about the whole process. Gardening ISN'T easy, but it can be done.
I did get too many chickens too, too much separation too many flocks too many 2 gallon bucket waterers..too many nest boxes & doors to open & close.... just can't decide which colors to keep. Much too ambitious there but I am working to rectify that. I DID have the foresight to build coops that will later double as storage buildings, workshops & sheds. One will become an outdoor pavilion this summer I think.
I forgot to consider how much room 2 cars would need and then err on the side of EXTRA when installing my driveway fences... so this year we had to dig up 50' of garden beds to extend our driveway to get in and out of the cars.... oh how I miss the strawberry bounty that I got last year and didn't know how to deal with... which brings me to the final learning experience...
I didn't know how to cope with my garden bounty last year when I was on the verge of getting things right. This year I required myself to have a "Put Up Plan" for each variety I planted and also installed a garden sink and soon a work table to accomplish most of that outside.
I don't believe there is such a thing. Unless your chickens will free range 24 hours a day it's always good to have a couple dozen square feet per bird in a coop if possible.VickiLynn said:Has anyone ever thought they built their chicken house too big? I'm wondering because I've read a few comments wishing they would have gone bigger. We're getting ready to build one and now I'm reconsidering the size. I don't want to have to report it here as a SS mistake
added:
except I guess maybe in the winter if your counting on the birds to help ease the chill in the coop. I built smaller "huddle boxes" in my coops basically enclosing the perch for them.. in that case.
lupinfarm
Almost Self-Reliant
My chicken coop was WAY too big. In fact, we realized we had too many hens so we downsized to the 5 easter eggers and we get more than enough eggs for ourselves + a couple egg customers. I would never build as big as the building we had them in, way too much space and way too hard to clean.
Lets add some extras to our list today..
Not buying a Paslode Finish Nailer when we had the money
Not buying a Paslode Framing Nailer when we had the money
Not fencing in my vegetable garden (GRRR CHICKENS)
Not enough land but too much fencing LOL though its okay for now, in say 5 years my parents are already talking about when the house is finished potentially listing it and buying a completely renovated century home on a bit more land (20 acres) or a newer house on more land (20 acres).
Lets add some extras to our list today..
Not buying a Paslode Finish Nailer when we had the money
Not buying a Paslode Framing Nailer when we had the money
Not fencing in my vegetable garden (GRRR CHICKENS)
Not enough land but too much fencing LOL though its okay for now, in say 5 years my parents are already talking about when the house is finished potentially listing it and buying a completely renovated century home on a bit more land (20 acres) or a newer house on more land (20 acres).
tortoise
Wild Hare
@ Dawn - I REALLY like the idea of kitchen sink outside for prepping veggies. If I get my garden as big as I want it to be, I want that too!
