Wife needs to stop sending me to town

[CrealCritter]

She asked me: "What kind of chickens are those?" I said: these chickens? They are the best kind, 50 cent chickens, that lay eggs. I did flip them over on their back in the palm of my had and all these pulled both feet up tight, so they are all hens. There were a lot of roos in those two tubs.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

50 cent chicks that look to be a couple weeks old are the best kind. They've eaten well on the dime of the feed store for those 2 - 3 weeks, AND, they've had free heat from the feed store for those 2 - 3 weeks also. 2 - 3 weeks closer to being off heat, 2 - 3 weeks closer to those first eggs. They'll not even have chicks here in Maine until mid April.

 

[CrealCritter]

Wife and I are building a 4x8 Duck House. Everything used to build this was made from recycled, besides the nails and screws.

Let's see... There is oak rail road ties cut on the sawmill to 4x4's, there is hard maple rail road ties cut to 2x4's on the sawmill for the rafters. There are spruce 2x4' recycled from demo.there are treated southern yellow pine 2x4' also from demo. There's soft maple log cut into 2x4's and a cedar log also cut into 2x4's for framing. And lastly a 3/4" 4x8 treated sheet of plywood, recycled from where I built my father in law a wheel chair ramp.

$7.00 store bought 2x4's aren't happening, not when I have a perfectly running sawmill. Even the tin for the roof and sides will be from recycled.

I'll post another picture when done and set up by the pond. My wife said if she gives up on ducks, it could be used as a "She Shed" but I can move it around anywhere I want with the bobcat. So it could be used for anything really.

 

[CrealCritter]

Wife has 9 ducks but one is a loner, likes to hang out around the shore alone.

Better picture, I think they will be good for the overall health of the pond by eating a lot from the shores and agitating/oxygenating the water.

 

[farmerjan]

The biggest threat to ducks is when the hens are setting as then "land bound predators" will get them and/or the eggs. And they might like the house come winter. You may want to keep it there near the pond for that, or build them a smaller one to just go in at night. And yes, it needs a window.... not many will want to go in a dark house that they cannot see if there is anything in there when they are getting settled.

 

[CrealCritter]

Roo

Hen

Sunset

 

[CrealCritter]

We'll I done did it now... My wife has adopted the chickens. Her dog, baby bear, thinks he's momma hen. He goes up to the tub and the chicks go crazy. My wife jumps up says to her Dog "Hey, those are my babies!" Then she goes over to the tub and talks all sweet to them and they simmer down. Guess who's feeding and watering them? Me.

They are going out of the tub this weekend into the barn tack room (converted into a coop).

 

[Hinotori]

Ducks herd well. They are used to start training dogs sometimes. Teach them to herd to a pole.

Chickens generally scatter. I managed to teach all the silkies to herd to a pole. If I have the white pvc pole they know what that means and head to their pen. I use 2 poles to move them between places.

Penned birds are pretty easy to catch, especially if you use a trout net.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Looking forward to your first eggs. Wanna see if your sexing method was reliable for you. Be sure to come back and let us know.

 

[CLSranch]

Here, in Maine, they NEVER drop the price. One store I visited a couple years ago actually charges MORE for older chicks. And, they usually sell out on day one.

If you go to any house, auction or any other chicken specific sale it shoots way up. But around here the chain stores drop it. I guess city people want the little chickies instead of a month old bird, that someone else feed and housed for the hardest most important time of raising chicks. It benefits me as long as CrealCritter didn't take all the pullets first.