first post from anna: more about the chickens

So I will try to get used to this, and write in it all the time when there is stuff that is useful to keep track of, interesting to share, or entertaining to tell.
Before I forget, here are the flaws/mistakes as far as we can tell with the first batch of chickens.

First of all, we got the chickens mail order from mcmurray hatchery. They come in a cardboard box and you have to pick them up at the post office. They were rock cornish which are broilers bred to just get fat fast. And then you eat em.

The 25 chicks arrived on August 11, and were in the barn under a heat lamp for the first couple days. They went outside 2 weeks later on the 25th. My Dad helped me build the chicken tractor, and it was the same design I used at the Johnson's dairy farm. 6' x 10', 2x4s for the base with 5 pvc pipes on 9 inch nails arching over it. There is chicken wire around that with a tarp over the top. Maybe one of these days I'll get a picture up. The chicks cost ~$40, their structure ~$40, feeders and waterers ~$50, and each back of food either $6 or $10 (depending on if it was chick grower or layer mash, we got whatever they had!). Altogether they went through 13 bags of food, about ~$115. 2 chicks died within the first 2 weeks, and then the last few days another got sick and died on the way to the processor. They were 9 weeks old when we got them done on Oct. 13, which cost $1.50/bird = $33. So that's ~$280 for 22 chickens, which means they cost us ~$12.75 each. But, without the structure and feeders which should be a one time cost, just food and the bird cost us $8.50 each.

And here's everything we would like to do better next time:

1. BIGGER feeders! Our local feed store only had small, 2' long narrow feeders, and even with three of them in the chicken tractor, we could not put in enough food at one time to keep them happy all day. Not to mention there wasn't enough space for them all to eat without being kind of on top of each other. By the last few weeks, I was feeding them three times a day, and overflowing the feeders just to try to give them enough.

2. Buy bulk feed. We were buying 50 lb bags, which were marked up like pet food. We could do way better if we can buy and store feed in bulk.

3. Chicken tractor design alterations :
- Our front door was a piece of plastic mesh fencing tacked on the sides and tied with twine at the top. It got pretty worn down looking by the end , and definitely wasn't easy to get stuff in and out.
- Water was a big pain. We finally bought a heavy duty 5 gallon waterer, but when it was on the ground the chickens just filled it with poop. So we had it raised on a block, which was ok unless they sometimes knocked it over. And it was pretty heavy to lift out when full. We are thinking of how to use a hung waterer that we can have a hose leading to from the outside.
- Feeding would be easier if besides having bigger feeders, we could somehow use a hopper to pour grain in without having to open it. Basically it just is a pain to go in there at all, so the less we have to open the door the better.
- Although the shelter was very easy to move, chickens sometimes got stuck under the side. We could always tell when they were stuck and go free them, but there was one or two that had pretty messed up legs, i think from getting stuck. So we are thinking of a better way to move it, like maybe with detachable wheels on axels off the sides that raise the base up a few inches, so if you go over a chicken he just pops out the back.

4. Transportation to processor. I ordered chicken crates, but stupidly not in time for the day we needed them. So we were out at 6 in the morning just catching them and throwing them in the back of the truck. Messy messy. We went to Eli Reiff in Mifflinburg, who is a very nice, no nonsense, mennonite family operation. We were supposed to be there at 8, but due to my lack of planning ahead, we did not have correct directions and didn't get there till after 9. OOps.

5. Post-processing. So you have to put them on ice right away, without the bag cause apparently they hold heat too well in the bag. We were in a rush and didn't have much cooler space, so we jammed them all in and threw the ice on in chunks, not realizing that they would freeze as positioned. so a bunch are quite dishevelled looking and some even have damaged skin from the ice. Probably want to avoid that if we are gonna sell them.

But I'm pretty proud of us anyway; overall the shelter worked pretty well, they seemed pretty happy and healthy, it was a good experience and we definitely learned a lot for next time. its very exciting to now have a freezer (thanks Clint!) full of chicken, which will probably diminish rapidly since we want to give many away to friends and family. And we also have a nicely manured garden with lots of weeds flattened and eaten, perfect to sheat mulch for next year!!!! (pictures coming soon i hope...) Chicken for dinner tommorrow :)