Chicken/Duck Pen Progress

I know there are several of us mamas getting pens ready this year for new additions to our current flocks or for brand new flocks (like me) So I just thought I would post this for progress done so far.

Today was so beautiful I was able to put Max in his carseat while he slept and clean out our chicken pen which was jammed full. I also found several feeders and waterers today and I'm gonna clean them all up real good cause they haven't been used in about 10+ years. I have alot more work to do but I am so excited I got this far already. Mine come May 7th so I've got to keep moving on this. I'm gonna take a picture here in a bit and post it with this.

Anyone else have any progress updates on their pens???

having a hard time making my pics bigger in photobucket and not making them blurry so here is the best I've got sorry. Its not much yet anyways but I'm excited about it. It was chicken pen when I was a kid and so I'm just turning it back to what it was before and doing it my way too.

this is the front

the side

inside with a few feeders/waterers I found

inside left side will be roosts

fence will be all around

and the right(not showing will be nests)

Edited by mommy2five0406070911 - 22 Feb 2012 at 3:43pm

Great idea! We're expanding/moving our run this year so I'll show pics of that and the shed. I wish I had before pics of our shed- it was an old milking parlor and DH did quite a bit of work.

We're going to do this with our play structure...hoping to get it started soon!! We have the exact same play structure they started out with :)
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/steadfasts-chicken-coop

That will be perfect, Jenn!

Jess, what a cool idea!

Jess thats so awesome I love it can't wait to see your pictures!!!

I was so excited, my dad and I went outside today and worked on the chicken pen together while Dh was at work and the kids played all bundled up:) We got a good bit done today too which was awesome. We now have new roosts, a new floor, and a new side wall to fix the hole that was there! I went to TSC on Saturday and picked up some new chick feeders and waterers. I went to Home Depot and got all my brooder box materials too. We are building 1 for the ducks and 1 for the chickens. Here are some pictures of my progress:)

The junk pile is getting smaller:)

We have a new floor

The hole on the side of the coop is fixed

We have roosts on the whole

one side of the coop

roosts on the far side when you come in the door

Oh and I got chicken crazy and ordered 26 more Eeekk... someone should have stopped me but hubby wasn't paying attention and said yeah when he was really watching tv and not hearing me:) Oh well my dad use to have over a hundred chickens at one point, I am sure 52 is fine LOL

I got 5 Partridge Rocks, 3 White Rocks, 5 Light Brahmas, 5 Columbian Wyandottes, and 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes oh and 2 Buff Orpington roosters and most likely my two free rare chicks will be roos too. All in all 26 birds will be butchered come maturity in Fall and 26 Birds will stay so I'll get to weed that out! Okay I am done for today with my chicken craze

Jenn do you butcher your own chickens, or do you have someone do it for you? I think I could get over my "bones weird me out thing" but I know I couldn't butcher them myself.

Edited by GoldenEmpress - 26 Feb 2012 at 6:19pm

We use to butcher ourselves when I was a kid so we're going to butcher ourselves and my dad is making me a homemade plucker like the Whizbang one and using the turkey fryer we have for a scalder. We'll see how it goes but my plan is to keep half, butcher half and same with my ducks.

That is awesome, Jenn! Your roosts look great. That is something we need to work on before our new birds get big enough to roost in with the big girls. Right now we are just using a couple old wooden ladders. You are getting a lot of the same breeds we have, I think you'll be happy! My partridge rock is one of my very best layers. Wish we could have kept our partridge roo to breed to her but he was a jerk.

Thanks Erin!!! How many different breeds do you have and total chickens??? I am really hoping that I get that 1 in a million chance that my roosters are nice :)

We started with 25 laying hens, 1 rooster and are down to 17 laying hens (mostly due to the dog!). We got the "brown egg layer" package from McM. and we got several colors of Wyandottes, a Partridge Rock, Light Brahmas, a Jersey Giant, and 2 Turkens, and some Dark Cornish. We got the 1 rooster by mistake and I wanted to keep him but then he attacked DS so he is no more.

Then we also had 50 Cornish Rock X for meat and we're getting 75 this year. Plus 12 White Rocks (straight run to use the boys for eating), and 13 Black Australorps to add to our layers.

WOW thats alot of birds now I don't feel so crazy :) I guess I got really carried away but I am so excited for them all. Do you like your Light Brahmas??? I really hope that the Buff Roosters I got are a nice and whatever McM gives me for rares are nice too but if not they'll be ate as soon as possible :P

Our Light Brahmas are great. They have a really fun personality. They aren't the best layers though, they were late to lay. Not sure how well they are doing now, it's hard to tell who is laying what. I hope you get lucky with your roosters too. I've heard good things about Buffs but never had them myself.

Thank-you, good to know about the Light Brahams too. This is what I was thinking also in how I would determine who was laying what.

We haven't started anything for this year yet. Still planning for both the ducks and chicks but here's what DH built for me last year. The new houses will be similar but i have a few ideas i think i'd like to use this time around.

One tweak we have made is we put a hard roof complete with shingles over the run. This has made a huge difference in keeping them cool in hot weather and keeping the run dry when it rains or snows.

That is so nice, Jess!

DH did an amazing job on it. I came up with the general layout and then DH made it happen since he's the one who knows how to build things correctly. He put a LOT of work into it. I'm very pleased with it and there's very little i'd change about it. For this year the only tweak i was thinking of possibly making is to make it a rectangle instead of a square. My Brahma's and Orpington's are going to be a lot bigger and will need more room to fly into nests i'd imagine. But we might just put some bucket nests on the floor for the big girls. Still haven't decided on that one. And for the ducks we won't need roosts and will have floor level nest boxes.

Edited by jessmomto2 - 27 Feb 2012 at 6:39pm

Thats a nice coop and run Jess! I've caught such chicken fever lately that I kinda pushed the thought of my duck pen to the side but I really need to get crackin on that.

Yeah i haven't gotten to involved in planning the duck coop yet. I think the same design as the chicken coop will work fine for them with just a few tweaks to it. Their water requirements is the biggest thing right now. I'm going to use rubber feed pans for their drinking water. But we haven't figured out what to do about their playing water yet. I'd be content with a kiddie pool or a 1 foot deep stock tank that i can pump out with a bilge pump and scrub and disinfect if need be. But DH wants to dig a hole and line it with pond liner. Both have their good and bad points. Either way we'll need a deicer for winter, too.

Dad and I worked on the chicken coop more today:) So excited that we keep rolling with this.

Tomorrow we either plan on starting the fence/run or the brooder boxes:)

No more junk and the wood has been moved just a few wheels left to move, gonna use the concrete slabs to put my waterers on.

My new nest boxes with the perch

This is how my dad kept his ducks right in the pen with his chickens and I know thats usually frowned upon but I'm gonna try it, most of the farmers around here keep theirs together so we'll see. MY are just going under this on some straw and they'll huddle together dad said thats what his did.

WOW! I love those nesting boxes! Great job!

A lot of people keep ducks/geese/turkeys with their chickens around here, too.

Very nice! The nest boxes are great.

Some people keep their ducks and chickens togethere without issue and some can't. I'm choosing not to mostly because of space and they have very different feed needs. It's going to be easier to accomodate everyone and keep them healthy if i keep ours seperated.

Thanks we're going to try it out and see how it goes but I am not sure yet that it will stay like that but we'll see.

Dad and I made 1 of my 3 brooder boxes today. Here it is...

It ended up 4ft long and 2ft wide and I'm going to make three total to have 26 chicks in each and the ducks in 1 of them.

Very nice! That's exactly what i'd love to have for brooder boxes.

Those brooder boxes are great!!! It's nice to have so many so they don't have to be so crowded.

That was my thinking too. I have enough materials to make 4 but I think I'll make 3 just incase I need to use the extra plywood for something else like more nest boxes or something else incase the ducks don't like where I am putting them. I plan on putting 26 chicks in one box 26 in another and the ducks in another. They aren't coming till May 7th so by 6 weeks it should be nice enough out to go outside in the coop seeing how thats all going to be fenced in and protected and all. I can't wait. I went to TSC today and they had buff orpingtons, pullets and cornish rocks there and they had just got the buffs in and she was taking them out of their shipping box. I had to control myself and not get any while I was there. LOL

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mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Chicken/Duck Pen Progress Posted: 22 Feb 2012 at 2:12pm
	I know there are several of us mamas getting pens ready this year for new additions to our current flocks or for brand new flocks (like me) So I just thought I would post this for progress done so far. Today was so beautiful I was able to put Max in his carseat while he slept and clean out our chicken pen which was jammed full. I also found several feeders and waterers today and I'm gonna clean them all up real good cause they haven't been used in about 10+ years. I have alot more work to do but I am so excited I got this far already. Mine come May 7th so I've got to keep moving on this. I'm gonna take a picture here in a bit and post it with this. Anyone else have any progress updates on their pens??? having a hard time making my pics bigger in photobucket and not making them blurry so here is the best I've got sorry. Its not much yet anyways but I'm excited about it. It was chicken pen when I was a kid and so I'm just turning it back to what it was before and doing it my way too. this is the front the side inside with a few feeders/waterers I found inside left side will be roosts fence will be all around and the right(not showing will be nests) Edited by mommy2five0406070911 - 22 Feb 2012 at 3:43pm
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Feb 2012 at 2:47pm
	Great idea! We're expanding/moving our run this year so I'll show pics of that and the shed. I wish I had before pics of our shed- it was an old milking parlor and DH did quite a bit of work.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(36) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 66 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 16029	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Feb 2012 at 5:40pm
	We're going to do this with our play structure...hoping to get it started soon!! We have the exact same play structure they started out with :) http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/steadfasts-chicken-coop
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Feb 2012 at 5:52pm
	That will be perfect, Jenn! Jess, what a cool idea!
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Feb 2012 at 7:55pm
	Jess thats so awesome I love it can't wait to see your pictures!!!
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 5:30pm
	I was so excited, my dad and I went outside today and worked on the chicken pen together while Dh was at work and the kids played all bundled up:) We got a good bit done today too which was awesome. We now have new roosts, a new floor, and a new side wall to fix the hole that was there! I went to TSC on Saturday and picked up some new chick feeders and waterers. I went to Home Depot and got all my brooder box materials too. We are building 1 for the ducks and 1 for the chickens. Here are some pictures of my progress:) The junk pile is getting smaller:) We have a new floor The hole on the side of the coop is fixed We have roosts on the whole one side of the coop roosts on the far side when you come in the door Oh and I got chicken crazy and ordered 26 more Eeekk... someone should have stopped me but hubby wasn't paying attention and said yeah when he was really watching tv and not hearing me:) Oh well my dad use to have over a hundred chickens at one point, I am sure 52 is fine LOL I got 5 Partridge Rocks, 3 White Rocks, 5 Light Brahmas, 5 Columbian Wyandottes, and 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes oh and 2 Buff Orpington roosters and most likely my two free rare chicks will be roos too. All in all 26 birds will be butchered come maturity in Fall and 26 Birds will stay so I'll get to weed that out! Okay I am done for today with my chicken craze
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

GoldenEmpress Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'insightful P'insane Perennial Pinner 2 years 124 days Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Location: Indiana Points: 2661	Post Options Post Reply Quote GoldenEmpress Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 6:18pm
	Jenn do you butcher your own chickens, or do you have someone do it for you? I think I could get over my "bones weird me out thing" but I know I couldn't butcher them myself. Edited by GoldenEmpress - 26 Feb 2012 at 6:19pm
	~Elizabeth Daughter of the King of Kings, wife to an amazing man(6/12/04), mother of DS(7/11), and furkids Charlotte (6/05) & Athena (5/07)

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 7:21pm
	We use to butcher ourselves when I was a kid so we're going to butcher ourselves and my dad is making me a homemade plucker like the Whizbang one and using the turkey fryer we have for a scalder. We'll see how it goes but my plan is to keep half, butcher half and same with my ducks.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 7:51pm
	That is awesome, Jenn! Your roosts look great. That is something we need to work on before our new birds get big enough to roost in with the big girls. Right now we are just using a couple old wooden ladders. You are getting a lot of the same breeds we have, I think you'll be happy! My partridge rock is one of my very best layers. Wish we could have kept our partridge roo to breed to her but he was a jerk.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 8:52pm
	Thanks Erin!!! How many different breeds do you have and total chickens??? I am really hoping that I get that 1 in a million chance that my roosters are nice :)
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 9:39pm
	We started with 25 laying hens, 1 rooster and are down to 17 laying hens (mostly due to the dog!). We got the "brown egg layer" package from McM. and we got several colors of Wyandottes, a Partridge Rock, Light Brahmas, a Jersey Giant, and 2 Turkens, and some Dark Cornish. We got the 1 rooster by mistake and I wanted to keep him but then he attacked DS so he is no more. Then we also had 50 Cornish Rock X for meat and we're getting 75 this year. Plus 12 White Rocks (straight run to use the boys for eating), and 13 Black Australorps to add to our layers.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 9:50pm
	WOW thats alot of birds now I don't feel so crazy :) I guess I got really carried away but I am so excited for them all. Do you like your Light Brahmas??? I really hope that the Buff Roosters I got are a nice and whatever McM gives me for rares are nice too but if not they'll be ate as soon as possible :P
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 26 Feb 2012 at 9:54pm
	Our Light Brahmas are great. They have a really fun personality. They aren't the best layers though, they were late to lay. Not sure how well they are doing now, it's hard to tell who is laying what. I hope you get lucky with your roosters too. I've heard good things about Buffs but never had them myself.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 8:50am
	Thank-you, good to know about the Light Brahams too. This is what I was thinking also in how I would determine who was laying what.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 158 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11473	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 5:22pm
	We haven't started anything for this year yet. Still planning for both the ducks and chicks but here's what DH built for me last year. The new houses will be similar but i have a few ideas i think i'd like to use this time around. One tweak we have made is we put a hard roof complete with shingles over the run. This has made a huge difference in keeping them cool in hot weather and keeping the run dry when it rains or snows.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 5:49pm
	That is so nice, Jess!
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 158 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11473	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 6:35pm
	DH did an amazing job on it. I came up with the general layout and then DH made it happen since he's the one who knows how to build things correctly. He put a LOT of work into it. I'm very pleased with it and there's very little i'd change about it. For this year the only tweak i was thinking of possibly making is to make it a rectangle instead of a square. My Brahma's and Orpington's are going to be a lot bigger and will need more room to fly into nests i'd imagine. But we might just put some bucket nests on the floor for the big girls. Still haven't decided on that one. And for the ducks we won't need roosts and will have floor level nest boxes. Edited by jessmomto2 - 27 Feb 2012 at 6:39pm
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 7:41pm
	Thats a nice coop and run Jess! I've caught such chicken fever lately that I kinda pushed the thought of my duck pen to the side but I really need to get crackin on that.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 158 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11473	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Feb 2012 at 10:00pm
	Yeah i haven't gotten to involved in planning the duck coop yet. I think the same design as the chicken coop will work fine for them with just a few tweaks to it. Their water requirements is the biggest thing right now. I'm going to use rubber feed pans for their drinking water. But we haven't figured out what to do about their playing water yet. I'd be content with a kiddie pool or a 1 foot deep stock tank that i can pump out with a bilge pump and scrub and disinfect if need be. But DH wants to dig a hole and line it with pond liner. Both have their good and bad points. Either way we'll need a deicer for winter, too.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 5:38pm
	Dad and I worked on the chicken coop more today:) So excited that we keep rolling with this. Tomorrow we either plan on starting the fence/run or the brooder boxes:) No more junk and the wood has been moved just a few wheels left to move, gonna use the concrete slabs to put my waterers on. My new nest boxes with the perch This is how my dad kept his ducks right in the pen with his chickens and I know thats usually frowned upon but I'm gonna try it, most of the farmers around here keep theirs together so we'll see. MY are just going under this on some straw and they'll huddle together dad said thats what his did.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 5:55pm
	WOW! I love those nesting boxes! Great job! A lot of people keep ducks/geese/turkeys with their chickens around here, too.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 158 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11473	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 6:43pm
	Very nice! The nest boxes are great. Some people keep their ducks and chickens togethere without issue and some can't. I'm choosing not to mostly because of space and they have very different feed needs. It's going to be easier to accomodate everyone and keep them healthy if i keep ours seperated.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 7:16pm
	Thanks we're going to try it out and see how it goes but I am not sure yet that it will stay like that but we'll see.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 8:07pm
	Dad and I made 1 of my 3 brooder boxes today. Here it is... It ended up 4ft long and 2ft wide and I'm going to make three total to have 26 chicks in each and the ducks in 1 of them.
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 158 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11473	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 9:15pm
	Very nice! That's exactly what i'd love to have for brooder boxes.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 73 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28722	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Mar 2012 at 10:22pm
	Those brooder boxes are great!!! It's nice to have so many so they don't have to be so crowded.
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

mommy2five0406070911 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infatuated Joined: 13 Jul 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 963	Post Options Post Reply Quote mommy2five0406070911 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Mar 2012 at 4:41pm
	That was my thinking too. I have enough materials to make 4 but I think I'll make 3 just incase I need to use the extra plywood for something else like more nest boxes or something else incase the ducks don't like where I am putting them. I plan on putting 26 chicks in one box 26 in another and the ducks in another. They aren't coming till May 7th so by 6 weeks it should be nice enough out to go outside in the coop seeing how thats all going to be fenced in and protected and all. I can't wait. I went to TSC today and they had buff orpingtons, pullets and cornish rocks there and they had just got the buffs in and she was taking them out of their shipping box. I had to control myself and not get any while I was there. LOL
	Jenn wife to Jamie 5/05 & Mommy of Kai (8),Zay (6),Liv(4),Brady (3),Max (9 months)& 2 dogs and 7 puppies, 5 bunnies, 48 chickens, and 16 ducks! to,488px)