Comments for All Sorts Acre

Comment on The Brooder Coop by admin

admin — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:21:10 +0000

Thanks Geoff,
The roost is going to be brought into the other hen house as I made it one inch too big for the brooder coop. Hinges will be put on the roosts for the exact same reason as you, for mucking out. Good point about the height thing. In the big coop there is going to be three more so we’re hoping that that won’t be an issue. We have also thought about lowering the roosts and may give it a try, thanks.

Madoc is a pretty area!

Comment on The Brooder Coop by Geoff Buddle

Geoff Buddle — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:54:35 +0000

Hi,
we are only a couple years in on moving to a farm. We started off with Frey’s ready to lays to eggs going fast then bought chicks from Alberta, Ameraucanas and Black Australorpe. The Ameraucanas are agressive and feather-pick the others, they are getting their own pen. The Australorpes were beautiful till picked and never sized up, maybe 6 lbs. live. A pretty strain perhaps than a utility strain. We timed the incubator to hatch same time as the chick arrival, 12 blue or green eggs in, 12 chicks out, pure Ameraucana and some 3/4 Amer. 1/4 Blk. Aust.
We did end up getting our chicks from Performance Poultry this year, half-dozen each sexed Barnvelders, Silver-Laced Wyandottes and Chanteclers. Also, 4 Black-Tailed Japanese White banties straight-run, because Bert-the-barn-rooster’s hen fell in the goat waterer and drowned last summer. 20 Cornish X for the freezer.
We did try stepped roosts, they crowded to top-most and we were told by an old hand that competition for the top spot would strain the flock. Now we have a couple hinges on the wall, 1.5 feet up attached to 2×3 supports. They’ve legs on them and the roosts (also 2×3’s) are about 6 feet long, 1 to 1.5 feet apart. The whole thing flips up and hooks to the wall for mucking underneath. Height is something that can hurt heavy birds as well.
We’re just off Highway 7, 45 min. east of Peterborough (in Madoc), if you get out our way, let us know. You can see some more of what I’m getting involved in at http://transitiontoronto.ning.com

Geoff

Comment on Guelph Organic Conference highlights by heather

heather — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:16:47 +0000

hello to you too! Also overwhelmed, but very inspired by everything at the conference. Love the artwork!!

Comment on Guelph Organic Conference highlights by tim

tim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:21:29 +0000

couldn’t have said it better myself. thank you everyone for the conversations and words of encouragement!

Comment on Into year three by admin

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:24:27 +0000

Right now I dream about four acres! Oh the rotational grazing that can be done, and hay for winter, and ever a really large garden too! Have fun on them!

We actually have four sheep, a dozen chicken (10 pullets and 2 cockerels), ten cats (seven indoors, three “barn”), a dog, and a turtle. We considered a cow but just don’t really have the room and the kind I would want (a mini jersey) is not in our budget yet.

When you ask for the cost of the chickens do you mean since we got them or the price of them as chicks? The chicks were $5/chick. The feed cost since we have had them is close to $200. Plus of course supplies which never seem to end. at least we now have them. They are the endangered Canadian Chantecler. they are quite neat and the cockerel does a little dance for all the hens… but that is for another post.

Thanks for reading! Cheers and Merrychrismakwanzakah!