- Thread starter
- #51
journey11
Garden Master
The coop is almost done. As with most things, it took longer than we thought. 
All we have left now is a couple little access doors, finish the peak of the roof, paint/stain/trim and we are still duking it out over how we are going to do the wheels. I took progress pics all along the way, but haven't had time to post them, but I think I'll do a blog post on it when it's all done.
This thing turned out A LOT heavier than we thought it would. We had to go with pneumatic tires and we found a neat lever action thingie online to build to engage the wheels. I think it will skid along with just 2 in the front, but DH wants to put the two wheels in the back instead and put something like a trailer hitch wheel (the kind you turn the crank to engage it and lift the trailer (coop) up). I just hate to put any more money into it. We've joked that after all the time and work and money we put into it, they better lay caviar!
So the coop has to be done by Saturday, because that's when the meaties will go out in the tractor. They will be 3 weeks old and they are already getting stinky and beastly. So far, this has been the healthiest batch of meaties I've ever bought! Normally I will lose one or two on or shortly after shipment. And lose one or two more or have leg problems by 2 weeks old. These are all 100% healthy at this point and I still have all 31.
I have always gotten them on the first week of April in the past, but held off this year because I knew I couldn't manage it at that time this year with the baby, school, garden, so much going on. I am thinking that this is the most perfect timing for doing a batch of CX. The weather was warm when they arrived, when they most needed it to be warm. The garden is just about done, so I'll start clearing it off and they will be tractored on the garden instead of pooping up the back yard. They will probably appreciate the cooler days of Autumn since the heat is so hard on them. Less flies to deal with at butchering time. And I'll have less going on when it comes time to butcher (Oct. 12th and 29th). Bow season will be going on, but if DH does get time to go out and bag a deer, I'll already be in butchering mode. Our first frost usually comes mid- to late October. I think the timing will work out just right.
I talked to the folks who do pastured CX for market around here and she advised me on what they feed theirs and I can buy their custom feed blend in bulk from the same feed n' seed where they get it and get it cheaper than what I had been previously paying too. I'll be excited to see how the numbers come out this year. (Although, technically, I'll be in the hole from the cost of the layer's new coop...ha.)
All we have left now is a couple little access doors, finish the peak of the roof, paint/stain/trim and we are still duking it out over how we are going to do the wheels. I took progress pics all along the way, but haven't had time to post them, but I think I'll do a blog post on it when it's all done. This thing turned out A LOT heavier than we thought it would. We had to go with pneumatic tires and we found a neat lever action thingie online to build to engage the wheels. I think it will skid along with just 2 in the front, but DH wants to put the two wheels in the back instead and put something like a trailer hitch wheel (the kind you turn the crank to engage it and lift the trailer (coop) up). I just hate to put any more money into it. We've joked that after all the time and work and money we put into it, they better lay caviar!
So the coop has to be done by Saturday, because that's when the meaties will go out in the tractor. They will be 3 weeks old and they are already getting stinky and beastly. So far, this has been the healthiest batch of meaties I've ever bought! Normally I will lose one or two on or shortly after shipment. And lose one or two more or have leg problems by 2 weeks old. These are all 100% healthy at this point and I still have all 31.
I have always gotten them on the first week of April in the past, but held off this year because I knew I couldn't manage it at that time this year with the baby, school, garden, so much going on. I am thinking that this is the most perfect timing for doing a batch of CX. The weather was warm when they arrived, when they most needed it to be warm. The garden is just about done, so I'll start clearing it off and they will be tractored on the garden instead of pooping up the back yard. They will probably appreciate the cooler days of Autumn since the heat is so hard on them. Less flies to deal with at butchering time. And I'll have less going on when it comes time to butcher (Oct. 12th and 29th). Bow season will be going on, but if DH does get time to go out and bag a deer, I'll already be in butchering mode.
Our first frost usually comes mid- to late October. I think the timing will work out just right. I talked to the folks who do pastured CX for market around here and she advised me on what they feed theirs and I can buy their custom feed blend in bulk from the same feed n' seed where they get it and get it cheaper than what I had been previously paying too. I'll be excited to see how the numbers come out this year. (Although, technically, I'll be in the hole from the cost of the layer's new coop...ha.)
How on earth did I ever live without it? It made such quick work for me, especially because those apples were so little. I wouldn't have gotten much out of them if I tried to peel them. But they were spotless, pretty apples, so I am so glad I could make use of them. They never did get sprayed, just came out nice on their own. I'm going to have to run back out there and see if I can get some more apples from that tree.
