Articles by aart
I've typed this out many times in the past few days, so decided to put it in an article so I can link it in responses.
Got pullets newly laying and not sure who is laying and who is not?
This also applies to older birds.
Under the tail will tell the true tale, so part those fluffy feathers and...
Integrating as young chicks is much much easier than older birds, setting the space up to facilitate might not be so easy but well worth the trouble IMO. Tiny chicks (4-6 weeks old) are not as much of a 'threat' to the adult birds as older chicks (3-4 months old). Making the access 'doors' to...
Pasting some notes into an article for easy linking.
Here's my theory on the 'stack up' aspect to coop design, and a couple other dimensions and ideas:
Bottom of pop door is best about 8" above floor so bedding doesn't get dragged out of coop.
(If you plan on using truly 'deep' litter, might...
Aart's Hoop Coop / Chicken Tractor
I've always been intrigued by the livestock panels as a structural material for a coop, and love the curved Quonset hut type imagery. Also like the idea of a chicken tractor to spread their industry and fertilizer in a less (human) labor intensive way...and...
I've wanted chickens since I was 15 and stayed with my brother in upstate NY in the summers.
Decades later, it looks like it will finally happen. I have been chicken sitter for 10 years for several friends and have spent the last year reading voraciously here and on other chicken forums...
I started with a trigger feeder, it ended up not working so well,
but details of that are in the spoiler
ADDITION 11-7-16
I played with making a no waste funnel feeder using a 5 gal water bottle.
This was kind of an experiment for my brother, using the bucket from my trigger feeder above.
We...
There were several discussions around March 2014 in multiple threads in multiple sub forums about using a people heating pad to simulate the Brinsea or Premier brooder heater. I was able to fashion this one and thought I'd put it in it's own thread for ease of updating this particular design...
I have several of these a medium, fold-able wire dog crates approx 24"L x 18"W x 21"H.
Got them cheap(~$15-20) at flea markets and they are a great tool for many situations.
Add 1x2 wire to the bottom and put tray underneath crate to observe poops and keep feet cleaner.
Also easy to swap out...
Testing/calibrating incubator thermometers and hygrometers.
ETA on 4-11-20...I now use this one...https://www.thermoworks.com/RT301WA.....
...but before that:
Why and how I went to testing my bator therms against a human oral therm.
Hygrometer testing at bottom of page.
Am using 'therm' for...
Thought I'd write this up for easy linking to threads:
I use zipties for legbands, the really skinny ones, works for chicks and adults too.
They are about 1/8" wide and 4" long, great for tiny chicks and fine for adult birds too.
You do have to change them out as the chicks grow tho, 3 times...
My take on frostbite and experience with it.
IMO coating combs and wattles might help prevent frostbite, but there's no guarantee it will prevent it....
...but once they have it, it's best to leave hands off unless they have an obvious infection that would need treatment.
Messing with...
Hot Weather....
My birds are confined with no great deep shade for last half of the day so I have to be vigilant during heat waves.
I do have shade cloths up on run, which helps, but still not deep shade.
To help cool down the coop I have a box fan in the east window of coop, where it's shady...
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed...
Being a big fan of the Horizontal Nipples, they are so versatile, I have tried them in many different bottles. Mostly in juice/milk type bottle that are HDPE, this softer material is easy to thread into, but can also fail due to it softness and start leaking after so much use.
This is the best...
First off let me say, this is not my design but is a concept copied from/inspired by Jimmy Walt's.
Second off let me say, that at the time this page was created(11-12-14) the waterer was just newly built and installed and not yet proven over time and temperature range.
I will post updates...
Just a quick shorty so I can link easily into posts.
I first encountered grazing frames at:
http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/2012/02/07/grazing-frames-backyard-chickens/
So I built a few as my birds are confined and I wanted to provide them with some fresh growing greens. Can really brighten...
This has been a very handy water bottle holder.
It's very versatile and easy to swap out bottles if needed during freezing temps or any other reason.
It can be screwed so the nipple faces out or to the side, as you'll see below.
Goes with this nipple water bottle...
I've built the water trough brooder,
I've hacked and slashed the refrigerator box brooder.....
now I wanted a Brooder Palace!
Drew up a design, based on another members brooder, in my 3d cad model software and asked a friend to build the framework as I didn't have to tools to do so...
So here it is, finally.
Sorry, to those who may have been waiting, for the delay.
Y'all might be interested in seeing my comments about using this divider starting here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incuview-incubator.852619/page-141#post-19864129
and a few of the following pages...
You can check out the rest of my coop here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-coop-page
But thought I'd stick this info here.
This year I decided to change up some ventilation arrangements.
When the snow piles up on the lower roof and then the winds blows it can blow snow into the coop...