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chickens

Moving day

James Freyr

steward

Posts: 4837

Location: West Tennessee

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posted 6 years ago

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Tomorrow my chickens go on a journey, which kinda started this afternoon. They're moving to me and my wife's new farm before we get to (lucky!). So long suburban Nashville, hello rural country. A few of the birds figured out how to get into the coop on the trailer, but most needed help, which was a combination of picking some up by hand and also moving their ramp out of the coop so they could walk up to the edge of the trailer, but still needed assistance for that final step. I think it was the wooden trailer deck that they were unsure of. I'll report back on our adventure.

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"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht

Myrth Gardener

pollinator

Posts: 197

Location: Illinois USA - USDA Zone 5b

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posted 6 years ago

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🐔 Good luck! 🐔

Or, good cluck?

😸😻

Myrth
https://ello.co/myrthcowgirl

James Freyr

steward

Posts: 4837

Location: West Tennessee

2446

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posted 6 years ago

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Thanks Myrth! I'm looking forward to having one more step of the process done!

"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht

James Freyr

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Posts: 4837

Location: West Tennessee

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posted 6 years ago

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We made it. They did not enjoy the ride, but everybody survived. It took a little longer than I thought. That coop is about as aerodynamic as a house, and it created a ton of drag. Even though my truck has a V8, it was just about all it could do to try an maintain 70mph, which is the speed limit in Tennessee. Going up some hills I found myself hardly going 60. A diesel pickup truck would have been nice.

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"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

359

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posted 6 years ago

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Must be pretty well made James, the roof is still on!

Mine is built on a trailer rather than skids. I might do skids for a larger coop, this is 30SF for 10 birds (actually down to 9, one got killed last month). I move it by hand, it's a three wheeler! I love seeing other people's designs.

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Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

James Freyr

steward

Posts: 4837

Location: West Tennessee

2446

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posted 6 years ago

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Hey Tj, I have on the horizon plans to build a larger coop to accommodate some more birds. I'm currently trying to track down an old set of farm running gear to build it on. I'm done with skids, and want wheels. The skids have worked ok for me, but even having nylon runners on the bottom of the skids, which I did to keep the wood off the soil, there is a lot of friction and a pickup truck or farm tractor is kinda the only way to move my coop. My plan with this one is to make it the broody coop when the next one gets built.

"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht

James Freyr

steward

Posts: 4837

Location: West Tennessee

2446

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posted 6 years ago

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Tj, forgot to comment on your coop. I love it! I really like the rainwater catchment on it.

"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

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posted 6 years ago

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Has a PVC feeder on the downwind side, and automatic waterer, except the waterer broke. I'm having to re-engineer it with expansion joints.If you have ideas for a freeze proof waterer, I'm interested.

This is a nipple waterer on PVC. I'm thinking just put it on an old hose. Everything else is flexible. Of course it will freeze and occasionally won't be warm enough during the day to thaw, but at least I don't have to drain it.

Highly recommend the best nest box...

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

Tj Jefferson

pollinator

Posts: 1345

Location: Virginia USDA 7a/b

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posted 6 years ago

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Model 2.0 will have a solar panel (cheapo harbor freight) with an old deep cycle battery to run a string of LED lights inside the water tank. The next one the tank will be on the inside (just too much to do last spring, it ended up outside). That way the water tank will be a heat battery. As long as we don't get a string of days without a thaw, it should keep them watered.

Also, it won't grow algae.

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails

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