IF YOU COULD....

IF YOU COULD.... Build the poultry set-up of your dreams, what would it look like, consist of???

So, if money, resources and labour/hours were totally unlimitted to you - what type of farm set-up would you have???

Don't get me wrong - for me (like everyone else I know) the above ARE limitting factors, but I've got a clean slate here on this farm (sort of - barn infrastructure, water/power etc is all in place) and don't want to set up things 3 or 4 times stumbling around as a newbie trying to figure out stuff and making stupid mistakes that not only cost time/money but also cost in loss of life via wasted eggs, lost birds etc. I've been looking at the various websites posted and most have photo's of their birds - but not a lot of 'detail' of pens etc.

So, being who I am - I'm curious!!!!
How are you set-up to incubate, hatch & raise your chicks?
How do you set up so that a hen can do the work for you without worrying about other hens picking off new chicks etc?

Photo's, ideas, discussions - what has worked for you & just as importantly - what hasn't worked!!! All are welcome - please feel free to post like crazy!

I have thought about this a lot Sue, so this is just up my alley. And it is snowing today so no time better than to dream of a better set up.

For my chickens I would have a single barn. It would be split into 3 areas.
One would be the incubation area where the incubators would be located. It would be approximately 10X10. With a sink, a small fridge (set to the appropriate temperatures for adequately storing eggs for hatching), and a large countertop for working on (candling, etc).
The next area located beside the incubation room and joined by a door would be the brooder area. Here is where I would have the brooder pens set up. This area would be 10X20'. I would have small pens set up for different stages or breeds to be brooded. I would guess something like 5X5' pens.
Then an area beside this would have an overhead door and it would be approximately 10X30', it would be my feed storage area. I would want it big enough I can drive the bobcat in to put the mini totes of feed I buy.
The remaining part of the barn would be 30X40', in here I would have 8 10X10' pens, with a 10' alleyway. An overhead door at the end to make cleaning easy.
So overall my barn would be 30'X60'. From each pen there would be an outdoor run of 10X20' to allow adequate room for breeding groups.
Running water to the barn during all seasons would be advantageous as well.

The waterfowl I was thinking of having 10X20 runs, lined up along side one another, with calf shed type shelters in there, and all having ponds at each end. My bantam ducks would need a building of sorts for winter, but the other's would do fine in their runs all year long. Of course having more runs than needed would be advantageous because then you could rotate them to "greener pastures" as needed.

I would drop down to one breed of turkey and let them free range around the farm, gathering eggs as I find them or just letting nature take place and let the turkeys raise their own young. In winter the turkeys could roam the 40X10' alleyway of the barn.

Well that is my imagination for the day, hopefully some good points for you.

Even with limited resources the most important things I would need is running water close to the chicken facilities, as many breeds in one building as possible to help with heat and lessen chores for winter. The bennefit of splitting a barn up is being able to breed all year long if you feel the need, where as now I have one large building split in two with all my breeds in there and not really anywhere to seperate to breed till spring. My birds keep the main coop above zero even in the coldest of days because it is insulated and there is enough for creating heat.

Good luck on your planning. Just remember to plan for more than the breeds you have now, because you know you will get more.

I agree running water all year round is definitely a bonus!! and wide alleys between the pens is a good idea also!! Love your dream barn Hidden!!

You’re hired Hidden! Kidding! I do like the way you dream though....

I always thought this was quite the coop, only mine would have to be bigger, much BIGGER:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalecalder2003/galleries/72157622811816341/

And I like these out door breeding pens, only bigger and attached to a building for good old Sask climate:

http://greenfirefarms.com/2009/02/building-a-chicken-coop/

That will do to start.

Now that first one pictured is amazing, just think of the space it saves. I love the look of it.
And those greenfire pens, very nice. Very much like I planned for my outside runs off the main barn (in my dreams). I figure if the outside pens are covered by a roof then the chickens could enjoy them longer in the winter. I would use stronger wire though. I love the water spigots in each one too.

OH yeah baby - this is what I'm talking about! Pictures to drool over on a cruddy winter day!

I love the outside pens - but why a concrete divider between each pen - I get that the outside concrete perimeter is predator control (or would be in this part of the world) but between each?

Oh, oh, do you smell smoke?!!? Bwahahaha

dooversue wrote:OH yeah baby - this is what I'm talking about! Pictures to drool over on a cruddy winter day!

I love the outside pens - but why a concrete divider between each pen - I get that the outside concrete perimeter is predator control (or would be in this part of the world) but between each?

Oh, oh, do you smell smoke?!!? Bwahahaha

I am guessing the concrete divider between pens because then they could hold in a deeper litter, looks like sand. And we all know how chickens can dig holes, guessing it is so no breech in security between breeding pens.

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Wow Tara Lee, quite the set up! Looks like your hubby should be called 'Bob the builder', I love the elevator and the Screw Ewe Saloon?!? Too funny - luv it! He's definately talented!
I realize (as you state biosecurity) that you likely don't allow visitors in barns etc - any chance of some photos of inside of duck barn - with big pens set-up then with small ones once you change it over... Maybe some close ups of panels &/or how they fit together for conversion?
That's kind of what I'm thinking of doing with the one barn... Have big pen(s) for winter then to be able to insert panels or??? to make smaller pens as hens commit to brooding eggs?!?
If it's easier/faster to email photos - that's fine too! dooversue@ gmail.com
Any ideas/help are MUCH appreciated, so hard to decid what to do when so new at it!

Sue you need to get Anna to post her barn pictures here. I think her system is convertable like you say. Not sure if it was here she posted pictures or not? I will do a search and see.

The octagonal barn is very cool. I actually know someone who has one almost exactly like that but i don't think he has the top "viewing" area. He keeps many kinds of pheasants and that is where they live.
He also has a neat barn for his bantam chickens and pigeons. The pigeons have the loft area and then the barn is divided into thirds with each inner section having a corresponding outer run to keep the three breeds seperate.
His place is what I would call " a show place" and amazing to see...yet very practical as well.

Yeah, I just love the design of the octagon barn. So elegant yet practical. There used to be more pictures (and some of the inside as well) on that site but those ones seemed to have up and disappeared. Probably flooded with requests for building plans, haha.


Wowza Higgins, you have a real nice setup there. Your building names are a real hoot too. LoL I'd also love to see more on the inside, if you don't mind sharing that is. Great to see you are living your dream.

I better never let my chooks see such luxury accommodations assist like the ones on here or I might have a full scale revolt on my hands!

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LOVE your ideas, pens, buildings and of course all the beautiful birds! Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures.