Housing, pens, coops for meat birds I need ideas

[Mikedero]

So I am thinking of doing 10 meat birds 4 times this summer. I am thinking 10 at the end of march, 10 end of april, 10 end of may and 10 end of June.

So I do not want to build a coops like my other chickens have. So I need some ideas of what others use to grow them out in. I have a brooder for the first 3 weeks of each.

I was thinking like a 8 foot by 10 foot cage like this I saw on this site but made out of wood to make it more secure using 3X5 landscape lumber as the base

 

[redsoxs]

That seems workable. I take it the pen in the pic is movable? What goes on a CornishX comes out - you'll want to rotate it to fresh ground often. Good luck to you! I put my Cornish X in a tractor as they start to grow - then they have a 4 x 8 coop for nighttime. Seems to work okay for me.

 

[Mikedero]

That was the plan to move it daily, I think this is all the housing I am going to build for them. my hopes is by the time the second batch is ready to go outside the first batch can be processed and so on for the 3rd and fourth

I have another question

How long after butchering do you wait before you eat the chicken? I heard if you eat right away it is tough. I am just not sure on the time. AS most of my birds will be going right into the freezer or should I wait a few days before freezing?

 

[hydroswiftrob]

I used a re-purposed trampoline for my meaties. I lived in town and couldn't move my "tractor" around as much as I would have liked. I just kept fresh wood shavings down and when the batch was done, the shavings went into my compost pile. Pics can be found on my meaties thread.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Here's a pic of my 8'x8' tractor. Made from mostly 2"x2" If you plan to use metal roofing on the sides, make the height the same as the width of the metal.
The front 4'x4' section is the door to get in and fill the feeders. They hang from 2"x2" under the door.




I typically process 12 a day by myself. I usually let them rest a day in a refrigerator and then freeze the next day. You don't want to cook a freshly butchered chicken. Unless you're making dumplings

 

[NJfarmer]

I highly recommend a bell waterer

 

[Mikedero]

Can you use poultry nipples under a 5 gallon bucket? that is what I currently use for my other chickens?

 

[Mikedero]

Here's a pic of my 8'x8' tractor. Made from mostly 2"x2" If you plan to use metal roofing on the sides, make the height the same as the width of the metal.
The front 4'x4' section is the door to get in and fill the feeders. They hang from 2"x2" under the door.




I typically process 12 a day by myself. I usually let them rest a day in a refrigerator and then freeze the next day. You don't want to cook a freshly butchered chicken. Unless you're making dumplings

Ho many do you keep in this? looks more then 10 I was going to limit myself but if 8X8 can fit more I will get more

 

[ash10383]

related question: I am also planning on putting my meaties that I'm going to get in the spring (my first time with meaties) in a very similar tractor. However I do not have any trees what so ever. Will they be ok as it gets hotter? I'm defitely going to put some metal or a tarp on part of the top and sides to give shelter from rain and sun. but I'm afraid the metal will trap the heat and the tractor will act as an oven..Will it trap the heat or will they be ok?

 

[mstricer]

Here's a pic of my 8'x8' tractor. Made from mostly 2"x2" If you plan to use metal roofing on the sides, make the height the same as the width of the metal. The front 4'x4' section is the door to get in and fill the feeders. They hang from 2"x2" under the door. I typically process 12 a day by myself. I usually let them rest a day in a refrigerator and then freeze the next day. You don't want to cook a freshly butchered chicken. Unless you're making dumplings

Ho many do you keep in this? looks more then 10 I was going to limit myself but if 8X8 can fit more I will get more

I've kept 25 in my 8x8 I let them free range in the woods though and they ony sleep and eat in it in the begining then i move their food and water about 50 ft from rhe tractor to keep them moving around.