Comments on: Farming Talk http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/ The thoughts and journal of a Christian farm family. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:30:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: northern lass stated http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-2/#comment-17122 northern lass stated Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:29:10 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-17122 Only joking, hope the day was lovely and the family enjoyed. Only joking, hope the day was lovely and the family enjoyed.

]]> By: northern lass stated http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-2/#comment-17116 northern lass stated Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:24:50 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-17116 Just heard of Willie Mclarens wedding cake and the decoration of cow and bull - just hope they don't want any happy events - or they might need the ropes. Just heard of Willie Mclarens wedding cake and the decoration of cow and bull - just hope they don’t want any happy events - or they might need the ropes.

]]> By: Northern Farmer http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Northern Farmer Wed, 21 Dec 2005 01:56:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-431 JM, I tell you, cementing up them bad foundations on farm buidings does work well sometimes, it's almost a yearly chore around here on our old barn.But it holds er together. I don't know what the experts figure for carrying capacity of the coop but the people that farmed here before us always had between 250 and 300 hens in the coop, successfully. Buffs do good here from what I hear at church, we raise Barred Rocks and Silver Laced Wyondotes,(spelling?). Both do excellent in the deep winter here. I'm not experienced with too many other breeds to make any recomendations, oh, I used to raise them reddish production hens, I forget their name, brown egg layers, and they were pretty good too. JM,
I tell you, cementing up them bad foundations on farm buidings does work well sometimes, it’s almost a yearly chore around here on our old barn.But it holds er together.
I don’t know what the experts figure for carrying capacity of the coop but the people that farmed here before us always had between 250 and 300 hens in the coop, successfully.
Buffs do good here from what I hear at church, we raise Barred Rocks and Silver Laced Wyondotes,(spelling?). Both do excellent in the deep winter here. I’m not experienced with too many other breeds to make any recomendations, oh, I used to raise them reddish production hens, I forget their name, brown egg layers, and they were pretty good too.

]]> By: JM http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-430 JM Wed, 21 Dec 2005 00:28:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-430 Tom, So glad to see you share the details of your hen house. We have a similar building on our new place. Only this one is a double decker, the hens upstairs. I'm not sure of the structural integrity of that barn, we always put hogs in it, and I know some of the foundation is punched out in areas. Maybe a little cement can patch it up?!! How many hens can you safely carry through the winter in that size of a building? Also, would you mind sharing with out your preferred breed of chicken for your temperate winter climate? We have been very happy with the winter production of our Buff Orpingtons, this is the first winter however that we have had Brown Leghorns and they seem to be holding thier own in the 10 degree evenings we've had here... Just curious, I'm planning to order some chicks in the spring! :) Thanks JM Tom,

So glad to see you share the details of your hen house. We have a similar building on our new place. Only this one is a double decker, the hens upstairs. I’m not sure of the structural integrity of that barn, we always put hogs in it, and I know some of the foundation is punched out in areas. Maybe a little cement can patch it up?!!

How many hens can you safely carry through the winter in that size of a building? Also, would you mind sharing with out your preferred breed of chicken for your temperate winter climate? We have been very happy with the winter production of our Buff Orpingtons, this is the first winter however that we have had Brown Leghorns and they seem to be holding thier own in the 10 degree evenings we’ve had here…

Just curious, I’m planning to order some chicks in the spring! :)

Thanks
JM

]]> By: Northern Farmer http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-429 Northern Farmer Tue, 20 Dec 2005 01:35:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-429 Steve, There was enough interest generated in my chicken coop statement that I might have to sometime draw up a simple plan just as a base to give people the idea. But here I'll give you a few details just to get the general idea. The dimensions are 16 by 32 for the whole building. It does have a 8 by 16 room that we use for a brooder. So the hen house itself would be 24 by 16. The building is facing south with it's length. The hen house has five south facing windows and on on the east side near the south corner. It's standard two by four construction with an attic. Cement floor. It was insulated with tar paper and a really oldfashion soft partical board then covered with tonge and groove to protect the insulative materials. There is no moister buildup because running lengthways down the center of the building is a four foot opening in the ceiling. They then put a mesh wire across the opening and covered it with straw and wood chips. The moister flows out into the attic and out the vents but the heat is retained in the building.Also there is about three or four inches of wood chip litter on the floor. And the only heat is the chickens body heat.Today it was 15 below and I watered them at seven in the morning and the water was good yet at sundown. It will freeze at night when they roost, so that's when I take the waterer out and just put it in bright and early in the morning again. I've only ever had one egg freeze this winter, that was today, but it doesn't count I guess because it was laid in the evening yesterday. Once the hens get off the roost for the morning they heat the place right up, or at least above freezing for their entire working day. I hope this helps with your question. The only improvement I can see from what we have is I would nowadays build it with a block foundation to stop rats. They didn't have blocks then around here so I forgive them:) Steve,
There was enough interest generated in my chicken coop statement that I might have to sometime draw up a simple plan just as a base to give people the idea. But here I’ll give you a few details just to get the general idea. The dimensions are 16 by 32 for the whole building. It does have a 8 by 16 room that we use for a brooder. So the hen house itself would be 24 by 16. The building is facing south with it’s length. The hen house has five south facing windows and on on the east side near the south corner. It’s standard two by four construction with an attic. Cement floor. It was insulated with tar paper and a really oldfashion soft partical board then covered with tonge and groove to protect the insulative materials. There is no moister buildup because running lengthways down the center of the building is a four foot opening in the ceiling. They then put a mesh wire across the opening and covered it with straw and wood chips. The moister flows out into the attic and out the vents but the heat is retained in the building.Also there is about three or four inches of wood chip litter on the floor. And the only heat is the chickens body heat.Today it was 15 below and I watered them at seven in the morning and the water was good yet at sundown. It will freeze at night when they roost, so that’s when I take the waterer out and just put it in bright and early in the morning again. I’ve only ever had one egg freeze this winter, that was today, but it doesn’t count I guess because it was laid in the evening yesterday. Once the hens get off the roost for the morning they heat the place right up, or at least above freezing for their entire working day. I hope this helps with your question. The only improvement I can see from what we have is I would nowadays build it with a block foundation to stop rats. They didn’t have blocks then around here so I forgive them:)

]]> By: Steve http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-428 Steve Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:59:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-428 NF, I sure would like to see the design for your chicken coop. How does it work? NF, I sure would like to see the design for your chicken coop. How does it work?

]]> By: Northern Farmer http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-427 Northern Farmer Mon, 19 Dec 2005 04:38:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-427 JM, I didn't even see your reply until after I posted the last one.Well said! Tom JM,
I didn’t even see your reply until after I posted the last one.Well said!

Tom

]]> By: Northern Farmer http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-426 Northern Farmer Mon, 19 Dec 2005 04:35:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-426 Russ, I'll have to look into it. We got a premise registration card here a couple of weeks ago from the state of MN but I can't find it right off hand, pretty good bookeeping huh. I could be wrong but here I think it's just going on their original schedual for animal ID, which I'm very leary about by the way. But when and if I find the registration info I'll let you know if there's anything different than what I wrote. Or if anyone out there in computerland knows give a holler. Tom Russ,
I’ll have to look into it. We got a premise registration card here a couple of weeks ago from the state of MN but I can’t find it right off hand, pretty good bookeeping huh. I could be wrong but here I think it’s just going on their original schedual for animal ID, which I’m very leary about by the way. But when and if I find the registration info I’ll let you know if there’s anything different than what I wrote. Or if anyone out there in computerland knows give a holler.

Tom

]]> By: JM http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-425 JM Mon, 19 Dec 2005 04:33:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-425 Russ, There are a couple of things in the works, but I think that what you are referring to must be a Wisconsin thing. The USDA is going to require all animals to be tracked eventually. At first, it will be voluntary, and most will be sold on the idea, that it's a safety, health thing. After the voluntary compliance doesn't get everybody, then they will offer you a higher price for your animals at market. After that doesn't work, you'll be forced to get the "Chip" for your livestock... All the more reason to be sustainable, and to have a little community of likeminded folks with which to trade!! JM Russ,

There are a couple of things in the works, but I think that what you are referring to must be a Wisconsin thing. The USDA is going to require all animals to be tracked eventually. At first, it will be voluntary, and most will be sold on the idea, that it’s a safety, health thing. After the voluntary compliance doesn’t get everybody, then they will offer you a higher price for your animals at market. After that doesn’t work, you’ll be forced to get the “Chip” for your livestock…

All the more reason to be sustainable, and to have a little community of likeminded folks with which to trade!!

JM

]]> By: RL http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/2005/12/17/farming-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-424 RL Mon, 19 Dec 2005 02:57:00 +0000 http://www.scepaniakfarms.com/blog/?p=115#comment-424 This is off the topic but, I was wondering if any of you have heard anything about a new law that says you have to register all livestock by Jan.1. Having something to do with the bird flu virus scare. At present I don't know if it's just a Wisconsin thing or if it is at the federal level. Our friends around here have caught wind of it and we are all kind of upset about it. There is supposedly a stiff fine for anyone caught in non-compliance. I plan to call our local extension office and I'm sure they can tell me something but, I was wondering if anyone else has heard about it. I have a hunch it is at the State level as Wisconsin was pretty aggressive at dealing with the cronic wasting disease in the Whitetail Deer. Russ This is off the topic but, I was wondering if any of you have heard anything about a new law that says you have to register all livestock by Jan.1. Having something to do with the bird flu virus scare.

At present I don’t know if it’s just a Wisconsin thing or if it is at the federal level. Our friends around here have caught wind of it and we are all kind of upset about it. There is supposedly a stiff fine for anyone caught in non-compliance.

I plan to call our local extension office and I’m sure they can tell me something but, I was wondering if anyone else has heard about it. I have a hunch it is at the State level as Wisconsin was pretty aggressive at dealing with the cronic wasting disease in the Whitetail Deer.

Russ

]]>