Found a hen in the street "Backyard Chicken"

[ChickNorris]

I really enjoy this thread. Thanks.

[Irving]

My plan was to have the entire roof of the coop covered with solar panels, have a battery bank, and an inverter in case I needed to run anything that was 120v. Then I could power a stock tank de-icer and drop that in through the cap to keep the water liquid in the winter, and it'd be run off the solar so it wouldn't cost me anything. Well, that hasn't panned out yet, and I needed to figure something out for the water before I leave town. This is what I've come up with. I took the photos before I was completely done, so be rest assured that the all cords have been stapled into place with a drip loop before the plug. This is a basic Frost King heat cable to keep the water from freezing. It's just plugged into the house power as there is an outdoor duplex next to the coop.

Again, not ideal, but I don't have time to come up with something better.

[Irving]

Here are chickens not even waiting until I'm done to use the waterer.

[BladesNBarrels]

Looks like the cost of raising your own eggs is creeping up to about $20/Dozen.
Cool!

[Irving]

That's a good point. A bag of feed (40-50 lbs) costs about $17 and that lasts at least one month. I refill their water about once a week. It's never empty and the system holds about 6 gallons, so let's call it 16 gallons of water a month. I've been getting about 25 eggs a week, so we can call that 100 eggs a month. As the other hens start laying, my costs should not increase.

Running some rough numbers it looks like each dozen is costing me about $3.30. Once they are all laying, I'd expect that to go down to about $1.60 per.

[sniper7]

My second batch are now starting to lay! Pretty pumped up. But with 14 birds it going to get crazy quick! Although I now figured out I have at least 1 rooster from the group of silkies. Like clockwork every morning that little bastard is out their crowing. My wife said if I don’t find him a new home she will shoot it with a BB gun! I’m tempted to see how that pans out.
In the meantime if anyone is looking for a silkie rooster let me know, I was going to put him on Craigslist and see if someone would trade me a younger laying hen of any species for him.

[BladesNBarrels]

That's a good point. A bag of feed (40-50 lbs) costs about $17 and that lasts at least one month. I refill their water about once a week. It's never empty and the system holds about 6 gallons, so let's call it 16 gallons of water a month. I've been getting about 25 eggs a week, so we can call that 100 eggs a month. As the other hens start laying, my costs should not increase.

Running some rough numbers it looks like each dozen is costing me about $3.30. Once they are all laying, I'd expect that to go down to about $1.60 per.

Actually, that is pretty good.
I think the experience and the knowledge of where your eggs are coming from is worth the trip.
We are still a chicken-free zone with an active HOA.
Not sure if I could find someone to watch the flock while I was gone.
I am enjoying the vicarious view of your journey.

[Irving]

So according to wife, chickens aren't very happy about the snow. She was hours late letting them out today, but when she did, they didn't want to go outside. The big ones kicked the little ones out. So the younger hens ventured across the yard and roosted on the secondary roost that I built. No chickens ever go on that roost, but I guess now that they wanted to be up and out of the snow they decided they could bother to climb the ladder.


Wife coaxed them outside with warm oatmeal and some scratch*. Daughter supplemented the coaxing by pulling them out of the coop and throwing them into the snow.



This one didn't want to go outside at all. She is the biggest, and apparently the biggest baby.


*Scratch is just corn. It has little to zero nutritional value and is essentially like junk food for chickens and other animals. However, it is high in calories and helps animals put on quick fat (corn fed anyone?) so I've read it isn't bad to give to them in the winter for a little extra warmth.

Three eggs today.

[Irving]

Well, one of the hens died. It was my barred rock, she was the younger hen that was laying. I'm not home so I have no idea what happened and never will. She was found laying stiff on the coop floor.

[ChickNorris]

That wholly sucks. I'm sorry.