Chicken Pen on a Budget: Part 1: Posts

Today I'm going to talk about how I built my chicken pen on a teenager's budget. When building any pen one of the most expensive things about it will be the posts. So here is how to get them for cheap.
First you need to have cedar trees growing on your property.  Try to find trees 6-8 inches in diameter. I cut mine about 5 feet, 6 inches tall. You have to dig a hole about 4-6 inches deep to keep it secure. Now you can use cement to set the post or you can do what my Grandfather showed me. It's called tamping in. Here is how you do it. After you dig the hole put the post in and put small stones in the hole around it and use something sturdy like a metal rod to hit it in the ground. Do several layers of the rocks and continue tamping them in until the post is secure. Warning: To cut down trees this size you will need a chainsaw and cutting down trees is a dangerous business. So I advise that you have at least 2 people with you. In my case my Dad and Grandfather. Also if you can't dig down 6 inches then it would probably be best to use some cement.guarantee

Here you can see part of the front of the pen and the cedar posts.

Keep visiting , I plan on releasing Part 2 in a couple of days.
                                                              Chickenman 

Edit 8/27/13 : It could be a few days until the next blog post. I hope to have a new one by the weekend but I can't  guarantee .
Just keep checking though.
Edit 9/3/13 : Sorry for the delay I hope to have a new post published Tomorrow : )

Egg Thieves

This blog post will be about egg thieves. These are the only predators I have dealt with thankfully , so far no chicken killing predators have made an appearance. So here are some of the egg thieves I have dealt with.



Here are the thieves that have stole the most of my eggs.

Squirrels: They may look sweet and innocent but I have lost many eggs to these furry tailed rats. I have tried to prevent them with screen and many other deterrents but the only effective way I have found to deal with them is to exterminate them. I use a pellet gun. May leave pieces of shell on outside of pen.

Snakes: Nearly impossible to keep out. They can eat up to seven eggs at one time if given the opportunity. You pretty much have to catch it in the act as it leaves no sign of the eggs.

Gophers: These rodents can tunnel under the pen. The only way to know for sure if it's been in there is to find it's hole. It will be well hidden ( look behind your nesting boxes just in case ) . Another sign that it's been is there is it will leave empty egg shell with a hole in it.

These are the only Egg Thieves I have dealt with. With squirrels doing the most damage. Do you have any animals stealing your eggs ? Feel free to share in the comments.

               Chickenman       
Edit 8/21/13: I plan on releasing a new post tomorrow , sorry for the delay. 
Edit 8/22/13: Sorry for the delay , I should be able to publish the post tonight. Thank you and keep visiting. Sorry . Not going as planned. Maybe tomorrow. Thank you.

Chicken Treat List

As promised here is the list of chicken treats.

Ants
Apple Cider Vinegar ( Add 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water)
Arugula

Bananas (Fresh or Frozen)
Barley

Basil

Bell Pepper
Beatles
Biscuits

Blackberries
Bread (fresh or stale. just make sure there's no mold)

Broccoli 

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Carrots
Celery (Stalks and Leaves)

Chestnuts
Cilantro

Clover

Corn

Crickets

Cucumber

Dandelions (Greens and Flower)

Dill

Earthworms
Egg(I would suggest scrambling the eggs, it's a great protein boost, helpful for weak chickens.)
Eggshell(only feed them their own eggshell)
Flies
Garlic (use in moderation to worm)
Gnats (believe it or not they go after these bugs)

Grass

Grasshoppers
Grapes 

Grubs

Honeydew

Lettuce
Meal-worms (just started raising them)
Mint

Okra
Oyster Shell (to provide extra calcium)

Parsley

Pumpkin
Rosemary (only feed them a little at a time. too much will make strange tasting eggs)
Slugs
Snails (they love to break open shell)

Squash ( No leaves or vine )

Spinach

Strawberries
Sunflower seeds
Sweet Potato

Tomatoes ( Do not feed them leaves or vine , it's poisonous )
Thyme

Watermelon
Whey(for a little extra protein)
Yogurt

Zucchini ( No leaves or vine )

 This is a list of the treats I have fed my chickens.  However, it is always best to double check for yourself on whether the treat is safe . Keep checking, I will add more treats to this list as I think of them.

Chickenman

P.S. Any chicken treats you would like to share just comment on this post.

Edit 08/13/2013: I will try to have a new post ready within the next 2 days or so. It will be about egg thieves.

Lord of the Roosters

 Welcome to The Lord of the Rings No? You're not looking for Lord of the Rings. Oh. How about this. Please give a warm welcome to The Lord of the Roosters , Uther Penrooster.

        Here's the Dominant , Rhode Island Red , Uther Penrooster

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Uther ; fiercely protective of his flock , once he stared down a tomcat that could easily have killed him. This rooster is not afraid of anything. Just don't touch him or his hens and he will play nice , most of the time.
 Keep visiting. In one of my next posts I will have a list of chicken friendly treats that I have learned from my experiences.


                            Chickenman

Edit: Sorry about the mud in the photo.It's been raining a ton here.

Introducing My Flock

Here are a few pictures of my chickens. I have 22 total; 11 Dominiques , 9 Rhode Island Reds , and 2 baby chickens that I haven't been able to determine their breed yet (either full Rhode Island Reds or Dominique/Rhode Island Red cross). Anyway, here are a few photos. Enjoy.
                                               
                                  

Here are the two chicks and their Mamma, Ventress

                                               
                                                

Demonique , my mild mannered Dominique rooster

                                                                  

Four of my hens wanting treats. The Rhode Island Red's name is Merida , the Dominque on the center right is Rue.

I hope you've enjoyed this post, keep checking my blog , there's more to come.

                           Chickenman

Welcome To Gone Chicken

Welcome to Gone Chicken, a blog by a teenager that's gone completely chicken. I'll be chronicling my experience with chickens, general chicken advice, the things I do to save money on feed costs, make money for feed and to share my love of chickens. Once again Welcome to Gone Chicken.