Walking Therein http://jacquedixon.com

Monday, July 30, 2007 - Building our Chick Stall - Brooder Pen

Wow! SO, where do I begin? This has been such a busy week. We have been planning to get the old goat stall cleaned out for the chicks now for several months. It's been quite a task to even get in the barn, with Little Miss Lucy being with us for the past 3 1/2 months. Last week, while Matt was home for vacation I went down and cleaned out the stall. I was trying to get a feel for what would need to be done. Now, never having had chicks before - or chickens, for that matter, I had no idea what to do.

I did the online searches for organic chick feed, chicken feed, info about coccidiosis, chicken tractors and looked at different styles of chicken houses. I was still unsure of how to use our stall.

We ordered the chicks 5-6 weeks ago, and got the chicks about 3 weeks ago. We had them in a cardboard box - a large, 6'x3' cardboard box in the garage. We originally had them in 2 boxes, but as they grew, I cut the boxes apart and connected them to give them more space. I knew they needed about 1sqft per chick. The problem is that, as I have referred to before, I must still have some of those pregnancy hormones floating around in my brain, because I was multiplying the inches for space measurements instead of the feet. I was thinking we had plenty of space out there. We had 55 chicks and 72sqft. Yes, I typed that right... the math is wrong, but I typed that right!! I know, I know, I am so fortunate that we still have all of theses chicks, aren't we!!

Then yesterday, I was in the garage, talking to my dad, reading about the chicks from the feed package, and all of a sudden the fog cleared and the measurements didn't make sense. I knew right then that we needed to get the chicks into the barn asap. That meant I had to decide what I was going to do and get tit done tonight. Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I thought all I had to worry about was getting a wall and a gate up in the pen to enclose a smaller space. I looked up at the 4' tall walls that faced the inside of the barn and remembered the cat we had lurking around and knew it was going to be more of a job than just that. And it sure was.

We had some fence left from when Matt and the kids built the split-rail fence in the pasture. Jocelyn had wrapped it around the fence to keep her escapee buckling in, so that would be another project. We took the piece off and headed to the barn.

All in all, with a staple gun that shot staples about 50% of the time, it took Matt and me about 2 hours to get it up and all the staples in. Of course, this is in-between the stapler problems and heading up to the house to nurse Little Lucy a couple of times.

The hardest part was getting the part up in the goat stall after dark with the little bucklings in their stall. We didn't cut the fencing. It runs about 2 feet below the bottom om the wall.

We ran out of staples, just as we were almost finished, of course, so I gave Hannah and Isaac a flashlight and instructions to go find the staples that had 'been shot' all over the floor! Sounded like a good project for them! They found all they could, and Eric and I went and looked with Isaac for a bit. It was about 10pm, and we were almost finished.

I put up a simple wall - very simple - with 1-2x4, 1 sheet of OSB and 5 nails. Instead of a gate, I put up a sheet of thin, flexible sub-flooring on a 2x4 so we could bend it to get in and out. I nailed both of the 2x4s into the top beams in the stall. I know this is a temporary fix, but it was basically an emergency, so that's ok for now.

Matt went in to eat dinner while Rachel and I finished up a few things. We had to cover a hole at the top of the wall. It is just above a large beam that would give entry to any animal, but especially that pesky cat. So, we got out the chicken wire. Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I am so not fond of spiders, so it was quite a blessing to me when Eric jumped up on that dirty, spider-laden beam and said, "I'll do that for you, Mom." I gave him the hammer and some nails and he worked in that awkward little space for about 20 minutes trying to get the nails in to hold that chicken wire up.

When he was finished, we covered the other 'beam holes', and went and got the chicks. That was a project in itself, but we were able to "cart" them down there from the garage in the one box on a crib-side. They just sat there when we got them down and opened the box, so we scatted them and got them out and showed them the feed and water.

Boy were they happy to have all that room to run around in!!! It is now about an 80sqft.pen. They were flying at each other, running all over. It warmed this 'chick-mama's' heart!!

Boy were they happy to have all that room to run around in!!! It is now about an 80sqft.pen. They were flying at each other, running all over. It warmed this 'chick-mama's' heart!!
I think it was about 2:30 am when we got them in there and stepped out from our completed project. I think we must have stood down there for 45m watching them, making sure they were all lively. When we left, we realized we hadn't looked at the door. We had suspected it would need reinforcements, and it did. We just needed to put up a piece of chicken wire, so that didn't take very long and we retired. We were a little beat, but it was such a relief!!

I am so, so happy to be able to live this way. I had no job to get to early, no children who had to get up to catch the bus early in the am. God has given us the good life. He truly has. He has given me 8 helpful children who are a blessing to me and their daddy. He has lightened our burdens by giving them to us and allowing me to stay home. I am thankful for a husband who works 2 jobs and still stays out 'til 10pm helping me build a chick stall.

Now, I can start making plans and get materials to build a henhouse in the existing stall and a chicken tractor for the roosters and for the buck stall, and, and...

Blessings to you all!

-Jacque

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - Hello

Posted by lerdman4

Jacque,
I haven't had time to check in much this summer with you and your lovely family. I saw on your post about your husbands vacation that you were going to Fort Wayne to the dentist.. AHHH you brought back such happy memories just by the name Fort Wayne.. Well I use to go out there every June on vacatioin to visit with my family my favorite aunt and she lived in FT wayne!! Now she is in Angola? I guess I was wondering if you are near Angola? That is more of a tourist town, atleast it was when my Grandmother lived there 30+ years ago.. wow, thanks for the memories.. Oh, I hope the dentist went ok. :o)
Blessings,
Lisa
PS Lucy sure is growing, what a sweatheart.

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Friday, August 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Jonash2004

Looks like ya'll did a wonderful job fixing up that stall for your chickens! It's always so much hard work, but the end result is sure nice. :)

Ashley

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Friday, August 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by reflectionsofgrace

It looks great!! You did a wonderful job. You have a great family....it is nice they helped you and you have nice memories from that. Your chicks are very cute!!
Have a blessed day!

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Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - Hello

Posted by lerdman4

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Friday, August 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Jonash2004

Looks like ya'll did a wonderful job fixing up that stall for your chickens! It's always so much hard work, but the end result is sure nice. :)

Ashley

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Friday, August 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by reflectionsofgrace

It looks great!! You did a wonderful job. You have a great family....it is nice they helped you and you have nice memories from that. Your chicks are very cute!!
Have a blessed day!

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About Me

Walking Therein is a blog dedicated to journaling our family times, encouraging Biblical living, presenting what we have learned in 15 years of home schooling, and occasionally sidetracking on news-related stories or politics. We are looking for Yeshua, our Messiah to return soon, and are devoted to the One True God, which you will see reflected on each page. I am a forgiven & restored daughter of the One True God, a happy stay-at-home wife, and home schooling Momma to eight beautiful children. Our home school is Living Learning Moments, meaning we learn as life happens. We live on a 2 1/2 acres little farm in IN, and we love our homestead, raise goats and chickens, and keep our home. We also enjoy managing several websites and writing articles for the glory of God as we train up our children for him.

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