Really surprised to learn how much you have invested per yardbird. Is there a way to get that down? Buying food in bulk, maybe? Raising 100 or 200 birds (obviously, the feast for profit)? Just curious...
Ikr ... I was kind of choking a few videos back when he said he was feeding 25 lbs a day that's a bag of feed every other day and now he's up to 3/4 a bag of feed a day. Here where I am @ $17 a bag...it'd be worth looking into bulk feed or some money saving alternative. I think Polyface Farms had a video on grinding your own food. But the grinder is quite an investment itself.
Landon Ashby if your farming birds you would have to weigh the cost of feed compared to cost of making it if you save money making it then make the investment if not buy the feed
SO...let's spark up a discussion here....here is a cost breakdown with some things that are re-usable for next time: 1. Coop construction $300-350 (no cost for next batch of birds..but a cost none the less) 2. 50 birds consumed around 750 lbs of food at around $15 per bag ($225=/-) 3. Cost of birds $2-$2.75 each with shipping included ($125=/-) 4. Feeders and waterers roughly $200 (no cost for next batch) 5. Fuel costs for feed, pickup birds and electricity for heat lamps around $30 6. Processing Equipment $950 (re-usable forever!) 7. Heat lamps and brooders ($120) I'm probably missing something but total cost of first batch of birds this time was: $2025 Divide that by 50 birds= $40.50 total cost per bird this batch Subtract all the re-usable things (brooder, equipment, feeders and coop) Total cost around $405...so my cost next batch should be around $8.50 per bird .....the $15 per bird quote takes in the cost of equipment over 10 years with 50 birds per year production. There is a pretty comprehensive breakdown of my exact cost....we will do 25 more birds this fall!! Of note here is a food cost breakdown from Meyer Hatchery Scroll to bottom of this webpage: www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=WBRS
Could you significantly reduce cost by going with a dual purpose breed like White Plymouth Rocks and even further by going with cockerals. I know you'd have to go an extra month before harvest.but I don't believe you'd go through anywhere near as much feed. Heck even if you went another 2 months, you'd still use less feed. At start a bag a week maybe up to 2 bags max a week toward the finish.
Another route for further reducing costs would be to sell some of the chickens as you raise them. Local feed store has flyers for layers for sale $20-$25 each. If you raised your birds using dual purpose breed you could almost negate your initial start up cost and even be profitable the 2nd go round while still filling your freezer. I've been tumbling round with the idea to raise birds strictly for sale for next year. There are many people who don't want to deal with the whole chick raising thing. Perhaps may even do preorders this fall.
Just FYI foks I've been scolded by some viewers saying that I'm being untruthful about the cost of raising meat birds for your own consumption. Let's be perfectly clear....you are raising your own chickens for your health...not to save $$$ on your food...there is a food consumption cost breakdown on the Meyer Hatchery side under Cornish X birds...here is a link to the site..search keyword Cornish X : meyerhatchery.com/?aid=178 Remember....food isn't the only expense associated with these birds!! There is a cost breakdown in the pinned comment on this vid!
Tried pastured chickens this year for our first time for meat. We finally got them all butchered today and put in our freezer. Now, tonight after all that hard work, we finally got to try one. Way better than store bought. Tastes kinda like wild game. Not bad at all.
Your so right about it being better tasting. We are raising dual purpose breeds and use the roosters from the batches of hatched chicks our hens raise.They are not as bulky as the Cornish X but the grass and ranging flavor is outstanding. I can broth and stock after deboning the butchered roosters. Those waterers look awesome. Thank you for a basic and honest look at home raised, healthy food.
Awesome video and thanks for your honesty. It seems some want to make it look easy. I started raising chickens 41 years ago. Broilers are $12-$15/bird average to raise. We have the local Amish process them for us for under $2/bird. Even with bulk feed they come out about the same.
Hey, great job. I need to replace my ten year old Chicken tractor and think I will copy yours. it looks really easy to move. One thing i do do differently than you is I rake the grass after moving the tractor forward. It fluffs-up the grass and helps disperse the poop. The grass seems to recover a bit faster. Thanks for the videos!
if this coop was to scale ....it would be the same as a man standing in a 16 foot tall open shed...would you be hot if you were standing in an open pavilion at the park? They lay down 80% of the time on the cool ground...you are making an assumption that's simply incorrect. This isn't an office building...it's a farm...on hot days animals are hot...on cool days they are cool. You forget that chickens are tropical birds??
Have you tried fermenting the feed to help aid in the efficiency of the digestion and it also helps reduce feed cost as you can add non processed grains that have only been cracked or ground to their diet making them even more healthy. Also reducing your over all cost significantly.
I tried it and it was a mess! No idea whether I saved in consumption but I surely spent alot of time and worry. I figure the fresh grass daily has a much bigger impact on feed consumption.
I've done it with my laying flocks and it definitely helps with feed conversion and health of the birds. But, with that said, you don't want ALL their feed fermented. Anywhere from 20-60% of their feed being fermented is what works best, in my experience. Granted, this is with layer flocks though. But even my layers got nice and fat while using some fermented feed.
Considering what they say about corn, why a touch of corn, is corn safe, is it organic corn and how much do they eat? Also what is done in the wintertime? Just trying to be more conscious about what and how I eat. Thank you very much.
you can easily put a bumper bar at the very back of the tractor.. about 3 inches off the grass and a couple inches forward of the back wall, it will bump into their butt or chest before there is a chance that their legs get caught under the back wall. I was always stressed moving them and accidentally breaking a leg. if you really want to be high speed, the bumper bar can be their watering system. Keep the 5 gallon bucket outside the tractor and have it feed into a tube that runs along the back of the tractor..
even better idea....take a couple old push brooms and screw them into the inside...the broom will stimulate the bird before the pvc has a chance to get to them.....now....adding heavy water to the coop is a bad idea...best time to move them is when they are out of food..they'll follow you to the end of the earth lol
we have done this but man that feed bills really expensive. I am surprised raccoons haven't gotten to them, we always had wire on the outside of the tractor to deter those pesky critters from digging under. Processing is a lot of work but if you have a spinner, that saves a lot of time, always wanted one of those. Good luck, hope you have a cool day to do the processing.
Have you heard of fodder it will greatly reduce the cost of feed one pound of barley seed will produce around eight pounds of fodder feed for chickens, horses ,cows ,pigs, goats, and sheep
Greetings. I have been binge watching your videos for several weeks now, and of course learned a lot. Thanks. Is it possible to grow meat birds inside? The main reason I want to grow meat chickens is for compost to grow food. The next reason is I would like to grow a years supply of good quality chicken. If I bring fresh vegetation to the chickens in a three-sided building with cement floors, is it doable ?
Awesome...thanks for watching...now...why on earth would you wanna raise a meat bird inside? Like in your house? In a shed sure....but it's much easier to just build a coop like this and move them around...you're talking about 2000lbs of feed for 50 chickens.....that's gonna produce over 3000 lbs of litter , manure and mess. Part of the reason we move them daily or twice a day is the manure load...these birds poop ALOT!!!!
I've seen people talk about fermenting feed that's not for me. But I have found when filling their feeders if I wet the feed they like it and they consume a whole lot less water. Perhaps that may be an option. For you on those hot days. Keeping your water and feed chores down to once a day. Just a thought anyway. I have that waterer with the leg kit, it's awesome. I also have the nipple waterer from Premier 1. Can't say enough good stuff about both of them.
Are you considering the up front cost of feeders, water buckets and coup into the cost? Would that cost be less next year? Also we really enjoyed the visit. Thanks for taking the time.
What a genius idea to build that out of what looks like 4” pvc? With lumber prices today…that could be a much cheaper option. How much does it weigh? Would it stay in place with high winds?
We just gave our chickens free run of the farm. They got water from the creek, and food from the ground in addition to grain. Also, they never flocked togeather outside.
Curious if tarps for the top of the tractor would be any cooler than the tin? I know we park our vehicles under a tin topped shelter and it gets very hot during the summer months.
With air flow 360 degrees...and the birds being about 15 inches tall...it would be like parking your car in a 40 foot tall shed....heat is not a factor at all ...the meat birds lay on the ground most of the time and the ground temp is normally around 60-70 degrees. Tarps would invite predators
Josh I can watch your Vlogs everyday thank you for sharing your thoughts and how to install or improve new ideals I can't wait to get my chicken tractor built and send you a pictures of it. Woooooo!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🚜🚜
No matter how "you" do something, everyone else will want to change something. Watching your videos, I know that you look to learn something from all the comments. Remember, you were the first one who said you were not the expert - just learning as you go.
We all should be learning every day...that's for sure....today I learned how to knock a post out of the ground with my truck bumper lol....I gladly take advice....I don't gladly take brow beating and hateful criticism.....I delete hateful, cursing and degrading comments.....there's just no place here ....if a man or woman can't find a kind and intelligent way to get their message across..then they get bounced...that's how I keep it clean on this channel...thanks so much for the comment buddy! I appreciate you
Always room for improvement, or adjustments, IMHO. Thank you for being transparent and sharing. Just a Note Check out Electrical PVC conduit for outdoor use ; )...
I love your videos, I don’t know how you do so much every day. Can you explain by what you mean that they have 170 sq fat of space? I am calculating 10x12 pen divided by 48 chickens. Thanks
Josh, buddy, you might want to let Mrs. Stoney Ridge do the math for you. With the 120 sq. ft. of coup space, each of your 48 birds will get 2.5 sq ft of yard, not 170! And unless you average over 8 lbs a bird butchered weight, you are going to be quite a bit shy of 400 lbs of meat.
Josh...loved the video...goes for all of your videos I have watched so far (trying to get caught up on them all). I really enjoy the fact that you aren't asking for donations, and pledges and pushing hats and shirts and female hygiene products to make money. So many UA-camrs have become so annoying with their "spend your money on my crappy stuff so I can afford to buy luxury cars" that I have un-subscribed from their channels and let them fade away. Sure...I hope that you offer the Stupid Should Hurt shirt again so I can order one....love that shirt....but I do truly appreciate that you are not focused on pushing products...but are focused on sharing your farm experience and knowledge with us. The farm is looking great by the way. I am impressed with the amount of work you have put into the farm in the last couple of years. I look forward to the day you bring in your first feeder steers and begin pasturing beef.
I appreciate your video. I am looking at running around 2-300 chickens in multiple skid tractors like that. I had never thought of PVCs an alternative frame. What diameter of pipe did you use? Again, thank you for your video.
I posted a wheel set up on another vid to make ur life easier(1) buy 2x6” wheels at Harbor freight, use all thread for axels, (2) mount them horizontally by putting on & taking off the wheels before & after ur move,(3) use a push lawn mower wheel bracket mounted to the PVC & the wheel mounted to the lawn mower bracket, in this method the wheels stay mounted the whole time & it’s swiveled up & down. With mounted wheels , it’s an ez move.
If you were standing in a building that was 3 times taller than you....open on all sides with a 55 degree floor...would you be hot? Gotta think in scale....also the silver roof reflects heat...thought was put into this my friend
So i live in big city we hace a hoa and only allowed 5 ck at 1 time do u think jt would be worth to do iy all yr to fill freezer? Also city folks dont have plucking machine husband said the dunk method
City folks can buy a plucker...just like us ol hillbillies....I too lived in town..had meat birds there...pre-youtube channel...we were allowed 5 birds too...I had 30......what happens if they bust ya....shoot the birds are ready for slaughter at 6-8 weeks...by the time the gov't figures it out...gives you a warning..it's time to harvest! I've found a privacy fence...and being kind to neighbors works wonders!
What are the reasons for it being so much more expensive than the commercial Farms? Is it mainly because you are using organic feed? Or are they simply paying less for their feed because they buy in bulk? Or are you using a different breed of bird?
All of the above except breed, they do however have their own hatcheries and breeding birds so the breed may be slightly different. At least in SE Arkansas they do. And they pay farms to care for the birds while supplying all livestock and feed. So obviously, to me anyway, the farmers are doing the job cheaper than the big companies can. Farmers supply power, heat, feeders, waters,building and all labor then are paid per bird and bonus on lbs produced versus feed consumed.
Hey this is leo we take care of ten chicken house and it pretty fun to grow this birds and they can grow up to ten pounds and we have new house more better for the chicken
SO...let's spark up a discussion here....here is a cost breakdown with some things that are re-usable for next time: 1. Coop construction $300-350 (no cost for next batch of birds..but a cost none the less) 2. 50 birds consumed around 750 lbs of food at around $15 per bag ($225=/-) 3. Cost of birds $2-$2.75 each with shipping included ($125=/-) 4. Feeders and waterers roughly $200 (no cost for next batch) 5. Fuel costs for feed, pickup birds and electricity for heat lamps around $30 6. Processing Equipment $950 (re-usable forever!) 7. Heat lamps and brooders ($120) I'm probably missing something but total cost of first batch of birds this time was: $2025 Divide that by 50 birds= $40.50 total cost per bird this batch Subtract all the re-usable things (brooder, equipment, feeders and coop) Total cost around $405...so my cost next batch should be around $8.50 per bird .....the $15 per bird quote takes in the cost of equipment over 10 years with 50 birds per year production. There is a pretty comprehensive breakdown of my exact cost....we will do 25 more birds this fall!! Of note here is a food cost breakdown from Meyer Hatchery Scroll to bottom of this webpage: www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=WBRS
You need to change out the chicken wire on your tractor to hardware cloth. It works better, no racoons tear in, and it holds up better. You will soon find out if you don't.
Hey Josh, clicking through some of your older videos recently and not sure what you have done in terms of your health to look so much better now than you did back when this video first came out. You seem so much more trim now. Fountain of youth? lol
I’m a new subscriber and love your channel . I’m inspired (one day soon) to raise meat chickens, but I don’t see myself putting together a processing station to right away. Are there “processing centers” to take chickens or... any suggestions?
Josh, hope you are recovering well. Watching some of your older videos. Question for you. With the tractor you built, is there enough weight to keep it from flipping with high wind, providing it's no greater than what you see in a thunderstorm?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer thanks for the reply. I may give this a try this year. It's meat and fertilizer in one package. The fertilizer is where I'm thinking you come out ahead.
@@bradquigley3676 yeah, my original idea was to come up with a way to fertilize my fruit trees by running the tractor up and down between the rows of trees. I was holding out for building supplies to drop down to a reasonable price again but with the way food is going up now I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go ahead and make it.
You and Justin have a little thing going on. Ya, some people try to monetize even the air they breathe. They are not old school farmers or country people. It's a pity. Thank you for your country way of sharing.
You said you give each bird 170 square feet of space in a 10'x12' coop. That works out to just over 70% of one bird per coop. You also said you have 48 birds in there, so that's actually 2.5 square feet per bird, not counting for space used by the feeder and waterer.
Not sure what you are getting at but you need to do some math....moving the birds provides them with new square footage every single day...hence the math of 170 sq ft .even though they have that amount of room they still all stick together in a flock...even if I let them out to forage...they all stick together. So what are you getting at? This works my friend...it works great and I've raised over 300 meat birds in this coop....I will say it's better with 35 birds.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I'm just pointing out that your claim of 170' per bird is incorrect. I appreciate you making these videos and sharing what you've done and what you've learned. As you said above, they do well with 2' or so of square footage and would likely just flock together anyways if given unlimited space. I say this only to illustrate my point and not as a personal attack: The fact that the coop moves doesn't change its square footage any more than the legroom in the last flight you took.
Hi Josh, Great videos. Between you and a few other UA-camrs, you have inspired my sons and I to do meat birds. We raised 49 birds and for some reason the meat is tough. We tried roasting, smoking, marinating nothing seams to work. We processed the birds at 8-1/2 weeks, with an average process weight of 4.5 - 5.5 pounds. Do you have any idea on way they would be tough? We are getting ready to take our second batch to the processor in 2 weeks, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you Chris
I know it's been a long time and you didn't really get an answer from Josh but i have heard that some people hold the carcass in ice water for two days before freezing. Maybe look into that?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer from my experience, the longer I keep them the tougher they get. Some varieties you can get away with 8 or even 9 weeks. So maybe butcher at 7 weeks? Or experiment with different varieties
A pasture raised bird like this would cost you close to $20 so while they are more expensive then the grocery store that's actually cheaper then the organic market price.
yep....now....how to teach "modern" people how to cut up a chicken for cooking....so many folks are used to buying parts of a chicken and not the whole animal
My father was a butcher and he taught me and my sister how to cut up a chicken. None of my friends knew how and I was shocked! I ended up teaching my friends how to cut up a chicken. Once they realized hoe easy it is they bought whole birds.
@ Josh Hey man just curious of couple things. 1st, what was the cause of the two birds lost? 2nd, is the $15 a bird cost in the chicken tractor, bird feeders n water buckets or is that what it costs just to purchase and feed the birds. Could you break down that cost approximation please. Your property is looking pretty good man, it's hard to keep our acre clean. Take it easy, thanks.
FUNNYBOY12375 Thanks but that's not what I asked at all. I asked josh if he could break down what it costs to raise a bird from the purchase to the feed to the equipment because I want to know why it costs what it does to raise birds, not how much I can get one at Walmart for.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer ok, and what’s the difference between a meat bird and layers, why does one lay and the other not, is it type of bird or the way they are fed? I’m looking at getting some birds.
$15 per bird investment? Seems rather high. I was watching a different homestead site breaking down their cost of beef, pork and chicken. Their estimated cost per bird was $8.50. That was in Wyoming.
Might be a good idea to paint that pvc to protect from UV light. Years ago I had a customer who had a soccer goal made from pvc. We had to move it every week to cut the grass and only a few years went by before the pipes began cracking and ultimately fell into pieces. Of course we initially were blamed but thankfully my customer was willing to hear the explanation of how and why.
Yep the birds at Walmart are half the size....full of gross hormones...lower vitamin content...poor quality meat....injected with salt water, antibiotics and just gross in comparison to the taste of these birds.......it's like comparing ground beef to filet minion....there is no comparison...... In my opinion one of the biggest problems with our food system in the USA is that "cheaper is better"....eventually we find out that "cheaper" is not better....factory farmed food and "fake food" that looks like it's edible is not real food...take a second to think about what you eat........most people never do......whatever you put into your body is what you are made of.....if you shovel cheap crap in....then you cant expect yourself to be healthy...both mentally and physically.....we have a serious disconnect with food in our country...a serious disconnect.....when we start basing our diet upon the cost...and we go cheap...then we harm our bodies....become unhealthy and live miserable obese lives.......I say money well spent...and time well spent....there's my take...thanks so much for your comment/question...this will be a topic for future vlog!!
Really surprised to learn how much you have invested per yardbird.
Is there a way to get that down? Buying food in bulk, maybe?
Raising 100 or 200 birds (obviously, the feast for profit)?
Just curious...
Ikr ... I was kind of choking a few videos back when he said he was feeding 25 lbs a day that's a bag of feed every other day and now he's up to 3/4 a bag of feed a day. Here where I am @ $17 a bag...it'd be worth looking into bulk feed or some money saving alternative. I think Polyface Farms had a video on grinding your own food. But the grinder is quite an investment itself.
Landon Ashby if your farming birds you would have to weigh the cost of feed compared to cost of making it if you save money making it then make the investment if not buy the feed
SO...let's spark up a discussion here....here is a cost breakdown with some things that are re-usable for next time:
1. Coop construction $300-350 (no cost for next batch of birds..but a cost none the less)
2. 50 birds consumed around 750 lbs of food at around $15 per bag ($225=/-)
3. Cost of birds $2-$2.75 each with shipping included ($125=/-)
4. Feeders and waterers roughly $200 (no cost for next batch)
5. Fuel costs for feed, pickup birds and electricity for heat lamps around $30
6. Processing Equipment $950 (re-usable forever!)
7. Heat lamps and brooders ($120)
I'm probably missing something but total cost of first batch of birds this time was:
$2025 Divide that by 50 birds= $40.50 total cost per bird this batch
Subtract all the re-usable things (brooder, equipment, feeders and coop) Total cost around $405...so my cost next batch should be around $8.50 per bird .....the $15 per bird quote takes in the cost of equipment over 10 years with 50 birds per year production.
There is a pretty comprehensive breakdown of my exact cost....we will do 25 more birds this fall!!
Of note here is a food cost breakdown from Meyer Hatchery Scroll to bottom of this webpage: www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=WBRS
Could you significantly reduce cost by going with a dual purpose breed like White Plymouth Rocks and even further by going with cockerals. I know you'd have to go an extra month before harvest.but I don't believe you'd go through anywhere near as much feed. Heck even if you went another 2 months, you'd still use less feed. At start a bag a week maybe up to 2 bags max a week toward the finish.
Another route for further reducing costs would be to sell some of the chickens as you raise them. Local feed store has flyers for layers for sale $20-$25 each. If you raised your birds using dual purpose breed you could almost negate your initial start up cost and even be profitable the 2nd go round while still filling your freezer. I've been tumbling round with the idea to raise birds strictly for sale for next year. There are many people who don't want to deal with the whole chick raising thing. Perhaps may even do preorders this fall.
Just FYI foks I've been scolded by some viewers saying that I'm being untruthful about the cost of raising meat birds for your own consumption. Let's be perfectly clear....you are raising your own chickens for your health...not to save $$$ on your food...there is a food consumption cost breakdown on the Meyer Hatchery side under Cornish X birds...here is a link to the site..search keyword Cornish X : meyerhatchery.com/?aid=178
Remember....food isn't the only expense associated with these birds!! There is a cost breakdown in the pinned comment on this vid!
Im glad you highlighted the cost part. Private production nowadays is rarely more cost effective.
Tried pastured chickens this year for our first time for meat. We finally got them all butchered today and put in our freezer. Now, tonight after all that hard work, we finally got to try one. Way better than store bought. Tastes kinda like wild game. Not bad at all.
Your so right about it being better tasting. We are raising dual purpose breeds and use the roosters from the batches of hatched chicks our hens raise.They are not as bulky as the Cornish X but the grass and ranging flavor is outstanding. I can broth and stock after deboning the butchered roosters. Those waterers look awesome. Thank you for a basic and honest look at home raised, healthy food.
Awesome video and thanks for your honesty. It seems some want to make it look easy. I started raising chickens 41 years ago. Broilers are $12-$15/bird average to raise. We have the local Amish process them for us for under $2/bird. Even with bulk feed they come out about the same.
Hi..... Thank you 🎥👍👍👍
Love your sense of humor!
Bet you I could make a similar feeder out of a rain gutter material
Thumbs up for sharing free info
Meyer is our go to for most breeds we raise to sell as laying hens
Inspirational piece 😍
Hey, great job. I need to replace my ten year old Chicken tractor and think I will copy yours. it looks really easy to move.
One thing i do do differently than you is I rake the grass after moving the tractor forward. It fluffs-up the grass and helps disperse the poop.
The grass seems to recover a bit faster. Thanks for the videos!
In the hot summer sun the run shoul be taller. Yes there is shade there but still baking them?
if this coop was to scale ....it would be the same as a man standing in a 16 foot tall open shed...would you be hot if you were standing in an open pavilion at the park? They lay down 80% of the time on the cool ground...you are making an assumption that's simply incorrect. This isn't an office building...it's a farm...on hot days animals are hot...on cool days they are cool. You forget that chickens are tropical birds??
Have you tried fermenting the feed to help aid in the efficiency of the digestion and it also helps reduce feed cost as you can add non processed grains that have only been cracked or ground to their diet making them even more healthy. Also reducing your over all cost significantly.
I tried it and it was a mess! No idea whether I saved in consumption but I surely spent alot of time and worry. I figure the fresh grass daily has a much bigger impact on feed consumption.
I've done it with my laying flocks and it definitely helps with feed conversion and health of the birds. But, with that said, you don't want ALL their feed fermented. Anywhere from 20-60% of their feed being fermented is what works best, in my experience. Granted, this is with layer flocks though. But even my layers got nice and fat while using some fermented feed.
I mentioned this before, you and Mrs Stoney Ridge need to make a calendar doing different jobs on the farm.
I like how you changed the frame from wood to pvc , thats gotta feel better on the lower back and now the wifey can move it aswell. Brilliant .
Considering what they say about corn, why a touch of corn, is corn safe, is it organic corn and how much do they eat? Also what is done in the wintertime? Just trying to be more conscious about what and how I eat. Thank you very much.
Great video as always! I would reccomend painting the pvc or the sun will make it brittle and crack.
When I seen the boxes people built this is what I had in mind.
you can easily put a bumper bar at the very back of the tractor.. about 3 inches off the grass and a couple inches forward of the back wall, it will bump into their butt or chest before there is a chance that their legs get caught under the back wall. I was always stressed moving them and accidentally breaking a leg. if you really want to be high speed, the bumper bar can be their watering system. Keep the 5 gallon bucket outside the tractor and have it feed into a tube that runs along the back of the tractor..
even better idea....take a couple old push brooms and screw them into the inside...the broom will stimulate the bird before the pvc has a chance to get to them.....now....adding heavy water to the coop is a bad idea...best time to move them is when they are out of food..they'll follow you to the end of the earth lol
we have done this but man that feed bills really expensive. I am surprised raccoons haven't gotten to them, we always had wire on the outside of the tractor to deter those pesky critters from digging under. Processing is a lot of work but if you have a spinner, that saves a lot of time, always wanted one of those. Good luck, hope you have a cool day to do the processing.
Have you heard of fodder it will greatly reduce the cost of feed one pound of barley seed will produce around eight pounds of fodder feed for chickens, horses ,cows ,pigs, goats, and sheep
+Stoney Ridge Farmer. If you still have issues with the feet use a wire like Joel Salatin. Thanks for the video I keep thinking I want to do this.
Greetings. I have been binge watching your videos for several weeks now, and of course learned a lot. Thanks. Is it possible to grow meat birds inside? The main reason I want to grow meat chickens is for compost to grow food. The next reason is I would like to grow a years supply of good quality chicken. If I bring fresh vegetation to the chickens in a three-sided building with cement floors, is it doable ?
Awesome...thanks for watching...now...why on earth would you wanna raise a meat bird inside? Like in your house? In a shed sure....but it's much easier to just build a coop like this and move them around...you're talking about 2000lbs of feed for 50 chickens.....that's gonna produce over 3000 lbs of litter , manure and mess. Part of the reason we move them daily or twice a day is the manure load...these birds poop ALOT!!!!
Chicken coops MUST have two doors!
Because if they had four doors; it would be a chicken sedan!😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
What an entrance and an exit?
Dooley Knoted No ... a coupe and a sedan. Play on words
Dooley.....ah Dooley...ya had me going till I read more!
Stoney Ridge Farmer 🤗
LMAO! Best laugh of the day so far!
I've seen people talk about fermenting feed that's not for me. But I have found when filling their feeders if I wet the feed they like it and they consume a whole lot less water. Perhaps that may be an option. For you on those hot days. Keeping your water and feed chores down to once a day. Just a thought anyway. I have that waterer with the leg kit, it's awesome. I also have the nipple waterer from Premier 1. Can't say enough good stuff about both of them.
I live on a golf course, wonder what they’ll think of I put them in the middle of the fairway LOL
Are you considering the up front cost of feeders, water buckets and coup into the cost? Would that cost be less next year? Also we really enjoyed the visit. Thanks for taking the time.
Good info. Thanks for sharing it all.
love sarcastic to prove a point... subscribed!!
Lol
This is awesome! I can not wait to see more videos from you. This would definitely save me alot of cost. Thanks bro.
What a genius idea to build that out of what looks like 4” pvc? With lumber prices today…that could be a much cheaper option. How much does it weigh? Would it stay in place with high winds?
We just gave our chickens free run of the farm. They got water from the creek, and food from the ground in addition to grain. Also, they never flocked togeather outside.
Do you have a part list to put one of these together?
nope....but you can look at the video and put one together pretty easy...it's very simple to build
Great video thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Just wondering if you had high winds yet and if you tractor stay in the your yard as it seems pretty light
2 hurricanes here in NC and the coop stays put no problem, weight is over 250lbs or so
Curious if tarps for the top of the tractor would be any cooler than the tin? I know we park our vehicles under a tin topped shelter and it gets very hot during the summer months.
With air flow 360 degrees...and the birds being about 15 inches tall...it would be like parking your car in a 40 foot tall shed....heat is not a factor at all ...the meat birds lay on the ground most of the time and the ground temp is normally around 60-70 degrees. Tarps would invite predators
Josh I can watch your Vlogs everyday thank you for sharing your thoughts and how to install or improve new ideals I can't wait to get my chicken tractor built and send you a pictures of it. Woooooo!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🚜🚜
post them over on the Stoney Ridge Farmer facebook group!
Thanks Josh! We're building a coup next spring and will be getting our first flock. Good info!
Great vid!!! Trying to talk my wife into running a boiler chic tractor, your set up looks top notch thank you for the share!!
No matter how "you" do something, everyone else will want to change something. Watching your videos, I know that you look to learn something from all the comments. Remember, you were the first one who said you were not the expert - just learning as you go.
We all should be learning every day...that's for sure....today I learned how to knock a post out of the ground with my truck bumper lol....I gladly take advice....I don't gladly take brow beating and hateful criticism.....I delete hateful, cursing and degrading comments.....there's just no place here ....if a man or woman can't find a kind and intelligent way to get their message across..then they get bounced...that's how I keep it clean on this channel...thanks so much for the comment buddy! I appreciate you
Always room for improvement, or adjustments, IMHO. Thank you for being transparent and sharing. Just a Note Check out Electrical PVC conduit for outdoor use ; )...
Where is the best place $ wise to get aluminum sheeting for roof material?
I love your videos, I don’t know how you do so much every day. Can you explain by what you mean that they have 170 sq fat of space? I am calculating 10x12 pen divided by 48 chickens. Thanks
Craig Matson yeah it comes out to be 2.5 per bird. Not sure where the 170 came from.
Josh, buddy, you might want to let Mrs. Stoney Ridge do the math for you. With the 120 sq. ft. of coup space, each of your 48 birds will get 2.5 sq ft of yard, not 170! And unless you average over 8 lbs a bird butchered weight, you are going to be quite a bit shy of 400 lbs of meat.
Josh...loved the video...goes for all of your videos I have watched so far (trying to get caught up on them all). I really enjoy the fact that you aren't asking for donations, and pledges and pushing hats and shirts and female hygiene products to make money. So many UA-camrs have become so annoying with their "spend your money on my crappy stuff so I can afford to buy luxury cars" that I have un-subscribed from their channels and let them fade away. Sure...I hope that you offer the Stupid Should Hurt shirt again so I can order one....love that shirt....but I do truly appreciate that you are not focused on pushing products...but are focused on sharing your farm experience and knowledge with us.
The farm is looking great by the way. I am impressed with the amount of work you have put into the farm in the last couple of years. I look forward to the day you bring in your first feeder steers and begin pasturing beef.
What do you do about bird security.. cant a fix dig under that ?
How and what math equals 170 SF per bird?
I appreciate your video. I am looking at running around 2-300 chickens in multiple skid tractors like that. I had never thought of PVCs an alternative frame.
What diameter of pipe did you use?
Again, thank you for your video.
What do you with the birds when raining and when it’s winter??
they stay in the coop my friend
I posted a wheel set up on another vid to make ur life easier(1) buy 2x6” wheels at Harbor freight, use all thread for axels, (2) mount them horizontally by putting on & taking off the wheels before & after ur move,(3) use a push lawn mower wheel bracket mounted to the PVC & the wheel mounted to the lawn mower bracket, in this method the wheels stay mounted the whole time & it’s swiveled up & down. With mounted wheels , it’s an ez move.
Is it still considered pastured chicken if you gave it feeds?
feed...and yes...chickens can't survive or thrive on just grass alone my friend...you have to feed them
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer just verifying information. Based on the videos and how the content creator frames it, you just feed em grass.
Hi there !!!
I am in colombia Atlantic coast !!!
Is hot and humidity is very high here by where I live
How hot is there by u to have that low roof ??
If you were standing in a building that was 3 times taller than you....open on all sides with a 55 degree floor...would you be hot? Gotta think in scale....also the silver roof reflects heat...thought was put into this my friend
Stoney Ridge Farmer thank you
I will check that out before i do it!!!
What kind of feed do you use for your chickens?
Tips on raising chicks where you do not have a lot of room? I will not be able to move my coop around much.
you can do this on 1/3 of an acre my friend. My suggestion is build a large coop and buy wheat...place trays of wheat sprouts in for your birds
Thank you for the advice
So i live in big city we hace a hoa and only allowed 5 ck at 1 time do u think jt would be worth to do iy all yr to fill freezer? Also city folks dont have plucking machine husband said the dunk method
City folks can buy a plucker...just like us ol hillbillies....I too lived in town..had meat birds there...pre-youtube channel...we were allowed 5 birds too...I had 30......what happens if they bust ya....shoot the birds are ready for slaughter at 6-8 weeks...by the time the gov't figures it out...gives you a warning..it's time to harvest! I've found a privacy fence...and being kind to neighbors works wonders!
New chicken owner here, I’m wondering why everyone tells me to use hardware cloth but I see all these chicken tractors using chicken wire?
hardware cloth is tougher...will keep out predators better...however if a coyote wants in...he'd getting in lol
How’d you do that farm vlog intro? It’s so cool!
Love the channel learning alot! Do you have plans for the chicken coop in this video? Im looking to build one soon
not yet....I'm working on a few E books now to show how this is done with plans
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer sounds good thanks!
Thanks for the info. I'm definitely learning a lot and I plan on doing this in the near future.
What are the reasons for it being so much more expensive than the commercial Farms? Is it mainly because you are using organic feed? Or are they simply paying less for their feed because they buy in bulk? Or are you using a different breed of bird?
All of the above except breed, they do however have their own hatcheries and breeding birds so the breed may be slightly different. At least in SE Arkansas they do. And they pay farms to care for the birds while supplying all livestock and feed. So obviously, to me anyway, the farmers are doing the job cheaper than the big companies can. Farmers supply power, heat, feeders, waters,building and all labor then are paid per bird and bonus on lbs produced versus feed consumed.
Nice update....I like this type of vidja, informative.
Hey this is leo we take care of ten chicken house and it pretty fun to grow this birds and they can grow up to ten pounds and we have new house more better for the chicken
Great update... Can't wait to see the processing !
Do you find the meat tough? I just raised a few birds on pasture and the meat though flavorful and juicy was super tough? Any Thoughts?
Another awesome and informative vlog. Interested in doing same as you and learning alot from your success and failures. Thanks for doing these vids.
SO...let's spark up a discussion here....here is a cost breakdown with some things that are re-usable for next time:
1. Coop construction $300-350 (no cost for next batch of birds..but a cost none the less)
2. 50 birds consumed around 750 lbs of food at around $15 per bag ($225=/-)
3. Cost of birds $2-$2.75 each with shipping included ($125=/-)
4. Feeders and waterers roughly $200 (no cost for next batch)
5. Fuel costs for feed, pickup birds and electricity for heat lamps around $30
6. Processing Equipment $950 (re-usable forever!)
7. Heat lamps and brooders ($120)
I'm probably missing something but total cost of first batch of birds this time was:
$2025 Divide that by 50 birds= $40.50 total cost per bird this batch
Subtract all the re-usable things (brooder, equipment, feeders and coop) Total cost around $405...so my cost next batch should be around $8.50 per bird .....the $15 per bird quote takes in the cost of equipment over 10 years with 50 birds per year production.
There is a pretty comprehensive breakdown of my exact cost....we will do 25 more birds this fall!!
Of note here is a food cost breakdown from Meyer Hatchery Scroll to bottom of this webpage: www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=WBRS
What do you do when it rains?
Do you feed organic feed. If so from where
how has the PVC holding up? Ive always heard the PVC do not last.
been 2 years and it's just as good as new
Thanks. Enjoy watching your channel
👍🏼That's the job ☺️🐺🐾
You need to change out the chicken wire on your tractor to hardware cloth. It works better, no racoons tear in, and it holds up better. You will soon find out if you don't.
been using this for 6-7 years now without any issue what so every my friend
Would that coop work for egg birds too?
Hey Josh, clicking through some of your older videos recently and not sure what you have done in terms of your health to look so much better now than you did back when this video first came out. You seem so much more trim now. Fountain of youth? lol
I’m a new subscriber and love your channel . I’m inspired (one day soon) to raise meat chickens, but I don’t see myself putting together a processing station to right away. Are there “processing centers” to take chickens or... any suggestions?
Josh, hope you are recovering well. Watching some of your older videos. Question for you. With the tractor you built, is there enough weight to keep it from flipping with high wind, providing it's no greater than what you see in a thunderstorm?
been through 4 hurricanes and it's never moved
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer thanks for the reply. I may give this a try this year. It's meat and fertilizer in one package. The fertilizer is where I'm thinking you come out ahead.
@@troy1672 I’ve never seen a cost/benefit break down that takes into account the value of the fertilizer! Good point.👍🏻
@@bradquigley3676 yeah, my original idea was to come up with a way to fertilize my fruit trees by running the tractor up and down between the rows of trees. I was holding out for building supplies to drop down to a reasonable price again but with the way food is going up now I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go ahead and make it.
add your birds never get 20% salt water injected solution ( store bought) before processing ! Coll for your family :)
U might consider bike rims at the rear of the pen to pull easier roll easier.
You and Justin have a little thing going on. Ya, some people try to monetize even the air they breathe. They are not old school farmers or country people. It's a pity. Thank you for your country way of sharing.
Where do you get the 21% protein feed? Going to start my first meat chicks soon
How do u keep the predators away
solar motion lights all around on the coop and 2 german sheps on the porch
Motivated by food... wake up, eat, and flop by down...why does that resonate with me...?
LOL
You said you give each bird 170 square feet of space in a 10'x12' coop. That works out to just over 70% of one bird per coop. You also said you have 48 birds in there, so that's actually 2.5 square feet per bird, not counting for space used by the feeder and waterer.
Not sure what you are getting at but you need to do some math....moving the birds provides them with new square footage every single day...hence the math of 170 sq ft .even though they have that amount of room they still all stick together in a flock...even if I let them out to forage...they all stick together. So what are you getting at? This works my friend...it works great and I've raised over 300 meat birds in this coop....I will say it's better with 35 birds.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I'm just pointing out that your claim of 170' per bird is incorrect. I appreciate you making these videos and sharing what you've done and what you've learned.
As you said above, they do well with 2' or so of square footage and would likely just flock together anyways if given unlimited space.
I say this only to illustrate my point and not as a personal attack: The fact that the coop moves doesn't change its square footage any more than the legroom in the last flight you took.
I have chickens in my back yard and just move them about every 3 to 4 days
Can i know the height of this cage?
Daddy stepped in chicken poop!
This is why I watch videos til.the.end.
Great video. Now I said good day!
They heard you say slaughtering of course they are not gonna come when called 😂
lol
Very Informative, Thanks 😎👍
Have you had any issues/problems with predators such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, opossums, chicken snakes?
only when I let them free range...lots of folks fuss in this video because the chickens should be "free" however free range means free meal!
I agree with you that those bird are healthier to eat.
it sure saves ya for mowing
Man thats fast growth. Seems like it was just a little while ago that you got them. Should be some real good tasting meat.
Hi Josh, Great videos. Between you and a few other UA-camrs, you have inspired my sons and I to do meat birds. We raised 49 birds and for some reason the meat is tough. We tried roasting, smoking, marinating nothing seams to work. We processed the birds at 8-1/2 weeks, with an average process weight of 4.5 - 5.5 pounds. Do you have any idea on way they would be tough? We are getting ready to take our second batch to the processor in 2 weeks, so any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you Chris
Awesome !! Thanks so much for telling me Chris!
I know it's been a long time and you didn't really get an answer from Josh but i have heard that some people hold the carcass in ice water for two days before freezing. Maybe look into that?
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer from my experience, the longer I keep them the tougher they get. Some varieties you can get away with 8 or even 9 weeks. So maybe butcher at 7 weeks? Or experiment with different varieties
A pasture raised bird like this would cost you close to $20 so while they are more expensive then the grocery store that's actually cheaper then the organic market price.
yep....now....how to teach "modern" people how to cut up a chicken for cooking....so many folks are used to buying parts of a chicken and not the whole animal
My father was a butcher and he taught me and my sister how to cut up a chicken. None of my friends knew how and I was shocked! I ended up teaching my friends how to cut up a chicken. Once they realized hoe easy it is they bought whole birds.
Doesn't the tin get hot and you end up baking the chicken? How hot is it under the roof?
@ Josh
Hey man just curious of couple things.
1st, what was the cause of the two birds lost?
2nd, is the $15 a bird cost in the chicken tractor, bird feeders n water buckets or is that what it costs just to purchase and feed the birds. Could you break down that cost approximation please.
Your property is looking pretty good man, it's hard to keep our acre clean. Take it easy, thanks.
B 9 if you wate to go to Walmart and buy that bird that's what it would sell for
FUNNYBOY12375
Thanks but that's not what I asked at all. I asked josh if he could break down what it costs to raise a bird from the purchase to the feed to the equipment because I want to know why it costs what it does to raise birds, not how much I can get one at Walmart for.
B 9 my bad I thought you did not understand the 15 dollars
If he ware to acculy just sell the birds for 15 he would get 735
Do they lay eggs in these pastoral cages?
these are meat birds...you could put in laying boxes if you were moving layers
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer ok, and what’s the difference between a meat bird and layers, why does one lay and the other not, is it type of bird or the way they are fed? I’m looking at getting some birds.
$15 per bird investment? Seems rather high. I was watching a different homestead site breaking down their cost of beef, pork and chicken. Their estimated cost per bird was $8.50. That was in Wyoming.
Might be a good idea to paint that pvc to protect from UV light.
Years ago I had a customer who had a soccer goal made from pvc. We had to move it every week to cut the grass and only a few years went by before the pipes began cracking and ultimately fell into pieces. Of course we initially were blamed but thankfully my customer was willing to hear the explanation of how and why.
Just a thought here, but gray PVC (electrical conduit) is more UV resistant. Is designed to be exposed while white is designed to be buried or inside.
Is thir a point if your rasing the birds for your family it become cheeper then going to Walmart
Yep the birds at Walmart are half the size....full of gross hormones...lower vitamin content...poor quality meat....injected with salt water, antibiotics and just gross in comparison to the taste of these birds.......it's like comparing ground beef to filet minion....there is no comparison......
In my opinion one of the biggest problems with our food system in the USA is that "cheaper is better"....eventually we find out that "cheaper" is not better....factory farmed food and "fake food" that looks like it's edible is not real food...take a second to think about what you eat........most people never do......whatever you put into your body is what you are made of.....if you shovel cheap crap in....then you cant expect yourself to be healthy...both mentally and physically.....we have a serious disconnect with food in our country...a serious disconnect.....when we start basing our diet upon the cost...and we go cheap...then we harm our bodies....become unhealthy and live miserable obese lives.......I say money well spent...and time well spent....there's my take...thanks so much for your comment/question...this will be a topic for future vlog!!
How many chickens do you have
I think we had about 60 when this video was made
How much cattle do you have and what are the breeds? Do you also have horses, pigs, donkeys, pigs or goats. Just what animals do you have on your farm
Chickens also eat bugs, grubs, fly larvea... protein source for the birds... Chickens are meat eaters that way