Today we did some needed repair work to the chicken roosts and mucked out the straw and pine shavings that has been out there all winter. Lots of shoveling to get everything out. Two 2x2s and a few cuts allowed us to get a few much needed repairs made to the roosts. The chicken house will get some new straw this afternoon.
Forty one eggs loaded and ready to hatch! In twenty one days we should be in little chick heaven.
Recently I happened across a 3/4 horse electric motor on Craigslist. We picked it up to upgrade from the 1/2 horse that was on the chicken plucker. We had to swap out the drive pulleys but everything else was as simple as reconnecting.
As soon as things warm up again the plucker will get some use here at home with a few ducks and chickens.
It’s hatching time again and the first one is out. The cockerels will go in the freezer once grown and the hens on Craigslist in the spring. These are more of our silver laced Wyandotte.
We had another coon in our dog proof raccoon trap behind the chicken shed this morning. She was a smaller female, but the small ones will eat a chicken just like the big ones. The girls and I got her skinned out while she was still warm. They skin so much easier that way.
We bait these dog proof traps with marshmallows and a little coon bait that has a shellfish smell to it. So long as you can keep the mice away from the bait it works well on the coon and doesn’t attract many of the other critters.
It’s always fun when they begin popping out. These are out of our silver laced Wyandottes .
Hopefully this project will be complete this week and I can test it. Left to do is the installation of idler and belt, as well as the electrical.
Today I picked up the first part for a motorized chicken plucker. A local gentleman had an electric motor available on Craigslist. After ensuring it ran I paid his asking price and brought it home. Everything else except the lumber, fasteners, belt and wiring components will be here tomorrow.
We elected to just order a killing cone instead of trying to make one. It’s more expensive and less gratifying than doing it yourself but I am a poor welder. The stainless steel model we ordered arrived recently.
Next week I will assemble a whizbang plucker and get to work on the chickens and ducks that need to go.
