We house our chickens in our main barn. We have eight plastic dog feeders mounted on the far wall for chicken nesting boxes. To the left of the nesting boxes is a chicken roost made with bamboo roosts. Bamboo grows wild along creeks and rivers in the Ozarks. It can be harvested for fishing poles, chicken roosts. chimney sweeps, and apple pickers. We also use long bamboo poles to knock pecans and walnuts out of the trees. Bamboo poles are very strong and very light weight.
The chickens are with the goats and the turkeys in winter and spring. We use lights connected to a timer to keep the chickens laying in fall, winter, and spring. We maintain 15 hours of light during this time. The goats help keep the barn warm in winter. We do not allow the goats to access this barn in fall because the extra light would mess up their breeding season. The goats are exposed to bucks from October 8th untill they start kidding. They are given access to the main barn on December 1st, by which time the does should all be pregnant.
When the goats are in the barn at night they protect the chickens from predators. When the goats are not in the barn at night we have to lock the chickens in at night and let them out in the morning. An automatic door connected to a timer can be used to do this for you.
The chickens are with the goats and the turkeys in winter and spring. We use lights connected to a timer to keep the chickens laying in fall, winter, and spring. We maintain 15 hours of light during this time. The goats help keep the barn warm in winter. We do not allow the goats to access this barn in fall because the extra light would mess up their breeding season. The goats are exposed to bucks from October 8th untill they start kidding. They are given access to the main barn on December 1st, by which time the does should all be pregnant.
When the goats are in the barn at night they protect the chickens from predators. When the goats are not in the barn at night we have to lock the chickens in at night and let them out in the morning. An automatic door connected to a timer can be used to do this for you.
