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They stay out there 24/7 now. The tractor has welded wire that gives it a little more protection. This set up is very similar to how we move our meat chickens and that has been successful. We have had predators in the past and it’s going to always be a battle when you have any kind of poultry.

Interesting. Mostly interesting because you said it’s winter and here in South Texas we are mid summer 100 degree Fahrenheit days. Winter is tricky because with shorter days hens naturally stop laying as much. At 6 months I would think she would have at least given a few eggs. If she doesn’t start by your early spring she might need to be culled out if you’re looking for egg production.

Oh my goodness! Your ladies are relentless, lol.

Our climate is definitely unique. Welcome and thanks for checking us out!

Great, so happy that we helped.

Thanks for checking us out. Apparently that company went out of business, but if you're looking for a great automatic door check out Farmlite. We have one of theirs now and it is great!

@@cedarporchhomestead Thank you! I am!

First Saturday Lime is advertised as being safe even if "accidentally" ingested. We have been using it for probably two years so far and haven't had any negative effects from it.

You're welcome!! Good luck with your adventure and most importantly make sure you are having a good time!

If you are in an area that has intense predation then yes I would absolutely recommend using hardwire cloth rather than the chicken wire, but if your on a budget and the run comes with the chicken wire you can always start with that and then upgrade to hardwire later. As far as predator proofing the bottom I didn't do anything on three sides because the run is sitting on an old rock pad from a old carport, but on one side I put about 18 inches of chicken wire down and then put a small raised bed above that.

The run is about 9foot x 13feet. We have 12 hens in the run currently, but it could handle as many as 15-16 easily.

I bet they would make great deviled eggs, small and compact, yet big on flavor. Great to get that protein and calcium.😊

I have to agree. I absolutely love quail, and I absolutely love their eggs​

Pickling is another good way too...

Hi there! Proofing in the fridge just gives more flexibility in timing. I usually don't have the time to do the whole process it all in one day. The coolness of the fridge slows the proofing giving me a more consistent schedule when I am making bread. The steps don't take that long individually so I can plan making bread into my day schedule easier. To answer, your question, yes you can let it proof on the counter. The amount of time would depend on your climate, therefore, I cannot say for certain the amount of time. I'm in southern Texas so its like baking in hell here -- always hot and very high humidity. Test the dough with the poke test - the einkorn flour should work about the same as other flours. You don't want it to spring back fast or not at all -- you want it to spring back slowly once you poke it. When trying new recipes, I have found that I use the basic recipes that I find once and then start adjusting for my schedule and my climate. Then be sure you write down what you have changed -- I also write down the weather outside to know if the time of year/temperature will be a cause for a little tweaking next time. Have fun with it and happy baking!

@@cedarporchhomesteadthank you so much for your reply! I’m staying with my daughter in Colorado Springs (6000+ altitude and a dry climate!) Baking at altitude is completely new to both of us. I’m from hot humid Florida at sea level!) I love your relaxed and gracious attitude about just trying and not being overly concerned about funky looking loaves!

Awesome you'll have to let us know how it works out for you.

That's a pretty good idea. Might have to keep my eyes open next time we are at the thrift store!

I'm gonna try it this way this next go around.

I'll have to try that then, thanks.

The chicken run that we bought has metal plates for feet and the plates have holes pre-drilled in them. We screwed the metal base to the wood and it has held up very well. We just had a Cat 1 hurricane go right over us and the chicken run made it through unscathed.

Interestingly enough they just recently dropped their DEI program due to loss of profits from their “base.” Some companies are starting to come around to who their market is, but I absolutely agree that you should vote with your dollar bill whenever possible

Great! Glad we helped

So happy that we were able to help.

Great. The 4 months will go quick.

Because I used stacked 2x6s I wanted to add vertical boards to help keep the boards from bowing or warping.

@@cedarporchhomestead thank you for the quick reply!

This all depends on the breed, but again you're starting to look for the tell tell signs around 18-20 weeks. When the comb fills out and he starts to crow you know he has hit puberty. If he mounts one of the ladies then you most likely have yourself a mature rooster. Well a rooster that can reproduce...do guys ever really mature?

Thank you for the sub!! I have a few plants that I'm getting established in the wood chips, but my soil was so bad that it needed almost a year to compost and create something that I even wanted to try growing in. Right now I've got some tomatillos that are popping and squash that is doing well. I did some broccoli that did so-so, and tried watermelon and it didn't root in at all. Always trying something new.

I understand your concern about the vermin. The deep litter in the run shouldn’t be so thick with food scrapes that your chickens can’t eat it. Remember you’re going to be adding leaves, grass clippings, and garden waste. Very similar to an outside compost set up with your chickens doing all the turning and sorting for you. As with anything you will need to keep a close eye on your set up and see how it is working. If it starts to attract rodents then adjust. Good luck!

Thats an interesting alteration! SO far the smaller bar has covered all that I need it to do, but the 14 inch bar would open up some options. Thanks for sharing!

I scrape mine out every few months. We add more shavings and First Saturday Lime (or you could use DE) to create more deep bedding and then we scrape is out and put int in the compost. Currently we only have two goats that are using that space and it works well.