I've no idea if you're still following comments but this is fabulous and makes so much sense. I'm just getting started - this is graduate level and I'm in kindergarten so to speak. Thank you for posting and educating! I just noticed a newer, DIY video - I'll check that next. Great work Richard!
Hi Richard, I'm from Peru, and you are doing what we are wanting to do. Please continue to teach permaculture, and if you visit Peru, send us a message. Thank you very much. Oh, I forgot, I bought your book, I hope it helps me a lot.
Thanks so much! Building some roll away nests this week for my layers. As we increase the number of hens we're keeping, the eggs need to be clean. Just not efficient to clean every egg collected.
Hi Richard! In your book you mentioned that selling spent layers as stewing birds presents a challenge to you in your current markets, so Im wondering how frequently you are replacing your flocks, and what you have done up until now with the spent flocks? I think you mentioned a 17 month turnaround on flocks? not sure if i remembered that right!
joeripey I believe he said once their production starts to drop. Don’t quote me but I believe he said 80%, I’d have to go back and watch the video. I believe he does it so soon because a older birds meat gets tuff.
Great idea Richard! I would love to build this. We will have almost 300 hens and will need a system that protects the eggs and that doesn't take up so much space. Do you give or sell building instructions?
great roost idea double happy chickens ill use this idea to pimp my nest boxes functional and utilize space shed looks amazing! cheers nz chicken farmer
Hi Richard, I am living in Latvia trying to create a bit of heaven as you have. I am just getting into chicken layers and love the simplicity of your roll away design. Could you tell me how long each box/run is? Kind regards
So what does the inside of the nesting box look like? It's just those mats on the floor in the box? I doubt my ducks would use that to lay eggs and they'd probably just nest into the deep litter system.
For the life of me I can't Google my way to an online retailer for the Astroturf you're using. My first set of 2 nest boxes look great but need proper mats. Could you share where you source yours from?
I built them from what I could see in the video and the info from the book and with 14° slope the eggs roll down way too fast and crack nearly all the time. It did feel quite steep when building it, it can't be right. Maybe you could share again here which angle you really have in those boxes? Other than that, great design, both the egg mobile and the best boxes!
i was wondering: why do you keep hybrids? why not keep different breeds of chickens? you would get different coloured eggs (for sure good marketing) and you could hatch your own chicks without beeing dependent on the big hatcheries.... i see that a lot with organic farms in germany as well... and i am always wondering. i am aware that these hybrids are prolific layers, but there has to be another way.... i would really be interested in your reasoning =)
Thanks for the question. For me, it comes down to 3 factors: Financial, time and availability. We are a production farm primarily (despite the intensive edu element) and so the financial evaluation is very important to us. This is connected to the other 2 points. I personally don't have time to do the breeding, and the is no ready supply of chicks/ POL hens from heritage breeds here that I am aware of. Now, if someone were to breed economically feasible layers of heritage breed, and be able to meet all my needs in their supply, I would naturally jump at it. Until then I need to manage for what is best in my overall context. This seems much easier in other countries, but supply is very limited here in Sweden...
thanks for your answer. from that perspective it does make sense. i just wish there would be other options than buying sexlink hybrids from lohmann or another big one hatchery... i read an artikel recently about a woman in germany breeding a heritage breed for exactly that purpose (unfortunately i cant find it now... :( but i will let you know if i do...) maybe in a few years there will be a wider veriety.
Yes, lets hope so. Its another example of how someone could get started with a regenerative enterprise themselves, benefitting a lot of people. I was trying to organise employing someone to breed a new broiler line, and would still be up for it, but it's a long term project and must be done at a big enough scale with enough support to make it happen..
Hi there. I just found your channel through someone who linked to it on my channel. You guys at ridgedale are doing what we are wanting to do and starting up. I can't believe we haven't heard of you before. I will definitely come and visit some day... We are breeding with the bresse gauloise chickens here on our farm so that we don't have to have hybrid layers. We are gaining a lot of experience right now...
I've no idea if you're still following comments but this is fabulous and makes so much sense. I'm just getting started - this is graduate level and I'm in kindergarten so to speak. Thank you for posting and educating!
I just noticed a newer, DIY video - I'll check that next. Great work Richard!
Hi Richard, I'm from Peru, and you are doing what we are wanting to do. Please continue to teach permaculture, and if you visit Peru, send us a message. Thank you very much. Oh, I forgot, I bought your book, I hope it helps me a lot.
Nice very clever system. Strong eggs and clean eggs. Also inexpensive and easy to build.👍
Hahaha, boy these are some happy chickens, and very "communicative" also, lol! Cheers from Brazil!
Richard, truly an inspiration sir… thanks for all you do. Keep it coming
Thanks Richard! Got happy hens here, but working on cleaner eggs. Appreciate your help.
Love the box... do you have plans you can share?
Are there designs available anywhere for the nesting boxes you're using? Those are way awesome and I'd love to build some!
Yes would love that design it’s amazing
Good job 👍
That ended in a cacophony of cackles.
Thanks so much! Building some roll away nests this week for my layers. As we increase the number of hens we're keeping, the eggs need to be clean. Just not efficient to clean every egg collected.
Hi Richard! In your book you mentioned that selling spent layers as stewing birds presents a challenge to you in your current markets, so Im wondering how frequently you are replacing your flocks, and what you have done up until now with the spent flocks? I think you mentioned a 17 month turnaround on flocks? not sure if i remembered that right!
joeripey I believe he said once their production starts to drop. Don’t quote me but I believe he said 80%, I’d have to go back and watch the video. I believe he does it so soon because a older birds meat gets tuff.
Great video Richard. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Richard, I could not hear you, the hens kept talking over you !
Great idea Richard! I would love to build this. We will have almost 300 hens and will need a system that protects the eggs and that doesn't take up so much space. Do you give or sell building instructions?
great video. Would love to see the building plans for the nest boxes.
What time in the morning would you let the nest roost bars down, giving hens access to the nests?
great roost idea double happy chickens ill use this idea to pimp my nest boxes functional and utilize space shed looks amazing! cheers nz chicken farmer
What's is your feed formulation to attain maximum production
Very nice ; please can we have the plans to make this nesting box ?
Great video thank you
Hi Richard, I am living in Latvia trying to create a bit of heaven as you have. I am just getting into chicken layers and love the simplicity of your roll away design. Could you tell me how long each box/run is? Kind regards
So what does the inside of the nesting box look like? It's just those mats on the floor in the box? I doubt my ducks would use that to lay eggs and they'd probably just nest into the deep litter system.
when you say 14 degree, what is the rise over run so the egg will roll?
Do you sale the construction plan on PDF?
Those r some happy birds. Just a squawking.
For the life of me I can't Google my way to an online retailer for the Astroturf you're using. My first set of 2 nest boxes look great but need proper mats. Could you share where you source yours from?
I found mats that work, they are sold as doormats by "finnturf"
Im curious whats the measurement for the compartnent where the eggs go
pls can you help me to show me how you make this how you save egg cage , pls show me how you starts to make this egg cage
hi richard where can i get the matts here in sweden please if you can help and where in sweden are you thanks
I built them from what I could see in the video and the info from the book and with 14° slope the eggs roll down way too fast and crack nearly all the time. It did feel quite steep when building it, it can't be right. Maybe you could share again here which angle you really have in those boxes? Other than that, great design, both the egg mobile and the best boxes!
i was wondering: why do you keep hybrids? why not keep different breeds of chickens? you would get different coloured eggs (for sure good marketing) and you could hatch your own chicks without beeing dependent on the big hatcheries....
i see that a lot with organic farms in germany as well... and i am always wondering. i am aware that these hybrids are prolific layers, but there has to be another way.... i would really be interested in your reasoning =)
Thanks for the question. For me, it comes down to 3 factors: Financial, time and availability. We are a production farm primarily (despite the intensive edu element) and so the financial evaluation is very important to us. This is connected to the other 2 points. I personally don't have time to do the breeding, and the is no ready supply of chicks/ POL hens from heritage breeds here that I am aware of. Now, if someone were to breed economically feasible layers of heritage breed, and be able to meet all my needs in their supply, I would naturally jump at it. Until then I need to manage for what is best in my overall context. This seems much easier in other countries, but supply is very limited here in Sweden...
thanks for your answer. from that perspective it does make sense. i just wish there would be other options than buying sexlink hybrids from lohmann or another big one hatchery...
i read an artikel recently about a woman in germany breeding a heritage breed for exactly that purpose (unfortunately i cant find it now... :( but i will let you know if i do...) maybe in a few years there will be a wider veriety.
Yes, lets hope so. Its another example of how someone could get started with a regenerative enterprise themselves, benefitting a lot of people. I was trying to organise employing someone to breed a new broiler line, and would still be up for it, but it's a long term project and must be done at a big enough scale with enough support to make it happen..
Hi there. I just found your channel through someone who linked to it on my channel. You guys at ridgedale are doing what we are wanting to do and starting up. I can't believe we haven't heard of you before. I will definitely come and visit some day...
We are breeding with the bresse gauloise chickens here on our farm so that we don't have to have hybrid layers. We are gaining a lot of experience right now...
Listen to this and tell me if you can hear you speaking.
Farmer-Worker On Instagram Helped Me With My Farming Business, Now My Business As Develop So Fast.
It's too bad you have the microphone around a chicken neck instead of your own. Hearing all you are saying would be possible.