We have two Dominique hens and one lays red speckled eggs since her first egg. They're a little over a year now.
Welcome and congrats on your first eggs!
Looks pretty good. Nothing to be ashamed of. Chickens don't require anything fancy.
If you're leaving the doors open 24/7 you've got plenty of ventilation. Any concerns about predators? At night chickens are practically blind.
Looks like the Tpost on shelf are roosts? Maybe think about 2x4...
Yes, call ahead and make a reservation. This time of year motel6 books up fast. I usually book anything 1-2 hours from my last rest stop depending on time of day. Book one outside of big towns and cities... cheaper rooms.
Motel 6. We moved across 3 states with 4 dogs and 1 cat. Half the time they didn't ask about animals. Motel 6 is pet friendly. As long as your ducks aren't loud at night and stay in a crate, I wouldn't worry about it. In my travels Motel6 has always been the best bang for your buck.
That's what I use. Outdoor propane Turkey fryer. Have a plastic table with folding legs, easy to clean.
To the OP... post him on Craigslist. Someone will purchase for processing.
My first batch did the same. Ran from me like they're in a Godzilla movie. Now they run towards me because I'm associated with yummy treats. Out of 20 hens only 2 let me touch them and 1 jumps on my lap.
It takes time. Don't force them. They'll come around.
One of those situations you'll have to experiment. I added 1.5 week old chicks with day old chicks and everyone got along fine. Just watch for serious pecking by the bigger ones.
Treats. I eat brown rice with my eggs in the morning and always have leftovers. Let chicks eat from the palm of your hands. Do this throughout the day. Chicks will run towards you instead of away.
Get a meat cleaver. I use one for my chicken processing. Made a killing cone out of a road cone screwed to 4x4 lumber. Tie a thick rope around neck, slight tug, chop, done. I like the meat clever because the blade has wider surface than a hatchet. Single chop, no hacking. I only use the cleaver...
Awesome. My nesting boxes are about 12x14", should have made them bigger. Thinking about modifying this summer.
I went roosting rail over pop deck with floating floor. Go in every other day or so and scrape deck/floor. Would like to try deep litter method on next coop.
Good luck ok your new adventure. We have goats and chickens. Nigerian Dwarfs are great starter goats. They're small and produce sweet milk. Chickens do a great job keeping the bug population down around goat pen.
It's a lot of work and this site has lots of info you'll need to know. Pick up...