Sunrise Creek Farm

POULTRY

This is our hen house that our flock uses in the winter to huddle in and keep warm.  Rather than using traditional perches, my husband built a removable 'basket' that sets on brackets.  This 8' x 2' basket is filled with straw and can be easily removed and dumped on the compost pile.  The basket is lined with a fresh tarp as is the floor for easy cleaning and sanitation.  Having a solid bottom increases the floor space so that our water, heater and feeder sit below and stay clean.  The birds all seem to appreciate this arrangement and cleaning the coop is a snap.

Other features that make this coop unique and yet very servicable are the flock door and aviary.  The flock door is actually a walk through box with a door at each end.  The birds pass through this channel several times a day and think nothing of it.  However, when the time comes to catch our peacocks or chukars, we simply close one door and trap them in the chute.  We can easily reach in and capture our peacocks without any fuss or wing flapping.  This is such a non-traumatic way of catching them that they easily accept being handled.

Our aviary is a 14' x 15' enclosure that is 13 ' in height.  It has perches at various levels and sizes to please everyone.  The back is solid to block wind, and the metal roof protects from rain and snow.  The floor is sand and gravel to facilitate dust baths and natural scrounging for scratch grains.  The birds are healthy, conditioned, and happy.  It is the next best thing to free-ranging, maybe even better since it keeps my birds home, off the road, and out of the reach of the many predators that enjoy gazing upon our menagere.  Click HERE to see this aviary on our home page.

Peacocks

This is the breeding trio of peacocks that we had hoped to have producing next year's peachicks.  We have raised these birds for the last seven years and find them to be quite hardy in these climates as long as certain needs are met.  Peacocks require a constant supply of clean water, a place to perch where they can sit on flattened feet, (unlike common chicken perches), and high protien foods.  They also need to be sheltered in a draft free coop that has clean, deep, bedding.  When temperatures drop to our famous sub-zero spells, the peacocks huddle peaceably with the chickens to stay warm.  We have NEVER used a heater in our coops other than the one that sits under the water tower to prevent the water from freezing. 

In 2009, we eliminated peacocks from our flock in an effort to streamline our workload and economics.  Their great beauty is sure missed!

The Working Girls of Sunrise Creek

Our laying flock consists of Americaunas, Cuckoo Marans, Brown Leg Horns, and Silver-Spangled & Golden Penciled Hamburgs.  We have breeding trios of the Leg Horns for bright white eggs, and of Cuckoo Marans for the darkest choocolate brown eggs.  The other breeds are kept for laying stock because they are economical layers that produce green, cream, and blue eggs.  These girls lay all year long and pay for the upkeep of the many birds that are kept for ornamental purposes.  They reside with the peacocks to provide valuable heat in the coop during the cold winters.    Below is a picture of the blue ribbon eggs that have been displayed at the Alaska State Fair in past years.

These are birds from our own private selection at Sunrise Creek Farm.  We will have Brown Leghorns, Cuckoo Marans, Easter Eggers, and Hamburgs hatching each April.  Get them while they peep!  Details are on our For Sale page.

Cornish-Cross Meat Birds

We raise our meat birds in a totally seperate pen that is also covered to help keep their environment clean.  Cleanliness is essential to raising a quality product that is free of any antibiotics or medications.  Healthy birds that are fed correctly balanced diets and plenty of water should not get ill or suffer unduly from coccidiosis.  They should develop their own healthy immune systems and grow at a rate that would astound you should you stand and watch them long enough! 

We get our chicks when they are a day old and process them for our freezer in two different batches.  The first batch is done at seven weeks of age, and the second batch is done at nine weeks.  Our boys enjoy playing with the chicks until this time and they become very friendly and comfortable around us.   When the 'time' comes, they are handled in a humane and respectful manner with the birds never experiencing a moment of fear, pain, hunger, or cold in their entire, if not brief, lifetime.   

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