Michigan - Page 3477  

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1muttsfan 

 

My tomatoes grew over 6 feet tall last year, thanks to the help of unlimited amounts of horse manure.  The girls love to climb on the Big Pile of Poo and search for worms.  When you plant your tomatoes, put some bone meal at the base of the plant, that will provide calcium to prevent blossom end rot.

Thanks for that tip.  I've had trouble with that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaZ 

Isn't a pigeon a winged rat?

Isn't that a seagull?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickmate 

 

 

Anyone have any great ideas for having chickens and flower beds too?  The beds are too big to put fence around, which would be an eyesore anyway and would have to be 6 ft. tall to keep them out.  And my hostas looked so nice from the road last year lining the front of the house.

     

Is there anything organic that wouldn't hurt the chickens that I could spray on my plants and make them taste bad?  Only problem with that is I'd have to do it after each rain.   

 

 

Anyone having success with anything?

Check out City  Chicks: Keeping Micro-Flocks of Chickens by Patricia Foreman   Available at your local library, or I got mine @ Amazon for Kindle for $10

She deals extensively with that .  Lots of ideas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickmate 

         That's probably what my husband would say if I had one. 
 

 

My ww often says things like "Make me a sandwich;" in that particular example I often reply that I ain't no magician.

The before picture:

Progress on the run at the end of day one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by b737drvr 

As I am contemplating my coop building project, there is a lingering question in my mind.  I am building a run, but I would like to free range (at least a little, especially when I am out working in the yard).  How do you get the girls back into the run when it is time to go in?  Or will they come back on their own?  Should they be kept in the run/coop for a until a certain age until the figure out where home is? 

I'm far from an expert and probably more lucky than good, but I guess I conditioned my flock to respond to me by using treats and physical contact. I can call my birds to me and they always come running. They will cluster for a bit of groping and if I have treats, they eat right from my hand. This might only work for small flocks though.

b737drvr -

RaZ is right! Chickens respond to food! If you keep a treat bucket and use it each day, they will come running when they see it or you!  Also if you let your chickens out in the afternoon, they will go to the coop in the evening to their roosts. Since you will be starting them in the coop and run, they will know where to go to roost at night.  Just make sure  your coop has plenty of ventilation because it looks like your coop will get a lot of sun in the Summer and when your chickens go into the coop to lay eggs during the day you don't want them to roast!

No doubt about it.  They will get lots of sun in the summer.  Those pictures are looking at the western exposure.  I plan on putting the nest boxes on the east side, which will help, but I will have to be careful to get the eggs before they get hard boiled in the summer.  I actually contemplated trying to move the little shed, but I just thought that would be too much of a pain and I might open myself up to more problems than solutions!  I had also contemplated trying to raise the shed up on some cinder blocks so the girls could go under the coop for some shade.  Once again, I just thought that would be too much of a pain.  If this doesn't work after a season or so, I can always modify...

I won another egg auction.I'm so amazed.  I have never tried to coordinate eggs before. So tomorrow I have three shipments of eggs being sent out with four different breeds.   I think I'm done looking at eggs for a while!  Hopefully the weather won't interfere with shipping from 3 different locations.

M2M - could your broody have knocked the egg out of the nest and then someone played with it? I ended up penning my broody because she kept getting in fights with everyone who was trying to get in her box.  Right now it there seems to be lots of fighting for the "Prime" nest boxes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by b737drvr 

The before picture:

 

Progress on the run at the end of day one.

Looks nice and a good size too. 

My chickens go back into the coop all by themselves.The first week I did have to lure them back a couple of times but that was it. I can tell you that what I did do was when I decided they were big enough to free range I decreased the time as for how long I keep them in the pen. Example: first couple of days I didn't let them out till 6 then the next couple days it was 5 then the next it was at 4 and so on. The first week or so they pretty much stuck around the coop and eventually as time went on they got braver and explored more. Now they are everywhere but when dusk falls it's back toward the coop they go.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicken grandma 

b737drvr -

RaZ is right!

 

Just make sure  your coop has plenty of ventilation because it looks like your coop will get a lot of sun in the Summer and when your chickens go into the coop to lay eggs during the day you don't want them to roast!

Chicken Grandma,

Can you send that in an e-mail to my ex-wives? 

b737drvr,

With that much exposure to sun, would you consider planting a couple of trees for shade? Perhaps something small or medium like a crab-apple or mulberry which would also provide a snack for your chickens. 

b737, go to your local resource store if you have one, and get some cheap windows to put it so you will get a summer cross current of air. They will also provide sun warmth and light if you have them on the east and the south for the winter. If you don't have one of them stores, then go on craigslist and see if you can get cheap windows. And, are you going to roof your run or partial roof it?  That would be easier to provide shade that way. I think with the size of your shed, which is awesome, especially with the little porch, if you were to lift it, you'd have a hidey spot for rodents and/or coons/possums... so, don't lift it. I can't wait to see what it looks like when you are done!