Consolidated Kansas - Page 9

No snow in Wichita, thank goodness but it sure got cold last night.  Was predicted to get down to 15 - not sure what it actually got to.  Still only 26 even though the sun is shining.  I brought the waterer into the house last night so it would start thawed this morning.  Even so, I've had to go break ice on top of it once already.  Chooks don't seem to mind the cold too much.  Yesterday one even climbed into the waterer after I'd broken ice, and stood on an "iceberg" while taking a drink.  Made me cold just to look at her.  Days start and end with a nice warm mash - they seem to appreciate it.

How do you make the warm mash?  I have some powdered "chopped" corn to figure how to use up.  I thought the guy at the feed store knew I don't want it powdered.  Oh well.

It got down to 14 here last night.

That's my normal schedule or, at least it has been for the past 9 years.

Well....whenever I use a can of vegies (beans, peas etc.), I save the liquid I have drained.  Most times I use this as the liquid portion of the mash.  In the event I don't have any, just plain water will do.  I heat the liquid in the microwave, put in the chook's bowl, then add some of their feed.  As chicks I used the chick starter, but now they are on flock raiser, that's what get's added.  I add just enough to turn it into a mash consistency.  It absorbs water so at first it will look soupy but after a minute its done absorbing the liquid and then its more like mash.  If I add too much dry, I need to add a little more liquid to get it right.  The other thing I use is pasta water.  I.e., when I have been cooking pasta, I take some of the liquid before I drain the pasta in the colander.  This way it is already hot.  I just wait a few minutes for it to cool, add the dry food and tada.  By using different vegie liquids, or pasta, they get a variety of flavors.  I'll also add other things sometimes - like some cooked carrot, peas, a little pasta etc.  They like digging through the mash to find the "buried treasure" LOL.

It was 5 up here this morning everyone seems fine so far the low in the coop was 19

I broke down and turned on the light bulb in the main coop. I hate to leave it on all night, but I can't be getting them water 3x  a day. On the bright side, I should be getting some eggs in a week or so.

The waterer outside the coop was completely frozen this afternoon.  The waterers in the coop were still liquid.  I'm hoping that this will be the trend for the winter.  The cats can go in the coop during the day to drink at this pace.    and I won't have to buy the $36 heated water bowl (I'm SO glad the people that built my coop many decades ago had the door face to the south and the floor was dug down a foot).             

Me either!  I have been thinking about incubating some eggs, I think it is just longing for spring.