Eastern Tennessee Thread - Page 463  

Nice coop! Mine is still in progress also. Need to finish the concrete board siding, metal roof and add more roosts. But with all the new babies that came last month we kind of put that on hold atm.    We picked up 2 10x10x6 kennels. Chicken wired the inside and put the chicken tractor in one for the time being for the 49 4 week old chicks. Next step is too build a roosting area for them. This will end up being the rooster summer camp! The hens will join the main group in the big pen. I need to make roost on the outside of the coop in the run for the main coop for summer as well. I'm not sure if they will use them. They all seem to want to go in to the main coop. But it might be good for the days I don't let them out because of the heavy rain. The stupid chicken will walk around soaked in the rain just to get the worms. 

I still have a broody mom running the yard with her 12 chicks. This morning a hawk came down over the 2 acres of grass yard and the mockingbirds that have a nest in a holly bush close to the coop came out and ran it off. At least they chase something besides me and the cat. I watched them chase off a small flock of crows too. You have to admire the lil guys. Small but mean. 

Also my BCM went broody yesterday. So I stuck her eggs, some olive and blue ones under her. 

This afternoon I found a 30 pound red eared slider walking across my yard. He had dried mud on him and looks dry. So I caught him he wasn't happy! I dropping him in the largest tote I had and covered him with water. About 2 hours later the kids and put him in the truck and drove over the the state park 2 miles away. I carried that heavy tote down to the waters edge and tipped it over. He was fast! He saw water and was gone. Lots to eat in the slue. Plus everyone comes to that spot to feed the wild life. The ducks there are fat. I'm not sure was he was my creek is dry except a couple deep spots. Maybe he was leaving for water. But he was headed uphill away from the lake. At least now if he wants to take a walk he wont get run over. The nearest part of the lake is 1/4 mile away across a busy 4 lane hwy. It breaks my heart when I see large turtle run over. To live for 50-100 years just to be squished. I'm one of those people you see pulled over to the side of the road picking turtles up from the road. I have released about 6 large box turtles in the woods by my house. 150 acres I'm sure they can find something they like. I always comb the yard before we mow. We have an area that mushrooms grow and 1 of the turtles has lunch there sometimes. But any water turtle I just take to the park. I sent 2 over last year and todays was the biggest. I know someone out there is saying humm turtle soup.

Dang I rambled again 

Roo, roo, rwhat? Could have been the one I could not catch...but moving so fast it could be a pullet with an abnormally big comb for her age? 

@Daph

I just discovered how slowly those darn cuckoo marans mature myself. Makes me wonder if they are going to be big enough to lay by 8 months old; judging by the looks of mine that hatched on 2-29 and look like they are barely 4 weeks old.

I picked up the new Wellie roo today and am very excited to see he looks like he is going to be well balanced (my term for protective, and covers well, but wont try to spur me)

@ Terri

She brought me 5 eggs to show off what his daughters are laying and ended up giving them to me. All collected within the last two days. You can throw them in the bator if you want them. I'll take one female and the rest are yours if you like. Maybe I can see what daph has as well and we can do a staggered hatch. Also ended up with 2 extra 34 inch screen doors that I am not going to use if you need one for your coop. I cover them with mesh and use them for internal doors. Let me know and we can get together in the next day or two

yeah, that would be fine with me! I need around 8 foot by 8 foot...