Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens - Page 29

I'm working this summer at UNC here in Northern Colorado, doing research. Its challenging and it is giving me thought as to whether I want to extend my Master's Degree in Chemistry & Physics and maybe pursue a Phd. in Chemistry. Its up in the air at the moment, but it is a definate possibility. At any rate it has been a great summer activity for me.

The research has provided an increadble learning opportunity. I am very fortunate that it has been handed to me. I have learned so much about a few different fields of Chemistry (primarilly Materials & Physical Chemistry) in which I am weak in my educational background. The primary foucus of my educational background between my BA and my MA coupled with my  work experience in industry were the fields of Physics; Biochemistry; Analytical Chemistry; and Organic Chemistry. Those are my strong suits.

Reasrach is up and down, I'm familiar with this routine. Some days are very busy and other days are more relaxed...today was a little more relaxed. Even though things with my project didn't go well for starters (not realaxing); I had to remount my sample for use on the SEM. In between the procedural steps I had lots of down time. And during that down time I met a very personable professor here at the university  that raises...you guessed it....chickens.

He lives outside of Greeley on about 4 acres and he has about 4 dozen chickens in his home flock. His interests in poultry extend back about 8 years and he has raised chickens for eggs for about 6 years here in Colorado. His flock consists of Road Island Reds, White Leghorns, a couple of Buff Orpingtons, and some Americaunas....those are the ones that I recall that he had in his flock. I know he had more, he likes variety. He loves his Leghorns because, in his words, "They are just LAYING MACHINES." He doesn't hold a high opinion of the Buff Orpingtons though..."They strike as a rather stupid bird." were his words on that breed.  And with his Americuanas, the eggs are cool but the birds quit laying as soon as it gets cold. He did note that the Americaunas are a very prolific egg laying bird in his opinion. It was a nice conversation and I enjoyed actually speaking directly to another person about poultry. Internet sharing is informative and I do enjoy it; but there are few things that beat Face to Face conversation, stories and sharing of information....

He is also raising some meat birds. He got what he called a Meat Meddly from the Murray McMurray Hatchery this spring. This meat bird project of his hasn't gone well for him, as the mix of birds just are not putting on the weight that he was expecting. Next year he might try the Cornish X's instead. I suggested a few books and he looked them up on AMAZON.

We also talked a bit about Pecker. He is interested in adding Pecker to his flock. Pecker would be an addition to his meat flock...and all that that entails 

So I think that I finally have a home for Pecker....I'm a little sad and a little releaved at the same time. Pecker is getting much better at crowing in the mornings these days...he starts promptly at 5:00am shortly after I let him out...that just can't be.

We'll make arrangements for Pecker to be gone soon. I think I'll give him an extra special treat tonight, just for him.

I gave Pecker a Tomato last night. I put him in the run alone so that he didn't have to guard it while he ate it. He really likes Tomatos and by the looks of it he really enjoyed it .

My wife and I talked it over last night. I'll make arrangements on Friday for Pecker. We'll take him to his new home on Saturday Morning.

I was in the IFS Suite this morning working on my research and Dr Thomas came in with an UnderGrad to work on an instrument. He has a Hydroponic Greenhouse that he is very excited to show me on Saturday when we bring Pecker. We'll work out the details tomorrow, and I'll bring along my camera. 

I have noticed 2 problems in recent days. I seem to have developed a fly problem and there is an odor coming from the run.

First the fly problem: Since we live on the edge of town, flies and odors are things that we have just gotten used too. The fly problem has been a seasonal problem. It peaks at the end of summer every year about the time that local farmers cut their silage, usually the latter part of August and into September. There has always been an annual explosion in the fly population once the silgae is getting cut. With it being just the end of June, its a bit early to be seeing this many flies around the house. My wife picked up a fly trap at the local hardware store, and I hung in the run.

This has really made a difference. I now see only the occasional fly, just like in years past. Problem solved.

We have been having a spell of very hot weather. With this unseasonably hot weather has come a few noticable odors. There is arther large dairy that is maybe 3 miles away up the valley form our home. On some evenings the dairy "smells" come pretty thick down the Little Thompson Valley...it has been noticably more pungent this summer, more so than in years past. The weather has been having a bit of a factor this year.

Recently, my wife has been noticing an odor coming from the chicken run in the evenings when we sit on the deck and enjoy the antics of the girls & Pecker. Not a strong wretching odor, just an unpleasant occasional whiff; course a City Slicker would probably call it a wretching odor...those City Slickers.

The odor problem was fairly easy to solve. It is being generated as a by product from an excess of ammonia. The ammonia is result of the fecal material from the ducks and the chickens (they look like chickens, I've started calling them chickens) building up in the run. The grass clippings that I put in the run are not substantial enough to work effectively as an ammonia mop. Because they are not a durable material, the clippings have packed down in the run. This mat of packed grass is not absorbing the ammonia as I had hoped. The grass has, instead, created a barrier trapping the fecal material and not even allowing the ammonia to be absorded into the ground. This is exactly the conditions that will cause an odor problem. Leaves work very well in the run and are very substantial, and a mixture of both grass and leaves works very well.

Unfortunately, the wide availability of leaves is still several months away in the fall. I had to break down and buy some wood shavings. Wood shavings are tremendous at removing odors from the run. Their chemical composition, having a very high carbon content, is effective at absorbing and binding the ammonia. This reaction stops those noxious smells from being generated and creating a nusance, like attracting flies. 

I opened up a bale of woodshavings and put down about 2 to 3 inches in the evening, by morning...no odor...even walking in the run there is no hint of odor.

In the words of one of my college professors, "I love it when a plan comes together."

The heat is just amazing this year. After last nights fast moving storms, it is also very muggy. We had cold fresh Watermelon with lunch today and I gave the Watermelon Rinds to the chickens. The Watermelon came strait out of the fridge, so the rinds were nice a cold for the girls.

It was a big hit on such a hot day.

First let me say that the Andalusian is a beautiful bird. This is a breed that likes their freedom and is good at foraging for themselves. Just curious...his he Blue, Black or Splash?

Once a ROO gets older, he's going to be set in his ways. Poultry by their very nature are instinctual; their patterns of behavior become ingrained...Chickens are even more so and really are hardwired. Their genetic makeup combines with layers of experiences to create a pathway to the final outcome of the ROO and his overall behavior. Its a combination of Nature and Nurture...Once those "connections" are inplace, you really can't rewire them.

I will work with a young cockerel and train him how I want him to behave. I will have great success with an animal that I have raised...never had a problem with my own birds. I always seem to have had huge problems with the birds that I have gotten from others...But if I think that the animal is outstanding...???!!!

Your situation is not impossible, but its not very probable. Older birds are "stone" when it comes to "behavior modification." With older birds; I have tried and failed so many more times than I have succeeded. Its going to be a long and difficult row to hoe; in the end you may not even be successful. Once you've gotten to the point of using a stick just so that you can be safe around the ROO...the writing is on the wall.

If you are content with the current situation...then good. In all likelyhood he's not going to change.

If you are not happy...then breed him to your best; hatch some eggs; get some of his progeny; and start over with a set of his offspring. You want to work with them and train them to have the corrct behavior established when they are young. If this is done, then you can work with them when they are older and set in their ways.

I don't know what else to say....

We took Pecker to his new home today...

I put him in a dog crate for the trip out to Gill. I laid a towel down on the floor of the crate so that Pecker wouldn't slide around in the crate and risk a leg injury.

During the trip in the jeep, he sat in the crate and contentedly clucked almost the whole way there. The people that took him were very surprised at how tame he was...I was walking around and holding him under my arm, as Pecker just sat there in the crook of my arm and clucked. We walked over the entire farm and looked at all the birds in the flock. I would guess that there are about 30 - 40 birds running free on the farm.

They finally took Pecker fro me, as it was pretty obvious that I wasn't going to put him down unless asked.

It was hard to leave him and I was sad to see him go...

DANG these birds....

At Pecker's new home they have a Hydroponic Greenhouse.