Nice to see the mites going away. I know how it feels to have a flock that doesn't lay... My girls stopped laying for two months. They only started again about a week ago. It feels great when you can relax after a lot a work!
A Texan Asian in Belgium - The Story of the Hippie Stink Homestead
- Thread starter hippiestink
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #52
Mites are less but not totally gone. I'm tempted to bug the husband to get off his butt one of his days off and help me scrub out the coop and deep clean it before winter hits, I don't have the ability to get into the nooks and crannies near the roof of the coop. Been meaning to give it another good scrub and maybe lay a new flooring since the mother in law just threw out an old office chair mat (one of them big plastic things). Paint the outside too, seal the inside with pine tar since it repels bugs. Fix the coop up pretty much and make it look nice. Might convince the girls to lay again since it'll be clean and new (to them).
Had a few girls partially molt and grow in new feathers. I need to grab a few of them and pull out the broken feathers myself since they're stubbornly not fully molting. Bluebell is getting the signature Araucana tufts and a new cape, while Coreen has only grown in one feather and Martha is growing new wing feathers. Bluebell is also finally overcoming her shyness and muscling her way in at feeding time! All the girls are now no longer people shy and they'll walk all over my feet and arms when I work in the run.
I set up a hanging feeder from a plan in the Learning Center out of a 10L bucket and an old 2 1/2 ft planter drip pan. Bucket already has a handle and lid so it was really easy to just drill some holes in it and then screw a pan to the bottom. It'll make the fall and winter much better for me because our metal ramp for the dogs to visit the downstairs yard is very slippery when wet and gets iced over in winter. The less I have to go downstairs to feed the chickens, the better. I laid off the fermented feed this week to prepare for the winter. They like their autofeeder.
Harvest was pretty successful for someone who has never had one on that scale. I've assessed issues and made fixes to next year's plan. I've decided to go ahead and build beds at the sizes I need for every plot, make it easier on my back and discourage weeds. Since I drew out the garden plan on paper to-scale I can measure it all out and easily make beds to fit everything. It's been a busy year and it's only going to get busier.
Had a few girls partially molt and grow in new feathers. I need to grab a few of them and pull out the broken feathers myself since they're stubbornly not fully molting. Bluebell is getting the signature Araucana tufts and a new cape, while Coreen has only grown in one feather and Martha is growing new wing feathers. Bluebell is also finally overcoming her shyness and muscling her way in at feeding time! All the girls are now no longer people shy and they'll walk all over my feet and arms when I work in the run.
I set up a hanging feeder from a plan in the Learning Center out of a 10L bucket and an old 2 1/2 ft planter drip pan. Bucket already has a handle and lid so it was really easy to just drill some holes in it and then screw a pan to the bottom. It'll make the fall and winter much better for me because our metal ramp for the dogs to visit the downstairs yard is very slippery when wet and gets iced over in winter. The less I have to go downstairs to feed the chickens, the better. I laid off the fermented feed this week to prepare for the winter. They like their autofeeder.
Harvest was pretty successful for someone who has never had one on that scale. I've assessed issues and made fixes to next year's plan. I've decided to go ahead and build beds at the sizes I need for every plot, make it easier on my back and discourage weeds. Since I drew out the garden plan on paper to-scale I can measure it all out and easily make beds to fit everything. It's been a busy year and it's only going to get busier.
- Thread starter
- #53
Garden work and chicken work today. Need to put down new coop flooring (got a used office chair mat that'll work) and replace the bedding.
Mites are mostly gone. My girls managed to open the nesting box door and the cold and exposure killed the ones in the open. Dunno if that got all of them but I'm cleaning the whole thing out today and I know that'll definitely get 'em.
Mites are mostly gone. My girls managed to open the nesting box door and the cold and exposure killed the ones in the open. Dunno if that got all of them but I'm cleaning the whole thing out today and I know that'll definitely get 'em.
Hello from Oregon. 
I just finished reading your whole thread to date and I must say I'm impressed! Good for you! And thank you for the links to those heirloom seed companies! I have to try those mouse melons the first company had, haha, they look like so much fun!
My paternal grandma was the gardener in our family, although she died when I was just six she had me hooked on gardening from the beginning.
I planted my three sisters again this year (2nd attempt) but the deer got in and destroyed the blue corn completely, the golden bantam partially. (and my painted mountain corn seed saved from last year rotted as it got too cold/wet for it). So I found an auction for chain link fencing which will be the base for a "chicken moat" around our garden. Hope to start on it this winter....but it will be almost 800' in circumference.
My condolences on the loss of your sister, that must have been hard.
I just finished reading your whole thread to date and I must say I'm impressed! Good for you! And thank you for the links to those heirloom seed companies! I have to try those mouse melons the first company had, haha, they look like so much fun!
My paternal grandma was the gardener in our family, although she died when I was just six she had me hooked on gardening from the beginning.
I planted my three sisters again this year (2nd attempt) but the deer got in and destroyed the blue corn completely, the golden bantam partially. (and my painted mountain corn seed saved from last year rotted as it got too cold/wet for it). So I found an auction for chain link fencing which will be the base for a "chicken moat" around our garden. Hope to start on it this winter....but it will be almost 800' in circumference.
My condolences on the loss of your sister, that must have been hard.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #55
@Chipper Chicken Thanks muchly. I'm mostly okay about it now, but at the time it was kind of bad and I spent a lot of time ignoring the internet.
Yesterday I had gone down and replaced the splintering, mite-infested roosts with a newer, better one. Today I went down to check on the birds and took a few pictures.
The four of them look like a Christian rock group's album cover. I call it "Clucking for Christ".
Coreen is in molt, though it's only partial. She's been very disgruntled, I hope she finishes soon so I can get some eggs again.
Martha is also molting. Her and Coreen have been in my flock since the beginning and are the only two left of the original four.
Our barnyard hen Baby mugs for the camera a lot. She's the most people-friendly, often walking right up to me and getting right in my face if I'm at eye-level. She loves being petted and hand-fed.
I love this picture of her! She's ridiculously photogenic and hogs the camera. I was able to get super close for this shot and I'm gad I did.
I scattered some of their normal feed on the ground to peck at. Nearly everyone comes out to peck for treats except Bluebell, who can be really shy and is at the bottom of the pecking order.
There's Bluebell the Easter Egger, waiting her turn to peck for treats. She's got more Araucana in her than most EEs I see, she's totally rumpless and her muff is just starting to come in.
More Bluebell! You can really see her rumplessness in this picture. Husband thinks she looks more like a quail or a guinea than a chicken. She lays real pretty blue eggs, but we haven't gotten one from her because she went broody and then molted right after we got her. She's out of molt now though, and it's Autumn so we may not get any blue eggs until spring.
My girls will always be found around the waterer. They drink water even when it's falling right on their heads. They can be seen venturing out in light rain and snow, they only play Chicken Little when it's heavy rain or hail.
Yesterday I had gone down and replaced the splintering, mite-infested roosts with a newer, better one. Today I went down to check on the birds and took a few pictures.
The four of them look like a Christian rock group's album cover. I call it "Clucking for Christ".
Coreen is in molt, though it's only partial. She's been very disgruntled, I hope she finishes soon so I can get some eggs again.
Martha is also molting. Her and Coreen have been in my flock since the beginning and are the only two left of the original four.
Our barnyard hen Baby mugs for the camera a lot. She's the most people-friendly, often walking right up to me and getting right in my face if I'm at eye-level. She loves being petted and hand-fed.
I love this picture of her! She's ridiculously photogenic and hogs the camera. I was able to get super close for this shot and I'm gad I did.
I scattered some of their normal feed on the ground to peck at. Nearly everyone comes out to peck for treats except Bluebell, who can be really shy and is at the bottom of the pecking order.
There's Bluebell the Easter Egger, waiting her turn to peck for treats. She's got more Araucana in her than most EEs I see, she's totally rumpless and her muff is just starting to come in.
More Bluebell! You can really see her rumplessness in this picture. Husband thinks she looks more like a quail or a guinea than a chicken. She lays real pretty blue eggs, but we haven't gotten one from her because she went broody and then molted right after we got her. She's out of molt now though, and it's Autumn so we may not get any blue eggs until spring.
My girls will always be found around the waterer. They drink water even when it's falling right on their heads. They can be seen venturing out in light rain and snow, they only play Chicken Little when it's heavy rain or hail.
@Chipper Chicken Thanks muchly. I'm mostly okay about it now, but at the time it was kind of bad and I spent a lot of time ignoring the internet.
Yesterday I had gone down and replaced the splintering, mite-infested roosts with a newer, better one. Today I went down to check on the birds and took a few pictures.
The four of them look like a Christian rock group's album cover. I call it "Clucking for Christ".
Coreen is in molt, though it's only partial. She's been very disgruntled, I hope she finishes soon so I can get some eggs again.
Martha is also molting. Her and Coreen have been in my flock since the beginning and are the only two left of the original four.
Our barnyard hen Baby mugs for the camera a lot. She's the most people-friendly, often walking right up to me and getting right in my face if I'm at eye-level. She loves being petted and hand-fed.
I love this picture of her! She's ridiculously photogenic and hogs the camera. I was able to get super close for this shot and I'm gad I did.
I scattered some of their normal feed on the ground to peck at. Nearly everyone comes out to peck for treats except Bluebell, who can be really shy and is at the bottom of the pecking order.
There's Bluebell the Easter Egger, waiting her turn to peck for treats. She's got more Araucana in her than most EEs I see, she's totally rumpless and her muff is just starting to come in.
More Bluebell! You can really see her rumplessness in this picture. Husband thinks she looks more like a quail or a guinea than a chicken. She lays real pretty blue eggs, but we haven't gotten one from her because she went broody and then molted right after we got her. She's out of molt now though, and it's Autumn so we may not get any blue eggs until spring.
My girls will always be found around the waterer. They drink water even when it's falling right on their heads. They can be seen venturing out in light rain and snow, they only play Chicken Little when it's heavy rain or hail.
BABY mugs is my favorite!!! she is so pretty! they all are but she is really neat! thank you for sharing!!!
Bluebell looks like a Kiwi bird, cute.
- Thread starter
- #58
Thanks guys, I really love my birds and I work pretty hard to keep them pretty.
I may have to go back to fermented feed. I've had them on a dry feed autofeeder for the past month while they molted and I don't think they're getting as much nutrients as they did with the fermented. It means a little more risk when going downstairs in stormy weather but if it means the birds are happier I'll do it.
I may have to go back to fermented feed. I've had them on a dry feed autofeeder for the past month while they molted and I don't think they're getting as much nutrients as they did with the fermented. It means a little more risk when going downstairs in stormy weather but if it means the birds are happier I'll do it.
What did you replace your roosts with?
- Thread starter
- #60
Some pressure-treated wood suitable for outdoor and livestock use. We had some laying around after the inlaws rebuilt some sheds in their yard and I took the new scraps from the new wood and made a nice little ladder roost.
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