fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[Wyorp Rock]

They like that hidden area.

My girls have a perfectly nice nesting box that my Hubs built...a few lay eggs in the boxes, the rest lay egg UNDER the box. They must crab crawl under there. I have to use a grabber to get the eggs out unless I get on my hands and knees and that's not gonna happen

 

[fuzzi]

They like that hidden area.

My girls have a perfectly nice nesting box that my Hubs built...a few lay eggs in the boxes, the rest lay egg UNDER the box. They must crab crawl under there. I have to use a grabber to get the eggs out unless I get on my hands and knees and that's not gonna happen

Not happening here, that would make me vulnerable to Samuel...and I am at the point in life that getting UP from the ground is a process, a SLOW process!

 

[fuzzi]

When I checked on the flock after dark I found a new egg under Martha. In your experience do broodys ever lay eggs after they've gotten serious, or did some other hen sneak it in before roosting?

 

[NanaK]

When I checked on the flock after dark I found a new egg under Martha. In your experience do broodys ever lay eggs after they've gotten serious, or did some other hen sneak it in before roosting?

I think all my broodies stopped laying as they started brooding. They started back laying when their chicks were about 4-6 weeks old.

I only let 1 hen set in the main coop. I marked her eggs. Other hens added to her clutch daily. I removed all unmarked eggs a couple times daily.

I ended up with several broken eggs including some of the eggs marked for hatching. Ended up with 4 chicks out of 9 hatching eggs.
3 males/1 female

I also had to clean the nest box out because of the broken eggs. Yolk was everywhere.

This was my first hatch. Was scared to try that again. I now separate the broodies.
Some people don't have these problems.

 

[fuzzi]

I think all my broodies stopped laying as they started brooding. They started back laying when their chicks were about 4-6 weeks old.

I only let 1 hen set in the main coop. I marked her eggs. Other hens added to her clutch daily. I removed all unmarked eggs a couple times daily.

I ended up with several broken eggs including some of the eggs marked for hatching. Ended up with 4 chicks out of 9 hatching eggs.
3 males/1 female

I also had to clean the nest box out because of the broken eggs. Yolk was everywhere.

This was my first hatch. Was scared to try that again. I now separate the broodies.
Some people don't have these problems.

I'll let you know how it goes...

 

[fuzzi]

Martha came barreling out of the nest box when I came in the coop, bearing grapes (and shredded cheese). She's been on the eggs every other time I have checked.

I am a little upset with my neighbor. He's been doing a lot of clearing of his backyard, which is adjacent to mine. Normally burning wouldn't matter except he's burning brush on a regular basis. The fire department has already been out here this year because he was burning at night (forbidden).

Yesterday when I got home from work he was burning the underbrush and vines by the fence, and my backyard and the chickens were under a cloud of smoke.

I saw him out there with a hose and asked if he was almost done. I added that I was concerned since my chickens were under a cloud of smoke. He said "Oh, sorry".

He's building his own coop area with pallets (heads up @gtaus ), so there will be another chicken flock within 50' or so.

I hope he keeps a clean flock.

 

[NanaK]

Martha came barreling out of the nest box when I came in the coop, bearing grapes (and shredded cheese). She's been on the eggs every other time I have checked.

I am a little upset with my neighbor. He's been doing a lot of clearing of his backyard, which is adjacent to mine. Normally burning wouldn't matter except he's burning brush on a regular basis. The fire department has already been out here this year because he was burning at night (forbidden).

Yesterday when I got home from work he was burning the underbrush and vines by the fence, and my backyard and the chickens were under a cloud of smoke.
View attachment 3789835
View attachment 3789836

I saw him out there with a hose and asked if he was almost done. I added that I was concerned since my chickens were under a cloud of smoke. He said "Oh, sorry".

He's building his own coop area with pallets (heads up @gtaus ), so there will be another chicken flock within 50' or so.
View attachment 3789841
I hope he keeps a clean flock.

Maybe drop hints about the benefits of deep litter?
Do you know if this neighbor has had a flock before?

 

[fuzzi]

Maybe drop hints about the benefits of deep litter?
Do you know if this neighbor has had a flock before?

His girlfriend has, her family had chickens, and she's been friendly without being nosey.

I just wish he would stop burning everything. The area he torched was full of poison ivy...

 

[gtaus]

He's building his own coop area with pallets (heads up @gtaus ), so there will be another chicken flock within 50' or so.

I hope he keeps a clean flock.

Have you talked to him about joining the BYC community? Tell him we would love to see/hear about his pallet wood coop build.

Too bad about all that smoke. I used to burn a lot of junk wood myself. But now I use a lot of that wood for hügelkultur raised beds as the base filler. Smaller branches might get chipped up and used as litter for the coop and/or chicken run and later as a carbon source for composting. IMHO, that's a better use of the wood than burning.

Maybe you could help your neighbor out along those suggestions now that he is going to have chickens. Win for him using wood for better purposes. Win for you in that you won't get smoked out from large piles of burning wood.

 

[fuzzi]

Have you talked to him about joining the BYC community? Tell him we would love to see/hear about his pallet wood coop build.

Too bad about all that smoke. I used to burn a lot of junk wood myself. But now I use a lot of that wood for hügelkultur raised beds as the base filler. Smaller branches might get chipped up and used as litter for the coop and/or chicken run and later as a carbon source for composting. IMHO, that's a better use of the wood than burning.

Maybe you could help your neighbor out along those suggestions now that he is going to have chickens. Win for him using wood for better purposes. Win for you in that you won't get smoked out from large piles of burning wood.

When I see him, he's a policeman and has weird hours. But thanks for the suggestion!