Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[TeaChick]

They do get some bugs, solider flies break down food compost, create lots of larva for my hens to eat...
I haven't bought them yet, I was surprised that I could buy them... I'm going to try and harvest them first...

Well, that makes sense to me. I thought you'd bought them already. Now that you mention it, I remember things you've said that sound like you are going to try to use the ones you probably already have. Sometimes, I'm a little slow. (That explains history class.

)

I still do a lousy job of writing after a quote. Seems loo like I'm in quote... Oh well.

Today dad and I finshed working in garden...




I know it's getting hot for this, but it's what he wanted to work on...
We added lavender, and sage w/ more lantana

Don't worry about the quote thing. You'll get the hang of it (and even if you don't, nobody here is going to mind).

Great job on the garden!!! You and your dad both deserve a high five!

What color Lantana did you put in?

Hey is the President on tonite or something

Where is everyone?

We watched MasterChef last night. IDK what the POTUS was doing and I don't care.

 

[bamadude]

Thanks!

I have more Pita Pintas hatching next week.

Can u put me down for Pita Pinta, AK blue, and pene hatching eggs for next year's Easter HAL?

 

[ronott1]

Can u put me down for Pita Pinta, AK blue, and pene hatching eggs for next year's Easter HAL?

Yes!

You are the first on the list...I need to go make that list of course....

 

[TeaChick]

I use it when I feel like dealing with it. Honestly I keep it in the house on the breakfast table so 1 I remember I am doing it and 2 I am afraid of what would happen to it outside in this Texas heat (the big batch not the daily feed, although It might be nice to have some ladies over for breakfast. DH would just say Saw that coming) ANYWAY back on topic Since I am using a glass jug I can t cover it (the gas will build up in glass and break the container) I do put a towel over it but it does eventually begin to smell and attract fruit flies or nats or something. So I stop again

The reason I do feed FF is because I have no more white streaky butts when they are eating FF. They look cleaner more alert and seem to be all around healthier and happier (more chirpy songs) They love it and race me to the feeder I put it in and for the low totem gals I put some in a separate pan away from the commotion.

I do it most of the time. I haven't been the past several weeks b/c the ferment I had going got yucky, so I dumped it out and found a crack in the bottom of my bucket. =( Today, DH got me a new bucket...with a lid!!!

I just keep a ferment going, adding dechlorinated water and different scratch grains as needed. I offer other feed for added protein.
I keep it on the back porch with something over it to keep the chickens out. Now that I have an actual lid, I'll set it on top loosely just to keep the bugs out. (We get hot summers here too, and my ferment does just fine on the back porch; it's in the shade, but the temp still gets up to 110 several times a summer. It did freeze down by about an inch at the most one morning this winter.)
I feed it b/c it increases the protein percentage in the scratch grains. I free range, so I expect my chickens to forage and not to have to buy a lot of feed, especially in the summer.

That auto FF feeder could be the coolest ever I think.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/931194/fermented-feed-feeder
I bookmarked it when DH is done with big launch at work maybe we can talk about this guy

I am not sure what a swamp cooler is but when we do the new runs for blistering days DH wants to put up some kind of Mister system to cool the air for the ladies and said I could possibly have ac in the gunna say barn part that is where I will have feed storage possibly Maternity ward, brooders and maybe an emergency bay. Hopefully!
He is going to run water and electricity to it for me. Gosh I want to start it now!

DH believes our set up is more suited to a northern climate and wants to open it up more for the heat we get we really only look at winter like temps for about 3 months. They are LOOONNG months but still only 3 as compared with when we lived in Michigan and I did not even own a pair of shorts. was even known to don a turtle neck in the summer to sit by the fire (and not because of the bugs

)

I looked at that FF feeder. She said she's having a hard time getting it to work the way she wants it to.
I would use it if I could ferment in the feeder, but so far it seems like that's not do-able right now.

Oh, that's a good idea, using a swamp cooler (evaporative cooler, you can look it up on wikipedia) in the yard for the chickens to keep cool (or in the coops, but my chickens don't spend a lot of time in the coops during the day).

Check out my coop. It's pretty open (breezy), but two sides are pretty solid (although not absolutely windproof). The other is much more open. If you want, I can take pics of the other one and you can see how open and airy it is.
I haven't had any trouble in the more open coop. In the first coop I mentioned, I had a rooster that was part WL and he had a comb to prove it; that roo got a touch of black on the tips of his comb which I guess was frostbite, but it didn't seem to bother him and I don't show so it didn't bother me either.

swamp cooler is an evaporative cooler... they work best in rooms that are open for fresh air. the humidity here is pretty low so they do a great job of bringing the temperature down about fifteen degrees. They work by running water down pads on the sides of the cooler... the water drains into a pan and gets recirculated. The big fan inside blows air into the room to be cooled. and to get the air it has to come through those wet pads... The evaporation process is what brings the temperature down. the small box sits in a window... its best that the big part of it sit in full sun..




Those motors are almost indestructable... what fails on the swamp cooler usually is the housing itself... Galvanized then painted steel even with very good maintenence eventually starts rusting.

The beauty of it is by recirculating the water there is little water waste.

Water misting or swamp cooling is very dependant on low humidity to work well.

My coops are open air year round... even when it snows. I have tarps that protect against precipitaion directly on my birds but snow and rain does get in the coop. The only time I shut down the sides is when the wind blows hard in the winter... My new poultry house will have two solid walls one that faces east and one that faces west. each are directions for prevaling winds. the north wall will be completely open.... the south wall will be solid four feet up with a two foot wide stripe of wire along the top. When it gets very hot shade cloth will go over that area. Then again the Guineas will be in that partition because my horse loves them... Guineas do very well in the heat.

I am tired of replacing tarp roofs so this time It will have a metal roof.

deb

I saw one that was a t-shirt over a five gallon bucket inside a cooler of water. I might try that; I'm definitely going to talk to DH about it. He'll call it a hair-brained scheme, but sometimes he goes along with my HBSs. (Yes, we have shortened it to initials.)

LOL this is what I was thinking a swamp cooler was. Yours is way better!

I too am tired of tarp replacement not sure what we will use but we will be putting a solid roof on the coop and run areas to protect from sun and since I have silkies rain.

I did an image search for "swamp cooler" and saw the t-shirt one.

I haven't been on much because I am visiting my parents.

I barely have time to skim, and keep up with what is going on.


So... The excitement and fun of summer!

Enjoy your time, @Alaskan !!! =)
We'll be looking forward to getting you back. =)

Thanks!

I have more Pita Pintas hatching next week.

My broody just broke her last egg yesterday. I forgot to update everyone here (we've been pretty busy lately, hopefully things will slow down in a couple of weeks).
Anyway, I'm missing having baby chicks!!! How sad am I? lol
You could share with me, right? lol

 

[ronott1]

My broody just broke her last egg yesterday. I forgot to update everyone here (we've been pretty busy lately, hopefully things will slow down in a couple of weeks).
Anyway, I'm missing having baby chicks!!! How sad am I? lol
You could share with me, right? lol

I will post some pictures here for you!

 

[TeaChick]

I will post some pictures here for you!

I meant by mail, but I'll settle for pics. =)

 

[tjo804]

Oh TeaChick I would love to see your other open area!

 

[chickwhispers]

Thanks everyone for your kind words!

Alaskan enjoy your visit! And your summer!

@TeaChick and @tjo804

I've had 2 different incidents of dog attacks while free ranging too. One was MIL dog and the other was 2 neighbor dogs from over a mile away. I still free range though. I locked them in the covered run when I'm gone though. And boy do they yell at me.

@perchie.girl and @saltandpepper2 Great artwork! love your talents! I used to do fairly well in pencil but haven't in over 20 years. *sigh* I need clones so I can do everything I want to do!

@bamadude here is one of your great works of art!



The 2 little ones are the "foster" silkies from my friend to keep her company. Mama is very good and protective so I don't get to pick them up and take pictures. This is inside the run area sectioned off for them.
Beautiful feathered feet on her too.

 

[chickwhispers]

I probably won't be able to get on tomorrow morning - grandson has softball. So here's a little something:


Have a Great Day!

 

[tjo804]