What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

Thank you! That was an emergency seat-of-the-pants job done in the dark with a headlamp, zip-ties, and plastic chicken wire fencing.
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The inside has evolved over the last few days.

Really well done!

 

[PopoMyers]

He knows which side his bread is buttered, for sure! I hope he doesn't change when he's out of his hormonal phase. Stan has a little but he's one sandwich short of a picnic (seems to have inherited his mom's brains - or lack of!)
Ferdy is much the same when it comes to bedtime. He has to sleep with his ladies as DH 'forbids' chickens sleeping in the house unless they're ill or for some other unavoidable reason (he knows me too well, they'd be sleeping with us in no time). When I take Ferdy out to the coop after his t.v. and snuggles, he quite often jumps off my shoulder and makes a break for the kitchen door, jumps on the handle and lets himself back in. Many's the time I've traipsed back in to find him waiting on the sofa

Videos, please?

 

[PopoMyers]

Moved 5 & 6 week old chicas outside and extended the 3 week olds inside. (Had given them an upgrade Tuesday but our weather was not cooperating at all this week lol)

I have 16 6 week olds, too!

 

[PopoMyers]

We lost one of our leghorns day before yesterday. Haven't had them before this batch so I don't know their life span, and can't imagine why she died so young. She is just over 3 years old. So sad about that. We do not do necropsies here, although we would if we lost more than one bird at a time. So, it's a mystery.

The leghorns are my most reliable layers, but no matter, I'd keep them if they weren't. I have 3 Australorps who are just over 7 years old right now. I think I still get an occasional egg out of one of them, but don't know for sure. I just know I get the occasional torpedo egg and that's what they used to lay. I suppose any of the girls could lay an egg like that occasionally. They are still beauties.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Shetland lover]

My little Chihuahua woke me up to go potty so I'm sleepily catching up while I wait for him
Quick pictures...my water iris is roof high this year! It never gets this tall in our pond...think the horse and goat do more damage than I'd realized!View attachment 3804567
And a new tiny serama chick a friend brought me today. It's got baby fuzz like Biscotti did with the skin showing through. Cutest micro chick you've ever seen. I'll have to get better pictures but baby was cold so gotta keep it warm while the brooder heats View attachment 3804569

Aww, what an itty bitty baby
I'm becoming quite fascinated by Seramas as a breed and beginning to think they could be the way to go considering my lack of space. Please keep us updated on this little cutie
Your yellow flag iris is lovely! I'm still waiting for mine to throw a few flowering stems above the surface. I have iris 'Gamecock' in the back garden. Gladys insists on eating it to nubs some years. She didn't target it as much last year. This was the result

 

[PopoMyers]

5 Yr old Gladys decided to lay an egg this morning. Her first since 27th June last year. She must have been saving them up as it's a whopper

Congratulations!

 

[Shetland lover]

I can’t believe they are teenagers already!! Lol

They grow up far too quickly. Hardly seems a minute since they were little floofs then next time you look they're on their way to their first egg!

 

[PopoMyers]

I know! It's sooo hard to not have some of EVERYTHING

Like any collection, you just have to have what you don't already to make it more complete.

 

[PopoMyers]

Well, the 4h lady came yesterday, and a fellow who was waiting to see if she took all my oegb spangle cockerels and pullets came today to pick up the three she didn't buy. Really really nice fellow. He wants more hens and I'll definitely call him next time I'm reducing my flocks. He talks some but he didn't want ten hours of my time . He wants oegb though and I rarely breed those. I usually let Henny hatch up to 6 eggs a year is all. They're just beloved pets because Henny and Sir Clucks are special. I keep the two because I love them, and a few more just so my two darlings can have a flock. Boy there's an awful lot of people that want those though.

Now I just have my 2 poorly combed yokos and one unwanted yearling white peacock to re-home. My hamburgs I bought last year I'm only keeping two of. Luckily one roo and one hen look pretty good to me so I'll work with those for a year before I decide what I think. I definitely love the breed. If these two breed well I'll buy another batch from another hatchery to see if I can get a couple more decent birds from a different line.

The extra hamburgs go home to a neighbor next week when she's back from vacation. And then that's it for a while! It feels so good to be so close to having just the birds I want to keep again!

How do you keep track of all those? Makes my head spin. So glad you have willing takers.

 

[PopoMyers]

Today was an exhausting day! We decided to bite the bullet and FINALLY put together my Christmas coop. It’s been sitting on a giant pallet in our driveway for 4 months! The rain finally gave us a dry Sunday that wasn’t also hot, so we took it. The biggest workload wasn’t the coop but all the prep and moving of the old coops. We started at noon and didn’t finish till 7. With the fence being removed the bantams had a great time adventuring and finding new dust bathing spots! Especially the three teens I put in the bantam run last week! They’re three amigas!

This is the new bigger and roomier coop for the bantams:
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Once we had the new Red Barn coop finished, we moved the old red barn coop that’s much smaller and gave it to the bobtails! Finally got to retire the Eglu Go coop that the rats ate several holes through that barely had room for the three of them at night and was inside their run. Now they have three times the space, real nesting boxes, an auto door that works, a place for their food, and it’s outside the run so they now have twice the run space! Very happy chickens, very tired people! Kids helped a lot, even if half the time they were yelled at about something

Nothing like the feeling of a huge accomplishment. Happy chickens and tenders, although probably quite tired.