Thats a shitty day. Could be worse. I got called in for an emergency repair, just to find out they got it going right after I clocked in. Union rules I had to stay 4hrs.
It used to be my family would do Christmas on whatever day we could all get off or at least a half day. I never used to mind...
Make sure you try All versions of it. Ultimate comfort food.
You have your Breakfast, sausage bacon or ham in a peppery white gravy
And Supper with some chicken and biscuit style, veggies optional.
Or your military SHTF style of dry chipped beef in a "cream" gravy served on cheap whitebread...
Not possible at this time. They built it on skids with floor joist. And its currently frozen in mud with 12" of snow ontop.
That is what I am planning for the spring. With some pressure treated 4x4s.
I had this coop built by some Amish. I ran out of time to build it myself this year. A few miscommunications led to it being built with a floor in the run section.
Its not what I had planned for, as I was going to do a Gravel and wood chunk base in the run.
Now I am scratching my head on what...
You can pick her up, just be calm and quiet about it. Fat pads will be the back of the head on top, the jowls, armpits, base of the tail and around the belly. They should never look hollow, and there should be something there to feel but not be overly visible or plump. Barely plump is a good...
She looks good. Do you know where the fat pads are on a beardie? And for peace of mind and a way to keep track, I would grab a weight in grams now when she is entering brumation. Then another when she comes out. It will give you an idea of how much fat she needs to store each year.
Best bet? Dont let them get chunky. My Izzy was a poor eater from day 1. It was a fight to get him built up enough to last brumation each year. But he made it to 15. So try to keep her on the trim side instead of extra plump and squishy.
I dont miss those days. Checking to make sure he was still there, the fear that somethong would go wrong... My Izzy would go down without fail Nov - Feb for 14 of his 15yrs.
I have a trio of Silver Deathlayers available if anyone in the area is interested. 16wks from a local breeder. They are a small layer type, less flighty than Leghorns, great free range instincts. Like to roost. Herkimer/Utica area.
Clear plastic roof panels, heavy vinyl shower curtains, tarps. Use these to block the wind. Make sure to leave ventilation up high away from where they roost. If you have access to electricity get a heated waterer. Don't worry at all about heating them. The only concern should be creating too...