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- #11
ATXInstantFlock
Songster
It's been a while since my last update, so I figured I'd lump a few fun anecdotes today.
(Sun Mar 30th - Day 346)
My junior chicken farmer was having a little fun with this egg from Dot or Spot after egg cleaning.
(Sat Apr 19th - Day 366)
1 yr anniversary for the adoption of Angela and Aquilo.
In our first year, Angela paved the way by being the first to lay and gifted us with 238 of the 1678 eggs that we've been provided.
Some other misc stats as of the anniversary date:
Approx food cost for 9 layers and 1 rooster(not entirely accurate as that's food I've purchased, not food I've used, but close enough): $400
Approx cost of a dozen eggs that we eat (after accounting for all chicken-related purchases and offsetting egg sales): $30.
Net net: don't do this just for "free" eggs if you're going to buy things like solar powered cameras, automatic doors, and don't want to treat your birds like crap.
(Sun Apr 20th - Day 367)
Coop maintenance day, so time for some pictures.
Snuggles for the original pair from my junior chicken farmer.
Sadly, there were two equipment failures that we noticed:
1) One of my horizontal nipples failed and/or was about to fail. The spring was protruding farther out and I was worried it would start leaking. We had just replaced another one about a month earlier. I've gotten good at replacing these, so it only took about 5 minutes, but we decided to bring out a third waterer just in case. The last time one had failed, we think the girls may have gone a full day or two without water. They usually can't finish the water in a full week, but that assumes no equipment failures. Better to have a bit of a safety margin and to do some rudimentary checks during the week, just in case. All in all, I would purchase them again, but
2) One of the springs on my treadle feeder broke. Thankfully my junior chicken farmer noticed it while we were filling the feed. She saw it as the chickens were pecking around it. I don't think feeder quality is to blame. A stick that I've kept in the pen for occasionally stirring up poop and pine pellets had fallen into the path of the treadle and had gotten stuck in the mechanism. I think that may have caused too much tension on one of the two springs, so it snapped.
Unfortunately we had some time sensitive engagements to take care of so I couldn't do a repair until after dark. I popped the front panel off and saw that the mechanism was definitely missing one spring. Also note how there isn't enough tension to pull the door closed.
A few minutes later we were back in business, and the door is pulled shut as I expect it to. All in all, still very happy with my Rat Proof Chicken Feeder.
(Sun Mar 30th - Day 346)
My junior chicken farmer was having a little fun with this egg from Dot or Spot after egg cleaning.
(Sat Apr 19th - Day 366)
1 yr anniversary for the adoption of Angela and Aquilo. In our first year, Angela paved the way by being the first to lay and gifted us with 238 of the 1678 eggs that we've been provided.
Some other misc stats as of the anniversary date:
Approx food cost for 9 layers and 1 rooster(not entirely accurate as that's food I've purchased, not food I've used, but close enough): $400
Approx cost of a dozen eggs that we eat (after accounting for all chicken-related purchases and offsetting egg sales): $30.
Net net: don't do this just for "free" eggs if you're going to buy things like solar powered cameras, automatic doors, and don't want to treat your birds like crap.
(Sun Apr 20th - Day 367)
Coop maintenance day, so time for some pictures.
Snuggles for the original pair from my junior chicken farmer.
Sadly, there were two equipment failures that we noticed:
1) One of my horizontal nipples failed and/or was about to fail. The spring was protruding farther out and I was worried it would start leaking. We had just replaced another one about a month earlier. I've gotten good at replacing these, so it only took about 5 minutes, but we decided to bring out a third waterer just in case. The last time one had failed, we think the girls may have gone a full day or two without water. They usually can't finish the water in a full week, but that assumes no equipment failures. Better to have a bit of a safety margin and to do some rudimentary checks during the week, just in case. All in all, I would purchase them again, but
2) One of the springs on my treadle feeder broke. Thankfully my junior chicken farmer noticed it while we were filling the feed. She saw it as the chickens were pecking around it. I don't think feeder quality is to blame. A stick that I've kept in the pen for occasionally stirring up poop and pine pellets had fallen into the path of the treadle and had gotten stuck in the mechanism. I think that may have caused too much tension on one of the two springs, so it snapped.
Unfortunately we had some time sensitive engagements to take care of so I couldn't do a repair until after dark. I popped the front panel off and saw that the mechanism was definitely missing one spring. Also note how there isn't enough tension to pull the door closed.
A few minutes later we were back in business, and the door is pulled shut as I expect it to. All in all, still very happy with my Rat Proof Chicken Feeder.
My jr chicken farmer was with me so I got help calling Mrs ATXInstantFlock to try and bring me some corn starch and it went about as well as the last time I nipped my dog's quick. Corn starch barely helped. Blood all over my hands and a paper towel. Seemingly spent 30+ minutes and blood was still dribbling out. I contemplated keeping him away from the girls for the rest of the afternoon as I was worried about them pecking at his toenails if it was still bleeding, but the Mrs was worried about him bothering the neighbors. I set him up with a personal water feeder with run of the backyard away from the girls but he kept crowing, so I gave in and just put him back into his pen. He spent half the afternoon on his perch and otherwise seemed no worse for wear, so crossing my fingers that he's just fine now.
