2018 Newbie Chat!

[llombardo]

Looks lovely and looks like they'll provide a lot of warmth and protection for their feet. I'm not yet sure where I'm going to find enough leaves but I'm going to try - I thought about our local woods and park but I am reluctant because of the many dog walkers whose dogs use the area for a toilet! I'm really bummed because a few weeks ago my neighbours trees shed a lot of leaves which fell into my garden and I just cleared them away. I have some very large ever green shrubs which I could use but all my birds love to eat off them so I don't want to cut them too much and end up leaving them without.

The juniper is really soft. I got pine cones to add to. I think I'm going to add mulch, mix it up and then hunt for more leaves. I might just bring my rake with me and hit the nearby factories that have trees and no real people or animal traffic. That may be my Saturday night adventure.

I would hope I wouldn't get in trouble for taking leaves, people usually pay to have them taken away. My neighbor has a pile lined up at the curb--I may sneak over there too. I need to get a life...lol

 

[Anna Ranieri]

The juniper is really soft. I got pine cones to add to. I think I'm going to add mulch, mix it up and then hunt for more leaves. I might just bring my rake with me and hit the nearby factories that have trees and no real people or animal traffic. That may be my Saturday night adventure.

I would hope I wouldn't get in trouble for taking leaves, people usually pay to have them taken away. My neighbor has a pile lined up at the curb--I may sneak over there too. I need to get a life...lol

You do a great job! As for your neighbours leaves , might be worth you asking about them, you never know, they might be glad to have them taken off their hands and once they you want them, if they don't want them, they might even give you free range to go get them whenever you want how ever many times you want each year.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Here is my forest in the run...

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Came back to have another look at your pictures, you have done a fantastic job, so very impressive. You come up with a lot of great ideas and I have copied a fare few of them i.e. your dust bath area, winterizing your coop, buckets for pool, putting light for extra range time when dark, and now this - thanking you on behalf of myself and my birds who are benefiting from and enjoying your ideas

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Here is my forest in the run...

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Beautiful! I was about to get some leaves for mine and then it rained. I need to gather some up before it's too late.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Here are mine now at 10 weeks old. During their first trip out in the back yard. The black landscape fabric is from my project of making a dry riverbed for gutter runoff with a pathway. Which didn't get done because of coop building. Next year!

 

[Geranium]

@No More Empty Nest they're gorgeous!

 

[CannedMonster]

Here are mine now at 10 weeks old. During their first trip out in the back yard. The black landscape fabric is from my project of making a dry riverbed for gutter runoff with a pathway. Which didn't get done because of coop building. Next year!View attachment 1579386 View attachment 1579387 View attachment 1579388 View attachment 1579389 View attachment 1579385

So cute!

 

[CannedMonster]

Frodo seems to be a bit more lively lately.
I’ve been feeding all the bantams crumble instead of pellets.
Frodo couldn’t pass the pellets because of his problem crop.
I’m not sure what the future holds for him because I saw him eat a leaf this morning.
He’s not going to survive if he insists on eating garbage when I have perfectly good feed out for him.
I massage his crop several times a day now.
Pippin is still broody.
I took her egg away because she had kicked it into the corner of the box and wasn’t even sitting on it. It was cold.
She sat there on nothing lol.
I take her out in the morning and put her in the run with the others so she can get some water and food.
She came out on her own with them this morning and proceeded to march around trying to make a nest in the leaves and chasing and pecking the other girls.
I’m sure they were glad when she went back in the coop and started brooding again.
She chose a different box this time.
What a stinker!
I’m considering giving her eggs from Agatha & Emily since they’re probably fertilized.
I just don’t know if such a young pullet can pull off the whole thing...I don’t have an incubator and can’t afford one right now.

Here’s an adorable photo of Frodo guarding broody Miss Pippin

 

[llombardo]

Here are mine now at 10 weeks old. During their first trip out in the back yard. The black landscape fabric is from my project of making a dry riverbed for gutter runoff with a pathway. Which didn't get done because of coop building. Next year!View attachment 1579386 View attachment 1579387 View attachment 1579388 View attachment 1579389 View attachment 1579385

I had and the key word is had that black fabric--the chickens rearranged all of it. So this is fair warning that if given the chance they will peck at it then become obsessed with it...

 

[Anna Ranieri]

All of my ladies today. 7.5 weeks. View attachment 1579190

Absolutely beautiful!