Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens

[mobius]

I have been doing field trip for the last week with my now three week old chicks! I think it gives them room to flap and exercise wings and run around...they have almost outgrown bathtub brooder....and this is easily moved and "monitorable"...

Chicken TV!



Keeps dogs OUT! lol...it was a Christmas present from my brother to keep dogs IN..I called and told him it was now repurposed! See the dog outside? He plans to be their "rooster".

 

[mobius]

Fermented feed, anyone? Oh YEAH!

We love this!

 

[mobius]

Oh wait! We aren't spoiled...??? Can you say microgreens? I know

But these are reserved mostly for hand-feeding...dang it!! Oh, and the wiffle ball. What?? We have to WORK for our food?

 

[mobius]

Shredded paper. In the interest of eco-repurposing! This all used to go in my (slow) compost pile but NOW! I will add it to the chicken run and allow my extra-super-duper composting machines to have at it!
I have seriously reduced outgoing garbage in the last few years (at least by half) using a compost pile, now it will go even faster....





Collecting! The run will have a base layer of pea gravel, then topsoil. Given that, the chickens can compost lots of paper waste!

 

[mobius]

A new and improved form of chick transport:



AKA The Bucket Brigade:

 

[mobius]

Ok, pics of feathering on 3.5 week old chicks with last two weeks under MHP, about to go outside to coop with MHP today...comments welcome! The

first pic is of biggest/most feathered chickie (partridge rock), second is littlest/least feathered chickie (gold laced wyandotte):


I am not a very good chicken photographer (yet)! Their feet are getting HUGE too!

Edited by mobius - Today at 8:36 am

 

[mobius]

Mess-free (hopefully) fermented food feeder for chickies (my little invention):

 

[mobius]

mmm, mmm, we don't know about this "ramp thingie". But we are checking it out! Last night in coop for first time...we were all fine with MHP....mommie was nervous! Silly mommie! Even with 20 degrees overnight, we rocked it!

 

[GardenNut]

Looks like you're doing great Mobius! I get my chicks on Thursday, 4 buff orpingtons. Seeing your progress is a confidence booster. Gotta start growing microgreens for chicks and me! Is there a recipe for the fermented treat/food? I can probably do a search on the forums and find one. Keep up the good work mom!

 

[ShrekDawg]

This is awesome!!! They are so cute!!! And I like the idea of the topsoil idea. Hadn't thought of that. I had heard deep litter suggested and was planning on trying it in the new run and I think I will. Right now I just have pine shavings down. But what I'd heard was 3 inches of wood chips (chips not shavings cause apparently the different particle sizes break up easier) and then like 3 inches of leaves, grass clippings, gardening stuff, etc., etc. And with the chicken poop it composts itself.