Black Acres: The chickens that saved me

[Ponypoor]

Good morning y’all! Temps are creeping up above freezing today, but we haven’t reached that point just yet! Right now it’s still cold and misty and the moisture is making the stairs and sidewalks VERY slick! You want to know how I figured this out? Well, I was headed out to open the pop doors and sit out morning rations. I stopped at the shop and grabbed two freshly filled 3 gallon waters and then proceeded around the back to the coops. There is a retaining wall between the shop and the coop so DH built me a set of stairs so I could quit sliding down the hill by the house.

Here’s a few pictures for reference.
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So I’m walking around the shop with waterers in hand and an ice cream bucket with warm oats so both hands are full. I begin my decent and on my second step down, my life flashed before my eyes. My foot slid out from under me, the waterers tumbled down the stairs and the lid came off the bucket of oats. Y’all. I found myself on the cold, wet ground, covered in oats trying to remember my name.

I took a moment to assess the damage. No broken waterers. No broken bones. I think I’m good. After collecting my pride I continued to the coop to complete morning chores. The chooks were so happy to see me and I thought, “wow, they really missed me!” But then I realized they were only crowding me to eat the oats off my pants and boots.

I am safe inside now with a fresh change a clothes and under a warm blanket. Pretty sure I’m going to have some bruising (mostly to my ego) but all in all, I think I am okay. I’m laughing about it now. My DH is always telling me to slow down. Maybe he has a point!

Ok so just have to say those are really swanky stairs! Good job husband!

 

[Ponypoor]

Ok so just have to say those are really swanky stairs! Good job husband!

 

[blackacres]

Ok so just have to say those are really swanky stairs! Good job husband!

They really are! We have a friend who does custom metal work. He had made the rails for a customer who changed their mind on the design. I think they’re perfect because I live in Kansas which is the Wheat State.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Y’all. I found myself on the cold, wet ground, covered in oats trying to remember my name.

I can just see this happening to me !

The chooks were so happy to see me and I thought, “wow, they really missed me!” But then I realized they were only crowding me to eat the oats off my pants and boots.

YOU WERE A Human GRANOLA BAR.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Well, while you farmers are slipping and sliding and becoming human granola bars, here in the Aloha State we have IMO the finest weather of our fine weather. I love winters here but please don't pack up and come. We are getting inundated with people relocating, driving our home prices and our covid #s through the roof.
So, I am forced (lol) to stay home and obsess about my chickens as we are lucky enough to have all of our needed supplies.
May sell, think I have vetted a buyer I should say, Bolt and Ka'ahumanu plus a L.Brahma pullet and cockerel. The trade for not hatching a bunch of eggs possibly. It's a hard thinning but I know we will be, and they may be better off for it. We'll, won't know for a few weeks as I want to get young ones past their fowl pox with no new stress.

K. Thead bump.

 

[blackacres]

Well, while you farmers are slipping and sliding and becoming human granola bars, here in the Aloha State we have IMO the finest weather of our fine weather. I love winters here but please don't pack up and come. We are getting inundated with people relocating, driving our home prices and our covid #s through the roof.
So, I am forced (lol) to stay home and obsess about my chickens as we are lucky enough to have all of our needed supplies.
May sell, think I have vetted a buyer I should say, Bolt and Ka'ahumanu plus a L.Brahma pullet and cockerel. The trade for not hatching a bunch of eggs possibly. It's a hard thinning but I know we will be, and they may be better off for it. We'll, won't know for a few weeks as I want to get young ones past their fowl pox with no new stress.

Home prices here have more than doubled in the last year. It’s crazy. I keep thinking the market will crash, but it’s not showing signs of that currently.

I am also blessed to be able to stay home. I do work a full time job, but from the comfort of my home office. I enjoy being able to spend my breaks and lunch with the chickens.

Why are you considering relocating some of your flock? I am currently pondering the relocation of a few cockerels myself. A salmon favorelles and a couple silkies. So far, there have been no issues with my cockerel to pullet ratio, but I feel like it’s inevitable and I don’t want to add to my flock at this time. It seems relocating a few cockerels is what will have to happen.

I’m sorry you’re dealing with fowl pox. That’s a bummer for sure.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Home prices here have more than doubled in the last year. It’s crazy. I keep thinking the market will crash, but it’s not showing signs of that currently.

I am also blessed to be able to stay home. I do work a full time job, but from the comfort of my home office. I enjoy being able to spend my breaks and lunch with the chickens.

Why are you considering relocating some of your flock? I am currently pondering the relocation of a few cockerels myself. A salmon favorelles and a couple silkies. So far, there have been no issues with my cockerel to pullet ratio, but I feel like it’s inevitable and I don’t want to add to my flock at this time. It seems relocating a few cockerels is what will have to happen.

I’m sorry you’re dealing with fowl pox. That’s a bummer for sure.

It is a complicated answer and one I struggle with BUT Spider is my main guy and I commit to his success. He is truly fantastic, I love his breeding and he is fabulous with his flock- they respect and obey him and he guards, feeds and does not hurt them. Dont want to mess that up.

Bolt is fabulous too ♡ but having two pretty alpha roos gets bothersome mostly for the hens, it wears Spider out and it is really not fair to have such a beautiful boy Bolt, not have a beautiful flock of his own. He deserves to be #1. I think it is selfish for me to not let these guys do what they are born to do. I do my best to vet and 90% of the time my boys land well and I do my best to make sure they do. It is a hard choice though. I'm just glad I don't need to cull such beauty.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I'd rather my chickens get the pox with me so I can control the outcome. I pump them with poultry vitamins, keep my eye on, separate if needed and let them ride it out. A small controlled case of dry pox beats a bad case of wet pox and once they get past it they are immune. Good in a tropical place with many mosquitos.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Awesome cool you work from home. I thought you were an early retired EMT.
What is it you do now?

 

[Happy hen lover]

Here are 2

pictures of ice from dripping gutters when we had small thaw yesterday. Pretty cool the way it followed the links in fence!