Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[speckledhen]

We'll get a deluge after it's all tested and finished.
Not sure motion lights will actually scare off wildlife...not long term anyway.

I don't care about long term, just until the barn is up. Silly deer, what do they think they'll find to eat on a gravel pad?

good news on the drains - and the lights look useful.

I think they'll work out pretty well.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't care about long term, just until the barn is up. Silly deer, what do they think they'll find to eat on a gravel pad?

maybe they like the sound their hooves make while tap dancing about, around here the rut starts.

 

[speckledhen]

maybe they like the sound their hooves make while tap dancing about, around here the rut starts.

Oh, I didn't think of their little mating rituals going on right now. Maybe so! Must sound rather musical.

 

[aart]

I wonder if the girls are hiding from the boys.....or maybe they are seeking some minerals they can smell in the pad?

Are they just walking across it or digging in it?

 

[1muttsfan]

I had a client once that had reindeer, when they walk around their dewclaws clack together. So reindeer do indeed go click, click, click.

 

[speckledhen]

I wonder if the girls are hiding from the boys.....or maybe they are seeking some minerals they can smell in the pad?

Are they just walking across it or digging in it?

They are going up the back bank, which still isn't quite all settled and their hooves sink into it, then they walk around on top of the pad. I fill in the prints daily. The last few days of rain softened up anything that wasn't fully hardened already, mostly at the back edge. They don't dig-that's Finn's job. Bad kitty. He likes to roll around on it, usually doesn't dig much, but now, it's mostly too hard to see his paw prints in it.

Here are some of our nightly visitors-this is down the hill from the barn site:

 

[speckledhen]

The rep for the building co. called. Apparently, they discontinued offering double doors and only offer that roll-up door now. He wasn't aware of the change though doubles are still on his price sheet. So, we are forced to either have them frame an opening for doubles, leave a huge hole and find our own, or just have them install the less than warm roll up and figure something out later, which is what we told them to do. And, I thought since they were calling, we were close to having it installed....wrong. Seems it will be another three weeks or so in addition to the two we've already waited. In fairness, they did say it would be minimum of three, up to six weeks, before installation, but hey, I was hoping it would be sooner than the five or six. Well, guess it won't. Oh, well.

Another disappointment was that I was finally supposed to have seed on my pasture by Tuesday or Wednesday. Still, no seed. And we are going back into a rainy period which will set it back yet again. The guy who has been doing this for the past almost year (yes, YEAR) suddenly lost his job as housing manager for the reservation and they are filing a class action lawsuit against the newly elected chief, who, against all tribal laws, fired about 150 people as soon as he got into office, my guy included, who had about 9 years to retire from the job. So, his life was turned upside down, among all his other dramas he's had since we hired him. I realize we didn't put a time limit on this job but 11 months is a bit excessive. I try to be patient but I really would like something to go my way for a bit, you know? Yes, I'm whining, I'm sorry. I'll stop now. I have to get cracking on cleaning up the house and grounds a bit. My nephew and his wife and some (or all, not sure) of their five kids are coming to visit on Nov 15. They've never been here before, never seen the chickens, etc. But, I'm also feverishly working on some projects in my quilt room, too, while listening to DH practice his violin, er, um fiddle, I should say. He plays bluegrass, not the music I like. Oops, whining again. I'll really stop now.

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[speckledhen]

On a brighter note, I have two hens back into production after poor Rowena has been carrying them all with her one egg almost every day for well over a month. Guess who? No, not 34 week old slacker, Lizzie. Not almost 18 week old Tessa, not any of my hens under five years old. Emily, my 5 1/2 year old Black Rock with chronic bumblefoot (bad tendon, flat footed, odd gait, hence bumblefoot) is laying again. And another one. This one is a real trooper-Miss Amanda, crippled, arthritic, barely-at-the-end-of-her-second-molt-of-the-year Amanda, who will be 9 years old in March, is laying again. She's given me two eggs in the last four days. NO excuses for those other lollygaggers! You go, Amanda!
Last photo I took of Amanda. She and her same-age sister, Becca, are my second oldest hens. Caroline will turn 9 in January, but only Amanda is still laying of those three and she can't even walk. She sure can thunk the crap out of anyone beneath her, though, and sometimes she does it just because she can!

 

[MistyMountain]

Oh my goodness! How did I miss this? How amazing and wonderful!! I just caught up on 15 pages, and I am so stinkin' excited for you!! I can't wait to see more!!

About those pawpaws… I just planted 4 different cultivars near the house and have about 7 native trees growing out back in the woods. How about we do a swap in… oh… 9 years? I'll bring you some young paw paws for some hatching eggs?

Gotta be careful with them, though. Long taproot like a magnolia, so planting and transport can be tricky!

Congrats on your layers! I got a whopping 0 eggs yesterday from 13 layers. Not good, considering I eat two eggs for breaky each morning. I had to resort to month old eggs in the fridge! Still, could be worse… I could have had to buy eggs from the grocery store!

Fingers crossed you get the call soon!!