Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Nancygardens]

Chicken run is done.
[The blue play house will be converted to a hen house at a future time.]



Granddaughters feeding hens.




Me showing the nest boxes slide out for easier cleaning.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I use straw and wood shavings, in different coops, depending on where the compost will end up.

My mobile coop is on grass pasture. I sweep the bedding out onto the pasture as fertilizer. If I used straw, it would smother the grass. So, I use fine wood shavings in this coop.

In my other coop, the used bedding is removed and composted for the garden. I use straw in this coop. The bulk of the straw takes longer to break down but gives me a more substantial compost for the garden.

 

[Nancygardens]

Hens eating bowls before we got the hanging feeder up no pic. of that.



Lower smaller nest box does not open from the back.

 

[al6517]

The barn I posted earlier is just outside of Shawnee OK if someone is looking for a fixer upper. I couldn't pas up a picture like that.

I use straw as litter for chickens and waterfowl. It is the only substrate that works here with this clay base when it get wet.

Walt

I know the Barn of which you speak of Walt, saw it last year on the way to the Shawnee show, it's miracle it hasn't blown away by now with the winds we get here.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Liver is great motivation. The best way to cook it for dogs is to BAKE it at 350 until it is almost dry.Some galic salt and oregano added first really turns dogs on. More like "people food"! This baked liver is what you see in dog show handlers' hands. We keep it in 2" x 2" chunks so we can flick off tiny bits with our thumbs. Being dry, it does not ruin your pockets unless you forget it for a week or so. Then you have a mess!

I've got a carpenter here....yes working on putting in a big window, I bought for 20.00, in the coop and my dogs just came and laid down when I told them to! Yeah so they can leave that poor man alone to put in the window.Yesterday they had one of the kids toys and when I said "what have you got?" they imediately dropped it and acted like they had nothing. So I tried the advice and told them to bring it to me...After a couple of tries and a lot of confusion the retriever did it! I made a big deal out of it and said good boy and he actually did a twirl flip kinda thing in the air. I cant remember the last time I told either of them they were a good boy. Sounds bad huh? Anyway I am excited about the window because the coop is on the North side under the deck and this will bring in a lot of light and hopefully some passive solar and of course ventilation. The carpenter was cleaning out his out building and had a bunch of Anderson double hung windows for 15 to 20 bucks. I bought the largest one and he offered to install it for 35.00. He just got laid off. So its a bigger job than he thought it would be because we have the galvanized fencing surrounding the building with only about 4 inches to spare so I'm thinking of paying him a little more. I'll post pics when hes done. He said he could really do some nice finishing and make the coop nicer. LOL. I was like can you make it more like Martha Stewart's? DH wouldnt be able to install the window till spring and im impatient. I do have the coop exterior/interior maint room wall painted sage and a framed picture of a french hen hanging there. The outside of the building is painted a raison color so it fades into the shadows (trying to hide the fact that we have chickens) but I am still working on painting the other side. I amusing a sprayer and it tipped over the paint then slipped on it a slid into the gate and put a big knot on my forehead. So I put everything away and havent gotten back to it yet. I will probably not being making liver treats for the dogs. They are gonna have to learn just by verbal rewards and pats on the head. If they chase a bear I'll make them a pork chop though.

 

[fowlman01]

I know the Barn of which you speak of Walt, saw it last year on the way to the Shawnee show, it's miracle it hasn't blown away by now with the winds we get here.

Shawnee is a dead town on a Sunday, so we drove around a bit and saw the barn which is a photo op. It would not take much wind to blow that place down. Bob was worried we might get shot taking the pictures, but I assured him they probably couldn't afford a gun. The only place open that Sunday was the pawn shop.....which by the way sells you used stuff for more than it costs new. Shawnee still has phone booths, so that is a plus. That was a good show.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

I've got a carpenter here....yes working on putting in a big window, I bought for 20.00, in the coop and my dogs just came and laid down when I told them to! Yeah so they can leave that poor man alone to put in the window.Yesterday they had one of the kids toys and when I said "what have you got?" they imediately dropped it and acted like they had nothing. So I tried the advice and told them to bring it to me...After a couple of tries and a lot of confusion the retriever did it! I made a big deal out of it and said good boy and he actually did a twirl flip kinda thing in the air. I cant remember the last time I told either of them they were a good boy. Sounds bad huh? Anyway I am excited about the window because the coop is on the North side under the deck and this will bring in a lot of light and hopefully some passive solar and of course ventilation. The carpenter was cleaning out his out building and had a bunch of Anderson double hung windows for 15 to 20 bucks. I bought the largest one and he offered to install it for 35.00. He just got laid off. So its a bigger job than he thought it would be because we have the galvanized fencing surrounding the building with only about 4 inches to spare so I'm thinking of paying him a little more. I'll post pics when hes done. He said he could really do some nice finishing and make the coop nicer. LOL. I was like can you make it more like Martha Stewart's? DH wouldnt be able to install the window till spring and im impatient. I do have the coop exterior/interior maint room wall painted sage and a framed picture of a french hen hanging there. The outside of the building is painted a raison color so it fades into the shadows (trying to hide the fact that we have chickens) but I am still working on painting the other side. I amusing a sprayer and it tipped over the paint then slipped on it a slid into the gate and put a big knot on my forehead. So I put everything away and havent gotten back to it yet. I will probably not being making liver treats for the dogs. They are gonna have to learn just by verbal rewards and pats on the head. If they chase a bear I'll make them a pork chop though.

Painting can be very dangerous.

w.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Painting can be very dangerous.

w.

LOL. When I went back to the paint store to get another gallon there was a lady there that had just spilled her gallon of paint on her rug in the house so I imediatly felt much better. lol.

 

[Beekissed]

I've got a carpenter here....yes working on putting in a big window, I bought for 20.00, in the coop and my dogs just came and laid down when I told them to! Yeah so they can leave that poor man alone to put in the window.Yesterday they had one of the kids toys and when I said "what have you got?" they imediately dropped it and acted like they had nothing. So I tried the advice and told them to bring it to me...After a couple of tries and a lot of confusion the retriever did it! I made a big deal out of it and said good boy and he actually did a twirl flip kinda thing in the air. I cant remember the last time I told either of them they were a good boy. Sounds bad huh? Anyway I am excited about the window because the coop is on the North side under the deck and this will bring in a lot of light and hopefully some passive solar and of course ventilation. The carpenter was cleaning out his out building and had a bunch of Anderson double hung windows for 15 to 20 bucks. I bought the largest one and he offered to install it for 35.00. He just got laid off. So its a bigger job than he thought it would be because we have the galvanized fencing surrounding the building with only about 4 inches to spare so I'm thinking of paying him a little more. I'll post pics when hes done. He said he could really do some nice finishing and make the coop nicer. LOL. I was like can you make it more like Martha Stewart's? DH wouldnt be able to install the window till spring and im impatient. I do have the coop exterior/interior maint room wall painted sage and a framed picture of a french hen hanging there. The outside of the building is painted a raison color so it fades into the shadows (trying to hide the fact that we have chickens) but I am still working on painting the other side. I amusing a sprayer and it tipped over the paint then slipped on it a slid into the gate and put a big knot on my forehead. So I put everything away and havent gotten back to it yet. I will probably not being making liver treats for the dogs. They are gonna have to learn just by verbal rewards and pats on the head. If they chase a bear I'll make them a pork chop though.

That's a great story about the dogs! I can't wait until you see just how fun these breeds are...it's like having your own fan club no matter how you look, what you are doing or how cranky you are, these dogs will follow you around and just wait to make you happy. They watch your face all the time just waiting for you to see them and acknowledge that they are doing a good job. Can't say enough good about both those breeds!

 

[Mountain Momma]

I know the Barn of which you speak of Walt, saw it last year on the way to the Shawnee show, it's miracle it hasn't blown away by now with the winds we get here.

If someone could use the wood and roof from that barn it make a gorgeous chicken coop. It is so nicely weathered.