Chickenstock fiesta yardsale August 21

[keesmom]

Quote:
I do have most of the bantams in basement coops.

Don't have to worry about frozen water that way. The LF birds are waaay too big for the house, house trained or not!

The Cooper's was back this morning for leftover silkie. It was dining just outside the kitchen window. It is nervous around people so I may put a scarecrow (scarehawk I should say) or 2 near the pens to see if that helps to discourage it as well.

Good grief. A different redtail came to visit at noon (this one was light phase, yesterday's was a dark). Guess the hawks had a population explosion this year.

 

[shay20]

Hey darlene i think there are 3 moderns chicks. they are light in color and stand taller than the others.

 

[howardacres]

Quote:
I do have most of the bantams in basement coops.

Don't have to worry about frozen water that way. The LF birds are waaay too big for the house, house trained or not!

The Cooper's was back this morning for leftover silkie. It was dining just outside the kitchen window. It is nervous around people so I may put a scarecrow (scarehawk I should say) or 2 near the pens to see if that helps to discourage it as well.

Good grief. A different redtail came to visit at noon (this one was light phase, yesterday's was a dark). Guess the hawks had a population explosion this year.

Lucky you have a basement!

I don't, and sometimes wish i did. Don't even have a garage, so it's outside in coops or inside the house for my birds. I currently have 5 young Seramas inside the house. Fortunately, they do pretty well inside---the roos are crowing at the moment, but they aren't very loud. Since they are inside, they are easier to socialize. Seramas make excellent house pets! I think everyone should have at least a couple!

Two of my Serama hens are broody again---i counted 17 eggs (yikes!)

when they hopped off the nest to eat a couple days ago! It seems kind of cold to be hatching eggs, but these girls seem to do what they want! Their chicken tractor is insulated, but it's only an inch of foam-board insulation covered with leftover paneling inside and ABS sheathing outside. Their water was freezing at night, so i put a ceramic heater in there to raise the temp a little---the ceramic heaters are better and safer than using an incandescent light bulb or heat-lamp. Seramas are not as cold hardy as many other breeds of chickens. There are only 5 Seramas in the chicken tractor---i had 6 but one wasn't doing too well (can't figure out what's wrong) and i brought her inside. I had Seramas inside last year, plus a couple other bantams---the Seramas are NOT as messy or smelly as other chickens can be. Like i said, they make great house pets and everyone should have a few! LOL

 

[Beth G.]

Hi everyone!!

How's everyone doing? Sorry I missed some of you at the show couple weeks back. I couldn't get a ride and the DH said No Way to me going Alone

I tried bringing some of my birds in the house and the DH flipped out. So, instead I am breaking water dishes twice daily. It stinks but, gotta do it. I envy those of you who can do it. Maybe I should have the DH read some of the postives to it.

Well, Hope all of you had a Very Happy Thanksgiving! And wishing you ease through the hectic Holiday season upon us!!

Beth

 

[shay20]

Beth G. :

Hi everyone!!

How's everyone doing? Sorry I missed some of you at the show couple weeks back. I couldn't get a ride and the DH said No Way to me going Alone

I tried bringing some of my birds in the house and the DH flipped out. So, instead I am breaking water dishes twice daily. It stinks but, gotta do it. I envy those of you who can do it. Maybe I should have the DH read some of the postives to it.

Well, Hope all of you had a Very Happy Thanksgiving! And wishing you ease through the hectic Holiday season upon us!!

Beth

hI,

my hubby does most of the work outside, i mean i help but he does most of it, and sooooo many bowl to break of ice!
H e build in 4 new small coops inside the bigger one to empty out the smaller coops outside so less water freazing lol

We hada good thanksgiving, how about yourself?​

 

[Beth G.]

Quote:
hI,

my hubby does most of the work outside, i mean i help but he does most of it, and sooooo many bowl to break of ice!
H e build in 4 new small coops inside the bigger one to empty out the smaller coops outside so less water freazing lol
We hada good thanksgiving, how about yourself?

Hi Shay!!

Your DH is the best I tell ya!! My DH will not do a thing unless I am sick in bed!! LOL

My T-Day was nice and quiet. I cooked a 22 pound Fresh Turkey from Roundhill Farm. Sad part is not everyone showed up so, the DH, DD, and I have been eating turkey everyday and now have had enough! I'm thinking about freezing it and maybe pulling it out in Jan 2011 to make a nice soup or something but, I've never froze Cooked Turkey meat so, I have no clue if it will be okay. Have you ever froze cooked poultry before?

Beth

 

[keesmom]

Quote:
Only reason I can have birds in the basement is because it's divided. I can keep my birds (and the resulting dust) on one side and use the other for storage. We don't have a garage, but we do have a 20 by 40 foot barn. However that is filled with my husband's stuff so no birds in there.

I'm glad I can put at least a few indoors. Yet another one disappeared yesterday, a bantam roo the kids named Booger.

 

[darbella]

Quote:
Only reason I can have birds in the basement is because it's divided. I can keep my birds (and the resulting dust) on one side and use the other for storage. We don't have a garage, but we do have a 20 by 40 foot barn. However that is filled with my husband's stuff so no birds in there.

I'm glad I can put at least a few indoors. Yet another one disappeared yesterday, a bantam roo the kids named Booger.

Sorry about your roo. I also am missing another of the free ranger hens. now the free range flock is down to 4 birds so I am hoping to pick up a few in Westford on Sunday so they will have company to keep warm over the winter.

 

[darbella]

Quote:
Oh! I hope so, can you send me pics?

 

[howardacres]

Quote:
Only reason I can have birds in the basement is because it's divided. I can keep my birds (and the resulting dust) on one side and use the other for storage. We don't have a garage, but we do have a 20 by 40 foot barn. However that is filled with my husband's stuff so no birds in there.

I'm glad I can put at least a few indoors. Yet another one disappeared yesterday, a bantam roo the kids named Booger.

I have to vaccuum frequently to control the dust, and i don't always keep up with it enough.

But Seramas are just cleaner birds in general, so that really helps!

You must be SO frustrated with the hawks! Ugh! i thought losing the one duck to a hawk was bad enough...well that after losing 2 to a racoon----bad enough that i was ready to get rid of all the ducks. I'm glad that our covered pens are working well for us---and the reflective tape and shiny dvd disks. Darleen mentioned crows keeping hawks away.....I hear crows almost every day, though i do not see them or try to attract them......but maybe they are helping keep the coopers hawk from coming back....just a guess.

I hope you find time to cover your pens to protect your remaining birds. A little tip----when you attach the top wire to your side fencing, don't just zip-tie it every few inches, you want to make a solid seam to prevent birds and critters from crawling through, and i've heard too many stories of critters getting through very narrow spaces that would surprise you. So i took lenghts of wire (bell wire is cheap and plastic coated so it won't corrode through easily), maybe about 4 ft lengths, and used it to "whip-stitch" my top wire-mesh to the sides of my pens---i overlapped the two, and literally threaded the wire through one then the other and pulled it tight, so there is no way anything can crawl through where the top joins the sides of my covered run. I can email you a pic if you need me to, so you can see what i mean.