Coffee's ready...

[oesdog]

A friend is visiting and building an addition to my coop. We wanted a new section for several reasons- an isolation area for new chicks, to quarantine them while letting them and the old girls see and get used to each other, until they are ready to move in together. It can also serve as a possible future chicken hospital/chicken prison if needed; and it gives more area that can be opened to the existing run, to expand their playground.

The existing run is on a concrete pad, I wanted some real dirt with weeds and grass for them to play in, so the new run will add about 70 s.f. of dirt. First is a layer of 11.5 gauge chain link fence, topped with hardware cloth, so no predators can dig up from underground. The concrete footings go down a foot, the the predators need to first dig under that, and then they'll hit the chain link. Most people bury hardware cloth, but I expect the hardware cloth will rust out in a few years. I expect the chain link should last 15 years or more. Plus, it was on sale, same price as hardware cloth! There will be about 5 or 6 inches of dirt over the chain link.

Landscape timbers were also on sale, less than $2 each, so those will forum the bulk of the construction, including a log cabin coop.

I'll either put together a page or start a thread in the coop construction forum, maybe over the weekend, but in the meantime I've uploaded some progress photos, and the album is linked in my signature below.

Sounds like your really busy. Went out to the yard today and the smell of my girls now the hot weather ishere is really not nice. I am just waiting for the "nice" neighbor to start complaining!!!!! Some folk say putting sand down helps but all our land is very sandy soil so it already has mostly sand down. Not sure what elase to do really? Thing is the place was like the somme for so long now its drying out and wow chicken poo is really Yuck!!!!!!!!! Any ideas guys????

Sorry I have not been on here much. - I have had a hard time since Mummy died so I am still trying to get my feet back. Anyhow things have been hard going and on top of that all the bother with the care home stuff for the boy. We have to go look at another place Friday - can;t say as I am that enthused this time round. I sure am not doing any more paperwork until I get to see more homes!!! All very stressfull really. - gosh this coffee shop is empty where is everyone????????????????????? Hellllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! Anyone out there??????????

Oes

 

[quercus21]

Sounds like your really busy. Went out to the yard today and the smell of my girls now the hot weather ishere is really not nice. I am just waiting for the "nice" neighbor to start complaining!!!!! Some folk say putting sand down helps but all our land is very sandy soil so it already has mostly sand down. Not sure what elase to do really? Thing is the place was like the somme for so long now its drying out and wow chicken poo is really Yuck!!!!!!!!! Any ideas guys????

I use lime in the area for my meaties. It helps keeps the smell and flies down. I use the powder type, not the granular kind.
Kaj

 

[chics in the sun]

Good morning. I am home with my son today. He seems to have had a reaction to the immunizations he got on Tuesday. His arm is red and hot and he has a cough that kept him up till after 11 last night. I'll be calling the doctor shortly.
I also had some lovely babies hatch yesterday (and one more trying to make it out). I have Marradura Basque, Sweedish Flowers, and silver and gold laced Brahmas. Pretty good for shipped eggs.
Well, gotta go make that call. Coop sounds great, Queercus. Love the log cabin coop idea! I've got to work on my grow out pen that I took off my original coop. Those babies will be too crowded in their little cage in no time!

 

[karl E lutz]

Good morning chicken wranglers
Oesdog,Q ,chicks,I haven't been here much lately.On the job a lot and lots of troubles,but whining is so crass.Missed my boys field trip today.
Oesdog try the lime,"barn floor lime to get the smell under control,
I lost all my hens to the coyotes.12 in one night still have the ducks and geese though.
God Bless!

 

[Gargoyle]

I lost all my hens to the coyotes.12 in one night still have the ducks and geese though.
God Bless!

That's terrible, I feel for you. We lost all ours (just 3) to a raccoon one night, I've spent a lot of time reinforcing the coop and run since then.

 

[oesdog]

News from the oes.
So sad to lose the hens. I usually make sure every night that all my girls are in and the door is shut. Their coop is up on stilts and had a good solid roof. I think if something got in the run it would have a hard job getting into the coop but I think it would probably scare the girls to death trying! The coop and Run are right next to the house so we would doubtless here and the dogs would go nutts. Last night I didn;t close the run door and betty and Mayble were out of the coop screeching from 5am!!!!!!! I had to go out in the yard in my nightie to try to shut them up! Gave them soem feed and water and they were fine. But honestly - no one else bothered getting up just those two!!!!!!! Well they are the youngest the rest of them are getting to be real old ladies now.

Well today we were out again on the old trail of trying to find a restbite care centre for the lad. We got up early as we had to catch the early ferry. - We finally managed to locate the place which was miles away. Dans Social worker turned up and tried to get in and discovered that the place was all locked up and the whole lot had gone out for the day????? How could she not ring to confirm the appointment this morning before she left her office?????? Sometimes the stupidity of these folk amazes me? That is basic office skills? She also told us she had never been to the centre before - ??? How on earth can she recomend a place for our lad if SHE has never seen it????? - What happened to: "Know your product before you try to sell it on to your clients?"
It isn;t the first centre that she has taken us to that she has known little or nothing about? I don;t understand this method at all??? It seems to be more of a lucky dip rather than a well thought out plan of action!!!!! I so felt like screeming at her with frustration though I know it was not entirerly her fault as the fellow in charge of the care unit should have written the appaintment in to his diary and knew we were comming. So we drove about 60 miles in all and spent a whole load of money on a ferry crossing - Ahhhhhhhhhhh

We are spending the rest of the day in the yard, BBQ tonight I think if we keep the sun and I can feel a glass of chilled white wine comming on. - Got coffee and cake earlier after all the drama! Stopped off at a lovely coffee shop on the way back and I was bad as I had a really yummy lemon marangue pie - thought I deserved it!!!!

Oes

 

[Gargoyle]

I was bad as I had a really yummy lemon marangue pie - thought I deserved it!!!!

Sounds good, not bad.

The chipmunks are getting into the run and bothering the chicks. The run has chain link, with metal sheeting around the bottom two feet, but they jump up and in. I found light gauge hardware cloth on sale last night, plus the store (Menards) is giving 11% rebate on everything this week, so that reduces the price to about $11.50 per 3' x 25' roll.

Meantime the new section is coming along well, new pix in the folder linked from my sig. Hardware cloth is going up today. The girls are infinitely entertained by the work and activity, but yesterday they spotted a big moth in their run and they were running back and forth, craning their necks, trying to catch it.

BTW, there are two threads I'd seen on BYC in the past that I can't find, anyone know were to find them? One was a funny one about how chickens decide what to eat and how they prioritize, (if it moves, eat it. if it doesn't move, eat it...) extremely funny, describing how they'll drop everything to go after whatever another chicken is eating, and how if you fall down they will watch a while and wait before they determine you aren't bringing food, but instead you have become food. The other thread I'm searching for is one about the gravestones people have made for their chickens.

OK, time to go refill my coffee cup. No lemon meringue pie here.

 

[karl E lutz]

Good morning chicken wranglers
Oes you should know by now that all gov workers are in that position because they are able to do very little for the money they "earn"!
I know that that is how it is here and people are the same all over the world.We went to see the big race in Indianappolis yesterday it was Hotter than billy blue blazes.It is supposed to be as hot today and down into the 60's by thursday.Good grief! OK
God Bless!

 

[karl E lutz]

I should not have said that about govt employees,Lord knows there are a lot of consciencious workers in every profession and gov't employment is no exception.
I appologize and correct myself for being flippent and disrespectful to all.

 

[oesdog]

News from the Oes.

Stop beating yourself up Karl! It isn't good for your health!!!!!!!

Anyone in the coffee shop?????????????????????

Well had a busy week of it. All diamond jubilee here and all of that. I even managed a flag on my porch!

I have been busy planting in the yard and doing lots of other stuff outside. My veg garden is bursting.

Have been trying to save a lot of baby birds nest too. One of the neighbors was illegally felling trees in breeding season. So I reported him. I had to report him 3 times and threaten with the TV before something seems to have been done. (Then I found out he is a policeman typical!!! ) But at least I got him to stop for now. I know he will fell the trees anyhow, which is always sad especially when there is no reason. Actually the fellow has gone a bit mad in the head with a chain saw. Its a long story. But it’s kept me busy for a bit. He just has to wait a few weeks until the birds fledge - I hate cruelty it really upsets me much. At least we got the felling stopped and the burning which was horrendous. Gosh the smoke was so thick it came right up to my back patio and you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face outside. Now thankfully I can see birds flying in and out of the trees with food so some of the nest and chicks have survived.

Dan is seeing a specialist for his fits, which is good news as the fellow is lovely and very good with Danny.
I am hoping to take Ben to see him about his seizures to! The social worker has not returned my messages and has not been in contact since the last escapade in the long battle to find appropriate rest-bite care. I am not very hopeful right now about getting any.

The Hens are doing ok but no one came to brood yet so I guess no chicks this year. I do have an incubator but I don’t fancy playing hunt the worm games with the babies this year! Been there before and I don’t make a very good momma hen!

Oes