Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

By nature, Weren't you moving or something? Did that get all done?
Loralee, I have a long ways to go on the mandarin pen but it is looking better. I really want to take a completed picture of it when I get ready to move the ducks in. It seems like it has been a long time coming. I know my ducks are gonna love it.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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We have been at are new place about 2 months. We are mostly moved. This past weekend we moved the kids play set and one of my old cars. We are hoping that we will have it done before the end of the month. Now that the play set is in the backyard I can put the fence up, then I can bring the chickens and rabbits over.

It is difficult to move when you have a infant and have more stuff than you thought, it does not help when we are only going to the old place once a weekend and we ran out of room to put stuff. We are going to have one heck of a garage sale this spring.

 

[Trish44]

Sharol that's strange that Fleming Outdoors sent you such a bad news timer. I also have their automatic door & the timer that came with it has worked great so far for the last two months. The only reason mine has gotten off a little is due to my not getting the current time set exactly right, other than that I can't imagine it getting off that much. I adjust as it gets darker earlier. Overall though I just love that door setup & am really glad I got it, it gives me a lot of peace of mind that my chickens are safe at night from the critters.

 

[sharol]

I was surprised, too. It is really shoddy. The first night it lost 2 1/2 hours, then next morning I reset it and by 5 it had gained 2 hours and the door closed the girls outside. At that point I plugged in the other timer and put the lights on this one. It was still off by at least an hour a day (either slow or fast -- it didn't seem to be a pattern) by the time the lights were supposed to come on in the evening at 6 or so. I never heard of such a thing.

Fleming has ordered a replacement timer from their source to be sent to me. I'm just not hopeful it will be any better than the original.

I LOVE the door, though. It is sturdy and tight and will keep my girls safe from the predators.

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[Hawkeye95]

Sharol, at least they are sending a replacement, and worst case, like you said it can be used for lights. That got me to thinking, though! I think I'll put in an electrical outlet right near where my pop door is! Someday I would like to have an Add a Motor, and even if I don't then the outlet will be useful.

I went to both Atwoods and Lowes today picking up electrical stuff. Atwoods is soooo much cheaper! I went to Lowes to get the things that the farm store didn't have. I also bought a new pair of work gloves. I tore mine up this summer from working on the coop. It's so cold now and windy! My dad is supposed to come over and help me wire up the coop this afternoon. I guess we're going to freeze out there. Strike that... at least my hands will be fine in my new gloves! LOL Anyway, I also bought an outdoor metal electrical box that has the flip covers over the face. Figured I can run LED rope lighting under the eaves and plug it in outside and put it on a timer! Wouldn't that be cute? I could use that all year long as my "outdoor light" and it will be low voltage and not draw too much. Anyway, might as well do it NOW while I'm going to wiring it up and it won't really be any extra work at this point. No way would I want to try to add something like that back in later. I got a light switch for my interior light in the ceiling and a couple of outlets for inside for my heat lamp and water heater. My poor little babies are still going to be tiny this winter! And my new hatches will be even smaller! Poor things! They are in the garage, and even at that- they are huddled under the heat lamp most of the time the last couple of days since it's cooled off into the 50's. They are going to be two weeks old --or maybe a bit older by the time my news ones hatch. Will that be too much of a difference to be put together? I sure hope not!

 

[Hawkeye95]

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We have been at are new place about 2 months. We are mostly moved. This past weekend we moved the kids play set and one of my old cars. We are hoping that we will have it done before the end of the month. Now that the play set is in the backyard I can put the fence up, then I can bring the chickens and rabbits over.

It is difficult to move when you have a infant and have more stuff than you thought, it does not help when we are only going to the old place once a weekend and we ran out of room to put stuff. We are going to have one heck of a garage sale this spring.

Oh, no fun moving with a baby. I hear you on all the stuff. Kids have way more things than we do! They even have more clothes than I have!

I bet it will be really nice and feel good to get your bunnies and chickens home with you so you can see them every day.

 

[chicken danz]

Sure never want to move again. Each time I moved I had more and more stuff. This last move I had an auction and I still have to rent a storage building with my extra stuff. I need lessons from Loralee on purging and down sizing.
I've had a stressful day. At least this is the last week of physical therapy. Maybe next week I'll have more time to get things done. I am REALLY not wanting to be out in this weather now. The wind came up and the temp is going down. This sucks. And where is our 60% chance of rain? Even the ducks are cowered up together trying to stay warm.
We have to go to Emporia this evening. I would rather stay home and maybe light the fire place. But when you live in the sticks you have to go elsewhere to get things.

 

[sharol]

The door unit I got actually had an add a motor unit in it. I run an extension cord across the top of the coop and then the plug meets it in the rafters.

Now if I can just figure a way to keep the sparrows out of the coop. They fly in the pop-door and then just stay and eat the insulation they can reach in the ceiling corners.

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[tntblake]

I went to Atwoods today and picked up 6 chicks for my broody! I got 4 barred rocks and 2 ee's. They are so cute! We held them for a little bit and then I went out and put them under mama. She is very happy now. I love to hear her coo to the babies. Here are a couple of pics of the chickies and one of my oldest with his favorite. He insisted that I post his pic for ya'll. Lol Always a ham!

 

[Hawkeye95]

omGosh, Sharol- the sparrows come in thru the pop door and eat insulation? That is crazy! I wouldn't think that little sparrows would want to come in a coop! But then again, what do I know about wild birds? That is really interesting that your door came with an Add a Motor. I'm just going to build my pop door along the inside with the rails and then someday I can do the Add a Motor. I've been kind of eye balling how they do it, so I want to build it the way it needs to be the first time so I don't have to go back and redo anything. However, I'm only using a piece of plexi glass for my door- so I'm thinking I may need to get one of those window weights that Chooks talked about earlier to make it heavy. I don't know what window weights look like, but I'm sure I can hunt one down. I'd like to see what your door looks like! Maybe you can post a pic of it?

So, my dad came over and we wired up the coop tonight. Holy heck, it is COLD out there! And the wind is insane. UGH. So that was no fun. Where did Fall go???? We got the ceiling light in and screwed it in and wired it up. Put in wire for the switch, and outlets, etc. I just need to put in the insulation and lay the board over it now so I can finish it up. Now I just need to dig a trench from the coop to the house! I'll have to call my neighbor to get him to do it for me.