Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

re: wind

We are working on getting bird netting over the girls's run this weekend. Thank goodness we got most of it done yesterday when it was quiet.

I let the girls out this morning as usual about 8 to free range in the yard, and found them all huddled at the north end of their coop. I opened the people door (on the north) and they all rushed in. I haven't seen so much as a feather out of the coop since. The pop-door (on the south) into the run is open, but when I opened the people door late morning to take them some turkey bones (from the turkey noodles), the wind whistled through the coop and they all rushed to the part that was out of line with the doors. They really hate the wind too.

At least it isn't 10 degrees with blowing sleet or snow. right?

 

[tazcat70]

Mine came out today but they were really nervous. Every time the wind would blow, they would take off.

 

[prairiepearls]

Weird. My 3 acted like they do every day -- out pecking at the ground all over the back yard, running up to me if I go out on the deck. They didn't seem to notice the wind at all.

 

[FondofChicks]

Mine were growling instead of clucking. They did not seem to like the wind. But they came out to check out the new run and feeder but at first gust they ran back into the coop.

 

[Naughty]

I am sorry I missed it Friday. My eldest had to work and took the car. For some reason I wasn't able to log in to the BYC website either

My girls had a great Thanksgiving ... I had so many leftovers that they could eat! All the vegetable pieces and parts... plus with a 4-day weekend and some semi-decent weather I was able to make yet another fix to their coop area... I basically put another tarp on their area to give it a little better insulation - but still no need for heat yet. The water ices up some - but their water is in the sun during the day - so far it seems to be staying good once I break it in the morning. I just have a metal dog water bowl - it kept my dogs water pretty good last year - so hoping it works for the chicks too. I actually have one in their yard and one in the coop.

 

[mikeksfarmer]

Speaking of leftovers my girls are just about to get an awesome treat. Some of the people I give eggs to,save left overs and buggy meal for my birds. Today my neighbor brought some maccaroni over wondering if my birds would eat it. Oh my God! A little dog food dried, cat food dried and some velveta (4 years old) and we have a feast. With this cold weather coming, my birds are going to the roost with fortified noodles. This all infused with 10 year old tums tablets broken up. I cant wait; big eggs tomorrow. Smells like dinky bird poo but I know my birds will love it!

 

[Ivywoods]

I recently purchased a used 3-tier cage from a lady that raised dogs. I already have it filled up. I have a little rooster that I would like to get rid of (white bantem old english) and a pair of bantem partridge wyandottes in another. Today when I went out to the coop I noticed one of my marans hens had been pecked pretty bad right in front of her tail. Her tail had been pecked out some, too. Anyway, she is now in isolation in the 3rd pen. She wasn't too happy about it, but I'm sure she will get used to it.

We have so much to do, and cold weather is already upon us. We got the electric wire run to the barn today, but none of the wiring is done yet. I don't have my coop finished yet, either. It's been a nightmare trying to get it finished with all used or salvaged material. Maybe if I turn all my hens loose in my husband's barn he will decide it's time to help me get the coop finished.

Tomorrow I hope to get my "chicken tractor" moved into the machine shed to shelter it for the winter. I hope that will help it last longer. It's okay for a few chickens all summer, but I don't think it is adequate for winter. Last year we had actual temperatures of 19 below zero, with wind chill around 50 below. I couldn't stand to be out in it at all. We were completely snowed in 4 different times. I hope this winter is a little milder than last!

 

[mikeksfarmer]

Ivy I feel for you. I have been worried about my own brood. Mama chicken has her 3 week baby ducks out in the big pen today. I am wondering if they spend more time huddling than eating they wont be big enough for Christmas. She did take them back into the pen and is now huddled over them.
Snow fluries here and water is freezing up. Guess were into it now!

 

[Ivywoods]

I went back to the place where I bought the 3 stack cages and bought her remaining 3. That gives me 6, plus the various sized few that I have laying around here that don't stack. They are 30" x 36" which I think will be large enough for trios of breeders when I get to the point that I want to start saving fertile eggs. That will give me a cage for my partridge wyandottes, rosecombs, marans, and lavender and black ameraucanas. I think I'm okay on the cage situation, anyway. Right now I have them in the barn, which is where we keep the goats and horses. If the weather turns REALLY bad before I get the coop ready I think I really will turn my hens loose in there. I would rather do that temporarily than loose them in the bad weather. Their pen stays fairly dry where they are, but it isn't weather proof by any stretch of the imagination.

I put some medicine on the hen that got pecked. Not sure why they did that to her. They were never out of food or water, and no other factors had changed, other than it's getting colder outside. Anyway, the wound is deeper than I thought, but I am hoping that it heals up. She is a pretty nice marans pullet.

All my waterers were frozen this morning. It's going to be a long winter. We have an outdoor woodstove that heats the house, and it's about 76 degrees in the house right now. I love that thing.

I've got about a dozen marans eggs due to hatch this weekend. It looks like they are going to have to live in the basement for a while.

 

[OzawkieBantams]

No snow here. No frozen waterers here.
Staying warm with the bright sun shining in the windows, and keeping my belly full on some store bought yard bird stew...aaaaahhhhh...man i love stew.