Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[Rock Home Isle]

Once this morning ritual is completed they like to sit on the wood that I still need to put away and look at thier reflection in the basement windows. Like a group of girls getting ready for a night out.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

We've been calling our little Cockerel, "Pecker"...because that is what he does best. He's becoming very protective of his little flock of girls. I have put out a few feelers looking for a home for him, but everybody wants pullets...nobody is interested in cockerels. You really can't blame them...So Pecker's days are numbered.

DANG!!! he's such a cool little guy.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Chickenology: Using the Work Force

Occasionally I'll have an area in my yard where the thatch gets real thick and it will start to choke out the grass. Usually the normal response, one that I have done for years and years, is to go get a de-thatcher and power-rake the lawn. After that work is done I then rake up this big pile of thatch; load it up into PLASTIC TRASH BAGS; haul down to the curb so that it goes out with the garbage; and it eventually winds up in the land fill. What a huge waste.

I got my initial inspiration from watchinh how my chickens enjoy the fresh sprouts from the bird seed that sprouts in their run....So I thought of an experiment to see if I could get the pullets to de-thatch my yard for me.





I have conducted my little experiment and here are my results: When I have an area where the thatch is getting thick, I'll get a small container of bird seed and go call the girls over for a snack. They love bird seed and will readily come running when I offer it as a treat.



I then feed the pullets several times in the area where I have the thatch problem. I spread this feeding activity with the pullets out over a few days in this problem area. As the pullets feed from my hand there is quite a bit of the bird seed that will be scattered into the lawn where I have the thatch problem. Once I've feed them several times and I feel that there is a good coverage of spilt bird seed in the area....I get out the hose and give the area a good soak. Then after a few days of nice hot weather, the bird seed will sprout and the all these young tender seedlings will begin springing up all over the area where the seed was spilt. My girls are already aware of the spilt seed and have been picking seed in the area as they find it, but once the spilt seed starts sprouting...



LOOK OUT....They will now actively work the area over trying to get every tender shoot. As they work the area they scratch and peck. I found that my small flock will pull up almost all the thatch and they will also eat and consume quite a bit of this thatch. The ducks also consume quite a bit of the thatch, even more than the pullets. The material that the flock doesn't consume, I pick up with the lawn mower the next time that I mow the lawn. After a few mowings, any sprouts that didn't get eaten will die out of the lawn. These girls work so hard to get those sprouts....

Those of us that have poultry have a work for force that will work for chicken feed or rather bird seed if we just use a little chickenology to get them to do it. Lot's of awesomeness.

They are a wonderful work force.

 

[akovia]

I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to put "him" in the pot. I've seen quite a few that looked like cockerels but turned out to be hens>

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/bufforpingtonpage.html

 

[AMA Chick]

Just want you to know how much I'm enjoying reading about your chicken adventures! I don't post every time I read, but I keep checking in

 

[BlueSkies305]

Really enjoy reading this thread and seeing your wonderful pictures. This is my first year raising chickens and I'm finding it very enjoyable and educational. Well done with your coop.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to put "him" in the pot. I've seen quite a few that looked like cockerels but turned out to be hens>

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/bufforpingtonpage.html

Maybe my little "Pecker" is a pullet after all...and not a cockerel. Thank you for that link.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Just want you to know how much I'm enjoying reading about your chicken adventures! I don't post every time I read, but I keep checking in

Thank you.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Really enjoy reading this thread and seeing your wonderful pictures. This is my first year raising chickens and I'm finding it very enjoyable and educational. Well done with your coop.

The coop started out as a fun project, but after a few weeks, I was starting to get worried. I'm glad that its done.

Once the coop and the run are completed...the work involved with keeping poultry....becomes very little.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

We have a Trampoline in the backyard. It has been set into the ground. When I mow the lawn in the summer, I like to put some of the fresh cut clippings around the trampt to keep the grass at the edges looking nice and the yard looking more...trimmed.

Well Pecker sure enjoyed the fresh cut grass today...




and so did the ducks...