From tragedy comes growth

[fifenashia]

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I would LOVE to be a SAHCM!!!

I also take the deaths of my beloved hens harder then the kids do. I guess it makes sense since I spend more time overall with them,, caring for them, worrying about them...

We have not allowed them to free-range since the "incident"

I'm a nervous chicken mom now! I try to give them an hour or so outside supervised but it breaks my heart when I leave for work in the morning and see Red standing at the door like "HEY lemme out mooooom!!!"

I guess I would rather them be out less than dead and not out at all... This raising chickens is hard work!

 

[fifenashia]

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I too would love the allow them to free range but the more time I spend here on the forums the more it becomes clear.... free range chickens are a buffet for predators and not even roosters are enough at time to protect the flock.

Even if you have it fenced, there are a number of issues that could present. My plan is to build a larger run that will give them space to forage with the security of the coop. I guess it's all about balance and priorities. If you don't get attached to them then free range would work. Ours are more pets though and so it's more about keeping them safe! I would keep them inside if hubby would let me!!!!

Good luck on the coop!

 

[SuperChiks]

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UH!! Can I relate! Been a chicken mom for a month. And personally don't really even like pet birds. I'm an animal lover in general and I like to watch birds but... like you said - I NEVER thought I would even like a chicken let alone be attached to one.

 

[fifenashia]

So glad to be home after a late night at work. Was late getting out to see my big girls in the coop and once I got there...

too much rain lately has made quite a mess! I have also been looking at my coop with a very critical eye of late. I am shocked that they survived a year in it! I can see holes and gaps and I'm just unhappy with it. Problem is, lumber is expensive and building it takes time. If I start a new one, what the heck would I do with the old one? Too much money all around. So I am left with trying to patch up the one I have piece by piece...

We got the door, next up I want a better roof. Then I want to add an access door and nest boxes. Right now, it's just a stinking box filled with stray and the girls make their own nests in the corners. BUT when I clean it out, the corners are wet and the wood is turning black. Bet it's rotting out which aggravates me too. I wanted good wood that would not rot out, hubby wanted to save money and got OSB board

I need to stop talking about it, it's making me more frustrated.

The babies are doing well, the duckling is growing like a weed

And she is becoming quite the sweety. She swam in the tub tonight for a while then came to where her chicken sisters were sitting on my arm and stretched her neck out as if to say "I'm done! Pick me up!" and who could resist??? Not I!!!

So we gathered in the living room and the babies preened and then slept on me while we watched Glee. Then duckling started getting hungry and when she's hungry she's MEAN!!!

She picked at my nose, my lips, my eyes and then she turned onto the chicks and picked at their feet, their fuzzy butts and their beaks. She was a downright bully!!!

Once you get some food in her, she settles down. But sheesh who does she think she is? Queen of Sheba?

We also decided that once they outgrow the rubbermaid, we will take over Juno's (the Boxer) crate. I will put up some cardboard to keep the pine shavings inside and I can stretch some pieces across as roost bars. Most importantly, they can't fly away!!!

I LOVE raising chickens!!!

 

[java girl 2]

I had a chicken trater that I moved so the chickens can be outsied but be safe from the meanys HA HA,

 

[fifenashia]

My Duckie has laid her first egg since the dog attack 2 weeks ago!!!

I cried with relief when hubs gave me the good news over the phone on my way home from work today!

Meanwhile, our babies are growing like weeds!!

and will soon be ready to transition from the brood "box" to the brood "dog crate"

The duckling has taken to me and is quite affectionate when she wants to be. She swims in the bath tub at night and when she is done, she swims to me (I sit at the end on the floor with the chickie sisters) and cranes her head, I put my hand into the water

(usually pretty grody by then) and she steps right into it like I'm her personal elevator!! Then she sits on my shoulder and preens for a solid half hour before settling down and letting me pet on her.

Only 2 weeks and already I am so attached to these feathered babies of mine!!!

 

[fifenashia]

BIG day for the babies yesterday!!!

I brought the rubbermaid tub into the kitchen so I could clean up water and food containers and as I was rinsing them out I looked over to see duckling with her head resting on the edge.... Uh-oh someone has GROWN a LOT to be able to stand up and see over the edge!!!

Time to move to a new brooder...

With the last batch of chicklings we used a kid's soft sided pool to keep them all in, and actually it worked really well aside from the fact that I had to worry about the dogs and cats getting in there and eating them since there was no lid on top. So this time, I took Bailey's dog crate (my Boston Terrier) and placed cardboard along the inside where they can still see us but wont get wood chips EVERYWHERE! Then I filled in with some chips, added food, water and SAND! put the light on top and moved them to the living room where they could be around us more often. It has been so nice having them out here with us, the little peeps are sweet sounding and they are becoming more accustomed to us! The dogs and kitties of course are fascinated! BUT, the wire isn't wide enough for any of them to get a paw into it and they all seemed to have calmed down and adjusted to the sounds coming from the crate. Not as much interest this morning

I have a small roll of plastic garden fence that I can wrap around the outside if someone starts showing too much interest though!

It was also so nice outside yesterday that we took the plastic pan out of the bottom of the crate and I placed them in the small garden fenced run (in the crate mind you) with my other duck and hen. I was able to have all my birds in this make shift playpen I call it, and I could clean out the coop really good while they soaked up sun, dust bathed and just scratched around. Red the hen approached the babies after a bit and I was so nervous, the babies kept moving from one end to the other depending on which side Red looked at them through. She peered for a while but made no move towards them aggressively, ate some grass around the crate and then moved on! Good sign? I hope so!!

Duck also took a short swim in her pool/pond and preened a bit. This was pretty big for her as she had been avoiding the water for days when we let her over there. Once they were calmed down and resting in the shade, I let the duckling out and she took a dip as well. It's not deep, she could reach the bottom but you could tell that she was nervous being there and it didn't take long for her to decide swim time was over!

I worked for HOURS on that coop and the more I did the more frustrated I got with it. I cleaned out ALL the composted mess that they have been adding to for the past year. That was seriously back breaking work!!!! It's not quite ready as it still smells wicked horrible

but I threw some on my garden bed that has not been planted in this year and am hoping that will help with the soil. I then threw some in bags for my neighbors garden and some in buckets for my Father in law, I was a poop shoveling machine!!

After wards, I tamped the ground down good and threw down a good half bale of straw. I also added sand to the house and threw straw on top of that. Threw down some scratch, affixed food to ramp and added a pan underneath the waterer for elevation. I hate this coop, the wood is rotting all over, it was poorly designed (I was too impatient) and as my first attempt at building...

In July, we have some additional money coming in, I plan to go to true built and buy the coop they make that houses about 12 birds, complete with windows, full size entry door for cleaning, ramp for the birds to exit on and external access to nesting boxes. Then, I plan to build a run (I think I can manage that much at least) that will be large enough for them to be in with some pygmy goats. I plan on taking up the back corner in the yard for all of this. Not sure if I am going to build a big frame, wrap it in wire and have an enclosed run, OR if I want to actually build a fence in the yard to section off a large portion and just electrify that part and run some string over the top to deter airborne predators... I am definitely open to suggestions!!!

I will post pictures of the current coop, back corner of the yard, new brooder and maybe the new coop I am going to buy soon. Need to find my cord to plug my camera up to the computer....

 

[java girl 2]

YOUR DUCK LAYED AN EGG???!!!!

I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!

 

[fifenashia]

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Thanks!!! ME TOO!!!!

 

[fifenashia]

The ladies have moved into their new brooder and the other animals were initially interested but in time the fascination waned.

It seems like I take some pictures and then they grow a TON before I get the original pictures loaded and posted! Since this picture was taken the chicks have developed a ton more feathers and the duckling has to have grown up another 2 inches!!! She is getting HUGE!