fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

I went into the shed to get out my second port feeder...and couldn't find it, at all!

I decided to use the smaller rubber feeder pan for a second feeder, but it needed a base of sorts.

I did find an enamel stock pot that was a perfect fit for the pan! I found a rock to weigh it down.

I placed it near the back of the coop, out of the weather, and not underneath the roost.

I put some feed in it and did my "chick-chick" call.

That's Joel with the girls

Martha was the first to check it out...

Samuel checked it out as well

And then...

Joel and Samuel ate side by side!!!

Then they spent some time in the sun...

I'll wait until tomorrow to set up the pan for water, I want to be sure the foam is thoroughly dry.

 

[NanaK]

That looks great! Fantastic job!

I read an article a while back that someone used a tire and stuffed it with old clothing. I think the foam will greatly help the R-value. Just make sure none of the foam can be seen by the birds when the bowl is in place. No little bits peeking out around the bowl. Chickens LOVE to eat foam for some reason.

Good to see Samuel and Joel eating at the same time from the same bowl. I noticed in the roosting photo they were fairly close together too. This is a great sign!

 

[fuzzi]

That looks great! Fantastic job!

I read an article a while back that someone used a tire and stuffed it with old clothing. I think the foam will greatly help the R-value. Just make sure none of the foam can be seen by the birds when the bowl is in place. No little bits peeking out around the bowl. Chickens LOVE to eat foam for some reason.

Good to see Samuel and Joel eating at the same time from the same bowl. I noticed in the roosting photo they were fairly close together too. This is a great sign!

The bowl fits snug in the tire. I was thinking of stuffing the rest of the tire with straw before adding the bowl.

I'll post a photo once I get it put together.



It did my heart good to see the boys next each other without issues

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks good! Nice idea for the water too.

 

[fuzzi]

Wow, it's been a year since I started the hoop coop project!

We bought the cattle panels on January 14, 2023:

We bought the cattle panels for the chicken coop/run project this morning, yippee! I decided to get an extra panel jic.

So...my dh (dear hubby) and I went to Agri Supply as they were both closer and cheaper. I went inside, paid for four panels, and was directed to the gate. When I drove through the gate and stopped an older man walked up to the truck. I said "Where do you want me to go? I bought the cattle panels." He asked me "How are you carrying them?" Um, I'm driving a Tundra. "In the back of this truck". He scowled, then he and a helper got into a golf cart and I followed them to the back of the property.

When we got to the stack of panels he told me to drive forward. I did. Then he told me to back up, so I got back in the truck and backed up until he waved.

I knew how I wanted them loaded, I'd gotten instructions from others here who bought cattle panels, but when I tried to tell him that I wanted them loaded curved part first he growled "We know how to do it"

Um, didn't you just ask me how I was getting them home?

They loaded them backwards. After they left dh and I pulled the panels off and reloaded them, secured with rubber straps and elastic tie downs.

They rode fine for the six mile drive home.

Mister Grouchy needs to be nicer, even to females.

 

[fuzzi]

And got the frame set up on February 21!

Weee!

After raking the area we laid down the connected cattle panels, placing #4 at the end.

I popped off the staples and removed the old 2x4s:
View attachment 3382058

Then I zip-tied the 4th panel to the end, and added more zip-ties where the panels joined for strength:
View attachment 3382059

I slid the new pressure treated 2x4x16's under the long sides and hammered in 1 1/2" staples:
View attachment 3382063

Four hours later...
View attachment 3382064
View attachment 3382066

It's supposed to rain tomorrow so the end pieces will have to wait a week.

Little by little...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Has it been a year already?!

Still going strong too, that's good news. I'm still leaning towards building a hoop coop IF IF things can come together. You know how that is. But maybe sometime this year, we still have a lot of work to do on getting brush/trees cleared, etc.
We took down a few trees last year which was great, we needed to clear back a bit further from our home anyway. Got most of it split, stacked and drying...all of it takes time, but you have to keep ahead of your firewood needs too. It's never ending

 

[fuzzi]

I went to AgriSupply and purchased a 1 gallon and a three gallon pan. The description of the three gallon pan said it could be placed inside a 15" tire. I went to my mechanic's shop, and he happened to have a 15" tire that was going to recycling. When I told him what I was going to use it for he suggested I fill the tire with foam insulation.

Two cans were about $20
View attachment 3729252
View attachment 3729255
I used both cans of spray foam, and they were enough to coat the entire inside of the tire...it will have to do. I set it aside to dry thoroughly, it will take about 8 hours.
View attachment 3729258

Next, the second feeder...

Part Two!

It was 24° when I got up this morning. I walked my dog, Cleo. and when I went past the coop the only chicken walking around was Samuel. The girls were sitting on top of the A-frame roost, twittering, perhaps waiting for the "all clear" from Samuel?

Too cold. I went back inside.

I waited until the temperature reached 34°. There was a breeze so it felt colder.

I put the tire in the southeast corner, next to the cup waterer.

I grabbed a flake of clean straw and stuffed it inside the tire as tightly as I could. The chickens were very excited about the straw, so I tossed a portion behind me, in the main area.

But while I was stuffing the straw a couple of the hens were trying to scratch more straw off the bale!


I pushed the rubber pan down into the tire.

And added water.

No one had taken a drink from it before I left, but I expect they will.

 

[fuzzi]

There's just a small skim of ice so far:

I gathered one egg this morning, but when I checked about 2pm Rahab was in the left-hand box.

At 4pm there was an egg in the left-hand box and one in the right-hand box!

Rahab's is the middle one.

 

[fuzzi]

RIP Joel

Don't continue reading if you can't handle a description of a rooster dying.

I don't know what happened. I added warm water to the waterers before we left for church, checked for eggs about 12:30, none.

I went back out about 3pm, gave them biscuit crumbles as the grapes had spoiled. I noticed Joel off to the side, tossed crumbs in front of him, but he didn't move. Then I saw him struggling to walk, partly falling on his side. I picked him up, didn't see anything wrong with his legs or feet. I gently put him down, he fell over, rolled under a big perch, and started thrashing. Samuel ran over and I tried to grab Joel before Samuel attacked him. I grabbed at Joel's tail, the closest part of him to me AND ALL HIS TAIL FEATHERS CAME OFF. Joel continued to thrash under the perch, his feathers flying off everywhere.

I managed to grab him, he ceased to struggle and his head fell to the side. At that point I realized he was gone. There was a little spot of blood at the back of his head, behind the comb. I think he hit his head on the roost, which has some nubs where branches were trimmed off.

I suspect Joel hitting his head while thrashing about may have killed him. I know he had become quiet, was dethroned, and may have had some underlying condition. But if so, could that have caused his feathers to come off so easily? Was he already dying at that point?

Thank you for being a good boy, Joel, and taking good care of your girls.