fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

Wait for it...

 

[fuzzi]

Fresh straw!

Whole lotta scratching going on!

The Dominiques enjoyed the fresh bedding, too.

 

[fuzzi]

Not necessarily chicken related...but made me laugh. Thought I'd share.

 

[fuzzi]

No procrastination here!

Today after lunch I removed the brooder from the back of the hoop coop, shifted my two bales of straw to the far left corner, and moved the roost farther back under the tarp.

The straw bales were placed on a plastic shower curtain and covered with a vinyl tablecloth, but the chickens found a way to start dismantling them anyway, so I created a barricade with cardboard. Gotta think of a better place or method of storage.

The Sussex loved the area where the brooder had been, probably they were finding lots of bugs and spilled feed.

One of the cockerels was pleased with his discovery, a glass marble I must have dropped from the chicks' waterer. He resisted my efforts to remove it from his beak, but I won.

Blondie and Rita:

I set up the two plastic boxes I'm planning on using for nests, to get a feel for where will be the best location.

Hannah checked them out:

The tops were slippery, so I improvised:

Not permanent...but a work in progress.

The Dominiques' grow-out pen got an upgrade:

The pet carrier (top part) shelter was switched out with the carrier bottom, and fresh straw was added underneath. I placed extra blocks under the food to try to reduce the contamination.

I left the Dominiques' pen door open and within a short time three of the chicks left to explore the coop.

Eventually a couple of the Sussex cockerels chased and pecked the little ones back into the pen, but a little later one of the Dominiques noticed the cockerels were sunbathing next to the pen, and pecked one of them through the bars! I laughed.

What a productive afternoon!

 

[fuzzi]

Went to my chiropractor this morning. I stopped by the local nursery on the way home and bought 3 more 4-packs of RED vincas, as I had run out, wanted more. They grow and bloom despite heat and drought that is typical of late summer here.

Then I stopped by Ace Hardware to buy two more 5 gallon buckets to use for an additional waterer and feeder, for when the Dominiques are added to the general population. I got more ports and cups through Amazon, freebees if I write a review. I can write a review!

While I was there I checked out the chain area...and scored another nesting box!

And they remembered me, hahaha!

 

[fuzzi]

Possible solution to the straw storage issue:

The wheelbarrow is one I purchased several years ago, and discovered that it doesn't work for me. I need a two wheeled cart, one that I can dump without a support getting in the way.

I'm not using it, so why not use it to store the straw?

I can access it from two sides, and it shouldn't restrict air flow much. I placed an old shower curtain liner on top and tucked it in. I placed bricks on the tucked in edges.

View from behind the coop:

 

[fuzzi]

There's a nice breeze passing through the coop...

 

[fuzzi]

Escape!

Why use the door when you can wriggle underneath?

After one of the cockerels started pecking the Dominiques they found refuge behind the grow-out pen. Hannah is small, went behind to investigate them, but didn't act aggressive at all. She scratched a bit, then left.

 

[NanaK]

I stopped by the local nursery on the way home and bought 3 more 4-packs of RED vincas, as I had run out, wanted more. They grow and bloom despite heat and drought that is typical of late summer here.

I love vincas for that same reason. I plant some every year.

Escape!

Hey, those kids ARE in stripes!

 

[fuzzi]

Learning to avoid the Big Boyz...

Arby was the aggressor, but didn't seem to be trying to injure the littles. When "Green" and "Purple/red" attacked previously they looked intent on hurting the Dominiques. Those two cockerels are on the "Well, bye!" list.