fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

Look what I found, local:

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Look what I found, local:
View attachment 3924649

View attachment 3924651

That's great!
I would like to have a couple of those.

We had been in a drought, I'm sure like you have been. We finally got rain. I did set a large tote and a bucket under the eaves of one of my outbuildings to catch rain. I used it all up on those 90+F days.
I'd rather use rain water if possible. Well water works o.k. too, it's just so cold coming out of the hose the plants seem "shocked" LOL

For potted plants outdoors, I fill up a few milk jugs (from the well) then set them in the sun to warm up before watering.

Oh and it was only 57F this morning, it's nice today, about 71-72F. I'm sure it will warm back up though, but I'll take the weather break.

 

[fuzzi]

That's great!
I would like to have a couple of those.

We had been in a drought, I'm sure like you have been. We finally got rain. I did set a large tote and a bucket under the eaves of one of my outbuildings to catch rain. I used it all up on those 90+F days.
I'd rather use rain water if possible. Well water works o.k. too, it's just so cold coming out of the hose the plants seem "shocked" LOL

For potted plants outdoors, I fill up a few milk jugs (from the well) then set them in the sun to warm up before watering.

Oh and it was only 57F this morning, it's nice today, about 71-72F. I'm sure it will warm back up though, but I'll take the weather break.

The weather has been delightful, but the mosquitoes have been vicious, which limits my outside time after work.

I have plastic half barrels around the gardens with coffee cans that I use to water my plants, but it's been an unusually buggy summer so I turned the barrels upside down. The rain barrels I purchased have fine screening on top to keep the mosquitoes out. For the flock's drinking water I've been filling half gallon juice bottles with water from the hose, then carrying them to the coop. I think I will put the terracotta one by the chicken yard for convenience. And rainwater should be better than municipal water treated with chloramines.

 

[1muttsfan]

If you keep Dunks in them, that will prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

 

[fuzzi]

If you keep Dunks in them, that will prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

But will dunks hurt dragonflies?

 

[Winderdear]

Do any of you have a rain barrel or rainwater collection system?

I'm getting my house roof replaced and have requested they add a gutter to the rear. It will help divert heavy rain away from the foundation, but it will also offer me an opportunity to collect the rainwater for gardens and/or chickens. We get about 48" of rain annually, so it's a worthwhile project.

At our current home we don’t yet have a rain collection system, but plan to next year. Depending on the square footage of your roof, you could probably fill much larger containers if you wanted to. I believe you get 0.6 gallons per square foot of roof area per inch of rain. We plan to get a cistern, but food grade IBCs would also be an option. For water pressure, unless you have a significant slope from your house to the garden, you may want to set your rain barrels on a stand. It also gives you room to fill up watering cans beneath the spigot. If you stack two containers on top of each other and connect them, it also increases the pressure significantly. Just things to consider

 

[fuzzi]

At our current home we don’t yet have a rain collection system, but plan to next year. Depending on the square footage of your roof, you could probably fill much larger containers if you wanted to. I believe you get 0.6 gallons per square foot of roof area per inch of rain. We plan to get a cistern, but food grade IBCs would also be an option. For water pressure, unless you have a significant slope from your house to the garden, you may want to set your rain barrels on a stand. It also gives you room to fill up watering cans beneath the spigot. If you stack two containers on top of each other and connect them, it also increases the pressure significantly. Just things to consider

I ordered three, one each for two downspouts, and the third for the chicken area. I'll get concrete blocks (aka "cinder" blocks) for the downspout barrels. We have a truck toolbox by the coop, use it as a table/bench. I thought I could place the third barrel on that.

 

[Winderdear]

I ordered three, one each for two downspouts, and the third for the chicken area. I'll get concrete blocks (aka "cinder" blocks) for the downspout barrels. We have a truck toolbox by the coop, use it as a table/bench. I thought I could place the third barrel on that.

View attachment 3925447

Looks like a great platform! Cinder blocks are also good

 

[fuzzi]

Chicks are getting so big...

I couldn't find any eggs, none in the nest boxes, none in the wheelbarrow. Then I spotted a couple under the wheelbarrow. Below the two was a third, slightly buried. Those little dickens!

 

[lightm]

Do any of you have a rain barrel or rainwater collection system?

I'm getting my house roof replaced and have requested they add a gutter to the rear. It will help divert heavy rain away from the foundation, but it will also offer me an opportunity to collect the rainwater for gardens and/or chickens. We get about 48" of rain annually, so it's a worthwhile project.

I use IBC tote to collect rain water from the gutter. It was quite a bit of work to set up but really worth it. I watched a lot of youtube videos beforehand. I can show pictures if you are interested.