Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[Ravynscroft]

Tell her I feel her pain... and would be willing to back her for 'justifiable homicide' if need be, lol...

 

[cwrite]

We dont want to fire lillian, just move her to a position that requires minimal thinking like chief hose holder in summer and head garden weeder in the wet season. Though the garden is wiped out because she left the gate open and mozza cleaned it out overnight last week.

You have a lot of restraint Oz. That would have driven me nuts!

 

[ozexpat]

You have a lot of restraint Oz. That would have driven me nuts!

in fairness, she was hired as a maid and her husband as a gardener.

Overall, they have done a decent job.

Bernie bolted after I left and really put us in a bind.. Dodong really stepped up,

in the 2.5 months since Berie bolted we have sold piglets, pigs and lots of chickens.

the 2.5 months does feel like 6 months though. lol

 

[Phage]

Maybe Lillian just is not smart and is only able to do 'maid level' work. In which case she should be paid as such and little expected of her besides keeping her Dh around. Funds that would otherwise go to her could go to other competent help.
The garden gate issue is appalling.

 

[mpgo4th]

Well we had our first hawk attack yesterday afternoon. I got home and opened the pen to let them out to free range. I came in the basement, kicked off my shoes and went upstairs to get the kids started on homework. In that little time a redtail hawk found one of my original 6 hens. She's three years old and was dust bathing when he attacked her. I ran out and also let the dogs out. The hawk flew away and she got up. All I can see wrong with her is some missing breast feathers. We got lucky this time. Sucks because now I have to leave them locked up in the run.

 

[Tomtommom]

Well we had our first hawk attack yesterday afternoon. I got home and opened the pen to let them out to free range. I came in the basement, kicked off my shoes and went upstairs to get the kids started on homework. In that little time a redtail hawk found one of my original 6 hens. She's three years old and was dust bathing when he attacked her. I ran out and also let the dogs out. The hawk flew away and she got up. All I can see wrong with her is some missing breast feathers. We got lucky this time. Sucks because now I have to leave them locked up in the run.

Check closely, hawks often leave puncture wounds.

I've had two birds that had wounds from a hawk attack, but both made full recovery with enough time. But you've gotta keep those wounds clean. One was really, really nasty and I had to pull all sorts of gunk out of her wounds and rinsed it out daily. But her wound was really severe and I didn't think she would make it. She's still around, laying, happy as can be.

 

[ChickaLong]

I had an eagle try for a hen 2 weeks ago(I saw it). She had a cut on the side of the tail and a lot of feathers missing. Yesterday something missed another hen. She had a lot of feathers missing on the tail area but no cut.

 

[mpgo4th]

I held her and my wife checked her out good. I think the hawk had just got to her when we saw it.

 

[ozexpat]

Maybe Lillian just is not smart and is only able to do 'maid level' work. In which case she should be paid as such and little expected of her besides keeping her Dh around. Funds that would otherwise go to her could go to other competent help.
The garden gate issue is appalling.

Dodong and Lillian were originally emplyed because Lillian was said to have graduated high school and could speak english.

We will find a place for her - unless she completely drives us nuts

I have been a manager of employees for many years. I always have used the premise that if an employee makes an error, its because I did not teach them otherwise.

Things like leaving a gate open is a costly mistake but a mistake none-the-less.

Since she got her written warning, her routine reporting has improved. She can now pay the water bill and be home in an hour instead of four. Plants are being watered.

Its not the routine thats the issue. Its the extraordinary. I have been second guessing myself over nutrition and parasite management with our egg count in a steady decline, I did not think about the lights. In the tropics we get 11.5 to 12.5 hours of daylight a day. The subtle difference in light causes a molt at the fall equinox. When we kicked the light up to 14 hrs a day in december, our egg count went through the roof. By mid feb we were getting more eggs than we needed. Then things changed. Every day it dwindled.

Yesterday I asked in passing what time the lights are going off. Dodong was never told that the lights were auto.. He had been manually turning them on and off. He would "usually" turn them off at 7pm. I found my problem I trouble shooted the timer and had it back on austo mode.

Now... do you think that I would have got a report that the lights went on and off ok? Nada.

I have to ask a hundred questions every week to know if things are done.

 

[ozexpat]

Well we had our first hawk attack yesterday afternoon. I got home and opened the pen to let them out to free range. I came in the basement, kicked off my shoes and went upstairs to get the kids started on homework. In that little time a redtail hawk found one of my original 6 hens. She's three years old and was dust bathing when he attacked her. I ran out and also let the dogs out. The hawk flew away and she got up. All I can see wrong with her is some missing breast feathers. We got lucky this time. Sucks because now I have to leave them locked up in the run.

that sucks. I hate losing birds

I would love to have all our birds free ranging.