Greyscale Acres -- Chapter 1

[3KillerBs]

I've let them out early today since it's likely to rain tomorrow so that they won't get to go out.

I don't know what age to allow them in the pen unsupervised. I'm quite worried about them flying out or being taken by a hawk. I think that, in the future, I will avoid raising chicks without a fully-enclosed, secure run. The pen is good -- Premier 1 48" electric poultry net -- but I can't feel safe just letting my 6 and 8 week chick out all day when I'm not there to see if they get into any trouble.

 

[3KillerBs]

They are foraging in a more mature manner tonight. Instead of just randomly snatching grass, they're targeting different plants and, especially, various seed heads.

I'm about to try to herd them in without it being quite all the way dark because I'd like to go in away from the mosquitoes.

 

[3KillerBs]

Chick herding successful.

Chipotle doubled-back while I was getting the others inside then they all popped out when I went back around to herd her inside, but it wasn't much of a rodeo.

I circle around between then and the far end of the pen then walk them toward the pop door with my arms spread and my fingers wiggling while I repeat nonsense like "Bedtime for birdies".

 

[3KillerBs]

I had to buy a bigger feeder because the chicks had severely outgrown their chick feeder (5 and 7 weeks). They kept dumping it and would eat it all in less than a day.

The no-waste feeder I made didn't work -- they didn't eat from it, possibly because they can't reach in far enough and DH doesn't have his bandsaw setup so he can't safely trim down the PVC elbows. We couldn't find the old, plastic hanging feeder that we had before and know that we kept.

So, ...

It's ridiculous. The only feeder the local farm store had available was a 12lb galvanized feeder with a 12" pan. The one I had before was only 5 or 8lbs.

We intend to eventually have enough chickens to need the big one, but it's ridiculous right now. Yet I had to get it because my 14yo leaves for church camp tomorrow and won't be there to give them the mid-day feeding they required while I'm at work.

They are, of course, terrified of their new feeder but I'm sure that will soon be overcome.

 

[3KillerBs]

Just a quick note: I *may* have found a treat that they'll come for.

Tomato trimmings.

Which is fine as long as I'm getting tomatoes but will only work for a few months.

I am NOT buying tomatoes for chickens. I don't even buy tomatoes for family.

 

[3KillerBs]

No photos just yet, but I've put a pallet on blocks in the pen in the hope of, having provided some additional shelter against hawks, I could soon let them out in the daytime instead of just an hour or so before dusk.

Unfortunately, I promptly was reminded that they can't be unsupervised until I'm positive that all of them are too big to go through the poultry net because Omelet got between the inner and outer fence. With the electric on she(he?), could have been in serious trouble.

Being rather tired tonight and the evening being cool (in a relative sense -- this is central NC so probably not above the low 80's), I have been out here with them for going on 2 hours. They've enjoyed the full expanse of the pen (about 25'x25 since it's a 100-foot fence), and had a grand time foraging and digging in the pine straw.

I know that at 6 and 8 week's they're really still babies, but they're already doing so many amusing chicken things.

It's wonderfully relaxing to sit out here with my Chromebook to browse through and my Kindle to read on. Perfect for de-stressing after a tiring shift at work.

 

[3KillerBs]

I will have to completely change the bedding on the next dry day that I'm off -- which can't be until at least next Sunday from either the day off standpoint or the predicted rain standpoint. I've hit the limit of how much bedding I can build up in the coop and had a hint of odor so I put in as much pine straw and old leaves as I could fit in, gave it a good stirring, and have to hope that the girls will mix it up well.

In order to do this I had to let them out into the pen early. It's the first day in a week that it hasn't rained at some point so they're enjoying the opportunity to have a dust bath in the pine straw near the fence.

I am trying to get the photo out of my gmail, but it doesn't want to cooperate on the Chromebook. I'll have to wait until I'm back in on the desktop.

 

[3KillerBs]

 

[3KillerBs]

It's been too long since I updated. I've been working extra hours covering people's vacations.

The girls are growing up beautifully!

The Brahmas are 12 weeks and the others are 10 weeks. Everyone's combs are starting to pink up and the two suspicious ones have not shown any more rooster-ish characteristics so hopefully they're all actually girls.

 

[3KillerBs]

No photos, but I made coleslaw tonight so the ladies got the cores and the outer leaves.

They LOVE cabbage and are happy chickens right now.