Hello from new member in North Dakota

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jdschuler

jdschuler

In the Brooder
8 Years
Sep 6, 2011
32
3
22
Hello all.... I wanted to stop in and say hello to everyone. Every time I go to check something on the internet regarding my birds I come across this site, so I figured it was time I sign up!
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I have 15 hens and 3 roosters in my flock, as well as 3 pekins, 3 blue swedes and my step-daughters 3 rouins. I built my coop by cutting a small chicken door in the wall of a small barn (12x20) then adding an outdoor run surrounded by chicken wire and covered by bird netting. I built an automatic waterer and also built a raised pond for the ducks. I plan to let them roam out of the coop at some point, but I had taken in some flood evacuee dogs and still have one that has not been able to return to her family, and she like to bark and chase around the outside of the coop, so I am terrified that she would kill one. I love my birds!!!!!!!!! it is so relaxing for me to go and just sit and watch them or sit in the coop with them. I love watching the ducks play, running around after I give them a little shower or watching them splash around in the pond, and watching my chickens chase after a butterfly if one happens along in the coop. I don't know how to explain it, my kids are jealous that the birds will come up to me but not them and my boyfriend thinks I am hilarious, but I don't care! I don't tease him about his cows and llamas!! But really he was great when it came to turning his old barn into a coop on the land that his grand parents homesteaded! I have other questions about suggestions on feeding and heating during the winter so I will look for a forum on that.... Happy to meet you all and I look forward to chatting with you and listening to advice!!
 
Hi ! And Welcome To BYC !!

So glad to learn the names of a few birds I haven't heard about before ! (are they ducks ?)

I have a friend up in Buffalo, NY that puts her chickens up in a barn in the winter. She always has the window open and uses a hot plate under their water to keep it from freezing.

I've heard that some people use the deep composting method (I think my friend does this too) where you layer the barn floor with hay or wood shavings and you never clean it out until the spring, but just keep adding a new layer when it needs it. The decomposing wastes release heat in the decomposition/composting process.

I can relate to how chickens do bond and attach to you. My son's little sebright pullet escaped and he spent the whole day looking for her. All I had to do was call out "Here little chickie, chickie !" and she would reply back to me each time until I found her. Again she was missing this morning and I did call out for her, but didn't hear her. Finally, just before I went in the house I called out for her again "Here little chickie, chickie !" and she replied. She was on the pool patio behind the grill. So now we've moved her inside (she was being quarantined for an eye problem) the house in one of the chickie rearing bins (chicks aren't hatching for another week or so) and we're going to call the 4H vet tomorrow who looks at all the 4H animals for free for the kids.

Isn't that something ? Now I don't feel so silly talking to the chickens when I go and bring them fresh grass every day as a treat.

Hope you enjoy your time here as much as I do !
 
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Yes the pekins, blue swedes and rouins are my ducks. I do talk to birds... alot... lol. The coop is where everyone looks if for some reason they can't find me
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) I will be doing the deep composting in addition to stacking square straw bales around the inside of the coop. My others are Aracauna/Silkie crosses, 1 buff orpington, 3 barred rocks, and 3 new hamps
 

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