How is your flock today?

[BlueBaby]

@416bigbore I don't do those mealworm one's over here. There's plenty of other bugs for them to much on since it doesn't get as cold here as other places during winter. Mine have eaten those black ant's and even the honey bee's that sometimes get into the run. There's always some type of beetle under the waterers too, so when I move them, the chicken's are right there to gobble them up.

I'm planning on moving the 10 chick's outside today into the grow-out pen. They are getting too rambunctious in the brooder in the room, and the grow-out pen is bigger.

 

[BlueBaby]

I got those 10 chick's moved outside earlier this afternoon. They seemed to be happy with having more room to play in. They found the food and water ok. I put 2 little roosting bar's in the grow-out pen for them.

 

[416bigbore]

@BlueBaby O-wow, I bet you are glad to have that little project done and out of the way. I was surprised at how fast ours grew and since we didn't have a coop or run set up at the time we got the chicks and ducklings, it's been a work in progress every since. LOL

We had a good day also yesterday, It was a nice sunny day and in the mid 50's with no wind. So I was able to move all the water lines and get them ready for the up coming cold temps they have been predicting for the next few weeks. I think they call it winter!

I made it so at the end of the day I can turn the water off inside the house and blow the lines out with air so no water will freeze in them overnight. Then I will be ready to go in the morning minus temps or not and no frozen lines to have to mess with. Nothing worse then hard water issues in the winter when you have animals who depend on it daily.

Nine eggs again yesterday, four chicken and five duck so that was nice. I am curious to see how they do when it does get much colder, like 0 to single digits colder.

 

[BlueBaby]

@416bigbore We dug a trench to bury a pvc pipe out to the run to make it easier for me to give them water out there. I attached a shorter hose to the faucet at the run on the outside of it. The water can be shut off at the house if it's ever needed to be, then just walk back out there to remove the pressure on the house. Since the pvc pipping is buried under the ground, it won't freeze.

My run is made out of horse panels. We had layed each panel on the ground and attached the wire to it, before standing them back up. The wire goes down 2 feet into the trenched out ground that we dug. The top of the run is also wire covered panel's, and then board's attached over that for more protection.

 

[416bigbore]

@BlueBaby I agree with you 100% on burring the waterline, not only to help keep it from freezing, but get it out of the way. Once our Coop is set up in a more permanent spot I will do that also.

I would like to move our coop and run to much higher ground over where it is sitting now. The perfect place would be the old garden spot and the only reason why the coop is not set up there now, is because last spring when we decided to get our young poultry, the garden was already planted so it was not an option at the time. Nothing like doing something twice, right! LOL

Then with all the above average rain fall this past spring ,summer and fall the coop is sitting right in the way for all the water to run through a corner of it, so it's always been a muddy mess to have to deal with.

When I was living in Phoenix for a short time years ago, a co-worker and I rented a small house together. I found it to be funny in the summer months that you could turn on the cold water at the kitchen sink and it was hot because of the shallow waterlines. That was a new experience for me.

Sounds like you have your coop built very solid and predator proof, might you have any pics to share? I would be curious in seeing how you used the horse panels in your design.

Yesterday was a nice sunny day again so I was able to finish up a few more things before the colder weather rolls in. Only six eggs, four chicken and two duck egg which is odd for the girls, but everyone is healthy and doing fine so that's the most important thing.

 

[BlueBaby]

I have some close up's where it also show's the chicken's in, but you can get the idea of it. The horse panel's are on three sides, plus some on the top to cover the run. The forth side of the run is the coop itself, as it has been attached. A doorway has been cut on that side of the coop, so that they can let themselves in and out of the coop and run. The horse panel's were covered in 2 x 4 hardware wire and go 2 feet down into the ground. After it was all assembled, we wrapped chicken wire around the pen to help keep the the doves sized bird's out. Then attached board's over the paneled top to help with more protection, so the feed could stay drier if it rained. Excuse the poop on the board's covering the top of the wire dog cage that I use for my grow-out pen.

 

[416bigbore]

@BlueBaby O-ok, Thank you for the nice pics. I was curious because I use a lot of old dog kennel panels with chain-link fence and will also put the small 1'x1" chicken wire on the outside for extra protection.

I know it won't keep a weasel or anything super small like that out, but luckily we are in an area where they are not a big threat thank goodness. Then the 4 wire electric fence on the outside of everything will keep all the other larger four legged critters out.

Today is another super super wet day again! Drizzle all day long from the looks of the Radar, so glad I was able to get my little outside projects done yesterday.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BlueBaby O-ok, Thank you for the nice pics. I was curious because I use a lot of old dog kennel panels with chain-link fence and will also put the small 1'x1" chicken wire on the outside for extra protection.

I know it won't keep a weasel or anything super small like that out, but luckily we are in an area where they are not a big threat thank goodness. Then the 4 wire electric fence on the outside of everything will keep all the other larger four legged critters out.

Today is another super super wet day again! Drizzle all day long from the looks of the Radar, so glad I was able to get my little outside projects done yesterday.

Yes, what you would use to go over the panel's to make them secure for your need's would depend on what type of predator's that you have over there.

One of my 2 White Rock pullet's layed her first little brown egg today.

 

[416bigbore]

Congrats, First egger pullet, That is so cool!

 

[BlueBaby]

Congrats, First egger pullet, That is so cool!

Yes, those first egg's are cool, because then you can see what color of egg that she's going to lay. You get to know what color each girl is laying so you can know if there is an egg laying problem with any of them. At least I don't have to mark the vent's with lipstick to know who's laying egg's.