Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Would you believe I ran out of hardware cloth before I could cover above the door. Hubby just finished putting in the brace today. I don't want to buy another roll so I think I'll paint a sign on wood and put it up there. The Icelandics would be all over my brooder room if I left it open! Heck the donkeys were in the barn yesterday. Diana stole a rain boot and I found it out in the back pasture this morning. They were "helping" Michael organize the barn! Those little sweethearts are in their glory in the big pasture. They have entertained visitors all day long. Everyone who walks or drives by stops to visit them. Here they are returning tonight after visiting through the fence with the neighbor's llamas.

You are right Mahonri. I do think I live in paradise. I am so happy here even with the mud and muck!

 

[The Sheriff]

Ok just finished up a day's work in the barn and new coop. Michael wired the barn side for lights and plugs. I finished the roll-out nest boxes except for staining and adding the nest pads which should be here this week. I also covered the space above the screen door and reconfigured my removable jump up roost.

Then, I went nuts. I was going to make a big wooden feeder like one I saw here on BYC. During a forage through the Home Depot looking for wood I spotted THESE:

I turned one upside down and started looking at it and realized I could use it as the framework for a feeder. It was only $14! I bought some small pieces of plywood to plug up the openings and a couple of hinges and headed home with my treasures. I was originally going to make it so they could feed from both sides. I quickly realized that would take up too much floor space. So I made one side higher than the other and attached it to the wall and made a hinged slanted lid to discourage climbing on it. I hesitate to use to word prevent because they are Icelandics after all. I still need to find a tray for the food to fall in but I think it might just work! I will post pictures tomorrow. I took my camera down to the barn in a driving rain only to realize the battery was on the charger at the house.

So we are almost ready to make the big move. My 7 and 8 week olds are spending their first night in the big coop without their heat-lamp. They were in there at lock-up instead of in their baby coop so I left them. There is a flat panel coop heater running and they are cuddled up around the feeder. The are fully feathered and should be fine but I will worry myself sick all night anyway. I am hoping it goes well because I really need to move my Thanksgiving babies out of the brooder and into the outdoor baby coop to make room for my New Year's babies! Good grief!

Well, I am off to catch up on Mahonri's New Year's thread and then to bed early. I want to finish things up tomorrow in the new coop. I can't really finish until the pop door and nest pads get here but I can get everything else done.

Later!

Edited to add that I LOVE power tools. A few years ago hubby bought me this and a table saw too!

 

[kathyinmo]

WOW, Mary, those are gonna work out great! What a nice find! I can hardly wait for the final pictures.

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Don't go there ..... NO, don't do it! Kelly has been over there causing a ruckus! You know how she is.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
I thought she was supposed to be sick!

 

[kathyinmo]

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I thought she was supposed to be sick!

Yeah, I would agree with that. Ummm hmmm, yeah, she's sick alright.

 

[Country Heart]

Warden,

Thanks for the great read - I spent the entire evening (it's just midnight now) reading through your thread and learning about Icelandics. They are so unique and colorful. Thanks for the enjoyable evening.

Country Heart
(Tracy)

 

[The Sheriff]

Well thanks Tracy. That was sweet of you!

Mary

 

[cherylcohen]

Power tools.....ahhhhh

When we started with chickens Larry & I decided to build our own coop, afterall we had the beginnings...a 4' x 10' planter bed! Having never built anything in our lives led us to the realization that we should use screws instead of nails because then we could REMOVE them in case we "screwed" up! we were constantly fighting over the cordless electric screwdriver/drill thingie. I bought myself my own, bigger and better, stronger than a flying bullet, faster than a speeding hmmm, oh well so much for the superman analogies...bad

Anyway now I'm a collector. I'm really hard on my tools, I always think they should be able to do more things than they can so I'm always buying new screw bits, blades etc....pushing the limits with powertools!

 

[kathyinmo]

Mary,
Update here. I have 6 eggs due to hatch tomorrow. I have 3 pips now.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I AM sick, so I have nothing better to do than pick on Kathy!

I now have 3 Icelandic eggs on Lockdown!