Illinois...

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Lonely Update.
At lockup the other day, Lonely scrambled to top roost. View attachment 2381014

That photo is like something from a horror movie.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

The window will be as big as it can for the slanted roof! We really enjoy our big south facing window, especially in winter when it heats the whole room. This is our first year with chickens and the coop/run have been such a learning curve. I just want them to be happy in the winter like they are now

I don't know if anyone outside in winter can be happy but perhaps we can make them less miserable.....
If I can add 1 suggestion it would be to have parts of the run covered so they can wonder around a bit. Maybe yours will be ok but my birds hated walking in snow. Here is a funny photo of them afraid to come out of the roost on the first snow.

 

[cavemanrich]

That photo is like something from a horror movie.

Looking at it again, I can see the" why". I took pix with my phone , that does not have a flash. I used my handheld flashlight for lighting.
I'm not a photographer, I'm a gearjammer.

If I can add 1 suggestion it would be to have parts of the run covered so they can wonder around a bit. Maybe yours will be ok but my birds hated walking in snow.

Totally agree with chickens not liking barefoot snow walks. Many peeps that have no means of providing overhead snow deterrents, use straw on ground, placed after snow fall. The straw is preferred to hay, as it does not absorb water, and tends to stay dry better.

 

[Molpet]

Looking at it again, I can see the" why". I took pix with my phone , that does not have a flash. I used my handheld flashlight for lighting.
I'm not a photographer, I'm a gearjammer

Looks like a evil queen surrounded by her minions ⚔🛡

 

[Faraday40]

The Lonely legend lives on.
The other girls all have their back to "Lonely"
LOL

She's such an odd-looking little bird, but at least she's got a great personality. I'm so happy you're enjoying her.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

She's such an odd-looking little bird, but at least she's got a great personality

Which is so weird. Her daddy is gorgeous and mom isn't too shabby in the looks department either. What happened?

 

[SnootyHen]

This rain!! I am so over a goopy soupy run and I apparently have another leak in my coop that I thought I fixed. I need more Sweet PDZs and I probably should have just removed ALL the sand I had in it instead of just adding the PDZs to it. I thought over time it would be fine because it would eventually be almost all PDZs and very little sand but until then, every time it rains, I have muck and guck under the leaky part of my run roof which is about my least favorite thing today. How is everyone else?

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

This rain!! I am so over a goopy soupy run and I apparently have another leak in my coop that I thought I fixed. I need more Sweet PDZs and I probably should have just removed ALL the sand I had in it instead of just adding the PDZs to it. I thought over time it would be fine because it would eventually be almost all PDZs and very little sand but until then, every time it rains, I have muck and guck under the leaky part of my run roof which is about my least favorite thing today. How is everyone else?

For the most part good. I work outside so am definitely with you on being tired of rain.
I think my run is dry, birds haven't complained . Under my roost is just dirt so is doesn't require much maintenance. I just add wood chips from time to time for deep liter method

 

[SnootyHen]

I can't figure out why my nesting boxes were wet this morning. The 3rd box no one uses used to get a little wet when it would rain but I caulked that and it stopped. Today it was back and it traveled to the middle box too. Must be a new leak because it's not wet in the exact same spot. At this point I am tempted to just put a tarp over the whole stinking thing. LOL!!!

 

[Molpet]

Well all the rain this week adds up to ...


1.20" at my house. Had .40 before last night. I still need rain