Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[drumstick diva]

see I told ya!!

 

[Kris5902]

Oh, that is so true! My yearling cattle managed to get through a fence and congregated by my trailer this evening. I will move them back and fix the fence tomorrow. I don’t know why I turned around, but I noticed one of my Sapphire “girls” acting strangely under the roosting box. Hold on, no... that chicken is out of the pen... and it’s not a girl!

Sammy is a real bird I guess... he managed to fly out the gable end of the barn and was messing with the cows, he chased one a bit, then they chased him. He had two of them hot on his tail and was hiding in my trusses. I rescued him and returned him to the barn. It was quite the scene! Hoping he stays put tomorrow until I can get the hospital tractor all done up for them

 

[Kris5902]

Another little Sammy update, he is not content to roost on the half wall of the barn as Chickie Hawk was. Having vanquished the evil bovines he is now perched on the towel bar of my kitchen caddy island thing I’m using for chicken stuff out there. He is also far less alert at night. I just wanted to cuddle him, but he seemed fairly settled

 

[Ribh]

Another little Sammy update, he is not content to roost on the half wall of the barn as Chickie Hawk was. Having vanquished the evil bovines he is now perched on the towel bar of my kitchen caddy island thing I’m using for chicken stuff out there. He is also far less alert at night. I just wanted to cuddle him, but he seemed fairly settled

I love your chicken stories. Sammy has personality ~ but I have a thing for bad boys like your Chickie Hawk.

 

[aart]

I also forgot to mention I got stuck in the cockerel pen for about an hour last night......It was fun, really. I was very thankful I was wearing a sweater.

Sounds like the only way you get a break to just sit and ponder.
Glad you were able to enjoy it.
But... Geezzzz, Andrew

 

[Kris5902]

I love your chicken stories. Sammy has personality ~ but I have a thing for bad boys like your Chickie Hawk.

Yesterday actually went really well with him, he’s still got an attitude, but the ladies are teaching him manners, and giving him some purpose in life. I have the hinges for their tractor egg door now, but had to spend most of yesterday weeding the 40x40 hole and footing forms for our foundation. I was able to walk in the tractor twice to collect eggs and he didn’t really attack me at all. He was a little fussy when I first walked through the door, but I was able to stick my head and arms through the chicken door and round up the eggs. From the roosting box!

 

[Ribh]

Yesterday actually went really well with him, he’s still got an attitude, but the ladies are teaching him manners, and giving him some purpose in life. I have the hinges for their tractor egg door now, but had to spend most of yesterday weeding the 40x40 hole and footing forms for our foundation. I was able to walk in the tractor twice to collect eggs and he didn’t really attack me at all. He was a little fussy when I first walked through the door, but I was able to stick my head and arms through the chicken door and round up the eggs. From the roosting box!

A certain amount of attitude is good ~ so long as he learns to manage it & exert some self!control. Just like kids.

 

[Kris5902]

I found a trigger for Mr Marans today, accidentally, during morning egg check. He got offended, confrontational, and a little standoffish, but didn’t launch a full defense or anything. I’ve got a fairly bad trailer mold and humidity cough, most mornings it holds off until the first chicken chores are done, but today I had a coughing fit in his pen. Apparently coughing equates Crowing at him and his ladies in Rooster speak, and he was not impressed. I stayed in the pen and spoke quietly to them as usual, choking back my coughs for a good ten minutes until everyiuwas back to normal. I learn something new everyday...

 

[Kris5902]

Some good news on my girl with the leg injury, @aart you were right... I have been here before! I think the limp actually has nothing to do with being dropped, and everything to do with the SLM issues. Since she settled in and has been laying everyday for the last 3 (one normal, a body checked egg thin shell on day two, and a super thin shell on day three) I decided to start with my Vaseline concoction for SLM, in addition to the ivermectin. I gave her two pedicures yesterday, and this morning she was shedding big chunks of dead scale, mite poop and the keratin build up. I think she’s going to be walking again in the next week or two! (Still not excusing the sloppy handling of her by the kids!)

I have to set another day for culling my cockerels, I have three volunteers, my cockerel pen isn’t exactly successful, and the poor bottom boy is being horribly pecked. The rooster booster no pick was a complete failure, and now I have to separate the three lower boys so they can eat and drink... maybe if I free ranged or had a larger pen for them it would work out, but these three aren’t planned breeders, so now it’s just finding the time one morning and setting up.

Got the chainsaw up and running and the rain held off long enough yesterday for us to fix the fence where a tree came down between our section and where the yearling cows are supposed to be. So we will be luring them out there again in about an hour. Also going to do a little more work on the footing forms for the house! Need to pour the concrete before summer so I can start luring free labor in with the promise of meals to help put the darn thing up! I make a really good venison and goat chili!

 

[Ribh]

Some good news on my girl with the leg injury, @aart you were right... I have been here before! I think the limp actually has nothing to do with being dropped, and everything to do with the SLM issues. Since she settled in and has been laying everyday for the last 3 (one normal, a body checked egg thin shell on day two, and a super thin shell on day three) I decided to start with my Vaseline concoction for SLM, in addition to the ivermectin. I gave her two pedicures yesterday, and this morning she was shedding big chunks of dead scale, mite poop and the keratin build up. I think she’s going to be walking again in the next week or two! (Still not excusing the sloppy handling of her by the kids!)

I have to set another day for culling my cockerels, I have three volunteers, my cockerel pen isn’t exactly successful, and the poor bottom boy is being horribly pecked. The rooster booster no pick was a complete failure, and now I have to separate the three lower boys so they can eat and drink... maybe if I free ranged or had a larger pen for them it would work out, but these three aren’t planned breeders, so now it’s just finding the time one morning and setting up.

Got the chainsaw up and running and the rain held off long enough yesterday for us to fix the fence where a tree came down between our section and where the yearling cows are supposed to be. So we will be luring them out there again in about an hour. Also going to do a little more work on the footing forms for the house! Need to pour the concrete before summer so I can start luring free labor in with the promise of meals to help put the darn thing up! I make a really good venison and goat chili!

Wow. You have your plate full. I have a vivid mental picture of you crowing @ your boys.