Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[drumstick diva]

House Hen, would be such a nice honor for her.

 

[BY Bob]

I’m trying to figure out draft and rain free ventilation, it’s frustrating, and it’s pouring rain today so I’m just cleaning up for “company” tomorrow when we process the remaining cockerels. The other Farmer I went in on my meat chicken order with is coming to participate. It turns out that the Easter Market goes from 11am-3pm, setup started at 9 and cleanup will probably take until 4 or 5... so I’m letting Andrew do that on his own.

I plan on putting Sammy, Puffy and Bossy in here. Sammy wheezes when he exerts himself, chasing cows or squaring off against the (secured) cockerel pen. Sammy roosts so I’ve got a bar 13” high in the tall end for him, and the girls prefer to sleep on the ground due to their mobility issues. I’m thinking top front ventilation over the front and a vent at the top of the taller side doorwith an angled cover (like a dryer vent idea)

I’m a little worried I might be developing a house chicken here... she is just so comfy post breakfast and pedicure, I don’t want to take her back out to the barn!

View attachment 1747999

She looks very comfy there. Be careful, It could be hard to let her go.

 

[Kris5902]

I’m kicking myself a little this morning, I slept in until 7, and I lost my first meat chick. Andrew had to go to town to pick up fertilizer for the farm, Many hinges, hasps, and throw bolts for me, and get his bloodwork done. So that means a 4:30-5am wake up, which was when my inverter cut out for the chicks heat plates. He offered to switch it over for me, but he really doesn’t get what I’ve done to rig up the electrical systems and battery banks. He got the plates switched over to the other battery bank, but forgot to turn the inverter back on.

They all dog piled in the corner and the chick either was suffocating or I think overheated. I also started my rounds at the other end of the chickens, because that’s where the water was, and the bigger chickens needed more refills, and with each refill there’s less water (weight) for me to carry the greater distance. It was the most efficient way to do the chickens this morning based on the location of the items, but the poor little thing literally died in my hands as I was rushing to get it to the trailer to syringe it some water...

Not the best start to today, but I’m going to get the hospital tractor done for Sammy, Bossy, and Puffy... I’m down to adding some ventilation, attatching the hardware cloth, and putting on one door.

 

[aart]

 

[Ribh]

It will get better now.

 

[BY Bob]

I’m kicking myself a little this morning, I slept in until 7, and I lost my first meat chick. Andrew had to go to town to pick up fertilizer for the farm, Many hinges, hasps, and throw bolts for me, and get his bloodwork done. So that means a 4:30-5am wake up, which was when my inverter cut out for the chicks heat plates. He offered to switch it over for me, but he really doesn’t get what I’ve done to rig up the electrical systems and battery banks. He got the plates switched over to the other battery bank, but forgot to turn the inverter back on.

They all dog piled in the corner and the chick either was suffocating or I think overheated. I also started my rounds at the other end of the chickens, because that’s where the water was, and the bigger chickens needed more refills, and with each refill there’s less water (weight) for me to carry the greater distance. It was the most efficient way to do the chickens this morning based on the location of the items, but the poor little thing literally died in my hands as I was rushing to get it to the trailer to syringe it some water...

Not the best start to today, but I’m going to get the hospital tractor done for Sammy, Bossy, and Puffy... I’m down to adding some ventilation, attatching the hardware cloth, and putting on one door.

So sorry.

 

[Kris5902]

Things got a little interesting last night with my boys... I put Sammy and friends into their little hospital tractor, which they are enjoying today... but the only good place to park it was between Chickie Hawk and Mr. Marans tractors. It’s less flexible due to its smaller size, and needs flatter ground than my big ones. I’m moving them in opposite directions, away from where Sammy is now parked. Today Mr Marans and Sammy have both settled, but Hawk is still pretty upset that he can see a new boy... and can’t do anything about it.

Out of Chickie Hawk’s 7 GFs only 3 have actually figured out what the roosts are for, last night I put another of them up on the bottom roost, and held her til she found her balance. It’s hard getting them up, because they have been ground roosting every night for the last year of their lives. The first time I put two up they fell off the roost as I was leaving so I just let them sleep on the floor. Hawk gets upset when I stick my head in and mess with his girls at night, so I’m just going with baby steps until they all get it figured out.

I’m getting about a dozen eggs a day now, and all the meat chicks are at about 1-2 lbs. Andrew ordered me a full pallet of feed for pick up May 9th, but forgot to put in the order for next week to tide me over until then, or buy the bag of layer they usually carry to get me through until next weeks bags (this is why I prefer to go in with him for shopping, we get more done when I’m there to organize. We are hoping to get down to one town day a month, which would be a full day in - 6am ferry hits the big island 8am, night boat leaves at 7pm and gets back to our island at 10pm. That’s for medication refills, dr appointments, bloodwork, all our groceries, feed, pet food, lumber, sausage making ingredients, and assorted sundries. I can’t wait until the meat birds are off heat and on grass. So things can go back to more normal.

 

[aart]

We are hoping to get down to one town day a month, which would be a full day in - 6am ferry hits the big island 8am, night boat leaves at 7pm and gets back to our island at 10pm.

That is a whole other way to live from most of us...perspective and planning!

 

[Kris5902]

You learn to adapt... when you can’t just run into town to pick up a bag of feed. When I first moved out at 17, I moved to a little (180 people) ex-mining town 100 kms outside of a big ski resort, 200 kms out from the nearest city, without a car or drivers license. I had to arrange rides in for my shopping and plan two or three months ahead, so I learned pretty early on. Then I moved back to the city in my early 20’s and got spoiled again by the convienience of working at a high end grocery store and having everything just a quick bus ride away. One of these days I’ll actually get a drivers license! Right now I have a learners...at 37! You’re never too old to learn though

 

[Kris5902]

I should add the bottom roost is a whopping 6-8 inches off the floor, so no one was injured in falling off it! Hawk takes the top roost and of the three girls that are voluntarily roosting, the Columbia rock is on the top with him, and two of the red layers are a rung or two down... with how high some roosts are I just realized my non-chalance about them falling off it could seem horribly neglectful!