Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

The featherless bird did ok last night, there was a little shivering as evening set in, but once she settled down in the middle of the others she was ok. I ended up with my first attempted cannibilism yesterday as well. I went out to do the before dinner check and noticed one of the runty ones had broken some tail feathers. The blood was creating a pecking fest on the poor things back end. Scooped it up applied Blu kote and a little of the no-pick stuff (it worked better with the chick than with my cockerels!) all seems ok today, except perhaps for my now blueish bathroom sink. The Blu kote was dried shut and Andrew had to get it spraying again... I should just be glad it’s not the kitchen sink he decided to use!

I’ve decided to take a bit of a break this weekend, seeing as Andrew is off doing his hobby, I’m going to not start any big projects, and just clean and putter, maybe do some organizing for bringing my cats up to the trailer. There’s a leak somewhere in the plumbing I need to track down, a ton of things that need fixed... and I am going to take a break, slow down, and have an afternoon nap for a change!

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks for the photo and introduction, what beautiful dogs

They are great working dogs, so much energy and personality. The only one I have some issues with is Boots. She is downright scary when her owner isn’t around within about 30 feet of the house. She charges, barking, and will nip anyone who tries to come near the house if her owner isn’t there. She’s nipped me once, my husband three times, and has also done it to several hunters we have had on the property. She is mostly blind, going deaf, startles easily, and is a one person dog. She charged the little girl that lives on the farm the last time the owner was away. Celti stopped her and pinned her down.
Their intelligence is amazing. Normally when the owner is gone she goes to a dog sitter somewhere else on the island, as long as she isn’t alone at the house she’s a sweetheart, but this time no one could take her, and anywhere on the south side of the island is too close, she would just return home and get distressed that her human isn’t there.

 

[Ribh]

Morning! Now apparently I’m not getting notifications on my own threads either I guess I’m going to have to log out and log back in... assuming I can remember that password...



Not exactly mine... but yes Border Collies, all 4 of them! Delta (front)is the youngest, he will be 2 this year and we got him as payment for the Stud fee on his father Celti (back right). Celt is going on 9 or 10, I think, and is our best Herder. We also have Alice (floor) and Boots (back left), both are 13 or 14. Boots is very defensive and Alice is really feeling her age, she’s stiff with Arthritis and both are as retired as we can make them be... but they really want to help work all the time.

View attachment 1761690



Aye, windows, doors, walls trusses and sheathing, building permit even (Finally!), we have it all... except for that pesky “Foundation” that it’s all supposed to go on... sigh

Now that is a dog that I would own. Smart as a whip & all the ones I've ever known have been friendly without being rambunctious. I wouldn't do it to one though. Not in this climate.

 

[Kris5902]

They are full time outside dogs here... much though my cousin is convinced that having an outside dog is animal abuse. She has an obese, “Indoor” Golden Retriever, that is slightly neurotic from lack of exercise and stimulation. It’s primary engagement is coming up with new ways to get peanut butter from its humans. The farm had a Border Collie once with such a thick undercoat that mid winter when he was done herding he would break the ice on the stream and lay in it to cool off.

My uncle lives in Northern B.C. and has 2 outdoor German Shepard’s with an insulated dog house and heat (for when it gets to -30~40, Celsius!) they keep the bears and cougars away... before they got them they had a brown bear that broke into their feed/tack shed and ate the cat food, then it started looking for a way into their Cabin. Bear prints on the porch and door when they returned from work for weeks! When two free rescue pups were available they took them!

I love dogs (well trained ones) and Andrew and I can’t wait to have our own, but first we have to build the house. He wants an Irish Wolfhound, and I like Rottweilers and Mastiffs. When I lived in a small town in the Interior of B.C. there was a guy who had two huge Rotties with a dog cart, they pulled with his water and groceries and were gorgeous doing it.i was really impressed with how well trained they were.

 

[Ribh]

They are full time outside dogs here... much though my cousin is convinced that having an outside dog is animal abuse. She has an obese, “Indoor” Golden Retriever, that is slightly neurotic from lack of exercise and stimulation. It’s primary engagement is coming up with new ways to get peanut butter from its humans. The farm had a Border Collie once with such a thick undercoat that mid winter when he was done herding he would break the ice on the stream and lay in it to cool off.

My uncle lives in Northern B.C. and has 2 outdoor German Shepard’s with an insulated dog house and heat (for when it gets to -30~40, Celsius!) they keep the bears and cougars away... before they got them they had a brown bear that broke into their feed/tack shed and ate the cat food, then it started looking for a way into their Cabin. Bear prints on the porch and door when they returned from work for weeks! When two free rescue pups were available they took them!

I love dogs (well trained ones) and Andrew and I can’t wait to have our own, but first we have to build the house. He wants an Irish Wolfhound, and I like Rottweilers and Mastiffs. When I lived in a small town in the Interior of B.C. there was a guy who had two huge Rotties with a dog cart, they pulled with his water and groceries and were gorgeous doing it.i was really impressed with how well trained they were.

Irish Wolfhounds are impressive. You have the space for one.

 

[rjohns39]

Irish Wolfhounds are impressive. You have the space for one.

One of my other friends out here has one. She is gorgeous.

 

[Kris5902]

So this morning I decided to be a mean chicken mama. I want to encourage my meat birds to forage, so they have not been fed. I changed my 6:30-7 am chores up a bit. I moved them to new grass and refilled their water, but have yet to provide actual feed.

The tractor needs wheels, which is a little disappointing but expected, I just have to figure out how to work it. I think I will need to push it wheelbarrow style rather than pull it like I do my other tractors. It’s a learning curve. It’s also probably overstocked with chicks, but due to some “planning changes” in the construction phase, I’m out of lumber until Sunday Afternoon. That’s how I work, I get an idea and start putting it together, changing it a bit and figuring it out as I go. I changed a dimension by 2 feet and now have lots of extra 2’ and 4’ 2x2’s, as well as the materials inevitably get “borrowed” for other little things.

We also had an interesting morning visitor, reminding me of why I’m running tractors and not free ranging. First thing when I wake up I look out the window on my tractors and the rising sun, and usually a raven or two picking through the leftovers of yesterday’s tractor move. All the birds are learning where the free meals are. Well I’ve mentioned my glasses before... my vision isn’t great without them, especially groggy and looking into the morning sun.

Is that a raven and a crow? Didn’t think we had crows on this side of the island. Huh. Grab my glasses and nope! That’s an immature eagle. Just hanging out with his raven buddy 20 feet away from my trailer and smack between my cockerel pen, Mr Maran and ladies and the chicks and hospital tractor. The chicks (who can see the big birdies) have gone quiet, but all the boys are madly crowing to each other and at me to come let them out already... if only they knew!

You’ll have to excuse the Hand reflection and poor picture, I was half awake and my bedroom window faces straight east. As soon as I tried to open the window for a better shot they flew off, can’t say as I blame them.

Our Ravens here are tiny compared to the ones I had in the interior, they are about the same size as my hens. Also on the list of birds that would happily snack on my chicks are the Barred Owls, one of which visited last night. It’s been a busy time for Raptors. Luckily it was fairly early, and not too close. My birds were all safely to bed by then, but when they hoot close to the chickens at night they sometimes set off my roosters, who then crow for a good hour back and forth... most annoying late at night! I can deal with the wake up call, but 2 am? Really???

 

[rjohns39]

Morning Kris

 

[Ribh]

So this morning I decided to be a mean chicken mama. I want to encourage my meat birds to forage, so they have not been fed. I changed my 6:30-7 am chores up a bit. I moved them to new grass and refilled their water, but have yet to provide actual feed.

The tractor needs wheels, which is a little disappointing but expected, I just have to figure out how to work it. I think I will need to push it wheelbarrow style rather than pull it like I do my other tractors. It’s a learning curve. It’s also probably overstocked with chicks, but due to some “planning changes” in the construction phase, I’m out of lumber until Sunday Afternoon. That’s how I work, I get an idea and start putting it together, changing it a bit and figuring it out as I go. I changed a dimension by 2 feet and now have lots of extra 2’ and 4’ 2x2’s, as well as the materials inevitably get “borrowed” for other little things.

We also had an interesting morning visitor, reminding me of why I’m running tractors and not free ranging. First thing when I wake up I look out the window on my tractors and the rising sun, and usually a raven or two picking through the leftovers of yesterday’s tractor move. All the birds are learning where the free meals are. Well I’ve mentioned my glasses before... my vision isn’t great without them, especially groggy and looking into the morning sun.

Is that a raven and a crow? Didn’t think we had crows on this side of the island. Huh. Grab my glasses and nope! That’s an immature eagle. Just hanging out with his raven buddy 20 feet away from my trailer and smack between my cockerel pen, Mr Maran and ladies and the chicks and hospital tractor. The chicks (who can see the big birdies) have gone quiet, but all the boys are madly crowing to each other and at me to come let them out already... if only they knew!

View attachment 1763074

You’ll have to excuse the Hand reflection and poor picture, I was half awake and my bedroom window faces straight east. As soon as I tried to open the window for a better shot they flew off, can’t say as I blame them.

Our Ravens here are tiny compared to the ones I had in the interior, they are about the same size as my hens. Also on the list of birds that would happily snack on my chicks are the Barred Owls, one of which visited last night. It’s been a busy time for Raptors. Luckily it was fairly early, and not too close. My birds were all safely to bed by then, but when they hoot close to the chickens at night they sometimes set off my roosters, who then crow for a good hour back and forth... most annoying late at night! I can deal with the wake up call, but 2 am? Really???

Ravens! Are. the. Pits! They've been hanging round here again too & ours are bigger than some of our hens. They are sooo noisy. One bird I really can't stand & I'm fond of most of them ~ you know, out there, flapping around. The man has decided when our lads show up again they can build the extended run properly & roof it over. Our yard is not raptor friendly. Not enough open space.

Lovely picture again. I love the light on the grass.

 

[Kris5902]

Morning Kris

Good evening Bob!

So a little bird update... I’m thinking it may have been an immature golden eagle this morning now, but it was very hard to get a good look at it in the afternoon sun. We have 2 pairs of breeding Golden Eagles, and more Bald Eagles than we want. Tiny tried to become an eagle snack shortly after lunch today. As I was washing up the dishes I saw movement on the wrong side of the pen, and sure enough, being so small, Tiny had managed to squeeze out under the back of the tractor. I herded her back in and was just stacking things up to block the hole when my morning visitor dropped down and was circling just 30-40 feet up.

Everyone is safe, but it was closer than I like, I think the only reason it didn’t get her was that I was only a couple feet away and lured her to me with some feed. I’m sure if it was an adult Bald eagle it would have dove on us. The dive on our cars as we drive past (as named by our resident 7 yo) “the death pit” (where the offal, bones, and non usable hides are dumped according to local health codes), it has a nicer ring to it than “SRM disposal site”... I know I’m awful, but she’s just so cute, and says it so matter of factly!