Maine

[Marcy54]

We got about 10 inches of snow. Messed up the bird netting. We salvaged a little which helped when a hawk flew in, couldn't get under the coop. It flew back out. Perched on a tree. Thank goodness for yappy dogs.

 

[CoopChick719]

DH stuffed some kind of bomb in the large rat holes in the chicken run, and so far, it is looking fairly quiet.

What type? Smoke bomb? M-80? I've got more holes. I fill them in each day & each night they dig them out!!

 

[buckabucka]

It was a USDA ground hog bomb, purchased at Agway, maybe 25 years ago. I'm just glad DH didn't burn anything down, and he acted quickly, before I could study the package. It seems to have worked!

 

[CoopChick719]

It was a USDA ground hog bomb, purchased at Agway, maybe 25 years ago. I'm just glad DH didn't burn anything down, and he acted quickly, before I could study the package. It seems to have worked!

Sounds like something my dad would do!

Back to the drawing board!

 

[lazy gardener]

Island girl, how's your FF going?

 

[buckabucka]

New rat tunnels today..... Maybe I should line the run floor with hardware cloth.

 

[suzMEchicks]

Everything covered with ice this morning . I'm sure it's the same for you all too. I opened the coop this morning and they all pretty much said Are you kidding me? I have a question about light . I guess I couldn't make up my mind about it but I missed getting eggs. So I started augmenting light by 4 hours a day earlier in November. Nothing changed so for the last week or so I have left it on dusk to dawn.As far as I can see they are all done molting. How long for the light thing to kick in? They get chicken crumble, BOSS, water and something fresh everyday like apples and greens everyday.Any ideas? I'm only getting 1/6 and I'm pretty sure they aren't eating them.

 

[islandgirl82]

LG - They seem to have lost interest since the holiday weekend. I was in NH for a couple of days and left them with extra FF while they were stuck in the coop. Not sure if they just got sick of it and are happy to be out roaming again or if they're systems have finally adjusted to just not needing as much but when I closed them up last night, they hadn't touched what I'd put out yesterday morning. It was gone when I let them out this morning though.

I think the baby squatted for me this morning too...not sure...they swarmed me when I let them out and I thought I saw her do it out of the corner of my eye. She and one of my older pullets who went through a mild molt have both been spending time in the nest so fingers crossed we'll have some eggs again before too long.

 

[dowgirl71]

My girls seem to be taking some "vacation" time, too! I'm doing the same with my extra light as I've done for the past two winters but this year, I have 2 who are molting. Poor girls! My EE hen should be just about finished but now, my Australorp is beginning. Their coop has been COVERED in black feathers for the past 2 mornings. The remaining 5 I have are all pullets & it's like they are alternating days-silly kids! I haven't gotten any green eggs for the past week, but my other beige-colored egg laying pullet is pretty consistent.

suzMEchicks, I leave my extra light on from about 4ish to around 8:30ish. Although these dark days, it's on all day with a radio. My spoiled girls!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I was on my way out to check on the girls this morning (without my ice cleats on) and fell and hit my head on the propane tank. UGH! Not pretty and I felt so foolish.

I have been getting 1-4 eggs/day with 10 girls. (Today was a 1.) I, too, am considering supplementing at least through the evening. Pathetic, but I can't remember how much I supplemented last year. Here is is 3:30 and they are all roosted and it's practically dark. Come on, solstice!

Everyone be safe on the ice!