Maine

[Widget]

Accomplished nothing today since I was out and about in the southern part of the state. If anyone ever goes to Kittery shopping at the outlet malls I highly recommend Perry's Sidewalk Cafe at the Tangers Outlet Mall next to Kittery Trading Post. Fantastic all beef hotdogs and the owner is super nice. Traffic on the pike headed south was bumper to bumper from Kittery to beyond Biddeford. So glad I was headed north with little traffic.

Managed to snag a great deal off Craigslist. I needed a 10 ft gate for the horses' paddock and was going to buy a new one this week. Saw an ad for horse stuff and a person was selling two 10 ft gates less than 6 months old for $45 ea. A new gate goes for about $85. So I am picking up two gates for the price of one next Saturday. Now I just need to find a couple good sized dog pens that are close to me and easy to transport so I don't have to but new ones for the chickens. There was one advertised close to me but it didn't look like it would be easy to dismantle and the person didn't list a price only make an offer.

 

[yankeehill]

Sweet deal!

I have spent the past 2 weeks enjoying my inlaws from MS, doing everything from whitewater rafting the Kennebec to camping in the North Maine Woods. We even hiked a couple mountains! And the bugs...were...tolerable...with bug spray!

I came home yesterday to see that the duck which was injured last week is growing, eating, doing well by all those measures, but it is still not putting weight on it's leg. But it does not seem to be in any pain.

And I came home to some new rabbits! Chocolates, blacks, and 2 whites! (Silver Foxes). I can't wait to see how these chocolates grow out for me. Lovely creatures!

My new chicks have doubled in size it seems in the last week! They are a pack of their own though...the eight of them stay together while the older hens flock together. When they get bigger, will they eventually merge together more, or will there always be such a distinction?

We have ordered our Freedom Rangers. I am excited to see how they grow.

 

[mlowen]

I just finished my coop/run (except for the gate for the run end--a friend is building if for me.) Built by me (almost 60) and my friend Jennifer (almost 57) and 6 hours each from two guy friends. Jennifer & I spent lots more than 6 hours! It's floored and walled with hardware cloth--we have weasels--with gravel and loam and oak leaf deep litter on top. I'm exhausted and delighted. Now...to find hens.

 

[Widget]

Great job.

I just finished my coop/run (except for the gate for the run end--a friend is building if for me.) Built by me (almost 60) and my friend Jennifer (almost 57) and 6 hours each from two guy friends. Jennifer & I spent lots more than 6 hours! It's floored and walled with hardware cloth--we have weasels--with gravel and loam and oak leaf deep litter on top. I'm exhausted and delighted. Now...to find hens.

 

[MEMama3]

I just finished my coop/run (except for the gate for the run end--a friend is building if for me.) Built by me (almost 60) and my friend Jennifer (almost 57) and 6 hours each from two guy friends. Jennifer & I spent lots more than 6 hours! It's floored and walled with hardware cloth--we have weasels--with gravel and loam and oak leaf deep litter on top. I'm exhausted and delighted. Now...to find hens.

Really nice!

 

[yankeehill]

Smart thinking on the leaves! The hens will LOVE digging in that!

 

[lazy gardener]

mlowen, what an awesome looking coop. Nice job. Looks like you built in a dust bath pit?? Such a novel approach... actually building the coop before getting the birds! Amazing what us old biddies are capable of when given power tools and a little encouragement!!

Otherwise, I have one comment to make re: life in general... IT'S TOO HOT!!!!!! Went kayaking today, and got chased from one end of the lake to the other by one very persistent horse fly. The breeze on the lake was nice, but it's still TOO HOT!!!!! Got 4 eggs from 5 pullets today... they have more energy than I do!!!

 

[CoopChick719]

I came home, checked on the ailing pullet. Picked her up and put her down outside the coop...then she had a seizure and died She was looking so nice too. She was all puffed up and had her head pulled in a little for the last two days and I only noticed the sour crop (maybe) issue two days ago. I check on them thoroughly so I know she was fine before that. Gosh... bad week on the old homestead...I got poison ivy or oak...slammed my own foot in the screen door which resulted in deep cuts to my achilles tendon area annnnnd then the pullet. Woe is me. /endvent.

MT, Sorry to hear about your pullet and your foot!!

Way funny. In my family, my MIL has been tormenting her SIL with pink flamingoes for about 30 years.

CoopChick719: Looks like chipmunk's first egg is 2 eggs fused together. Is she an EE? I'm curious if the internal structure of the egg shows that it's actually 2 eggs!

Thankfully, my hubby wielded the ax and I did the rest. As he was digging a hole for the remains, he said... "the next time you get a hobby, how about knitting... or crocheting..." Poor guy, that'll never happen in this life time!!!

LG, Too funny about your MIL & her SIL!! My mother, sister & aunt are the biggest offenders in my family! They are now always on the look out for gnomes!! They all quilt so I'm hoping I do NOT get a gnome themed quilt anytime soon!! DH has said the same thing to me about the hobbies. I said you've seen me "try" to knit & crochet. How'd that look to you?!

Yes, Chipmunk is an EE. I will let you know what I find when I crack that egg open.

No problem! Maybe it is a little foolish, but I worry and research about every little thing I think is off...!

I'm glad I'm not the only one, MC!!

I made a whirlwind trip to Alaska because my brother-in-law died suddenly. He was a well-known musician there and my sister and her friends have such a crazy life-style. The private "ceremony" was at a friend's house. 200 people showed up for great food, music, a moment of silence, songs, and a parting toast, with the ocean, huge snowy mountains, and glacier as a backdrop. The next day we had a traditional second line parade down Main Street, with brass band, dancers in black with black parasols, and the rest of us marching waving white handkerchiefs. It was all very sad and wonderful at the same time. I was glad to see my sister has so much support.

Sorry to hear about your BIL, bucka! It sounds like it was a lovely celebration of his life!

My accomplishment for the day. Installed a 20ft flag pole. Never thought that they could be so expensive. I priced out fiberglass and metal ones. Telescoping vs non-telescoping. All were north of $300. Then I found this one online for $50 with a 20% off coupon. The reviews were good on it so I took a chance. It is lightweight and can be easily removed if really high winds are expected. It is telescoping. Instead putting each section at its full height I left about four inches per section inside the tube beneath it to provide more stability. The base was set in concrete. And I have the stuff to convert it so I can raise and lower with a rope instead of using the telescoping part since that tends to seize after a while. I did lubricate the sections with a silicone spray but would rather use a rope and pulley system to raise and lower the flag.

Awesome job, Widget!!

I just finished my coop/run (except for the gate for the run end--a friend is building if for me.) Built by me (almost 60) and my friend Jennifer (almost 57) and 6 hours each from two guy friends. Jennifer & I spent lots more than 6 hours! It's floored and walled with hardware cloth--we have weasels--with gravel and loam and oak leaf deep litter on top. I'm exhausted and delighted. Now...to find hens.

That is a good looking coop & run, mlowen!! Congrats!!

So I just got back from 4 days at camp. While 4 days is way to short to spend at camp, I'm finding it too long to be away from the flock! My DD & DS were great helpers!! I'm lucky to have them help me!! I have one 5 week old chick who is acting off. It doesn't seem to want to walk much and is sleeping a lot. My DD brought it inside thinking maybe it was overheated. My sister came over & checked it out. She thought it seemed fine. No noticable injuries. DD brought it back out to the coop and watched it. Still not a lot of moving around so she brought it back in. Seems to be eating & drinking fine. I've got Chick Saver in the water dish and will try some moistened feed tomorrow a.m. I had been feeding Dumor Chick Starter. I'm thinking someone here had a Vitamin B issue with one of their chicks a while ago and had also been feeding Dumor??

I also lost a cochin today. I got home from camp and started unpacking the car. DH got home before me so went to check on the chickens...he really does like them

. He comes into the garage and says, You are missing 3 chickens & 1 yellow chick! Thankfully, the yellow chick was in the house! Found Chipmunk & Pitch in the brush down along the deer trail. Chiquita was nowhere to be found. We found a bunch of feathers that looked like they'd been ripped out then a trail into the woods that stopped cold. No blood, just feathers. DS took his 22 out for a walk but found nothing. DH & I thought we saw a young coyote pup a few weeks ago crossing our road about a mile up. Looked like a small black german shepard. My sister just lost 2 of her hens today as well--no blood, no feathers, just gone!

I guess we will have supervised free ranging for a while. What I don't get is why the rest of the flock weren't showing any signs that something had been in the yard.

 

[gracejr]

I've been away too long, far too much to catch up on! We've been busy here with hatching chicks, planning birthday parties, getting used to having all the kids home from school, and back to working (from home). My middle child just turned 3, the oldest is almost 7, and my baby girl just rolled over for the first time today! She is 3.5 months, and growing way too fast! Set the pool up last week (metal frame pop-up one) just in time for this heat. It's been SO nice! Though trying to manage a baby and a non-swimming toddler in a 4' deep pool when I'm the only adult here has been interesting. Oh how I wish DH had a 9-5 job!!

We have two broodies right now, a Buff Orp and an Ameraucana. Blackberry's (Am) eggs started hatching today. So far we have a splash EE and a yellow barnyard mix. Hoping to see a bunch more in the morning, she is sitting on a ton of eggs it seems! She gets very upset when you go near the nest, but is so attentive to the eggs, and now the babies. I got to watch her coaching her second chick to hatch this afternoon. Made me sad though, thinking of all the chicks born in the incubator without a mama to protect them and teach them. Artificial light and heat can only go so far.

And speaking of incubators, mine is FINALLY empty! *knock wood* Last of the chicks hatched yesterday. Considering it was a staggered hatch and I was just guessing at the best way to go about it, it went pretty well. Or at least compared to the horrible fiasco of a hatch previously. I did have two chicks that shrinkwrapped and died, because the incubator was accidentally left cracked open one night, and one I had to help hatch for the same reason (now named Shelly), but otherwise all the hatched chicks did great. I have several with feathered feet, a bunch of splash, lots of cute babies. I still have yet to get a hatched chick from my Cochin though. So frustrating! I'm sure she must be laying, her comb is bright red, I've seen the rooster on her, and she was the broody who abandoned the abovementioned eggs. But not a one from her. What gives?? The only feather legged chicks I have I am assuming were from my Brahma, since they all have small combs, and not straight ones. My only rooster is an orp, so any orp/cochin cross would be a straight comb. Frustrating! I'm really hoping for a blue or splash cockerel from that combination.

In non-chicken news, I just have to toot my own horn for a second. I can officially say I have lost 36, THIRTY SIX!, pounds since this date last summer!! Even better, I hardly have headaches now, my stomach issues are all but gone, and I have more energy. I feel GREAT! Though not having a single pair of shorts that fit has been quite the downside this week, without a belt I can literally walk out of them. lol I still have a ways to go to reach my end goal, but the difference already is incredible.


And another in unrelated news... We had our septic replaced a bit earlier this spring, which they of course loamed and seeded when they were done. It took ages for anything to start growing but when it did it almost all came up weeds, very little grass at all. NOT thrilled! We had gorgeous grass over there before. I'm trying to figure out what it is growing, but I'm having trouble identifying it. It (to me) looks similar to a bamboo stalk, with the segmented appearance of the stalk, solid green. Leaves shooting off. Some are non-flowering, some have small purplish flowers shooting out of them. Anyone know what it could be? Or how to get rid of it best? It is literally taken over that entire section of yard. And the septic company doesn't want to take responsibility for planting this crap in our yard either. I can get pictures if it would help.

 

[MustardTiger]

Wow, lots of good stuff going on. Mlowen, I love the coop and run! Similar to what I dream of building but keep saying...."next year".....

Grace - congrats. 36 lbs is a lot! and to keep it going for the whole year is great!

coopchick - sorry about your cochin


I have to say, I am happy for this rain right now! I hope it cools things off.