Maine

[buckabucka]

Thank you for the information on ACV, Coopchick!

Sorry to hear about Maran. How long before you know if the Tylan had any effect? Would it help quickly? Sorry about having to make some tough decisions with her, but it sounds like you have been doing everything you can.

SCG, I think the nestbox may have taken about 6 hours, but I didn't work continuously. The first day I made a base (just 3 pieces of scrap wood), gathered some sticks and vines, and screwed a few sticks in place. They don't all have screws, just a few to get started. Yesterday I added more sticks and started weaving, occasionally running outside to pull another vines out of a tree.
In the afternoon, I went for a walk in the woods (in my dayglo orange) and grabbed some pieces of birch bark to fill in a few empty spots.
Weird projects like this are what happens to me when I get a little time off. I really needed to clean the house, but instead, I filled it with sticks, vine scraps, and bark!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Weird projects like this are what happens to me when I get a little time off. I really needed to clean the house, but instead, I filled it with sticks, vine scraps, and bark!

I feel ya. My house was never cleaner than when I was in school. Need to study? Nope... I need to clean the entire kitchen, including all the cords to the appliances. Then, I'll study. Or clean the bathroom.

I've gotten better now in my older age. Chores before pleasure, most of the time.

 

[anyasmifya]

If I was a chicken, I'd surely use it! I spent the morning working on the sun room addition to the coop. The girls helped me by running off with one of my drill bits. I'm having a hard time finding more than an hour or two to work on any outdoor tasks. Also mowed up some nice mulch leaves. The girls were delighted with them. I'm thankful for the nice weather this weekend. I have yet to put up their winter run, hoping the warm weather holds for a few more days. Have yet to pull their electric net fencing. Had a new yellow lab neighbor come through the yard today. Not impressed! Next project after the sun room: put up a chicken swing in the green house. I'm wondering if the extra vestibular stimulation provided by a swing will make my chickens extra smart!!

I have a chicken swing. They actually use it! Especially when they are not out free ranging. It's really cute to see them using it. They sometimes seem to even take turns on it. Two of them can fit on it at a time. I just used a piece of an old two by four to make it and tied it up with some old rope. I doubt it will make them 'extra smart" but it will provide something for them to do on the long winter days!

 

[buckabucka]

I'll have to try making a swing soon.

So far, the new nesting box has only been used for snacking. I never see these chickens eating the bark off of trees outdoors, but bring the tree branches in, and they are snacks! They are even pecking the wood chips. I'm hoping this is their way of exploring, and soon they will tire of eating wood and lay an egg in there.
They were quite fearful of the nest when it arrived, but slowly came over and started pecking at it. One of the Basque's got one leg in, but then backed out.

 

[Widget]

Did anyone else read this article in the Portland paper last week?

http://specialprojects.pressherald.com/aging/part-iv-cedric-and-pauline-long/


How could anyone do this to their parents? I know it happens but this is just despicable behavior. These people worked so hard to be able to enjoy their retirement and now they may end up losing their house. It is rare that I donate money to any cause but this for some reason just really got to me. So sad that perfect strangers are willing to help them when their own children betray them.

 

[buckabucka]

Depressing article, Widget! It seems like the daughter-in-law must have had a gambling or drug addiction to burn through all that money. And strange that the other children don't seem to be helping....

 

[ashandvine]

FOX IN THE YARD! FOX IN THE YARD!

and me out there yelling at it, cursing at it and shooing my birds closer to the house. We are feeding and closing them up early. Why is there never a rifle on hand when I need one???

 

[superchemicalgirl]

You need to keep one of these on your hip:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_P22

That gun is easy to shoot, cheap ammo and has been proven to take down fox here.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks Anya. So you've found that the 2 x 4 swing provides them with a good grip? How high off the ground is it? What did you suspend the swing with? I'm thinking of using a couple of dowels that are threaded on each end to accept a machine screw, and attaching chain or rope to that. I never took physics, but I'm thinking it'll decrease the "action" a bit. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do with a swing. When I let the girls out into their run this afternoon, they made a bee-line for the green house. Spent the next hour or so dust bathing. They're having a blast in that space. Currently getting 1 - 2 eggs from 5 girls without supplemental light. I'm ok with letting them take a winter break. I'm assuming that they'll gear back up in Feb. Is that what the rest of you are seeing with flocks not light supplemented? I have a friend who wants to split an order of meat birds with me in the spring. Hope to be better prepared, and not end up brooding in the house again.

Any readers have experience with a meat breed called Pioneer? (AKA Rainbow or Dixie Rainbow) They are supposed to be better foragers than Cornish x Rocks, take a bit longer to grow out, and perhaps tastier.

 

[Mainechick168]

I saw something very interesting today on my way home from the grocery store- a wild turkey with pox!! Now, I can't be 100% certain, but it was in the road, and as I slowed down to let them cross, I noticed one of them seem to have a good amount of pox on it's head. I should have turned around and taken another look...

I wonder if this is where my chickens pox came from? The turkeys are up in our yard all the time. I did a quick google search to see if the virus has been documented in Maine in wild turkeys, and it looks like it has. I guess it's new up here, but has been common in southern states for awhile.