Maine

[Widget]

While I hate when we have days of brutally cold weather I also hate it when we have brutally oppressive hot weather. I do not tolerate heat well. At home I do have AC in the bedroom otherwise I would not be able to sleep. And the dogs love it too. At work the break room has AC. The warehouse not so much. The bigwigs in Atlanta decided that when the warehouse was built in Westbrook that it did not need AC since it never gets really hot in Maine. So we have a two level warehouse with grates for the upper story floor to allow the heat to rise. There are industrial ceiling fans and many heavy duty floor fans to at least move the air. Even so it was at least 93 upstairs where I work. We do have free popsicles and ice cream in the break room along with water coolers in every zone but it is not fun when sweat is pouring out of every pore of your body as soon as you punch in.

The horses are drinking about 50 gallons of water a day. They are sweating up a storm too. The goats about 4 gallons and they stay in their shed or in the shade. The birds find shade wherever they can. Egg production is down here too. So I am thinking it is the heat.

For the what to feed ducks question. I feed my mixed flock of chickens, ducks and turkeys Poulin Layer Pellets. Never had an issue feeding it to roosters when I had them. This time of year they are also free ranging quite a bit and foraging on their own.

 

[quailtrail]

@lazy gardener not Doms yet. These were free eggs so before I spend more $$$ on shipped eggs I want to be sure

 

[quailtrail]

Sorry for everyone's losses... ((HUGS))

 

[anyasmifya]

I think my egg production is also down. I'm not sure though since they have been free ranging and could be laying anywhere. I've searched and searched for the missing eggs to no avail.

I lost a chicken about a week ago to a stupid raccoon. It dug a hole under the fence. Rrrrrr.... A day or two later I got up to let the birds out and found raccoon tracks all over the coop! It was trying to get in, B*&^(*d! The next day it ransacked our recycling! A few months ago we killed one, this must be a vengeful relative. lol. The coon killed one of my barred rock hens, I really liked the barred rock because it laid nice big eggs and I only have one barred rock left. The rest of the flock is wyandottes and a polish, all small to medium egg layers.

Yes, the weather is oppressively hot & humid. I start a new job this Sunday working at a deli that has no AC! Ugh, not looking forward to that! We just put in our window AC unit yesterday, we held out as long as we could! I had to shower this morning because I just walked out to my garden to spray my plants with calcium chloride. I was sweating buckets. It's so gross...

 

[striperon]

We started with a Williams Sonoma coop, gift from DW. I picked up a free garden cart with 20" wheels being thrown away and adapted them to go on the coop to make it easier to move around. Then I built a run for them using some used metal roofing, plus lumber and 1/2" hardware cloth that we bought.

The run has a small door next to the coop, and a door that is full width on the end. I have hooks and eyes on the coop doors, nest box top, and floor drawer to keep the raccoons from figuring out how to open them. The side door latch came with the coop, and that has a bolt in it to keep the smart ones from opening the door.

In the photo, the ramp is lying on the ground because I closed the door to the coop to keep the chicks inside. My Springer Spaniel couldn't help herself and got at least part of herself in one photo, silly girl.

First a promotional photo from WS.




Then photos as modified.







Here are some chick photos, BLRW. I am very happy with their health and vigorous eating. There are 6 in all. They are growing fast. Eventually we will know if we have some pullets. They spent their first night, last night, locked inside the coop. The brooder location was in the garage near a window, and the temperatures were too high during the day, over 100. I tested them in the brooder without the heat lamp at night for a couple of nights, and had them in the run for a few hours each day over the weekend, they did well. I am pleased with last night's results. These photos were taken this morning.

 

[lazy gardener]

I think my egg production is also down. I'm not sure though since they have been free ranging and could be laying anywhere. I've searched and searched for the missing eggs to no avail.

I lost a chicken about a week ago to a stupid raccoon. It dug a hole under the fence. Rrrrrr.... A day or two later I got up to let the birds out and found raccoon tracks all over the coop! It was trying to get in, B*&^(*d! The next day it ransacked our recycling! A few months ago we killed one, this must be a vengeful relative. lol. The coon killed one of my barred rock hens, I really liked the barred rock because it laid nice big eggs and I only have one barred rock left. The rest of the flock is wyandottes and a polish, all small to medium egg layers.

Yes, the weather is oppressively hot & humid. I start a new job this Sunday working at a deli that has no AC! Ugh, not looking forward to that! We just put in our window AC unit yesterday, we held out as long as we could! I had to shower this morning because I just walked out to my garden to spray my plants with calcium chloride. I was sweating buckets. It's so gross...

Sorry about the loss Anya. We caught our rocky, but hubby missed when he was let out of the trap. I grabbed the gun and chased him through the woods to no avail. Not sure if he was wounded or not, but boy did he stink. He smelled like something dead. He hasn't been back since. Evil creatures.

We started with a Williams Sonoma coop, gift from DW. I picked up a free garden cart with 20" wheels being thrown away and adapted them to go on the coop to make it easier to move around. Then I built a run for them using some used metal roofing, plus lumber and 1/2" hardware cloth that we bought.

The run has a small door next to the coop, and a door that is full width on the end. I have hooks and eyes on the coop doors, nest box top, and floor drawer to keep the raccoons from figuring out how to open them. The side door latch came with the coop, and that has a bolt in it to keep the smart ones from opening the door.

In the photo, the ramp is lying on the ground because I closed the door to the coop to keep the chicks inside. My Springer Spaniel couldn't help herself and got at least part of herself in one photo, silly girl.

First a promotional photo from WS.




Then photos as modified.







Here are some chick photos, BLRW. I am very happy with their health and vigorous eating. There are 6 in all. They are growing fast. Eventually we will know if we have some pullets. They spent their first night, last night, locked inside the coop. The brooder location was in the garage near a window, and the temperatures were too high during the day, over 100. I tested them in the brooder without the heat lamp at night for a couple of nights, and had them in the run for a few hours each day over the weekend, they did well. I am pleased with last night's results. These photos were taken this morning.

Sweet coop Striperon. Are you shutting them in the upper level at night? The rule of thumb re: latches, is: if a 2 year old can open it, then a coon can as well. They posess the intellect to figure out stuff, and have the dexterity to match which makes them a successful predator. They also are skilled diggers.

 

[striperon]

Yes, LG, they are on the upper level at night and during the daytime when I am away from home. I am hoping the hooks and latches will deter the raccoons, it is why I put them where I did.

One of our neighbors, yes, in Kennebunkport, put up one of the action cameras used for game trails. His camera took a photo of a very large cat, it looked like a lynx. So even in southern Maine there are lots of predators.

 

[CoopChick719]

Did anyone go to the last swap at the Augusta TSC? Reason I ask is because I was there today and saw a cream colored bantam walk out of the bushes close to where the swaps are held. I went back in to tell the clerk. She said she'd mention it to the manager who knows the neighbors. If I was going to be home this weekend, I would have probably brought it home.

 

[chickengirl987]

Oh no!, My neighbor saw a fox kit in her yard yesterday! I hope tomorrow all my ducks will be there in there in the morning!

 

[hoppy]

Did anyone go to the last swap at the Augusta TSC? Reason I ask is because I was there today and saw a cream colored bantam walk out of the bushes close to where the swaps are held. I went back in to tell the clerk. She said she'd mention it to the manager who knows the neighbors. If I was going to be home this weekend, I would have probably brought it home.