Maine

[Widget]

Widget: Are you positive that it's your pump? Ours quit last winter, and we scheduled a guy to come replace it. they pulled the cap, and found a wire that had come dis-connected. A less than honest person would have gone ahead and replaced the pump, as it was more than 20 years old. I mentioned the same thing to an other BYC person, and lo and behold, he also found that it was an electrical dis-connect, and not the pump at all.

It could be as simple as that but the pump is over 20 years old which is about their life span. Hopefully Thursday or Friday I will get the answer. If it is just a lose wire great. But with my luck it will be the pump. So I just plan for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[CoopChick719]

More freakin snow!! I am tired of shoveling! DH asked me if the girls used the little pen today. I said there is a foot of snow in there and they don't like snow. He says I shoveled a little path for them! And what do you mean they don't like snow?! Chickens like snow. Your chickens are weird!

Nice to see you ashndvine!!

 

[striperon]

Widget,

Our pump was 20+ years old 2 years ago when a lightning strike fried it. I doubt you had a lightning strike. Are you sure you don't have a frozen spot in your supply line?


CoopChick,

My birds are coming out in the snow if I make a path. There can be packed snow and they will still come outside. I have been spreading a little scratch on the snow outside their covered run, and put their water outside, too. They have actually crossed the driveway on that poison white stuff so they can spend some time out of the coop and run, in the garage. They are funny when they make the journey (50'), flapping their wings without getting very high off the ground, trying not to put their feet down.



I have a pail waterer with a birdbath heater in it, and nipple valves on the bottom for them to get water. If the temp is below 20 degrees, the nipples freeze even when the water in the pail is not frozen. I bought a large dog dish and give them water every day. They come outside and go right to drinking, forgetting about the poison white stuff under their feet. lol

We are getting 2-3 pullet eggs daily, out of 4 pullets. I added a small hanging feeder for oyster shell. With all the feeders and waterers in the run, it needs to be twice as large. Very good eggs. The yolks in a pullet egg are almost the same size as extra large. With the larger eggs, there is more white I think.

The birds are still roosting on the collar ties of the covered run, as near as I can tell. They don't seem to be in the coop except to lay. On one hand, I like that there are few droppings in the coop, on the other, I wonder about how cold they get staying outside in this cold. No sign of frostbite on their rose combs (Wyandottes). Their comb was one of the reasons I chose the breed.

On the weekend, they were in the garage and my wife and I had to leave. We want them safely inside the run/coop when we are gone. Two of them actually let me carry them across the poison white stuff to the coop. First time ever. lol

 

[CoopChick719]

Tomorrow I plan on getting home while there is still some light to pack down the snow in the small pen & throw some old litter in there. The girls have a 10 x 10 covered dog kennel with plenty of hay to play in so they're fine. You should see them all cram into the people door and just look at the snow! I've thrown scratch out but got no takers. They turn around in disgust to go back in the coop.

Rats chewed a hole in my pop door!!! More than a few choice words could be heard this morning as I did coop chores!! Time to bait the traps AND fix the door. I am also not opposed to sitting in the coop with the 22.

 

[Hiltonizer]

http://www.gofundme.com/llm08g is the link to the Go Fund Me page.

I am planning on getting a couple of estimates but the price is based on what a friend of my brother has paid more than once (he owns several rental properties) for a replacement of a pump. Hopefully it will be less than $2000 but the way my luck runs it will be on the high end.

I just transferred 60 gallons of water from totes I borrowed from work to the water tank for the horses. Tons of fun filling a 5 gallon pail and tramping through the snow to the tank with the outside temperature at -5. Took a half hour and 10 trips. But the horses have water for the next three or four days.

Next year the tank is going to be relocated to be closer to the gate so if I have to tote water it will be a bit easier.

How deep of a well are you working with? There are some mickey mouse options popular with off-grid cabins that might work while you save up: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-hp-shallow-well-pump-with-stainless-steel-housing-920-gph-69302.html

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Rats chewed a hole in my pop door!!! More than a few choice words could be heard this morning as I did coop chores!! Time to bait the traps AND fix the door. I am also not opposed to sitting in the coop with the 22.

Good luck. I hate the buggers.

 

[Widget]

How deep of a well are you working with? There are some mickey mouse options popular with off-grid cabins that might work while you save up: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-hp-shallow-well-pump-with-stainless-steel-housing-920-gph-69302.html

 

[CoopChick719]

Thsnk

Good luck. I hate the buggers.

Thanks SCG! I've seen the enemy for the first time! Had my red head lamp on & caught 1 poke it's head out of a hole plus 2 sets of eyes in 2 other holes. Set a trap near the holes. Slid a piece of metal into my pop door rails behind the door itself. Hopefully they won't start a hole elsewhere!

Just got in from the coop. Chicken keeping is not for fashionistas

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Thsnk
Thanks SCG! I've seen the enemy for the first time! Had my red head lamp on & caught 1 poke it's head out of a hole plus 2 sets of eyes in 2 other holes. Set a trap near the holes. Slid a piece of metal into my pop door rails behind the door itself. Hopefully they won't start a hole elsewhere!

Just got in from the coop. Chicken keeping is not for fashionistas

How big are these rats? I deal with mice no problem now, but I think I might freak out a bit with a rat!

So true about chicken keeping and fashion... good thing fashion was never my thing to begin with!

 

[CoopChick719]

The one I saw was small but I caught 2 a few summers ago that I thought were big...like large squirrel big not river rat big.