Maine

[Widget]

I'm lucky in that my coop is under my back deck. The birds always have some open ground to wander around on in the winter. I never had to lock them in all last winter. Both the ducks and chickens had no problems with making their way through the snow in their pen. Biggest issue was too many big storms that blocked the gate to get into the pen. I finally gave up with the shovel and just climb over the fence.
Speaking of animals that one needs to shovel a path after a snowfall. I once worked at a zoo in Pennsylvania where we had to shovel a path for the lion after a storm. He would refuse to come out of his shelter if he had to step in more than one or two inches of snow. And forget mud. That was just plain evil and there was no way he was going to put one paw in it. Talk about a funny sight. A full grown African lion, mane and all afraid of mud.

 

[bwockbwock]

Quote:
Perhaps the lion was like a horse, many horses are afraid of mud because they don't know how deep it is, I helped out at a place that did trail rides and every spring we had to desensitize the same horses by riding them though the worst mud holes we could find until they were more confident.
I have a house cat that will not use a litterbox and I have to go shovel for her at 10PM when it is snowing so she will do her business outside, the things we do for our pets!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
My boyfriend and I are on day 13 of bumblefoot soaks for a leghorn living in my basement right now... the thing is starting to LOVE foot soaks. She gets up on the kitchen counter, looks through a window, soaks her feet in warm water and epsom salts (then later tetracycline) while preening herself. Today she fell asleep standing in the water.

She poops on my counter every single day, too. And sometimes more than once. I put towels down but she's a master at pooping right where the towel meets the counter or right when I lift her up to ointment and cover her feet.

 

[TayFray!]

won 62 dollars in the skowhegan fair! YAY!!

 

[hoppy]

Quote:
My boyfriend and I are on day 13 of bumblefoot soaks for a leghorn living in my basement right now... the thing is starting to LOVE foot soaks. She gets up on the kitchen counter, looks through a window, soaks her feet in warm water and epsom salts (then later tetracycline) while preening herself. Today she fell asleep standing in the water.

She poops on my counter every single day, too. And sometimes more than once. I put towels down but she's a master at pooping right where the towel meets the counter or right when I lift her up to ointment and cover her feet.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/fo...79399701_100001337108712_527430_5293671_o.jpg

someone recently told me for bumble foot, she sprinkles the tetracycline in the clean bedding and it cleared right up.

 

[hoppy]

TayFray! :

won 62 dollars in the skowhegan fair! YAY!!

that's great- how did you that? now you have more money to buy chickens

 

[hoppy]

Quote:
Perhaps the lion was like a horse, many horses are afraid of mud because they don't know how deep it is, I helped out at a place that did trail rides and every spring we had to desensitize the same horses by riding them though the worst mud holes we could find until they were more confident.
I have a house cat that will not use a litterbox and I have to go shovel for her at 10PM when it is snowing so she will do her business outside, the things we do for our pets!

what about a litter box outside? I know, kind of defeats the purpose of them going outside.

 

[hoppy]

does anyone know how the winthrop swap went?

 

[hoppy]

Quote:
there is an ad this week in UH for barred rock pullets, should be laying soon it says.

 

[bwockbwock]

Quote:
there is an ad this week in UH for barred rock pullets, should be laying soon it says.

Thanks for the heads up will go to UH right now!