Michigan

[keyt1969]

Well the chick that mysteriously became sick eariler today died about an hour after I posted last. VERY quick compared to the other one. Everyone else that was with them (BO and 2 other Aracaunas) are all doing great. Very weird. But I will say that the porch where I had the tote with the sick chick smells like illness. I washed out the tote really well and it still smells out there! I changed out the pine shavings where the other chicks were and scrubbed the floor. I didn't want to take any chances even though everyone is separated now. But, animals are like chicken pox..by the time you know you have something it's too late to do anything about it!

Went to the doc today and got the official word. I tore ligaments in my thumb and hand. I'm waiting for an appointment with a hand specialist to discuss long term casting and/or surgery. Yay me lol

The day may have started out crappy but we took a long walk through a local park and I picked up dozens of excellent pics deep in the woods here in town. I picked up another photography customer after posting yesterday's gloomy weather pics in the wheat fields. Fine with me, I need all I can get now!

So the word is we're supposed to have sun all day for the next several days. However, this is Michigan and there's no believing it til we see it! lol

 

[Chickmate]

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Opa, so sorry to hear about your ISA. If you would like to replace her I can bring one of my 4 1/2 month old ISA pullets to Chickenstock. Just say yay or nay. Also, I'm wondering what you feel is a good surface for the dropping boards? Do you use linoleum or something?

 

[Opa]

It looks like I may actually get around to taking down the xmas lights. Hope says that since it's only six month til they need to go back up I should just leave them, but I think that look tacky. I will be weed eating every thing this morning so we can mow this afternoon. I'll have to run the lawn sweeper since it's so long but it will be a great addition to the compost pile.

The eggs that sat unturned in the icubator should start hatching today if they are going to. I'm not very optimistic but we will see. I've already been collecting eggs to sit a new batch starting on Tuesday. I have a Vorwerk broody sitting on six Vorwerk eggs and that is still my preferred method of hatching.

I used a plastic panel called RFP that comes in a 4'x8' sheet. I will take pictures later this morning to show how I constructed 2 hanging droppings trays. Since it's plastic it doesn't absorb moisture and can be scraped clean easily.

Chickmate, I would love to get a ISA from you. That's very kind of you. I was just looking at the ages of my rainbow flock and I think it's time to look at doing some replacement. While I hate putting down perfectly healthy birds, egg production isn't what it should be so something has got to change. Looks like lots of chicken and dumplings are on future menus.

 

[michickenwrangler]

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Congrats on the new puppy, MCW! Is there anything better than a puppy to pick you up and keep you busy (not like you NEED anything else to do, right)? Sounds like a great breed combination! Can't wait to see pics.

Remember, my husband died, the guy I was seeing has decided he doesn't want to see me any more, I need to lavish my love on something.

That and my dog is 11 1/2 yrs old, she'll be 12 in December. She only has a few years left and I don't want to live without a dog now that I'm a widow.

Again, if anyone knows of any cheap kennel panels, let me know (I have some fencing material and can use the walls of the garage for part of the kennel) so I would be willing to take 2-3 panels if a 4th one is damaged or missing.

 

[Henny Penny04]

Quote:
It's always the favorites, isn't it! So sorry. I don't use a board- in fact, I can't even picture how it can be used. The chickens all roost with their heads toward the wall. Is it just a piece of wood under where their rear ends would be? That's where it all builds up.

I finally got my new rooster outside with the girls, in a pen within their pen, so they can meet all friendly like first. He immediately started crowing and wouldn't you know it, but that little yokohama who's on the lam showed up. She heard her boyfriend and beat it back. I saw her in the neighbors yard just as I was leaving for work. When schools out, I will try to find her again. I looked for over an hour in the rain yesterday for her and saw nothing. I can't figure out where her roost is. I really want her back. I even dreamed last night that someone on this thread found her in their yard!

Wrangler, we've had that mix of dog before and he was the best dog ever. We've also had a long haired daschund, and a blue heeler, as I see some of you have now. I've always been surrounded by dogs... when I think of the narration of my life, it's usually what dogs I had at a given time. We now have a catahoula leopard pup, who is a handful. Hopefully with age he'll season better.

 

[Opa]

Besides taking down the xmas lights and mowing the grass I think I need to do a serious house cleaning in the large coop. Dust and dander cover every surface so I'll put on a dust mask, open the windows and get the leaf blower out and dust.

When I was checking out the situation to get ready for brooding chicks I took a couple of pictures of the dropping trays under the roosts. Since the roosts are just over 8' long I took a sheet of RFP (paneling section at Home Depot) and cut it in half. I joined 3 pieces of 1x2 on edge forming a U that I placed the 1/2 sheet of RFP on. On top of that I placed 3 pieces of 1x2x48", on the flat, on top of the RFP trapping the panel between the 1x's. The first piece is across the open end, the 2nd at the back, and the 3rd in the middle. I next cut 4 pieces 1x2x21 3/4. These are installed between the 3 long pieces to finish locking the RFP. I made 2 of these and then suspended them with hooks and lightweight chain. With the open front it is easy to scrape the droppings off the tray with a small hoe. They are easily removed when I need to remove them to clean the floor of the coop.

The use of dropping boards or trays will substantially reduce the frequency of having to clean the coop floor. I figure that I reduced the droppings in the coop by 80%.


Picture showing 2 droppings trays

Picture show construction

Just realized I never took the price sticker off the lumber

If you need additional advice on how to construct these don't hestitate to contact me.

 

[Opa]

Quote:
It's always the favorites, isn't it! .

It is strange how that seems to work out. Last fall a Coopers hawk got 2 hens. One was my best looking Ameraucana and the other was Blue the former house chicken. She was a blue Andalusian the we had hatched late one fall and Hope wouldn't let me keep it outside so we wound up raising in the house. It was probably the friendliest chicken we has ever had. Hope liked it because she could let her grandkids pick it up.

 

[hickchick55]

I have a question. Traverse City has a "coop loop" this weekend - an urban chicken coop tour. I was thinking of checking out a few of them, but I am concerned about bringing disease home to my chickens. Other than wearing different shoes than I wear in my coop, do you all have any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Opa]

Wearing different shoes sounds like a very good idea. Also I would change clothes before going in with your birds. If heard that some people have had their flocks contract infectious bronchytis because they came in contact with the clothing of the owner of an infected flock.

I was at the USDA Poultry Research facility in E. Lansing a couple of years ago and they wouldn't let me enter because I was wearing a jacket that I wore while with my birds.

I'm sure most folks have healthy birds but it never hurts to err on the side of caution.

 

[bt2000]

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Now why didn't I think of something like this.
Thanks for some idea's that will save me some work.
Very good idea.