Michigan

[uchytil]

Ok so it's so hot I just don't wanna work on the tractor, or the other house, or anything. I went for a ride instead and came home with doe and buck Giant Flemish Fawns, what am I thinking? Only babies-maybe 3 weeks? They are now residing in my den as it's too hot in the outside pen for my new babes. The other rabbits have ice bottles to lay against so no harm there. I did stop at Cedar Creek Hatchery to look at their spread. Next year I'm laying into some Buckeyes. I'll need to build another coop this winter. I don't mix my flock as a rule. So what does everyone else do on a balmy 98 degree day?

 

[RaZ]

Quote:
Speaking of smells outside, my neighbor sent her hubby over to tell me that my chickens smell like dirty socks in their yard. Her words, as told by him.
Really now? I was in the coop and smell pine shavings. The entire yard has a dead grass aroma.

Anyway, I raked the run and that should have stirred up any latent smells but I still don't smell anything that is dirty sock smell. I simply don't smell anything malodorus at all.
Gosh dern city slickers!

Next step is to get some sweet hay and spread around. Anyone know of a source in Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston Counties or within 50 miles or so?

 

[chicken grandma]

Quote:
So your hens lay in the coop all year round? I remember I had this problem a couple years ago. A hen that would not lay anywhere but the coop and the coop too hot to be inside in the day time. Does everyone just cool the coop down enough for the hens to go in in the day?
I have been fencing my hen under the tree on the grass during the hotest part of the day, but today, it was stressful to her because she had not laid her egg yet.

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
Speaking of smells outside, my neighbor sent her hubby over to tell me that my chickens smell like dirty socks in their yard. Her words, as told by him.
Really now? I was in the coop and smell pine shavings. The entire yard has a dead grass aroma.

Anyway, I raked the run and that should have stirred up any latent smells but I still don't smell anything that is dirty sock smell.

Maybe she needs to wash her husband's socks!

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
So your hens lay in the coop all year round? I remember I had this problem a couple years ago. A hen that would not lay anywhere but the coop and the coop too hot to be inside in the day time. Does everyone just cool the coop down enough for the hens to go in in the day?
I have been fencing my hen under the tree on the grass during the hotest part of the day, but today, it was stressful to her because she had not laid her egg yet.

My coop is actually cooler inside than it is outside, due to the thick insulation and fans running 24/7. My ISA who has been gifting me with an egg almost every day laid a huge egg in an outside box in the run. It is 2/3 larger than any of her previous eggs. Still no eggs from any of the other hens though.

 

[RaZ]

Cleaning out the freezer in the garage, I found some frozen corn-on-the cob that I put up (in 2006!).
Instead of just trashing or composting it, I threw the frozen cobs in the run. Talk about some happy chickens!

 

[snowflake]

I gave mine a quart of frozen squash yesterday. I was surprised to see they ate the whole thing. as to the smell your neighbor is smelling, maybe something is dead in their yard. They must be board if they had to complain about a little oder. Are you sure they were't hoping for some eggs?Around here when the farmers spread fertilizer on the fields it smells a lot stronger then dirty sock.

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[RaZ]

I don't think it's about the alledged smell at all. I think it's about control.
I raked the run and coop. Both are in piles right now waiting to be picked up.
Just talked to her over the fence and she said that whatever I did, the "smell" has gone away. Even though the piles are still sitting there. So apparently a concentrated pile doesn't have an aroma but chicken poo spread over 1000 square feet smells like dirty socks.

I think she is happy just because she saw me working in the heat today. In her mind, she won the battle.

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:

I live near farm and about 7pm every night we get that good ol country air....no one in my sub could EVER say that my chickens smell...EVER. lol

Raz...could it be something else your neighbor is smelling. When I got my composting bin my neighbor complained until I had her go out and actually take a wiff of it. Lol....she didn't complain after that. She probably smelled something dead in the woods.

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
Ok you need to have some type of peace offering to get this woman out of your hair. It's too hot for all her negative effort. I think you mentioned that she wasn't interested in free eggs but is there something else you could do? Nice little note, invite them over for dinner and wine.

I have a neighbor that I KNOW wishes I didn't have chickens but she tolerates us. I think she does becuase I am super nice, she gets free books (i work in publishing), free eggs, her husband and her friends think my coop is super cool (so she brings them over for random viewings...which makes her super interesting

) I tease her often that she is going to come home one day and I'll have a couple of goats.....HAHA.