Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Well, I am back from the 'big city' with my youth group from our mission trip this week. We fed people meals through a homeless shelter and did other service projects. Very eyeopening stuff for these kids (6-8th grade). Now I am preparing to head out for my 10 year high school reunion. I will be ready to be home tomorrow finally! I have been missing out on Chicken TV and my dogs are just begging me not to leave again.

10 year reunion!!!


My 10 year reunion was so long ago, it has been dropped from most modern history books!

 

[Coffee 1st]

I was thinking of making mine 8ft wide. That should give me over 6 in the center. And by doing that, I can use 4 panels and almost not violate the ridiculous zoning rules.


Coffee Thanks for being my first registrant to the 2015 Hoop Coop workshop. Please bring send your supplies and tuition in advance..... ( I am sorry we have a strict no refund policy, in case of bad weather, or hang overs)

I think i might have some left over stripped screws,warped wood and shredded shingles, i will load them in my pretty yellow and green girl just let me know when the redneck gang will be over for the Hoop Coop ho-down ..LOL...

 

[Coffee 1st]

I think i might have some left over stripped screws,warped wood and shredded shingles, i will load them in my pretty yellow and green girl just let me know when the redneck gang will be over for the Hoop Coop ho-down ..LOL...

see city girl. and blond (well my highlights are)..Lol forgot already what hoop coop was..oh yea metal,rope and a tarp...sounds like something i can make a purse out of..LOl

 

[Coffee 1st]

i know there has been talk about winter water freezing and Ive read all the threads and Ive been looking on line about * waterers * ..is that a word??? anyways i really don't want to freeze my back side off 3 times a day to bring them thawed water. who uses heated water dishes and what is recommend...Thanks All....

 

[duluthralphie]

Seeing as you live in town and cannot have too many chickens (like 30).. I think this would serve you well, I have a couple and I like them. Water consumption drops with the cold weather.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/farm-innovators-3-gal-heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/0000000069031

 

[Rhetts]

Just thought I would jump in and say that my duck managed to hatch out one of the eggs. Only one egg made it to hatch day out of 4. Momma brought baby out of the nest for a smidgen today. I will remember my camera the next time I go out. It is so stinking cute!!

I have been super busy round the place I haven't had time to check in. I have 185+ posts to go back and catch up on.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just thought I would jump in and say that my duck managed to hatch out one of the eggs. Only one egg made it to hatch day out of 4. Momma brought baby out of the nest for a smidgen today. I will remember my camera the next time I go out. It is so stinking cute!!

I have been super busy round the place I haven't had time to check in. I have 185+ posts to go back and catch up on.

Grats on the baby!!


Momma and babies are always cute... I have 2 turkeys that should have chicks (chicken babies) in next couple days! I cannot wait to see them... ANd DO NOT COME BACK WITHOUT PICTURES,,,,please

 

[Coffee 1st]

Seeing as you live in town and cannot have too many chickens (like 30).. I think this would serve you well, I have a couple and I like them. Water consumption drops with the cold weather.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/farm-innovators-3-gal-heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/0000000069031

Thanks,,thats the one i was checking out good to hear they are liked....and im only allowed 6 Hens...

 

[Coffee 1st]

Just thought I would jump in and say that my duck managed to hatch out one of the eggs. Only one egg made it to hatch day out of 4. Momma brought baby out of the nest for a smidgen today. I will remember my camera the next time I go out. It is so stinking cute!!

I have been super busy round the place I haven't had time to check in. I have 185+ posts to go back and catch up on.

1 is better then none..but sorry the other ones didnt,,, and yes pic plz....

 

[lalaland]

I lost a chick last night. Just laying in the covered run dead. No idea why.


Lala Where EJB lives he has a myriad of predators that would give us heart attacks. Those in the arrowhead region have way more variety of chicken eaters than we do. What ever he has I hope it ends up on toast soon. Do you have a dog? I fox would be kept at bay by a dog I would think. Of course, the dog would have to be able to be trusted with the chickens.

A dog would work perfectly except.....when I am gone for 13-15 hours. I can't figure out how to get a puppy through training with my work schedule. Doesn't seem fair to the dog, and I would want it house trained and chicken trained.

Now I am faintly considering a donkey. I hear they make good guardians. But maybe they are like goats and have a horrendous upkeep with hoove trimming and worming and all the ways things can go wrong and cost you a mint to boot.

Someone on hear (BYC) has said over and over the way to break a broody hen is to soak her in cold water......

I have that PITA BA that keeps going broody on me. I am not going to waste more eggs under her, she never sits longer than 10-14 days and then stops being broody.

I have tried separating her from the nest. It is a PITA. I decided today to try the cold water bath. I picked her out of the nest and took her to the hydrant. Filled a bucket with cold water. Then put her in said bucket.

I immediately realized I had made an error. I was as wet as she was. The water was cold though. Once I caught her again I took her back to the bucket. This time I held unto her feathers around her wings so she could not to the explosive bucket exit trick again.



I held her in the bucket. She settled down and I think she enjoyed the bucket. She stopped fighting me. I held her in the water for about 5 minutes. Then I let her out. She jumped out, ran to the roosters and started telling them what she thought of me. I now know where the saying "mad as a wet hen comes from". She stayed out of the coop for about 10 minutes while I watched her.


I went out about an hour later to check the coop. She was back on the nest. There was a difference this time. She started to peck and claw at me as soon as I reached for her. I think they do have short term memory capabilities in their little pea brains. Once I got my hands into the nests and most of the bleeding subsided I picked her out and carried her back to the hydrant. She fought me the entire trip.

I filled the bucket with fresh clean cold water and held her in the bucket again. I pulled her out, then dunked her again. I am guessing she spent 10 minutes in the water. She was not at all happy. As soon as I let her out she started cackling and letting everyone know what a PITA I was to her. Again she went to the main flock, stood by the roosters and they just stared at me. I figured this time I did it.


45 minutes later she was back on the nest.... Should I try this again or is there a better plan? I may need to wear welding gloves to get her out of the nest the next time....

The cold water bucket didn't work for me either, although I wasn't as diligent as you were either. What I ahve been doing all summer is either the cage method - in air - and not allowing them to sleep at night on the nests no matter hell or high water. or 2 days or 3 of a separate pen with no nest. Then, I let them out in the morning and see if they are on a nest ASAP or in the next couple of hours. If they go back to a nest, and they are broody in behavior, I start all over. I have only had a few days this summer with out a broody in jail. Some are repeat offenders.

I kinda think the pen works a little better than the cage because...in the cage they sit and go all zen like - in the pen there are dust baths to be had, bugs...scratching, weeds....more chicken activities and less zen time. And locking them up with a buddy seems to help too - again less trance time.

but....this has been the absolute worst summer for broodies. These girls are determined.

sorry to hear about your chick!

And Ralphie, I know you don' t want to lead a workshop in hoop coop building with no experience. So I have thought it over, and got down on my knees and worked it out. I am going to offer, out of the goodness of my heart, my place for your practice run. You can bring your workshop materials, and your workshop attendees, and have a practice workshop here. THen, after you have experience, you will have a much better outcome when you hold your very first "real" hoop coop workshop. Heck, you can even probably charge your attendees more $ because you will have the experience. Let me know what dates work for you.