Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

I am hoping to get my fodder system built this week. I talked about it a while back but I ended up spending my time on those wood toys and other gifts. I have a design in my head but need to do a bit of research to see if I really need supplemental light or not. I don't think so since I won't grow them long enough to get tons of grass, just an inch or two

 

[KlopKlop]

By the way, the piano chest my brother and I built brought my mom to tears. She loved it!

 

[lalaland]

thats gorgeous!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Morning, everyone.

I can't believe I"m going to complain about the weather, but it is going below freezing (barely) and I'm not happy about it because of Goldie. For one, with the wind I will need to keep the coop people door closed, and that makes it pretty dim in there. I don't want to run a light but probably should rig something up. For rwo, even with the panel heater I think she would do a little better with more warmth.

This is day 15!!! so perhaps she will start to eat better.

Wed is the next day I will be home during daylight and can test her out in the coop. And the day I can bathe one of the new girls, who seems to have sat on a broken egg or something and has a belly plastered with mud.

Also, about silkies: that poor girl has mud slippers. Do they clean their feet feathers themselves, or do you need to keep bathing them? And why is her head looking kind of grimy, muddy? She lays nearly every day, acts healthy...

It depends on how you keep those Silkies if you can keep their feet clean or not. Same with the crests. Some people tape the crests up in like a pony tail. I was going to do that with mine this year, but so far haven't. They get messy from putting their faces in the water and the crests get a little wet, then they brush them up against dirty stuff and they look like crap. Last year, I just gave them all a haircut, but don't cut too far down if you try that because there are blood feathers on their heads too. I found that those I keep in a hutch with mostly wire bottom have much cleaner feet.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I am hoping to get my fodder system built this week. I talked about it a while back but I ended up spending my time on those wood toys and other gifts. I have a design in my head but need to do a bit of research to see if I really need supplemental light or not. I don't think so since I won't grow them long enough to get tons of grass, just an inch or two

I will get some pictures of the grow stand we built where I start our seeds. Since you are such a handy woodcrafter, you can do one pretty easy. The question is what lights to use. We just use regular tube florescent lights. I show a picture later. I have a bunch of succulents on it right now that I saved to propagate for next year.

By the way, the piano chest my brother and I built brought my mom to tears. She loved it!

That doesn't surprise me. If my son did something like that for me, I would soak his shoulder with tears while hugging the snot out of him! You are a good son, Kyle!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Thanks everyone, on the pullet. I worried that she would run into troubles later after I got her healed up from her injuries. Almost all of my Favs got their backsides pecked at this year, and a couple have never gotten a full tail in because of it. Ironically, they often do some of the pecking themselves once the others start. Gross.

 

[scandiafowl]

One of my hens has a death wish. While the others are roosting and staying cozy, this one wants out. She's already flown over the fence twice and I have other things to do besides chase her back in.
She's under a tree and can roost there all day. This evening we'll discuss her wing clipping.

 

[KlopKlop]

I will get some pictures of the grow stand we built where I start our seeds.  Since you are such a handy woodcrafter, you can do one pretty easy.  The question is what lights to use.  We just use regular tube florescent lights.  I show a picture later.  I have a bunch of succulents on it right now that I saved to propagate for next year.  



That doesn't surprise me.  If my son did something like that for me, I would soak his shoulder with tears while hugging the snot out of him!  You are a good son, Kyle!

I would love to see it. I have a couple 4' tube fixtures I would use since I have them (used for plant starts in the spring)

 

[Minniechickmama]

Here is my somewhat cluttered grow stand. It has worked well for about 14-years. The lights are adjustable with chains on the sides. This has two shelves, but for growing sprouted fodder, you could have more shelves spaced closer, but then you would need more lights. The top is solid too and the two sides and back are solid so we can close it if we want by putting a curtain or something in front if we want it to stay warmer for starting seeds.

 

[scandiafowl]

Now I know why she is jumping the fence. Because I closed off the feed area she has started a nest in the barn. Eight eggs we found today.