MJ's little flock

[BY Bob]

Tomorrow is Lady Tradie Day!

So I've been preparing.

My first job is finished.

The old fence is dismantled and stacked up. This is where it used to be.

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It was in front of those red bricks in the foreground, then it turned and ran along the concrete, past the baby jacaranda, to the old garage.

Here it is now.

Stacked up timber and folded chicken wire.

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And the stacked up puppy play pen panels.

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My next job is to cut down these tall grasses so the tradies don't trip over.

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This is very exciting! Keep the photos coming.

 

[BY Bob]

One of things I am doing for my online business is establishing a social media presence. I base posts, videos and blogs on a monthly theme. This month the theme is ‘giving feedback’. One of the quotes I posted is “When giving feedback, think about how you would like to receive it”. Obviously that person didn’t think about how they would like to be spoken to in that manner.

Chicken tax:

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Love the chicken photo.

 

[BY Bob]

My girls went to bed soaked last night, but it’s not cold. When it was bucketing down in cold weather, I was worried about them so ended up towelling them down and then they had a sleepover in dog crates in the garage. But I had five and you have lots.

That's what I do when they are not smart enough to come in out of the rain and it's going to be very cold at night. Towels and blow-dry, a little TV, then back out to the coop.

Here are the big 3 getting dried off.

The greatest hen ever.

Patsy

Lilly

Davis even met Patsy close up for the first time this particular night.

 

[BY Bob]

Here is the plan.

We start from the peg in the foreground and go back.

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Then along the back fence, 1m out.

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Then back towards the concrete.

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Then along the concrete towards the jacaranda.

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Now another turn towards the back fence, but only a few metres.

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Another turn to place a wall between the jacaranda and the little coop.

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Back towards the concrete.

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And back to where we started.

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Can you see Mary in the henhouse? She hasn't been broody today.

That's good news on Mary. This is quite the project. They will be so happy when it's done.

 

[BY Bob]

I thought a cold was a virus and not weather-related?

You make yourself susceptible by not taking care. Just like a soaked chicken in 30°F weather is more susceptible to illness so are humans. It is not good to ask our bodies to handle too much.

 

[BY Bob]

You are a microbiologist so you know you can't get a cold only from not wearing a coat - there must have been a cold virus somewhere in the mix! You just reduced your resistance by not looking after yourself properly.

Exactly. I clarified. Thank you for explaining for me. You need to give your body the best ability to fight off any virus it encounters.

 

[BY Bob]

You are a shameless enabler! Indeed that would be the most logical approach and would take me close to my maximum flock size. I am thinking 8-10 in total (better 8 than 10) so everyone has loads of space because it seems that reduces squabbling.
But now I am wondering whether to not add anybody at all this year and follow Shad's advice to leave a nicely settled flock well alone.
There is more than usual uncertainty in the flock given Maggie's lash eggs in September. Assuming she survives the start of spring I wouldn't want to stress her out. But on the other hand she seems to enjoy chasing the road-runners and I think likes not being at the bottom of the pecking order.
If I went with three I would get another Legbar (but a golden crele one) and two Wyandottes (one blue and red and one black and silver). That way I can tell everyone apart.
As you can tell I am deeply undecided what to do!

I owe some enabling back at everyone.

No decisions need to be made today. I find the planning and considering options as much fun as the doing. Enjoy it.

 

[BY Bob]

Another enabler!!

You deserve it. Right back at you.

 

[BY Bob]

Good evening folks

Remind me to NEVER leave you alone on a Saturday afternoon again.... 14 pages, 10 posts per page, 140 posts to catch up.

It was crazy here yesterday. Good times!

 

[BY Bob]

Come on peeps, that was funny! (Chickens going to public schools, to learn bad behavior)

Think of the "peep" pressure!