MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

I don't even own one so I'm no help.

Like Bob I don’t own one. I think in the Chicken Palace it would be a bad idea because of dust. I would probably have to wear a hazmat suit if I was going to stir all that up!

The hens don't even have mites, I'm just thinking ahead

I think possibly a hair dryer on full heat aimed into the joins between timber might reduce mites? I could always put some pestene powder along the joins too.

Anyway, both perches are easily removed for future scalding, so I'm planning for something that'll probably never eventuate!

 

[MaryJanet]

I am getting close to the stage where I cannot face eating another peach. Not quite there - peach as a salad item with oil and vinegar was quite good at lunch - tomorrow I will try with some crumbled Feta cheese.
I have given a big bag to an elderly couple who are neighbors. I have a friend coming to help pick and she will take a load for her family.
Three other folk have been promised bags of peaches in the next couple of days (hopefully the raccoons don't go full on before I fill those bags) and a fourth person was happy to accept a bag of peaches and offered dinner at the handover - with grilled peaches for dessert!
I got hit in the head twice today by falling peaches. I ate one and offered the other to Piglet, but even she looked at me like really, not peaches again, a bit of variety would be nice! But she chowed down anyway.
I can only remember one other year like this - maybe a dozen years ago - there must be something about all the rainfall that has caused them to produce so much.
Even my apple tree that is long past retirement has some apples on it and the beech tree has beech nuts. Again a first in the 20 years I have been here.
I hope it isn't a sign of imminent death of all these wonderful trees. That would make me very sad.

Chickens hiding in the undergrowth - quite possibly to escape the peaches falling from the sky.

View attachment 3622905

What a great season!

 

[ManueB]

What is the ramp itself made of? I was worried that a ramp would distort in shape (bend in the middle).

I will do that experiment for you as our ramp is very long and definitely looks like it will bend one day. I’ll let you know how long it lasts. It's wood, not plywood though.

I don't even own one so I'm no help.

Me neither! And like RC no way I could use one in our coop with all the dust.

I am getting close to the stage where I cannot face eating another peach. Not quite there - peach as a salad item with oil and vinegar was quite good at lunch - tomorrow I will try with some crumbled Feta cheese.
I have given a big bag to an elderly couple who are neighbors. I have a friend coming to help pick and she will take a load for her family.
Three other folk have been promised bags of peaches in the next couple of days (hopefully the raccoons don't go full on before I fill those bags) and a fourth person was happy to accept a bag of peaches and offered dinner at the handover - with grilled peaches for dessert!
I got hit in the head twice today by falling peaches. I ate one and offered the other to Piglet, but even she looked at me like really, not peaches again, a bit of variety would be nice! But she chowed down anyway.
I can only remember one other year like this - maybe a dozen years ago - there must be something about all the rainfall that has caused them to produce so much.
Even my apple tree that is long past retirement has some apples on it and the beech tree has beech nuts. Again a first in the 20 years I have been here.
I hope it isn't a sign of imminent death of all these wonderful trees. That would make me very sad.

Chickens hiding in the undergrowth - quite possibly to escape the peaches falling from the sky.

View attachment 3622905

We have tried three years in a row to plant peach tree saplings and they all died.
It's been also a very good year for most fruit trees here and like yours, the very old apple, pear and prune trees have more fruits than they have for years. I credit this to the weather : a cold winter that slowed most bugs down, rain before the flowers bloomed, no late frost or heavy wind to destroy them in bloom, and lots of rain again when the fruits were forming.
Did you always have as many bees hanging around your place as now ? This could also make a difference.

This morning everyone walked all the way down the ramp, except for Edie who was up and out very early. She only used the ramp halfway, then she flew the rest.

Katie didn't get worked up this morning, she remained calm and had her breakfast before coming down the ramp.

Mary was first down of the older hens, then Peggy, then Ivy.

Peggy and Ivy spent a lot of time preening before coming down. Maybe their feathers were ruffled from being carried last night?

They are adapting really well.
I don't think their feathers would be ruffled just from being carried. Maybe they like being perched there and they preen because they are nicely settled.

 

[MaryJanet]

Maybe they like being perched there and they preen because they are nicely settled.

That's a lovely thought, I hope so!

They are adapting really well.

They're starting to adjust

Tonight, I've sat right next to the ramp in the hope it'll encourage the hens to stick around and maybe walk up it.

 

[MaryJanet]

Ooh Katie's gone up!

And down again.

 

[RoyalChick]

We have tried three years in a row to plant peach tree saplings and they all died.
It's been also a very good year for most fruit trees here and like yours, the very old apple, pear and prune trees have more fruits than they have for years. I credit this to the weather : a cold winter that slowed most bugs down, rain before the flowers bloomed, no late frost or heavy wind to destroy them in bloom, and lots of rain again when the fruits were forming.
Did you always have as many bees hanging around your place as now ? This could also make a difference.

I don't think it is the bees - I always have a lot of bees and other pollinators. I do think the weather has something to do with it.
I always get peaches around this time of year. What is different this year is the sheer number of them - they are crowding each other off the branches and a few branches have snapped under the weight. Also the size - they are maybe twice as big as usual.
One of the most productive trees is one that appeared last year where the Groundhog eats a lot of peaches - so presumably it is one of the peach pits that grew into being a tree. What is puzzling about that is that its peaches are way bigger than any of the possible parent's peaches (youthful vigor maybe). But also it suggests that the old peach trees are not grafted in which case where did the nectarine spring from?!

Maybe they like being perched there and they preen because they are nicely settled.

This must be the case - nobody preens somewhere that they don't like to be!

And down again.

Of course!

 

[RoyalChick]

I will do that experiment for you as our ramp is very long and definitely looks like it will bend one day. I’ll let you know how long it lasts. It's wood, not plywood though.

Yes - wood will take much longer to deform - and MJ's hardwood probably even longer.
I think if I did two rails (like 2x4 on the upright) and screwed the wood or plywood ramp to them that would stop deformation. But maybe another staircase is better. Or maybe I should leave well alone - I have no real evidence that my ladders are causing any problems - I think Babs' bumblefoot is more likely to be from standing on a thorn - and they can always jump down onto the top of Bernie's nesting box and then to the ground if they don't like the ladder. Suspect I am overly fretting about this!

 

[RoyalChick]

And speaking of preening, this is the morning routine that always amuses me.
First light, Bernie and Babs rush out to eat. They are older and fully understand the importance of a hearty breakfast!
While they are eating the Pentagonists all take over the roost and preen. They are teenagers and feel it is important to look their best before being out in public!
Then, after breakfast, Bernie and Babs return to preen and always look a bit surprised that the roost is occupied!
This picture from the coop cam also shows the ladder I have that I am worrying about whether I should replace it with a staircase or ramp.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Nice hen house royal!

 

[BY Bob]

Suspect I am overly fretting about this!

I agree with this thought. I think you have a solution in search of a problem.