MJ's little flock

[BDutch]

I appreciate the spirit. I'm about to take on coop modifications and repairs this upcoming weekend, before winter sets in.

Good luck with the alterations.
I had about the same thought a few weeks ago. My plans were less complicated though.

• I finished the auto pop door in the playhouse coop 10 days ago.
• Added solar lights on a sensor for an easy check in the evening and better predator protection.
• And yesterday I made a few paths in and around the coop with shredded wood that hopefully lasts through winter to avoid muddy shoes. Our winters are often wet with barely snow and just a little frost.

 

[BY Bob]

Such worthwhile plans Bob. Moving Phyllis and Glynda will be a heavy task.

And it'll be fantastic to level out the roofline.

Would a lifting door like a drawbridge be less susceptible to rot than a drop door? Maybe there's not enough room for a lifting door.

Above the drop door is a swing door to the coop. I considered a drawbridge but that would block the swing door. The drop door is the only practical solution unfortunately. I just need to close the drop door when it rains so it doesn't lay in the water.

I may consider drainage solutions as well to draw the water away from the door. However I think that might wind up waiting until spring.

 

[BY Bob]

Good luck with the alterations.
I had about the same thought a few weeks ago. My plans were less complicated though.

• I finished the auto pop door in the playhouse coop 10 days ago.
• Added solar lights on a sensor for an easy check in the evening and better predator protection.
• And yesterday I made a few paths in and around the coop with shredded wood that hopefully lasts through winter to avoid muddy shoes. Our winters are often wet with barely snow and just a little frost.

All worthwhile projects. Let the winterizing COMMENCE!!

 

[MaryJanet]

Edie seemed a bit weak last night, so this morning I singled her out for a special breakfast of pellets mixed with tuna. She ate as much as she could and then her friends joined her and started cleaning up, so she joined in and squeezed a few more mouthfuls in. I hope that gives her a good start to her day. I may single her out for special dinners too.

 

[LozzyR]

Edie seemed a bit weak last night, so this morning I singled her out for a special breakfast of pellets mixed with tuna. She ate as much as she could and then her friends joined her and started cleaning up, so she joined in and squeezed a few more mouthfuls in. I hope that gives her a good start to her day. I may single her out for special dinners too.

I hope she’s ok.

 

[MaryJanet]

I hope she’s ok.

She may just need more eating opportunities. There's almost no forage available.

I'll get her some salmon and sardines on my home from work and prepare twice daily special meals until I'm convinced it's not diet slowing her down. Hopefully it will turn out to be diet and she'll be a cheerful strong hen again. If not, she'll have to go see the vet.

 

[MaryJanet]

Mary says she's fine thank you.

 

[ManueB]

I look forward to the day when a hatch works out and I can feel a little less on edge about it.

That joy will transform into disappointment if no eggs hatch or a mild horror if the hatch goes badly, then I'll have a sagging ramp and splintery insert for who knows how long?

I also do really hope Mary gets to raise chicks, both for her, for you, and for us to enjoy reading about it ! But now I read about Ribh's hatch, I realise even more that I have been very lucky indeed having two hatches with no issue, and that hatching isn't always a simple thing. (We could say that makes it up for the bad luck I had with the adults health and the heavy parasite problems in their environment).

Maybe when a hatch doesn't completely work out, it should not be seen as failure, but as a learning curve ? I know you said this was your last try, but look at how things went for bdutch. Letting the hens hatch again a few months after a complicated and not completely satisfying experience, watching a co-brooding that was stressful sometimes, and a happy result after all.

It is time to move Phyllis and Glynda from the front of the coop to the run. I've put this off as long as I can.

I love this silhouettes, and all that they mean. Moving them to the run is a thoughtful way to say goodbye. I regret that Glynda did not see Aster grow up but I'm glad she experienced to be a mum.

Above the drop door is a swing door to the coop. I considered a drawbridge but that would block the swing door. The drop door is the only practical solution unfortunately. I just need to close the drop door when it rains so it doesn't lay in the water.

I may consider drainage solutions as well to draw the water away from the door. However I think that might wind up waiting until spring.

Could you use a waterproof material to make the new drop door ?

I really enjoy reading about all your improvement projects. Made me think about mine :
-buy shower curtain to give a try at using those to make the run more wind proof this winter
- move the electricity from the wine cellar next to the coop into the coop, so we can have an electric light.
- find a permanent convenient way to replace the old plastic rectangles I use in the coop to block sight between Gaston and Théo
- buy a new magnet to sweep the yard. The one we use is not efficient.
- hardware fasteners : we use both nails and these :

(I don't know what their english name is) and both keep coming out and create potential hazards for the chickens. I'd like to find an alternative solution that either stays put or is less of an issue if it comes out.

Edie seemed a bit weak last night, so this morning I singled her out for a special breakfast of pellets mixed with tuna. She ate as much as she could and then her friends joined her and started cleaning up, so she joined in and squeezed a few more mouthfuls in. I hope that gives her a good start to her day. I may single her out for special dinners too.

I hope Edie gets better ! What do you mean by weak ? Not as active as usual ?
I've been giving special breakfasts to Chipie since about February I think, and it definitely has an impact on her. I wish I could do dinner too, but with my crazy mob it's more difficult. Yours are a lot more polite so maybe it can work.

About tuna, the mercury content made national news yesterday because a french NGO published worrying test results on Tuna cans from many different European countries, and a study about tuna and mercury.
https://www.bloomassociation.org/en...s-a-health-scandal-on-an-unprecedented-scale/

I read the whole study and found it quite interesting. While nothing is new, it goes against a few common ideas and explains all the context.
https://bloomassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/rapport-Mercure-EN.pdf

We eat tuna about twice a month and I'm going to try to make that less often. I would recommend switching to smaller fishes for the chickens when possible !

 

[Perris]

that tuna story is really eye-opening, and shocking. I'll read the whole report today; thanks for the links @ManueB

 

[MaryJanet]

I also do really hope Mary gets to raise chicks, both for her, for you, and for us to enjoy reading about it ! But now I read about Ribh's hatch, I realise even more that I have been very lucky indeed having two hatches with no issue, and that hatching isn't always a simple thing. (We could say that makes it up for the bad luck I had with the adults health and the heavy parasite problems in their environment).

Everyone's environment is unique and poses unique problems. I've been very lucky with parasites and bumblefoot, but there's very little forage.

Maybe when a hatch doesn't completely work out, it should not be seen as failure, but as a learning curve ? I know you said this was your last try, but look at how things went for bdutch. Letting the hens hatch again a few months after a complicated and not completely satisfying experience, watching a co-brooding that was stressful sometimes, and a happy result after all.

I did say that, but then I recalled my plan to expand the flock every two years (Katie and Edie were in the second expansion after a failed hatch). So it's either another hatch when Ivy turns broody or pullets. Like Mary, Ivy's not getting any younger and she did a great job incubating the chick Peggy killed. So she can have a few eggs when she goes broody.

If both hatches fail, I'll get a trio of pullets and they can quarantine in the spare coop (which would be a big improvement over last time when pullets quarantined in the back room!)

I love this silhouettes, and all that they mean. Moving them to the run is a thoughtful way to say goodbye. I regret that Glynda did not see Aster grow up but I'm glad she experienced to be a mum.

Could you use a waterproof material to make the new drop door ?

I really enjoy reading about all your improvement projects. Made me think about mine :
-buy shower curtain to give a try at using those to make the run more wind proof this winter
- move the electricity from the wine cellar next to the coop into the coop, so we can have an electric light.
- find a permanent convenient way to replace the old plastic rectangles I use in the coop to block sight between Gaston and Théo
- buy a new magnet to sweep the yard. The one we use is not efficient.
- hardware fasteners : we use both nails and these :
View attachment 3976446
(I don't know what their english name is)

Where I live, they're called staples.

I keep catching them with the magnet

and both keep coming out and create potential hazards for the chickens. I'd like to find an alternative solution that either stays put or is less of an issue if it comes out.

I hope Edie gets better ! What do you mean by weak ? Not as active as usual ?

She usually takes a huge jump onto the ramp but last night, she took a small jump and fumbled the landing. Not like her at all.

I've been giving special breakfasts to Chipie since about February I think, and it definitely has an impact on her. I wish I could do dinner too, but with my crazy mob it's more difficult. Yours are a lot more polite so maybe it can work.

It's still a struggle to single out a hen. I prefer to give everyone special meals and that's what I've done tonight. They're finishing up their dinner bowls while I write this reply. Sardines blitzed with pellets, grain mix and a little chick crumble.

About tuna, the mercury content made national news yesterday because a french NGO published worrying test results on Tuna cans from many different European countries, and a study about tuna and mercury.
https://www.bloomassociation.org/en...s-a-health-scandal-on-an-unprecedented-scale/

I read the whole study and found it quite interesting. While nothing is new, it goes against a few common ideas and explains all the context.
https://bloomassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/rapport-Mercure-EN.pdf

We eat tuna about twice a month and I'm going to try to make that less often. I would recommend switching to smaller fishes for the chickens when possible !

Heavy metal toxicity is a problem in most fish predators I believe because they eat the smaller fish who carry smaller quantities of the metals. We're lucky in Australia because the tuna are smaller (but packaged the same I believe). Smaller fish carry fewer heavy metals, so the same sized tin of tuna is not as harmful. Someone worked out an Australian would have to consume something like 40 cans of tuna a week to run into health problems.

I doubt anyone has done the sums for chickens eating tuna.