No Progress: Is Chicken Raising Just Endless Poop Clean Up With NO Rewards?

[Ballerina Bird]

On the watermelon: Today I got them to really eat their watermelon!  I put a little bit of their feed on the top, which they devoured and by the time they were done eating the feed they had developed a taste for the watermelon! Yahoo!  (This is a good thing I feel since I can freeze it for the hot days and it gives them extra water to keep them cool.)  

Yay progress!

 

[HIMA]

Well at least you got them to eat out of your hand. Let's take it to the next level. Get them to chase you for it!

Here's the deal. Oftentimes I free range my chickens, and if I need them to come to me IMMEDIATELY, well, they better listen!

I mean, really, what if there's suddenly a predator on the loose in the area? What if its about to storm torrential rains, and I need to lock'em up in the chicken house ASAP before it storms so I don't get drenched at the last minute? Or, what if I have to leave the house right away and can't leave them outside (alone?). I need them to WILLINGLY cooperate!

How to teach them? Do the BUG trick. It's simple.

Catch a live grasshopper. Yell out "BUG!" They come running because they know only ONE chick will get the prize (and it always the first one that shows up.)

Make sure when you yell BUG, there is actually a bug between your fingertips and you're only about 3' from the flock. Then do it further away. And then, even further.
Yell BUG when you're on the other side of the house, but NEVER yell BUG when there's no bug or you will compromise their trust.
Of course, trust is the key to "bonding."

So, besides teaching them a useful trick that could potentially save their lives, its fun and hilarious to watch, and it is a form of bonding...without having to actually touch them.

Good luck. Ahhh, the joy of chickies.

 

[HIMA]

Your chickens will think that you're doing it to pamper them because they are so special, and they are!

 

[aart]

Watch the watermelon...lot of sugar in the red part that's not really good for them....makes their poops pretty funky and colored too.
BUT...the Rinds!
Those are the ticket, still plenty of liquid, throw them in the freezer then dole them out when it's hot, they'll clean them down to the thin outer skin.
Besides I want to eat the red part ;-)

 

[souriasia]

How totally fascinating about yogurt and poopy butt! I had never heard that.

Re the all day issue -- that is a good point. I work at home several days a week, so I am very lucky that I can keep an eye on the setup. But I was just chatting with my chicken expert colleague in the office today, because we are going up to 106 tomorrow and I'm nervous about the girls, and he said he has a timer that attaches to his Orbit mister that he has set to go on at 2 pm and off at 5 pm, which is usually the hottest part of the day here. I wonder if something like that might help?

Re the yogurt, it's because of the probiotics. They help with runny poos, etc. Also I got a bag of probiotic powder from Kahoots, and I will mix that in sometimes if it seems like they could use a boost of good bacteria.

On the timer, yeah, that's a great idea. I was wondering if something like that could be worked out, I just didn't know it could be done with water. I mean, I know sprinkler systems do but that's controlled electrically. This is straight from the hose. The mister that fits on the fan just has an end that screws right onto the hose. Is that the kind of thing your coworker has, and he has a timer that works for that? If so, that's great.

I've been places, like in Vegas, where the misters just do a periodic burst, you know, like 30 seconds every so many minutes. Or like at the grocery store where they come on and mist the produce. But again, I think those are probably controlled electronically, through similar controllers that do your sprinkler system in your yard. But I've often wished I could set up something similar in my coop.

 

[souriasia]

For the hot day, just had to share a photo of our Clarisse playing in the sprinklers!

 

[Ballerina Bird]

For the hot day, just had to share a photo of our Clarisse playing in the sprinklers!

Cute! Let me ask my colleague if I can have you pm him re the timer, or if he might post an answer to this thread.

 

[aart]

Quote: You can buy battery powered timers that go right on the water spigot coming out of the house.

 

[souriasia]

You can buy battery powered timers that go right on the water spigot coming out of the house.

I didn't know that! Thank you! I will look for those.

 

[souriasia]

Cute! Let me ask my colleague if I can have you pm him re the timer, or if he might post an answer to this thread.

Thanks!

Yeah, his input would be great.