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

[GretaGarboFirst]

Ballet theme sounds fabulous to me!

 

[Skyfeathers]

Souriasia, he are are Marigold and Mimi, don't they look like Victorian ladies? I've also attached a picture of

 

[pattywac3]

HOW DOES THAT STRAW OR HAY WORK FOR BEDDING? HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT ALL OUT AND PUT FRESH IN THERE?

 

[Skyfeathers]

Well, that almost worked, the pictures went through, but my finger slipped :/ Anyways, here is also a picture of part of the gang piling on top of each other in anticipation of treats. They are so funny! The rooster on the door was made by the gentleman who gave me my first flock. He and his wife come to visit their "gals" now and then
Here's hoping the rain goes away soon, I worry about all the mud and bacteria etc. We got about 4 inches in the last 24 hours! The girls will need swimmies on their wings to keep afloat pretty soon!

 

[souriasia]

Souriasia, he are are Marigold and Mimi, don't they look like Victorian ladies? I've also attached a picture of

They do indeed, very proper and very lovely! And also I love the rooster! My neighbor is like that, she always finds these really cool decorative things to put on her coop as well as other areas of her property. I just never seem able to find things like that. I'm jealous.

 

[souriasia]

I found three eggs that my new pullets laid in a box of screws....silly chickens....

A box of screws, yow! You'd think they'd choose somewhere a little more comfie.

 

[Skyfeathers]

Chickens lay their eggs in the strangest places!
Pattywac3, I love wheat straw in my covered run! I tried straw from Lowes and Home Depot first - it went bad quickly. Then I had just dirt, but thought I'd end up in China if I cleaned it out very often. The floor of the run was rocks and clay and roots and very difficult to clean. So then I tried sand. It was back breaking to fill, expensive, and backbreaking to clean, and always stinky, no matter that I cleaned it daily, and it took a good hour each time. I finally went back to straw. Tractor Supply now has great wheat straw. It's very dry, and has a lot of seed heads, which keeps the girls active searching for them. I have a couple inches of sand on the bottom, then put 5 straw bales in the run, (it's 11 1/2 ft by 20 1/2 ft) and the girls spread them out, it's like having a party! Every few weeks I add another bale or two, until it is about 8 inches deep. I deep clean about every 4-5 months.
I'm giving the girls garlic tomorrow, thought I would chop it up and put it with some feed and yogurt. This will be interesting, they don't like yogurt much, have never had garlic. This may test my persistence!
I'm not very good at finding cool things for my coop, and was delighted he gave me the rooster carving. He was surprised I liked it! He had it on the front of the small coop they gave me, but I wanted to put it where it could be seen. I have an actual BO rooster, but he can't be with my girls, he's too huge! Oh, did I mention he's monstrous?! He totally smooshes them when he mates with them, and they weren't peaceful anymore, so I made him an A-frame batchelor pad

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Ballet theme sounds fabulous to me!

Thanks!

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Chickens lay their eggs in the strangest places!
Pattywac3, I love wheat straw in my covered run! I tried straw from Lowes and Home Depot first - it went bad quickly. Then I had just dirt, but thought I'd end up in China if I cleaned it out very often. The floor of the run was rocks and clay and roots and very difficult to clean. So then I tried sand. It was back breaking to fill, expensive, and backbreaking to clean, and always stinky, no matter that I cleaned it daily, and it took a good hour each time. I finally went back to straw. Tractor Supply now has great wheat straw. It's very dry, and has a lot of seed heads, which keeps the girls active searching for them. I have a couple inches of sand on the bottom, then put 5 straw bales in the run, (it's 11 1/2 ft by 20 1/2 ft) and the girls spread them out, it's like having a party! Every few weeks I add another bale or two, until it is about 8 inches deep. I deep clean about every 4-5 months.
I'm giving the girls garlic tomorrow, thought I would chop it up and put it with some feed and yogurt. This will be interesting, they don't like yogurt much, have never had garlic. This may test my persistence!
I'm not very good at finding cool things for my coop, and was delighted he gave me the rooster carving. He was surprised I liked it! He had it on the front of the small coop they gave me, but I wanted to put it where it could be seen. I have an actual BO rooster, but he can't be with my girls, he's too huge! Oh, did I mention he's monstrous?! He totally smooshes them when he mates with them, and they weren't peaceful anymore, so I made him an A-frame batchelor pad

I like that idea of giving them a bale of straw to entertain themselves with in the run! I might give that a try. My dirt floor run usually doesn't give me problems, but in the heat it is a little smelly no matter how much I clean.

Your flock is so cute, Skyfeathers! That's funny about bachelor jail, too.

 

[ronott1]

A box of screws, yow! You'd think they'd choose somewhere a little more comfie.

Yes! They were big deck screws too.