North Carolina

[Banriona]

Hey all!! I've been dutifully stalking y'all but haven't had time to be too chatty. The fantastic four out in the coop are doing great. Looking forward to (hopefully) seeing our first eggs in a couple weeks. Hope they don't make me wait until spring! The chicks in the brooder are doing great, even with the cold.

Been studying up and preparing for some Nigerian Dwarfs in the spring. Got a few more frames built for the raised garden beds built. Started digging the paths between beds to prep them for their gravel bed. Also built a new compost cage to keep in the chicken run. A woman's work is never done...

 

[tammyfarms]

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking in

This is a busy time of year for everyone.

Hi Scott!

jtbass, Sorry for your water issues. Is a wagon a possibility for hauling water when it is too cold for the hose? I have a great little outdoor wagon that I use. We shut off the water on our well when it is freezing because the lines are exposed at the handles and will freeze and bust. As a result, I either carry or haul water most of the winter. The wagon helps a lot. I know you said you are handicapped so this might not work... Hollow's recommendation for a 55 gallon "pickle barrel" is another great idea. It takes a lot to freeze a barrel of water. If is out in the sun during the day it will certainly thaw enough to use.

Banronia, your garden plans sound great!

Reign, please jump in at any time! Good luck with your Buckeyes in the spring. Have you found a breeder? If not, the American Breeds Livestock Conservatory (ALBC) has a website that lists breeders of heritage birds. They might be a good source.

It is great to hear from everyone! Anyone else out there???

Tammy

 

[Tikkijane]

Good Morning everyone!

CSB, I have also noticed the decline in chatter.  I am not sure if folks are just busy or stalkers. This is one case where stalking is perfectly fine.    I find that sometimes I am more chatty and sometimes I stalk... Other times I am just not on the computer because I am off playing with my chickens.

I hope that this is the case with most others.  There are some lovely folks on here and I miss some that are not currently chatting.  If You have been a stalker lately, maybe you could drop in for a quick hi just to let us know if everything is alright. 

RF, thanks for the great info on integration.  I hadn't though of placing the new chikcens in the middle of the pack on the roost.  That makes perfect sense though!

I hope everyone has a great day!

I know for me, my day starts when I let chickens out and goes until they go to bed. In between, I'm checking for eggs, riding/exercising horses and working on the house. Horse exercise is paramount because we're likely moving to Washington state in a year. It may happen sooner, but hopefully not. I have to have the horses conditioned to make the trip. And I have to finish the house.....I'm tired just thinking about it. *sigh*

 

[Tikkijane]

I'm doing good here in Nash Cty. Only problem I've had lately is with the watering hose which goes to the coop. I don't have running water out there so I've always used a hose.(this is my first winter) I am also handicapped and have raynaud's syndrome which effects my fingers/hands if they are exposed to cold. LOL Not a good combination when using cold water in cold weather. I worry the worse weather has yet to come. My hose froze up somewhere along the line. I didn't have any waterproof gloves! had to hand walk the hose,curling it, trying to break up the ice. My hands had gotten wet/cold...turned white from lack of circulation. I knew I had to get them water. My dear hubby came out and got a bucket and went in and got some water. I finally got the hose opened too. The waterer inside the pen has never even had any ice in it. I have it pretty well protected..LOL...but I have to get the water to them!! Been trying to figure out how to do it. I can't physically carry the water to and from. I did go to TSC and found some gloves by JohnDeere which have a rubberized portion on the front so they are going have to suffice for now. If anyone has a miracle design that might work..let me know. My coop is good, protected from the elements, ventilated..not heated but I do have 3 brooder lights underneath. No...not inside and not in contact with any wood area of the coop. We put our gifted coop underneath the front wing of our shed so I can put those lights out of the weather but against the loser wire of the coop. They are safe and yet providing a minimal source of heat.

Small world. I'm another with raynaud's. I'm gloved when out in the morning and they're always in my pockets. I'm your neighboe in Halifax Co; just over the Nash Co line.

 

[jtbass2756]

jtbass,

I've got Raynauds and a few other things, too.  Winters can be painful!  I think I have pictures of my water setup in my profile.  55 gallon pickle barrel of water in each henhouse.  I use dog auto waterers in the summer, but bowls in winter.  Fill them once a week, during the middle of the day when the hoses are thawed.  Mine don't freeze hard enough to make watering a big problem.  I do have one with the water outside, so have to break the ice off in the mornings.  I make sure that one is filled up in the evening.  occasionally I have to bring a small bucket of hot water out to pour into the water, but mostly not.  I keep double rabbit bottles and swap them out daily, bringing the frozen ones indoors to thaw.  Oh, on the hose...if you must leave it out, make sure it drains after each use, so there's is no water in there to freeze!

Also, look in the hunting section of Wal Mart or other store and get some chemical heat packs.  If you put them on your wrists (pulse point) your hand will still be usable.  You can put them inside mittens, but it's a bit bulky and limits your hand use somewhat.  They make them to fit in shoes, too.  I've never found them much help there, as they need oxygen to work and my shoes pretty much eliminate that getting to the packs.  And again, they take up too much room.  You'll want a hat with face mask if your face is involved in the Raynaud's, too.  And extra body protection.  (It affects pretty much all extremities on me; hands, feet, ears, nose, and breasts.  Not fun.  I hate winter.)

Oh...and yes, I've been busy!  But we are in finals week now, so soon I'll be around more.  Until next semester starts up!

You have no idea of the help and the ideas you have provided.....plus your time taken to respond...soooo appreciated. I have made sure to to the water during the middle of the day since then..as I said, it was my own fault to begin but I'm going to try to make sure it NEVER happens again.

 

[jtbass2756]

Small world. I'm another with raynaud's. I'm gloved when out in the morning and they're always in my pockets. I'm your neighboe in Halifax
Co; just over the Nash Co line.

Tikkijane...thanks for the contact. I used to live in Enfield. Moved away about 30 yrs ago but still know a lot of people over there. Do you farm in the area? I do have gloves but I'm looking for waterproof and its difficult to find in a woman's size so I can manipulate my fingers.

 

[jtbass2756]

I know for me, my day starts when I let chickens out and goes until they go to bed. In between, I'm checking for eggs, riding/exercising horses and working on the house. Horse exercise is paramount because we're likely moving to Washington state in a year. It may happen sooner, but hopefully not. I have to have the horses conditioned to make the trip. And I have to finish the house.....I'm tired just thinking about it. *sigh*

How many horses do you have? Why in the world are you moving to the NW? Do you have family up there? Do you have other animals besides horses and chickens? Are you going to move them also

 

[tammyfarms]

I know for me, my day starts when I let chickens out and goes until they go to bed. In between, I'm checking for eggs, riding/exercising horses and working on the house. Horse exercise is paramount because we're likely moving to Washington state in a year. It may happen sooner, but hopefully not. I have to have the horses conditioned to make the trip. And I have to finish the house.....I'm tired just thinking about it. *sigh*

Where are you planning on moving in WA? We have long term plans to relocate when I retire... 3 to 7 years from now. Because we are planners, we are already looking at homes and land

Our plan is to move to the eastern side, about 3 hours north of Spokane.

BTW, I know it is a lot of work, but I am jealous of your days! I let the chickens out and then sit on my rear in front of a computer for 9 hours until I can come home, take care of the chickens, make diner, to go bed and do it all over again the next day.

 

[tammyfarms]

You have no idea of the help and the ideas you have provided.....plus your time taken to respond...soooo appreciated. I have made sure to to the water during the middle of the day since then..as I said, it was my own fault to begin but I'm going to try to make sure it NEVER happens again.

I like to think that most of us like to share ideas as much as we like to get them. We all have different ways to approach things. What works for one may work great for someone else... or not at all. Generally I think more ideas are better than a few

 

[tammyfarms]

How many horses do you have? Why in the world are you moving to the NW? Do you have family up there? Do you have other animals besides horses and chickens? Are you going to move them also

I know you aren't asking me.. but we are also moving - in a while... My hubby swears aren't moving ANY chickens.. I am not promising. It depends on where I am with breeding projects and how much starting over will set me back or cost to replace. Until then I just smile and remain non-committal.