Northern California Meet Up/Chicken Swap - Sunday October 10th!

[annaraven]

Quote:
Oh - I remember you showing that one when we were up there. It looked really nice! Wish I had room for another coop. (and of course, more chickens to fill it... ;-)

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
Oh - I remember you showing that one when we were up there. It looked really nice! Wish I had room for another coop. (and of course, more chickens to fill it... ;-)

I can help you out with some new chicks too.....oh yes I'm an enabler!

 

[dldolan]

Let me pose this to the folks I met at the picnic...

I am trying to figure out how to do a deep litter-type run (not dry) here in Healdsburg. I have completely enclosed an old pony shelter (enclosed on three sides & covered 10x12x 8ft high) for my hens plus another 15 ft by 8 ft, making their run pretty big if they have to stay in (usually they are out in my orchard). The henhouse is inside this big space, but built up four feet so they go up the ladder to sleep and lay, so have the whole open "down" space to roam around in (sort of make an "L" shape). 1/2 of this big space gets wet (or really wet after last weekend!) as it is open to the rain.

Issues: -the floor of the "L" shaped run has shale gravel in the bottom as this is what they had for the drainage for the pony
-It is sloping downhill away from the run/coop towards the garden creating a little bit of a muddy corner. Otherwise drainage is find, but it is wet in wet season!
-It just started rainy season, so rain off and on through April, then NO rain for 6 months. Temp won't go much below freezing and if so, only for a wee bit.

OK, so Here's my idea: I put down a layer of sand to help with drainage, then DE sprinkled, then garden grade mulch 4-6 inches...then toss in my sycamore and pear tree leaves for the girls to scratch around in when they can't go out. Should I be able to make the hens happy, & have compost every year? I can take off half the mix the girls make every Dry season and put it in one of my compost bins for further action before turning it into the garden. I can also replace the garden-grade mulch a few times during rainy season if needed, and toss it in the compost pile... I need to dry out the open area of the run, and am trying to think how to let the hens make garden mulch for me!

Thoughts? Any would be greatly appreciated. Here are photos so you have a better idea...

Here is the corner that gets muddy--where the red chair is...

Here is the shelter on left and run on right

Here is the inside of the coop (back cleaning door view)--raised 4 ft up, with wire mesh on the botton so if the girls poop from the roosts it falls through or cleans through the bottom wire very easily... (Roosts are above this door height, so you are just looking in to the nexting boxes. Chicken door on the terrace on the left.)

 

[cherylcohen]

!!!!!! Who gave me the honey???? OMG I need to buy some for holiday gifts

 

[jeremy]

It's from Daphne, Cheryl. Her BYC name is Clio, remember?
Isn't it amazing!? I traded her some eggs for a couple jars... that honey is to die for!

 

[cherylcohen]

thanks for the memory shakeup - it is amazing

 

[cherylcohen]

FYI I have 2 Blue copper marans I've decided to sell....They are from Greenfire farms straight run, I don't have a clue pullet or roos. They have been vaccinated for mareks and are a bit over 3 weeks old.

I also currently (mond 11/8 noon) have to sell

day olds or a few day olds straight run

2 lavender orpingtons
2 barnevelders
1 easter egger
1 light sussex
1 black orpington
3 black copper marans

 

[The Sheriff]

Cheryl, what did you decide to breed? Inquiring minds, you know...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Where did you get the barnevelders? Is the black Orp regular Orp or English?

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
#1 Pen will be Coronation Sussex - I currently have 13 pure coronation ranging from 1 week - 6 weeks old and 4 coronation/light sussex splits, in case I need to strength the breed in size or feathering. They've come from 3 different sources so far.

#2 Pen will be Wheaten Marans, I have a bunch of amazing eggs incubating now. I have a few different breeders lined for eggs for diversity.

#3 Pen will be Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks....if Wynette's girls ever start laying. They will be purely from her line, until we feel we need to diversify.

What do you think?