NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

Mquid great job !!!

I spent all morning in the garden pulling plants that's aren't producing. We had a frost last night but my garbage bags over the tomatoes kept them safe. The girls spent most of the day with me in the veggie garden. About 930 2 red tailed hawks flew over and circled. Girls played statute and ran into the coop. The one hawk was squeaking away. They left finally but we could hear them off and on throughout the day. Few weeks ago I had 5 circling above the girls area. I've never seen them come down to grab a hen tho. Guess all the hidey spots I have work. But my girls freeze at a robin. They always have eyes peeled to the sky

Thought I would share a funny pic.

Stella decided to taste test the tomatoes. Then I realized the girls tasted about a half dozen on the vines. Apparently ones on ground were no good.

I think I a, going to change Stella's name to stinker. She is always the one doing things she shouldn't. She was on the pile of landscape bricks next to the fence later. I quickly herded them all in the coop by shaking e meal worm container

We had chicken tomato thieves today also ...
I cant really blame them ..I have been giving them tomatoes we cant use as treats
I had set aside some tomatoes that were good for me on the side deck..
I found the hens sampling them ..

I took limpy ( the chicken with the bad leg ...) out with me in the garden today ...I thought if she didnt have to chase around with the rest she'd feel better
seemed okay ..she missed me when I went out to check on the rest ..Hawk didnt notice her in the garden..

Another ( SAME ?) Hawk checking us out today ..Babies/ Biggies start a clucking racket so I go out to the woods where they were ...one is missing ..
So I Go around the back to look for the other one ...find a Hawk roosting above me ...AAHHH! .. last baby is safely hiding in a different spot ..whew !

 

[miquwid]

We had chicken tomato thieves today also ...
I cant really blame them ..I have been giving them tomatoes we cant use as treats
I had set aside some tomatoes that were good for me on the side deck..
I found the hens sampling them ..

I took limpy ( the chicken with the bad leg ...) out with me in the garden today ...I thought if she didnt have to chase around with the rest she'd feel better
seemed okay ..she missed me when I went out to check on the rest ..Hawk didnt notice her in the garden..

Another ( SAME ?) Hawk checking us out today ..Babies/ Biggies  start a clucking racket so I go out to the woods where they were ...one is missing ..
So I Go around the back to look for the other one ...find a Hawk roosting above me ...AAHHH! .. last baby is safely hiding in a different spot ..whew !

Glad the baby is ok

 

[Glasshen]

Ke, thought of another possible place that rooster could have come from. A guy on Colton, north side of the road may still have some chickens. He used to have a small coop with 25 chickens in it near his house. Haven't been able to see it recently, he has land that goes back to the north. He had RIRs years ago, and they were frequently in the road. My son hit one once. They would pop out of the weeds at the side of the road and run right in front of you at the last minute. This fellow had sheep when we were building, they escaped, too. So, if he still has chickens, the roo could have come from there...

 

[armorfirelady]

How do I know when a hen has officially given up on her chicks? Today I came home from work to find the two chicks with Pearl screaming at her. I moved her and she had stolen six eggs from the others and was trying to incubate them. Should I just take the chicks away from her? should I give her a chance? After I removed the eggs she let the chicks back under her but I can hear them peeping over the monitor again.

Could you maybe put Pearl and her babies in a dog crate or area by themselves? Somewhere she cant get to eggs to steal?
How old are her chicks?

 

[ke5hde]

Ke, thought of another possible place that rooster could have come from. A guy on Colton, north side of the road may still have some chickens. He used to have a small coop with 25 chickens in it near his house. Haven't been able to see it recently, he has land that goes back to the north. He had RIRs years ago, and they were frequently in the road. My son hit one once. They would pop out of the weeds at the side of the road and run right in front of you at the last minute. This fellow had sheep when we were building, they escaped, too. So, if he still has chickens, the roo could have come from there...

I remember seeing them there a couple years ago but haven't seen any there in a while. I remember nearly putting the truck in a ditch once because a broody was crossing the road with her chicks right there.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Okay I took some pictures this morning. if you have any suggestion on what I should do for winter, I'm more then willing to listen. The coop windows close on both sides and the triangle screen window has a peice of vynal that I can cover most of it when it gets really bad.

This is my "Duck Hut" there are still a few things that need to be done, but it is almost all done. Just need some paint.The tin roof/side has foam insulation so that the tin doesn't get to cold, but the rest is just wood. The insulatioin is sealed so no one can get to it. As it gets colder I'll add some more straw.




This is My coop and my run. It is behind our garage. It is tucked back so you really can't see it that well. Many people don't even realize that there are chickens here unless I tell them. You can see our dogs in their run. The two runs share a common side. I have burlap across where the two tuches and the girls like it better that way. The way that the wind blows the snow it tends to be more pertected there. I've been thinking about puting snow fence around the outside to add a little more wind block. I figured that I'd shovel paths in the snow so the girls can walk around. I do that for the dogs so that they don't do to the bathroom right off of the stairs.







Red and Ruby are wainting in line for their turn in the choice box. I added some straw in the boxes for winter. I figured that I'd bed the coop a little deeper when it starts to snow.



I thought that this was so cute! Mr. Speck really got into the yogurt this morning. He reminds me of a man that gets stuff stuck in his beard. They don't get it too often, but when they do they all really get into it.

 

[armorfirelady]

Okay I took some pictures this morning. if you have any suggestion on what I should do for winter, I'm more then willing to listen. The coop windows close on both sides and the triangle screen window has a peice of vynal that I can cover most of it when it gets really bad.



I love the coop!! I would leave those triangle vents at the top open unless its on the side where snow will come in. Those square windows same thing. And you can block the drafts using clear heavy duty plastic that way light still gets in.

Extra bedding is good as well. Try different items as well like pine needle, leaves, grass clippings, etc.....whatever you can find that's free. I save mine all summer & dry them then use through out the winter. The girl love digging thru the stuff. Wood ash in a container like a kitty litter box is great also. The girls love to dust in it & its a natural lice & mite preventive. You could even add some peat moss to it as well.

But remember those hens have nice warm feathers that will keep them toasty warm all winter. Honest!!! I myself was worried last year until I stuck my fingers into their feathers when it was -10. They were toasty warm

 

[Lynzi777]

Quote:
Originally Posted by LuvMyChicks1491

Okay I took some pictures this morning. if you have any suggestion on what I should do for winter, I'm more then willing to listen. The coop windows close on both sides and the triangle screen window has a peice of vynal that I can cover most of it when it gets really bad.

This is my "Duck Hut" there are still a few things that need to be done, but it is almost all done. Just need some paint.The tin roof/side has foam insulation so that the tin doesn't get to cold, but the rest is just wood. The insulatioin is sealed so no one can get to it. As it gets colder I'll add some more straw.



Love it! (Quoting doesn't seem to working correctly this morning.) Also, I wanted to bring this up because it was discussed on the CT thread a while back when I popped over there to ask a question about a town my friend lives in. The question was posted by someone else and they were asking To Insulate or Not Insulate their coop? And I had just commented stating I've read a lot on how NOT insulating is actually better. Well that was a mistake! LOL Everyone chimed in and said how they would definitely insulate and as a matter of fact it keeps the coop cooler in the summer by doing so? I was so confused. But I guess it's just a matter of difference in opinion.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I have 5 pints beets in the canner. Going to vacuum and then off to pre K. I'm over 38 wks now so I keep telling the baby she has the free and clear to come anytime. She's going to be stubborn I think. I'm ready for this to be done.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

The window on this side is open. It has a recycled glass window that can close. We kept all the old windows from the house when we replaced them with new ones. There are gaps around the edges that I left for some air. I was going to close it when it got cold. The other side has a solid window for now. As soon as I can get through the weeds after the first hard frost I'm going digging for another window that I can use so that they will both be glass and the sun light will shine in.