NY chicken lover!!!!

[hugz4all4]

Have you got a picture of your run? What I do is to add more wood shavings or hay or straw. Right now in the dry weather I dig and clean out some of the broken down stuff and dump it in my compost pile. You can help the breakdown by adding Peat moss, topsoil and gravel. I do have some hens with balls of muck on their toes and that's why I suggest gravel or stone. I also toss in greens and insoluble grit. Scratch of course before I let them out in the am or in the evening so they have to scratch and dig. Keeping things dry will keep the smell away. You could of course use a spade to turn it up yourself before they get to it. These are all suggestions of course and with everything I've read one size idea does not fit all. Different strokes for different folks. There was a bale of hay in this run before they had a field day tearing it apart.

Thank you for the advice. I will get a picture today. I actually do "spade it" and turn the soil, i like your hay idea. I went out this morning to let the girlies out and the top of their igloo dog house that I keep in their run was knocked off..:/ something had scaled the fence last night. (8 foot high chain link). I do not have a top on their run, but I guess now its time to consider one. They were safely locked inside and no attempts were made of whatever it was, trying to get inside THIS time.. Ugh. I do have two pesky baby squirrels that love playing in, out and around the run all day long but I highly doubt a 2 ounce critter could knock a heavy plastic top off like that.., I was hoping we would stay predator free.. Hope everyone enjoys another Beautiful NY day.

 

[marquisella]

Morning Everyone,
I was up early too this morning, I usually sleep in on the weekends but instead i was tossing and turning this morning at 7 so I got up before anyone else. Gru has found a new home and is possibly heading there as early as this weekend! I was watching him this morning and my poor girls really need a break from him. He mounted Stella 3 times in the matter of 7 minutes! So her and Ella will be spending the summer growing in new feathers. Not that Ella is bad but Stella is still in rough shape.

I'm down to 1 bunny left and 2 birds is like to rehome. Still have a polish/Silkie cross is like to rehome and I've decide I am just going to try to list the Silkie roo and see what happens.
I'm also on the fence as to whether or not I want to go from 5 to 3 ducks. I haven't mentioned anything here yet but my husband lost his job about 3 weeks ago and is looking for work all over NE. He had an interview in RI this week that went really well but also had one in Binghamton last week too. Keepingy fingers crossed we can stay here if he goes for the Binghamton job but if it's RI then we'd obviously have to move and how much we brought with us would depend on where we found a place to live there. Right now we're just enjoying him home. I told him NOW is the time we should take a vacation since he never has any time off! Lol

On another note, some of you have mentioned strawberry picking, well the other day I was inspecting my apple trees, I have three planted, and could not find half of the apples I counted a few weeks ago. I counted at least 9 starting on one tree and now it only has 3 or 4!? Could something have plucked them off??? I'm so mad. I was really looking forward to having at least a dozen apples grow this year seeing as how these trees are still so young.

Sorry Lynzi about the job...I know you want to stay around here...When I was first married we moved 13 times in 7 years....including to another continent...I finally was so happy we have lived here for almost 38 years and don't ever want to move again.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

French street art duo Vanessa and Stéphane, better known as Urban X Stitch, decorate ordinary chain-link fences across public city streets with bright and colorful cross stitched characters.

That is so cute

There are a lot of men knitting doing crochet now. It's a skill I struggle to master, we have some pretty funky washcloths.

i am more impressed when I see a man knitting or crocheting than when I see a woman.

Morning Everyone, I was up early too this morning, I usually sleep in on the weekends but instead i was tossing and turning this morning at 7 so I got up before anyone else. Gru has found a new home and is possibly heading there as early as this weekend! I was watching him this morning and my poor girls really need a break from him. He mounted Stella 3 times in the matter of 7 minutes! So her and Ella will be spending the summer growing in new feathers. Not that Ella is bad but Stella is still in rough shape. I'm down to 1 bunny left and 2 birds is like to rehome. Still have a polish/Silkie cross is like to rehome and I've decide I am just going to try to list the Silkie roo and see what happens. I'm also on the fence as to whether or not I want to go from 5 to 3 ducks. I haven't mentioned anything here yet but my husband lost his job about 3 weeks ago and is looking for work all over NE. He had an interview in RI this week that went really well but also had one in Binghamton last week too. Keepingy fingers crossed we can stay here if he goes for the Binghamton job but if it's RI then we'd obviously have to move and how much we brought with us would depend on where we found a place to live there. Right now we're just enjoying him home. I told him NOW is the time we should take a vacation since he never has any time off! Lol On another note, some of you have mentioned strawberry picking, well the other day I was inspecting my apple trees, I have three planted, and could not find half of the apples I counted a few weeks ago. I counted at least 9 starting on one tree and now it only has 3 or 4!? Could something have plucked them off??? I'm so mad. I was really looking forward to having at least a dozen apples grow this year seeing as how these trees are still so young.

Lynzi so sorry about the job that is terrible all the hours he put in to that job you would think they would have appreciated him.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Morning Everyone,
I haven't mentioned anything here yet but my husband lost his job about 3 weeks ago and is looking for work all over NE. . Right now we're just enjoying him home. I told him NOW is the time we should take a vacation since he never has any time off! Lol

Probably a deer we trimmed around our baby apple trees last year ...the next morning ...no apples ...Deer love them

Lynzi so sorry about the job that is terrible all the hours he put in to that job you would think they would have appreciated him.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
Good they were all locked up . AND SAFE ...a good time to fix the opening on top .

I use fermented feed ( poop stinks less ) & deep litter on a dirt floor ...the stuff underneath breaks down & just smells like dirt ...on top fresh straw / dried grass / dried leaves
( I use dried grass clippings in my coop - smells wonderful ) price is right

 

[andreanar]

Andreanar where are you located?

I'm in Geneva ny. I would be willing to meet halfway if anyone was interested.

 

[andreanar]

Where do you live?  I would be interested if you were close enough.  I live just outside of Corning.

Geneva. I could meet halfway. Let me know

 

[hugz4all4]

Good they were all locked up . AND SAFE ...a good time to fix the opening on top .

I use fermented feed ( poop stinks less ) & deep litter on a dirt floor ...the stuff underneath breaks down & just smells like dirt ...on top fresh straw / dried grass / dried leaves
( I use dried grass clippings in my coop - smells wonderful ) price is right

Thank you for the tips on the run. Im keeping everything written down..(yes, Im a freak like that, i like clean!.. my kids think im a little nerotic..:/)
Anyways...
The " predator" turned out to be my 10 year old son, looking for one of Wanda's eggs.. I was not told this until I shared my predator story with my daughter this morning after caring for the girls.. She rolled her eyes ( shes 13) and said mom, it was Ben last night before we put the chickens away.. UGH!!
Well at least I know now something wasnt getting in, but Im worried enough that I need to cover the top!

 

[rancher hicks]

Thank you for the advice. I will get a picture today. I actually do "spade it" and turn the soil, i like your hay idea.

I went out this morning to let the girlies out and the top of their igloo dog house that I keep in their run was knocked off..

something had scaled the fence last night. (8 foot high chain link). I do not have a top on their run, but I guess now its time to consider one.
They were safely locked inside and no attempts were made of whatever it was, trying to get inside THIS time.. Ugh.
I do have two pesky baby squirrels that love playing in, out and around the run all day long but I highly doubt a 2 ounce critter could knock a heavy plastic top off like that..,
I was hoping we would stay predator free..
Hope everyone enjoys another Beautiful NY day.

We all do.

Not sure what emoticon to use.

Anyhow about squirrels. I had some stealing eggs out of this hoop coop. Even took the wooden eggs. I nailed a rat trap to the tree next to it and baited it with peanut butter and bread. Got three little younguns.




I now have traps set where ever I might see squirrels. They run along our fence so I nailed on to the post.

I had a nest up in a central tree and I set the trap this winter nearby and now they're gone. You may not "catch" the squirrel but you will give it a bloody nose that won't stop bleeding.

 

[rancher hicks]

Depending on where you are I would be interested

Why do you need courage to take your crochet I take mine all over the place.

Cuz you're a girl. I'm a guy. Though now that I'm older I have an I don't care what some folks think attitude.

DW says she doesn't care but sometimes a woman won't say what she really thinks.

Then a guys going "what's the matter?" and she's says "nothing!" and he's like "are you sure everythings all right?" and she says "everythings fine, don't I always put too much pepper in the meat loaf and huff around the house all the time!?." NOW EAT IT!! I DON'T CARE IF IT IS RAW!! "

And he's like, "maybe I'll just go to McDonalds for dinner"

Then the kid in McDonalds says "uh sir it looks like your head is bleeding" and he says "no it's just Ketch Up from a meat loaf that hit me in the back of my head when I was leaving to come here.

(disclaimer, this did not really happen, well only in my mind, but was written for your amusement.

)