NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

My girls (and a few guys) are SO bored these days - locked up since there's no cover against the hawks.. And only 3-4 eggs/day. My customers are not happy.

Poor Girls

- I was thinking.... find something to do for a few hours outside & let them out while you can be with them ..
or do some cleaning of the coop ..add bedding etc

I forget do you have any roos to watch out for the flock ? Want One ? LOL..
I have 3 they are pretty good at letting the hens know there is danger ..
They normally see it before I do even when I am out with them .
The boys are telling me right now it is time to get out

THERES NO COVER against the hawks..
Are you talking about a run or just in general ?
Can you buy some heavy duty plastic or a tarp & drape over something so they can have some cover ?
What is your set up ?

 

[Glasshen]

Finally got the energy to decorate for the season. Not what the fam expected, but haven't heard any complaints.

 

[rancher hicks]

I haven't been on in weeks. Sorry I haven't kept up on how everyone is doing. The holidays are so hectic with shopping, baking, wrapping, school parties, and family obligations. I look forward to when they are over. I keep telling myself to savor the happy moments of them not dwell on the not so happy points.

My chickens have been down in production, but we still get at least a dozen a day and that's pretty consistent. I've been selling as fast as they lay them. I was going to make some last minute ornaments out of some but I couldn't find rub ons at the local stores. DH still thinks we should downsize and I thought we already had.

I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying their happy moments!

Well now I don't understand why folks downsize in winter if they need eggs. I'm downsizing older girls who were never good layers to begin with.

Don't let folks force you to do more than you can handle.

My hint: If you have to go multiple places and bring a dish. Make the same dish for every place. Tabs Breakfast casserole is a good thing to make. It's really good anytime. We haven't had it in a long time and I'd eat it.

 

[rancher hicks]

My girls (and a few guys) are SO bored these days - locked up since there's no cover against the hawks.. And only 3-4 eggs/day. My customers are not happy.

My neighbor made tunnels for his birds. 24" high and his birds can run around in them. He covers them with that plastic orange fencing. They're made in extensions so they can be attached to each other and adding on is easy.

 

[featherz]

Poor Girls

- I was thinking.... find something to do for a few hours outside & let them out while you can be with them ..
or do some cleaning of the coop ..add bedding etc

I forget do you have any roos to watch out for the flock ? Want One ? LOL..
I have 3 they are pretty good at letting the hens know there is danger ..
They normally see it before I do even when I am out with them .
The boys are telling me right now it is time to get out

THERES NO COVER against the hawks..
Are you talking about a run or just in general ?
Can you buy some heavy duty plastic or a tarp & drape over something so they can have some cover ?
What is your set up ?

They have a large run covered with good anti-hawk netting, but they can't get out into the 'yard' since the 'chicken tree' ( a really honking large bush) is defoliated and covered with snow. So they are stuck in a rather soggy and snowy run. I have three roos, but the hawks still manage to get one here and there! So they do have 'outside' just not the outside they'd like!! I plan on picking up a few bags of sand tomorrow and setting up some dusting boxes for them since the ground is still frozen. I actually was planning to put up a cabbage today but out of time for the day, may try tomorrow. I did a flock block last year, but tsc is out of them. 40 chickens can tear through one rather quickly!!

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

My neighbor made tunnels for his birds. 24" high and his birds can run around in them. He covers them with that plastic orange fencing. They're made in extensions so they can be attached to each other and adding on is easy.

Found this picture while I was trying to find the one that my friend sent me. These would be cool to have.

 

[Gramma Chick]

well you got me started on chicken tunnels
this is a neat one
http://www.siblify.com/blog/birds_in_a_hole/

Heres a bunch
https://www.google.com/search?q=tun...oAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=608#imgdii=_

 

[Lapeerian]

Happy Winter Solstice! You know what this means? The days will start getting longer again! Hooray! And that means the slackers should start picking up in a month....

 

[Beer can]

Chicken tunnels, awesome! Wish I could aford to run one around my garden. I really like that underground one, dairy farm down the road from us has one for their cows, goes under the road.
I've heard they are putting them under highways now where deer accidents happen alot.
Hmm, going to have to think about one around the garden. Might not take as much fence as fencing a large area. Don't dare let them free range anymore, lost too many.

 

[wny egger]

Chicken tunnels, awesome! Wish I could aford to run one around my garden. I really like that underground one, dairy farm down the road from us has one for their cows, goes under the road.
I've heard they are putting them under highways now where deer accidents happen alot.
Hmm, going to have to think about one around the garden. Might not take as much fence as fencing a large area. Don't dare let them free range anymore, lost too many.

i agree ..i really like this idea..i am building some next summer for sure ..i no were theres a farm that used to have one that ran under route 62 from jamestown to warren pa..i like the fence idea for around the garden ..i built a tractor last yr ..way to big and heavy to move by my self so i tore it apart .but these would be alot easyer to manage i am thinking ..and i can connect them right to the run they have now ..