NY chicken lover!!!!

[happyhensny]

OK you honey bee people out there.  I have a slight problem.  I have honey bees drilling into a beam(pressure treated) in my horse barn.  They are right wear my horse lets his nose hang.  The bees are going in and backing out, several a minute.  I would love to encourage them somewhere else on the Property, but they can not stay there.  I do not want to kill the poor things, but you know, they can't stay there.  Any suggestions, anything? Help.  Honey bees have had a very hard time these past few years.

I think you may have Carpenter Bees-google them, they look like bumble bees. Well painted surfaces repel them.

 

[happycountryhens]

Could I borrow your chicken cooping up scary frog?

Baaaaa ha ha ah ha ha ha.

Great story. Thanks for the laugh.

Time for the last coop check/egg collection.

 

[vmdanielsen]

We have the Ultimate Chicken Roundup Weapon now. Last year, we got this huge inflatable frog for the pool. It was pretty well impossible to sit on, but it was adorable, so we kept it. At the end of the season, rather than putting it in the shed or garage, Alan stuck it in the playroom half of the coop. A few days ago, we discovered that the ratchafratching mice had found it and made a handy-dandy nest in the middle of the folds. As he was in the middle of something at the time, Alan tossed it out of the coop, where it landed outside the run. Cue absolute hysteria as the roos went berserk. All three of them started screaming their heads off (like a loud, screeching version of the egg song), and they first herded the girls to the far end of the run, and then into the coop. They didn't let up for a good ten minutes, as they're drama queen boys. Of course, we thought this was hilarious. We finally put the thing up on the deck, as removing it from their sight was the only way to shut the lunatics up.

So, yesterday, because it was nice out, he let them out of the run to wander around a temporarily fenced area for a while. After a couple of hours, he wanted to put them back in the run, but they were having none of it. He tried food - nope. He tried coaxing them back in - yeah, right. Then, he spotted the frog. He picked that up and waved it in their general direction, and every last one of them practically tripped over his or her own wings in the headlong flight to the coop. Success! So, now that's the Official Chicken Herding Frog.

like

 

[vmdanielsen]

I think you may have Carpenter Bees-google them, they look like bumble bees. Well painted surfaces repel them.

the bees we have look nothing like bumble bees. the bee keeper will let me know. I will keep all of you posted


way to hot now!!! Boy! I guess that I am never happy.........

 

[stonykill]

the wood boring bee's I was refering to a HUGE bee's. Perfect for the bee racketball Cass spoke of.

 

[Lapeerian]

Kept meaning to post again, but get caught up in reading everyone else's posts.....
Evicted the big kids yesterday out to the Eglu. They survived. Came home tonight and they still hadn't left the coop. So they were all shooed out into the run and the door closed behind them. After momentary hysteria, they just stood around next to the coop. Someday they will be confident enough to venture farther than the front door. It is soooooo much quieter in the house now. No more squawking as the big kids ran over the little ones. Only the 4 Ancona, GLW and EE are left in the tank. And whenever we go near the tank, the little ones just look. No more crazed running and screeching from the bigs.
My one cat has discovered chick TV, sits on the tote next to the tank (set up for little girl) and watches the chicks. Doesn't show interest in hunting them, but hardware cloth remains to keep chicks in and kitties out.
Got a call from CountryMax Saturday morning, they were placing another order. Only limited breeds and must order at least 6 of a breed. But they did have some left in store available for sale - SLW, EE, BR, Comet. Tried calling back to talk to the manager again (he is a really good guy), but wasn't available. Asked if they could hold until Sunday, was told first come first serve. So called Sunday morning before making the trip up, sold out except for Comet. Was looking for more variety, so didn't place an order.

Chicken math has kicked in. Brother offered up the former calf 'super hutch' that he built. It is a 8x16 lean-to style building, built on an old wagon frame as skids. Will require deconstructing the individual calf pen walls/doors, install a floor and finish enclosing the walls. Think it will fit on the old barn foundation on our property. Already have lots of ideas on how to finish it. Still going to use the 6x8 trailer frame for a chicken tractor. Instead of building a coop on it, thinking calf panel hoop style with hardware cloth floor, a couple nest boxes and some roosts. Perfect for moving around the pasture during the summer and not needing to clean as often. Ideas always welcome!

 

[happyhensny]

the bees we have look nothing like bumble bees. the bee keeper will let me know. I will keep all of you posted


way to hot now!!! Boy! I guess that I am never happy.........

Let us know what he says. Interested in what they are.

Kept meaning to post again, but get caught up in reading everyone else's posts.....
Evicted the big kids yesterday out to the Eglu. They survived. Came home tonight and they still hadn't left the coop. So they were all shooed out into the run and the door closed behind them. After momentary hysteria, they just stood around next to the coop. Someday they will be confident enough to venture farther than the front door. It is soooooo much quieter in the house now. No more squawking as the big kids ran over the little ones. Only the 4 Ancona, GLW and EE are left in the tank. And whenever we go near the tank, the little ones just look. No more crazed running and screeching from the bigs.
My one cat has discovered chick TV, sits on the tote next to the tank (set up for little girl) and watches the chicks. Doesn't show interest in hunting them, but hardware cloth remains to keep chicks in and kitties out.
Got a call from CountryMax Saturday morning, they were placing another order. Only limited breeds and must order at least 6 of a breed. But they did have some left in store available for sale - SLW, EE, BR, Comet. Tried calling back to talk to the manager again (he is a really good guy), but wasn't available. Asked if they could hold until Sunday, was told first come first serve. So called Sunday morning before making the trip up, sold out except for Comet. Was looking for more variety, so didn't place an order.

Chicken math has kicked in. Brother offered up the former calf 'super hutch' that he built. It is a 8x16 lean-to style building, built on an old wagon frame as skids. Will require deconstructing the individual calf pen walls/doors, install a floor and finish enclosing the walls. Think it will fit on the old barn foundation on our property. Already have lots of ideas on how to finish it. Still going to use the 6x8 trailer frame for a chicken tractor. Instead of building a coop on it, thinking calf panel hoop style with hardware cloth floor, a couple nest boxes and some roosts. Perfect for moving around the pasture during the summer and not needing to clean as often. Ideas always welcome!

Chicken math is driving DH crazy. Now we are have a goat math problem...

 

[Glasshen]

I can't imagine why your honey bees are doing what they are doing, but did I am curious if the garlic would work. It keeps so many things away in the garden...

My shiny butt bees are called "boring bees", and they bore a hole vertically in the soffet for a couple to four inches then make a 90 degree turn into the structure. I believe that they nest in there. So my husband is sometimes found on a ladder spraying a powder into the holes for them to drag in with them. The apparatus he uses does what a turkey vaster does, but is way more specialized (expensive) than a turkey baster. My man loves tools, and equipment...I am more of a scrounger, this would probably work type.

After the bees are dead you can plug the holes, but paint etc doesn't keep them away, but of course after you plug, it is nice to remove that porous look.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all!

Hen--I might have to come up with my own kind of chicken herding frog. Thats hilarious!

So I come home last night to no electricity as the power box on one of the poles down the road caught on fire. The electric company was there working on it when I drove through. My first though is that I have to brooder boxes of chicks and no lights. Not good. Even though it was brutal yesterday (91) my cellar always stays cool. Anyways, I run downstairs when I get home because I hear lots of distressed peeping. The larger brooder box with the 26 terrorists is quiet. They were all fine, just hanging out and sleeping. At almost 3 weeks old, they are feathering out and were not in any distress. My tiny silkies, however, were desperately trying to find a warm spot and were huddling together peeping loudly. Poor babies. I flipped up the bottom of my shirt like a pouch and proceeded to put them all in it. Went upstairs and stretched out on the couch and they promptly cuddled up on my stomach and went to sleep. I generate a lot of heat (which is why hot weather kills me) and I think they were happy for the heat and the company. Finally got electric back on at 1030, which was waaayyy later than I though it would be so back downstairs they went. Of course, the older crew had a nice nap so they were partying hard when the power came back on and their light came on. Kids. At least I didnt have to sleep on the couch with 8 silkie babies all night. So nice that it is cooler today.

Rancher--sorry to hear about your allergies. We cant keep any allergy meds in stock at work. This has been the worst year so far and people who have never been affected before are coming in for meds.

I think I have a silkie hen that might be going broody. She does the whole bawk bawk thing at me and was reluctant to leave the egg in the coop this am. I left it to see if she would sit on it. It would be nice to have her do the work. I want to hatch some of my own eggs. I guess time will tell.

Enjoy this lovely day.

 

[admhotel]

Kept meaning to post again, but get caught up in reading everyone else's posts.....
Evicted the big kids yesterday out to the Eglu. They survived. Came home tonight and they still hadn't left the coop. So they were all shooed out into the run and the door closed behind them. After momentary hysteria, they just stood around next to the coop. Someday they will be confident enough to venture farther than the front door. It is soooooo much quieter in the house now. No more squawking as the big kids ran over the little ones. Only the 4 Ancona, GLW and EE are left in the tank. And whenever we go near the tank, the little ones just look. No more crazed running and screeching from the bigs.
My one cat has discovered chick TV, sits on the tote next to the tank (set up for little girl) and watches the chicks. Doesn't show interest in hunting them, but hardware cloth remains to keep chicks in and kitties out.
Got a call from CountryMax Saturday morning, they were placing another order. Only limited breeds and must order at least 6 of a breed. But they did have some left in store available for sale - SLW, EE, BR, Comet. Tried calling back to talk to the manager again (he is a really good guy), but wasn't available. Asked if they could hold until Sunday, was told first come first serve. So called Sunday morning before making the trip up, sold out except for Comet. Was looking for more variety, so didn't place an order.

Chicken math has kicked in. Brother offered up the former calf 'super hutch' that he built. It is a 8x16 lean-to style building, built on an old wagon frame as skids. Will require deconstructing the individual calf pen walls/doors, install a floor and finish enclosing the walls. Think it will fit on the old barn foundation on our property. Already have lots of ideas on how to finish it. Still going to use the 6x8 trailer frame for a chicken tractor. Instead of building a coop on it, thinking calf panel hoop style with hardware cloth floor, a couple nest boxes and some roosts. Perfect for moving around the pasture during the summer and not needing to clean as often. Ideas always welcome!

The Fingerlakes Feather Club is having swap meet on Sat at the Aurburn TSC. Just saying might be a good place for Chicken math.

Now I know your DH is going to kill me, oh well he will get over it.

There should be plenty of people with birds available and all kinds of other things too. Hopefully the weather will be ok.