Official Squatch Watchers

[Suzi18]

I just had a meltdown and work and started crying. Had to go sit in the back for awhile and sob.

My boss (who is not even really my boss) is a nasty, evil thing. I can't believe I lost it.

Another hour and a half and I'm outta here. I really, really hope I hear back from that job soon.

Just take a deep breath and try to think of something happy and relaxing. Just remember......it's just a job....it's not your life.

 

[apryl29]

Yes. When the hawks are bad, I go out in the yard, collect them in a jar and release in the run. Sesame is so spoiled she stays at my feet while I stir up the crickets or point them out.
It was 23 here when I let the chicks out this morning and they were waiting by the coop door.

Looks like I'm picking up some crickets next time I pass the pet store. Thanks!

Yesterday a few of the chicks actually ate from my hand. Took long enough. The grocery store had part of a watermelon I bought for them yesterday and they loved it. Hanging cabbage, apples, lettuce they really enjoy. What are some other fun foods and ideas to keep them busy???

Here's the link I found that had some ideas:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/02/20-winter-boredom-busters-for-backyard.html

It has been a week. They did say they would get back to me soon because they want to hire someone for Jan 2 (although they know I'm on a 60 day contract). School systems are real good about getting back to you within a week or two. So I'm just hanging back, don't want to seem to eager.... I figure I should hear something by tomorrow.

I asked my HR person about this once for a friend.. she doesn't like when people call constantly to check if they got the job. She does appreciate a thank you note, either written or emailed, but she does usually send a 'Thanks for your interest, but sorry' letter (not an email) to people who don't get the job.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good morning all. Last night was glorious. The milk drinker let me sleep from 11:15 to 5:15 and then until 7:30!


Good heavens, no! My chickens are fine at 16*. I almost burnt my own coop down once. We had a heat lamp out there and the chickens kept knocking it over into the shavings. My FIL found it in the shavings one morning, moved the lamp to the rafters and didn't think anything more of it. I went out that afternoon and kept smelling wood smoke. I noticed it smelled most strongly in the coop but didn't see anything. The chickens had knocked the plastic basket we were using as a nest box over onto the floor. I picked it up and it was half melted and all the shavings underneath it were black and smoldering. I quickly ran out and got a snow shovel and threw all the burnt shavings out into the snow. They never caught fire, but smoldered for hours because they were starved for oxygen under the basket. It left a nice scorch mark on the linoleum and the coop smelled of wood smoke and melted plastic for a couple of weeks. But I narrowly avoided having my coop burned to the ground.

My barn had smoke billowing out one day, had to evacuate all the goats. Poured all the water from the waterers onto the smouldering shavings ! Now i build wooden boxes covered in hardware cloth, i bolt them to 2x4s and can move them to other stalls as needed. Baby goats like to be born on the coldest nights of the year.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

It’s cold here. 21* 10mph winds makes it feel like 10*
Winter storm watch until 4 pm, Lake effect snow warning till 12am Thurs, Winter weather advisory till 10am Thurs.
So....SNOW, SNOW & More SNOW!
4-6 inches expected. I’m happy with measured in inches and not feet!

My waterer died. Went out to find it frozen solid. Ran to the store and bought the last one they had. Once the other one thaws I’m going to open it up and check it out. I’m hoping it’s just a lose wire and I can fix it. If not I have another summer waterer.

I had to add shavings to the coop too. I was hoping to stick with sand but even it was frozen. Two bales of shavings and I could feel the difference. Didn’t bother opening the pop door today again. I doubt they’d come out. I need to bag balm the boys again. Or hold their waddles back somehow. LOL

 

[CapricornFarm]

W

Soooo pretty!


I LOVE pineapple cake. My tiny human is allergic and we haven't had pineapple in years. I used to mix drained crushed pineapple w/ vanilla putting and put that on the pineapple cake. It was SOOOOOoooo good! Super jealous right now.


I was about the post for the same reassurance. It's 20º here right now and going down to single digits tonight and tomorrow. Another 4-6" of snow. I have electricity in the coop, but just an LED lightbulb, and heated water dishes. It's sooooo hard not to worry about them, esp when you hear those 'if you're cold they're cold - bring them inside' commercials. I know @21hens-incharge is in Colorado, is anyone else (besides @FlyingNunFarm @Suzi18) in a snowy area?

@FlyingNunFarm @Suzi18 How bad is it up by you two?. I'm covered here and we're supposed to get another 4-6.. I imagine it's much worse for you both b/c of lake effect. I didn't even bother going over this morning b/c I wasn't going to open the door, but now I feel guilty b/c they're going to be bored all day... but I KNOW they won't go outside. I have a head of cauliflower I'm going to toss out to them later that will hopefully entertain them for a day or 2... I need some boredom busters for chickens.

We had snow here in VA but it melted. Still the wind chill factor had us at 29. I don't expect the guys will show up to work today. Their own fault they didn't finish the job by now.

 

[Suzi18]

It’s cold here. 21* 10mph winds makes it feel like 10*
Winter storm watch until 4 pm, Lake effect snow warning till 12am Thurs, Winter weather advisory till 10am Thurs.
So....SNOW, SNOW & More SNOW!
4-6 inches expected. I’m happy with measured in inches and not feet!

My waterer died. Went out to find it frozen solid. Ran to the store and bought the last one they had. Once the other one thaws I’m going to open it up and check it out. I’m hoping it’s just a lose wire and I can fix it. If not I have another summer waterer.

I had to add shavings to the coop too. I was hoping to stick with sand but even it was frozen. Two bales of shavings and I could feel the difference. Didn’t bother opening the pop door today again. I doubt they’d come out. I need to bag balm the boys again. Or hold their waddles back somehow. LOL

I hear ya FNF. I'm sitting here looking out at the big beautiful snowflakes. You're right....the wind off the Lake is brutal

 

[CapricornFarm]

I just had a meltdown and work and started crying. Had to go sit in the back for awhile and sob.

My boss (who is not even really my boss) is a nasty, evil thing. I can't believe I lost it.

Another hour and a half and I'm outta here. I really, really hope I hear back from that job soon.

So sorry Momma, try to think of happy times. i used to imagine my boss in her underwear! She was like 5' tall and 4' wide. Helped me be less stressed.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yesterday a few of the chicks actually ate from my hand. Took long enough. The grocery store had part of a watermelon I bought for them yesterday and they loved it. Hanging cabbage, apples, lettuce they really enjoy. What are some other fun foods and ideas to keep them busy???

I saw one guy hung a whole carcass in the run. The chickens ripping off strips of raw flesh and loving it!

 

[rjohns39]

I hear ya FNF. I'm sitting here looking out at the big beautiful snowflakes. You're right....the wind off the Lake is brutal

I don't miss the wind off the lake at all...

 

[apryl29]

My barn had smoke billowing out one day, had to evacuate all the goats. Poured all the water from the waterers onto the smouldering shavings ! Now i build wooden boxes covered in hardware cloth, i bolt them to 2x4s and can move them to other stalls as needed. Baby goats like to be born on the coldest nights of the year.

Was it b/c the heat lamp fell down or something else? I do have a fixture for a heat lamp, but the cord is too short and if I don't really need it then I don't want to use it.

It’s cold here. 21* 10mph winds makes it feel like 10*
Winter storm watch until 4 pm, Lake effect snow warning till 12am Thurs, Winter weather advisory till 10am Thurs.
So....SNOW, SNOW & More SNOW!
4-6 inches expected. I’m happy with measured in inches and not feet!

My waterer died. Went out to find it frozen solid. Ran to the store and bought the last one they had. Once the other one thaws I’m going to open it up and check it out. I’m hoping it’s just a lose wire and I can fix it. If not I have another summer waterer.

I had to add shavings to the coop too. I was hoping to stick with sand but even it was frozen. Two bales of shavings and I could feel the difference. Didn’t bother opening the pop door today again. I doubt they’d come out. I need to bag balm the boys again. Or hold their waddles back somehow. LOL

It's crazy how expensive those waterers are. I hope this one lasts a while. I noticed the reviews weren't that great on it when I bought one.. people saying they crapped out about a year in, but I bought it anyway b/c there wasn't very many other choices. I had put in a couple spaces w/ dirt for them to dust in, but it's pretty much frozen too and they keep tossing straw over it.