Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[Chicken Coach]

I'm back on working on the stone walls.Now we have a fox that will show up in daylight.He got one of my ducks last night.So i'm trying to keep everyone up .Ionly let them out when i'm out with them.We are getting another dog this one outside all of the time.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good luck with that, Coach. Foxes are very hard to get rid of. We had at least four, I think we are now down to one. I am hoping to get some pasture seed planted on grapevine hill before the rain from the storm comes. Did some raking and picking up branches today. Next comes the manure, seed and hay to keep it in place.
Co-ops chicken feed is up over $14 a bag now, the place I am buying it at is under $12. got a barrel of bread today, the pigs eat it up pretty fast compared to feeding it to the chickens for treats. Got the frame for the pig hut made, but need to paint it and apply plywood. Bought the eye bolts for when I need to drag it down there near the pond.
I have been spending a lot of time indoors, mostly quilting. I made lap quilts for my Dad, my Aunt, and finished another quilt i started years ago.
Have decided to shut down the incubator, I am just getting over crowded around here and would like to get NPIP status, so that might help. Going to try to butcher some of the older hens.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Today I got the feeder put into the new pig shelter. Hopefully pretty soon I can get the top on and get it down by the pond so they can move in. You are going to pass out when I tell you I am not putting any more eggs in the incubator. As soon as the quail eggs hatch, I am going to unplug the incubator!

 

[202roosterlane]

Really???? LOL I say all the time too. I am hoping to have everything to hatch by late October. I say October because I know I have a few batches of eggs coming in soon.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yes, I quit trading eggs and though I would love to hatch some of these eggs, between the feed prices and the high winter electricity bills, it is just not worth it. Plus DH is talking about having back surgery. We almost lost his mother during hip surgery recently, they lost her blood pressure and had to do massive transfusions. Makes you think.
I just finished my Halloween quilt I have been working on, it looks great on the sofa.

 

[Chicken Coach]

I did turn my bator off for a while but it's back on.Not many eggs in it but it's on.I'm hopeless.I havs sold some chickens so i;m still full up on chickens ,but not as many.I'm going to a huge chicken sale tomorrow to sell some more.I hope i don;t bring back more than i took.My father in law had back surgery years ago and did great and is much better for doing it.The chicken sales where way down last time with all the heat so i can't wait to see the prices tomorrow,because in the fall they always go up.But with feed orices and all it will be interesting to see.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I sent two bucks to auction, so i hope prices are good. Going to watch the chicken sale tomorrow at Scotts Hill. Hope this rain lets up by 5 am so it dries up some.
Got the new pig shelter down near the pond, just need to nail the roof on and attach some eye hooks to attach the gate to the coop. Maybe tomorrow .

 

[CapricornFarm]

Finally, the pig shelter is done. So far they escaped their pen twice. I am going to get a hot wire up to keep them in that pasture.
Almost all the chickens are out of the barn and into coops except the silkies. Fixed up one of the coops and moved the laying flock there.My incubator is empty except a few quail eggs!
We planted the peach tree today, it has been so hot until recently that I was keeping it in the shade. Loving the cooler weather!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I ordered a solar hot box for the pig pasture, so now I need to get the hot wire up. The pigs ran off down the road the other day, what a pain finding them and getting them back here. IDK when I will be able to get the wire up, tomorrow I go for my mammogram and I need to buy feed again. My truck has been in the shop for days with heat/ a/c problems, that was expensive.
The chickens are doing well, but one of the runs collapsed under the weight of the rain filled tarp the other day, looks like an elephant sat on it! Luckily no chickens were harmed. There is a sale Sat. but IDK if i will go, prices have been bad and i hate bringing birds back from a sale.
The fox has been lurking around, I am not sure if it is the critter trying to dig under the coops or not. I just wish it would go away. The dog was barking a lot last night, but he never seems to catch anything despite his size.

 

[CapricornFarm]

This not hatching eggs is killing me, but I figure that is the only way to cut back on chickens around here. Went to the sale at Scotts Hill and didn't buy anything, even though prices are cheap.
I worked on getting the yellow plastic clips put on the fence for the hot wire, and put up a piece of fence where there was a gap from putting in the pond. I am loving this weather. DH helped me fix the run that got flattened by accumulated water on the tarp. And I moved some of the chickens into bigger quarters.
Tomorrow I get my teeth cleaned and a bone scan. Already had blood work and a mammogram. Have you all had yours?