Our Mixed Flock Journey!

[drstratton]

Marquis is certainly handsome!

He is a handsome Roo!

Big Mack Daddy!! I love it!

My friends a hoot...she cracks me up!

 

[WhoDatChick]

Hey there! Been missing you... you have lots of catching up to do on my thread little missy! JK! I know you are very busy.. as I should be too... but......
I hope to see you around soon!

 

[drstratton]

Hey there! Been missing you... you have lots of catching up to do on my thread little missy! JK! I know you are very busy.. as I should be too... but......
I hope to see you around soon!

Been missing you too! I do have a lot of catching up to do and I'm looking forward to it. We're still working on the kitchen, but I had a minute to check in, it's been a very long day! I'll get there as soon as I can!

 

[drstratton]

I just went out and checked on the flock to make sure everyone was safely in the coop. I left out the front roost bar after I cleaned the coop today and everyone seems to have found a spot. Even Spazzy, I was surprised and happy to see her on the roost and not in the nest box. I had to use straw as I'm out of Timothy hay right now, maybe she didn't like it and decided to get back to roosting...

 

[N F C]

Hi everyone! We've been pretty busy today. Worked on the kitchen for a while, then went out to work in the garden. It gave me an opportunity to watch the flock. Spazzy was off the nest for quite awhile today, I thought she was no longer broody, but nope she headed back in. I picked her up & checked her over, she appears to still be quite healthy.
We needed more soil in one of the garden beds, so we moved the topsoil & cleaned out the coop, adding it into the box & then putting the topsoil over it. It should continue to compost underneath & then next spring we will turn it.
We planted cucumbers, cabbage, kohlrabi, peppers, okra, spaghetti squash, basil & I finally bought an artichoke plant. We forgot to buy Zucchini, so I will pick that up on Friday when I go to town. We still have some tomatoes & watermelon to plant tomorrow after we pull out the tomatoes & beans that you can see behind the cucumber trellis!
We used a metal gazebo that my son had in his attic to make a trellis for the cucumbers.
View attachment 2652008

That's going to be quite the garden!

 

[drstratton]

That's going to be quite the garden!

Good morning Debby! We're not putting in as much as we did last year & we're also late getting plants in the ground again! I can't wait until it starts producing!
I have to get busy & go help hubs. I'm sad I haven't had much BYC time, but we have so much to get done before we go see my mom in CA. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for the kitchen, the countertops will be installed on June 1st.
I hope you are doing well? Have a good day!

 

[drstratton]

We are finished in the garden for the day and after a brief break we will start on the kitchen again.
I love working in the garden as it gives me a chance to be near the flock! I pulled out some of the pumpkin that I froze last fall and gave them a treat, they really enjoyed it. A while later I looked over and caught 14 out of 17 chickens in the midst of a major cuddle puddle!
Including all 3 boys! Spazzy is officially not broody anymore...we'll see how long that lasts...

All 17 enjoying a frozen pumpkin treat!

Major Cuddle Puddle!

 

[N F C]

We are finished in the garden for the day and after a brief break we will start on the kitchen again.
I love working in the garden as it gives me a chance to be near the flock! I pulled out some of the pumpkin that I froze last fall and gave them a treat, they really enjoyed it. A while later I looked over and caught 14 out of 17 chickens in the midst of a major cuddle puddle!
Including all 3 boys! Spazzy is officially not broody anymore...we'll see how long that lasts...

All 17 enjoying a frozen pumpkin treat!
View attachment 2653637

Major Cuddle Puddle!

I enjoyed the video Rene, thanks for sharing it!

 

[drstratton]

I enjoyed the video Rene, thanks for sharing it!

They were having such a good time!

 

[igorsMistress]

They go in on their own?

Mine have fallen in. I almost lost a young cockerel to hypothermia when it was 90°F and the water temp was in the 80s. It was quite scary.

Here is Ned swimming over to me to be rescued. You can see at the end that he can't walk due to the hypothermia.

Daisy, the greatest hen ever, provided me with this beautiful photo.

View attachment 2648154

Yeah they go swimming on their own. I’m so glad Ned was ok! The pools here warm up to almost too warm to be comfortable in summer but it’s cool enough for the chickens I guess.